Ideas
What to Do About Zero-Day Hacks? Try A Middle Road
A system of government incentives will keep us safer than trying to buy up all newly discovered vulnerabilities, or outlawing their sale.
Science & Tech
The Man in Charge of Stopping the Next Snowden
Moving past the summer of 2013 has proven difficult for the intelligence community.
Ideas
A Peek into French Signals Intelligence
France’s former top SIGINT spy confirms an advanced persistent threat and muses about a merger with German intelligence.
Science & Tech
The NSA Is Using Bomb-Defusing Software to Grow the Next Generation of Analysts
This year’s codebreaking contest has a twist: the college teams must remotely locate and neutralize a roadside bomb.
Science & Tech
Will NSA and CyberCom Split?
This isn’t the first time officials have considered dividing the agencies’ leadership or even putting civilians in charge.
Science & Tech
One of America's Spy Agencies Will Test Sentiment Analysis to Help Sniff Out Insider Threats
If the one-year pilot program is successful, a ‘full and open competition’ could follow to broaden the software’s use inside the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency.
Science & Tech
There’s a Big Loophole in the Pentagon’s Guide to Eavesdropping
The new rules reflect a shift in intel-gathering from phone-tapping to capturing conversations on the internet.
Ideas
Trump is Wrong About the Intelligence Community
Presidential candidates should refrain from uninformed and baseless claims that only undermine intelligence professionals.
Ideas
Why So Many Foreign Fighters Flock to ISIS
A look at the factors that motivate people to leave home and join faraway wars.
Ideas
Trump’s Plea to Russian Hackers Foreshadows a Dangerous Stance on NSA Surveillance
His call out to Russian hackers validates the worst suspicions of security-state critics.
Science & Tech
Pentagon Wants to Automate Social-Media Checks on Clearance Holders
The program would analyze public posts to help determine an employee's suitability for Defense Intelligence Agency classified work.
Science & Tech
OPM Updates Data Breach Information Website
The Office of Personnel Management has updated its website on the historic 2015 background check cybersecurity breach to make it easier for those affected to access information about the incident.
Science & Tech
Virtual Reality Comes to US Military's Mapping Agency
U.S. officials abroad may soon be able to use their smartphone cameras to help swiftly reconstruct a bomb scene for eyes wrapped in Oculus 3-D headgear back in Washington.
Science & Tech
The Pentagon Is About to Launch A Big Database for Screening National Security Workers
The new DISS will merge two tools as part of the effort to reform the security clearance process.
Ideas
Need a New Security Clearance? Here Are 5 Things You Should Know
If you work for the government, you need to understand the process and the terminology.
Science & Tech
US Spies Are Building Software to Spot Your Suspicious Behavior In Live Video
The program is called Deep Intermodal Video Analytics—or DIVA—and it seeks to locate shooters and terrorists before they strike.
Science & Tech
The Military Is Building an Employee Database to Predict Traitors
The “DoD Component Insider Threat Records System” is part of the U.S. government's response to the 2010 leaks of classified diplomatic cables by former Pfc. Chelsea Manning.
Science & Tech
Federal Background Checks Will Soon Involve Your Life on Facebook
Director of National Intelligence James Clapper signed a policy Thursday allowing investigators to scan public social media posts when deciding whether to issue a security clearance.
Ideas
Transparency’s Double-Edged Sword
Even as ubiquitous surveillance helps hold governments accountable, it can also make tense situations less stable.
Ideas