Digital Government

Your personal data is too public for agencies to verify

The widespread loss and theft of data on Americans has made a once popular form of remote identity proofing obsolete, and agencies need to start looking into other options.

Modernization

Deepfakes are coming and lawmakers are looking for answers

Experts worry false video and audio created by deep learning algorithms can wreak havoc during the next election, but finding those responsible and punishing them is no easy task.

Cybersecurity

House focuses on cybersecurity R&D in energy spending bill

The House Appropriations Committee approved a series of cybersecurity-related research and development initiatives that are designed to tighten up protection to the electric grid and other energy systems.

Digital Government

Funding bill boosts IRS tech

The House Appropriations committee voted up a bill that includes funds to modernize IRS systems and security and restore critical hiring and pay authorities last available in 2013.

Cybersecurity

House panel approves $408 million boost for CISA

Election security, critical infrastructure protection and CDM all received funding boosts, but disagreements on immigration loom over the bill's passage into law.

Digital Government

Former Facebook security chief: hack and leak campaigns are the new normal

The personal devices and private email accounts of campaign and political staff are difficult to protect from determined political and nation-state adversaries.

Cybersecurity

Mixed signals on China in supply chain policy

Members of industry involved in supply chain security efforts worry that international trade and other geopolitical concerns are muddying the security focus of their work.

Cybersecurity

Senator probes DOJ's safeguarding of hacking tools

Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) asks Attorney General Bill Barr what the Department of Justice and its component agencies are doing to keep their tools from being leaked or stolen.

Cybersecurity

Watchdog: Current pipeline security plans weak on cybersecurity, coordination

The Transportation Security Administration's plans for coordinating pipeline security incidents aren't keeping up with rising threats in cyberspace, according to the Government Accountability Office.

Cybersecurity

Are federal facial recognition programs supported by existing law?

Some members of Congress say law enforcement agencies are relying on decades-old laws to justify use of facial recognition tech.

Cybersecurity

House committee pushes for a window into cyberwar

A subcommittee mark of the upcoming National Defense Authorization Act requires the military to notify Congress when using its expanded offensive cyber authorities.

Cybersecurity

Secrecy impinges on surveillance lawsuit against NSA

Government lawyers pressed the court to throw out a lawsuit challenging its "Upstream" surveillance program, saying the plaintiffs can't prove their communications were being collected.

Cybersecurity

Why attribution is a means to an end

Law enforcement officials insist that accurately placing the blame on countries or groups who engage in destructive cyberattacks is a critical prelude to imposing more meaningful consequences.

Digital Government

Congress focuses on money and staffing in election security

The head of the Election Assistance Commission told lawmakers that it needs more money and people to play its part in defending U.S. elections against cybersecurity risks.

Cybersecurity

CDM dashboard award will lay the groundwork for AI

A new award will attempt to refashion the dashboard to better incorporate emerging technologies and make better use of the "treasure trove" of data created through CDM.

Digital Government

States, experts ask EAC for more flexibility in voting machine standards

There is concern in some quarters that the bureaucratic process outlined by the Election Assistance Commission may prevent voting machine standards from keeping up with the times.

Cybersecurity

Report: U.S. political parties need to shore up cyber

Three years after the 2016 election, major political parties in the U.S. are still displaying some sloppy digital security practices, according to a report from Security Scorecard.

Modernization

5G supply chain order worries industry, experts

Industry groups and experts want to know how rules arising from a Trump administration executive order issued will keep insecure gear out of the U.S. telecommunications supply chain.

Modernization

Supply chain task force lays groundwork for new restrictions

Work by the ICT Supply Chain Task Force will feed into new Commerce Department regulations on foreign-directed threats to the U.S. telecommunications infrastructure.

Cybersecurity

EAC rattles the cup on Capitol Hill

The once-obscure Election Assistance Commission, now at the center of several key election security debates, has powerful supporters in Congress as it seeks to increase funding.