Science & Tech
Pentagon, NSA Prepare to Train AI-Powered Cyber Defenses
The giant effort starts by trying to standardize data across the Defense Department's sprawling IT ecosystem.
Ideas
Insurance Companies Are Fueling Ransomware Attacks
Even when public agencies and companies hit by ransomware could recover their files on their own, insurers prefer to pay the ransom. Why? The attacks are good for business.
Ideas
Meet the Coalition Pushing for 'Cyber Peace' Rules
A growing group of governments and NGOs is trying to figure out what limits can and should apply to online attack, defense, and behavior.
Ideas
The US Must Prepare for a Cyber 'Day After'
The government needs a continuity plan to ensure that critical data and technology remains available after a devastating network attack.
Science & Tech
The Pentagon Wants to Bolster DIU’s Cyber Defenses
The department is looking for penetration testers, red teams, and cyber training to protect its startup incubator from online attacks.
Ideas
Esper’s Foot-Dragging on Mega-Cloud Doesn’t Pass the Smell Test
The new defense secretary needs to stand up to his boss, who is inappropriately meddling in a Pentagon contract.
Science & Tech
The US Army Is Struggling to Staff Its Cyber Units: GAO
Congress' watchdog concluded that the Army launched its new cyber units before trying to determine whether the concept is affordable, supportable, and sustainable.
Science & Tech
Energy Dept. Is Updating Its Cyber Defense Assessment Tool
Created in 2012 to help protect the nation's electrical grid, the tool helps government and industry compare their preparations to established standards.
Science & Tech
New Tool Reveals Big Vulnerabilities In Mobile Apps That Use Multiple Clouds
The remote servers that power thousands of popular apps harbor a rats’ nest of vulnerabilities.
Threats
Three Ways Cities and States Can Ward Off Ransomware Attacks
A federal cybersecurity agency and state government associations issued guidance for city, county and state governments.
Ideas
Ep. 50: Cyberwarfare yesterday
This episode, we survey the history of cyberwarfare — from the ascent of Chinese hackers this century to the arrest of a Soviet-linked hacker 30 years ago, and a lot in between.
Threats
FBI Director Names China the Nation's Most ‘Severe Counterintelligence Threat’
Russia also shows no signs of stopping its election interference efforts ahead of 2020, Christopher Wray told lawmakers.
Policy
NSA Launches Cybersecurity Directorate
The group is charged with defending the country’s national security infrastructure and defense contractors against digital threats.
Ideas
Should Cyber Arms Be Treated Like Bioweapons?
A recent paper suggests that the two are more closely related under international law than previously thought. But the analogy, while useful, is not exact.
Ideas
The Arguments for Weakening Encryption Aren't Any Better Under Trump
Law-enforcement backdoors would still make everyone less safe, even as U.S. officials set their sights on broader access to data.
Ideas
Ep. 49: Cyberwarfare tomorrow
This episode, we turn to the future world of cyberwarfare — from life after encryption to the 5G debate, from the next election to the next generation of cyber professionals, and a lot more.
Policy
After Trump Weighs In on JEDI, GOP Lawmakers Say Keep Out of It
Four members of the House Armed Services Committee asked Trump to let the Pentagon award its Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure contract without delay.
Science & Tech
Pentagon Will Default To Trusting Other Agencies’ Cloud Security Assessments
DoD, which has had success reusing other agencies’ authorizations, will make reciprocity the rule rather than the exception.
Ideas
Ep. 48: Cyberwarfare today
In the first of a three-part podcast series, we're going to look at the contemporary risks of cyber warfare, from ransomware and extortion to online banking and culture wars.
Business