Cyber
Recent Taiwan simulation highlights US cyberdefense gaps against China, experts warn
Organizers of a cyber exercise say Washington needs to prepare for attacks that both disrupt civilian services and pressure Taipei without triggering outright military conflict.
Pentagon, FBI personnel-data breaches raise questions
The defense breach, which exposed about 3 million people, went undetected for months.
China-linked hackers posed as former US officials, Anthropic employee to target AI experts
Proofpoint identified phishing campaigns that borrowed prominent figures’ identities to approach U.S. policy researchers before attempting to steal access to their cloud accounts.
Hegseth orders cyber, intelligence agencies to prioritize election defense
The directive comes as the administration has dismantled or reorganized offices that tracked foreign influence and reduced civilian election security support.
Stolen FBI data reveals employees’ roles in intelligence and surveillance
Exposed analysts work on areas including China, Russia, and electronic surveillance. ShinyHunters claimed responsibility for the breach this week. The FBI said it’s investigating.
NGA official takes top AI job at Cyber Command
Ronzelle Green succeeds Reid Novotny, who pushed the combatant command to embrace the technology.
Cold comfort
A Polish naval commando walks into a bar…in the latest Fictional Intelligence column.
25 years after 9/11, spy agencies face old lessons and new threats
Former intelligence officials describe a nation better equipped to disrupt terrorist plots, but still wrestling with the costs.
CIA cyber intelligence helped US forces capture Maduro, deputy director says
The agency’s Center for Cyber Intelligence built a “flawless intelligence picture,” Michael Ellis said.
July’s breakout at OpenAI was far more complex than initially realized
Hundreds of AI agents collaborated to escape their containers, disguising their actions and even sacrificing themselves.
Exclusive
Pentagon cyber strategy expected as soon as next week, sources say
Officials have previewed a blueprint emphasizing offensive operations, AI, and closer industry ties as the military reorganizes its cyber forces.
Stopgap funding bill temporarily extends key cyber info-sharing law
The short-term package pushes the sunset date for the bedrock cyber legislation to Dec. 11.
The US military gets its own ChatGPT today
After months of security testing, Pentagon adds an OpenAI product to the list of AI tools approved for unclassified work.
FBI disables China-linked hacking tools used against US agencies
A hacking group used the tools to target networks belonging to NASA, the Federal Reserve, the National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Senate and the departments of Energy, Justice and Health and Human Services.
Treasury sanctions Iranian hackers tied to critical-infrastructure breaches
Four of the five people named in the cyber action were also charged last week in the Justice Department’s expanded Mabna Institute case.
DOJ charges 17 Iranians in cybertheft campaign
Prosecutors say the Mabna Institute stole 31.5 terabytes of academic data and breached email accounts at U.S. agencies and companies.
CMMC Works. Now let’s sharpen it.
This is not the moment to loosen the standard, writes a former DOD CIO.
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As warfare becomes engineering, the era of the digital mercenary dawns
The White House revives “privateering for the digital age” by authorizing cyber firms to strike foreign targets.
Local water utilities are under cyber attack. A new group wants to help
The National Rural Water Association and DEF CON Franklin are coordinating the development of a replicable cybersecurity package for water providers.
Chinese telecoms kept footholds in US despite crackdowns, probe finds
Three state-owned firms retained equipment, data center space, and network ties, including one network that appeared in routes to Salt Typhoon servers.
