Science & Tech

DHS is Collecting Biometrics on Thousands of Refugees Who Will Never Enter the US

Most refugees who apply for asylum never set foot in the United States, but a UN agreement allows DHS and its partners to build biometric profiles on them.

Science & Tech

DARPA Wants AI to Help Make Weapons More Hacker-Proof

Artificial intelligence might speed up the design of arms and other network-connected platforms — and suggest improvement that humans haven’t yet conceived.

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.

Business

Energy Dept. Never Blacklists Risky Nuclear-Tech Vendors, GAO Says

The process is too time-consuming and narrow to be effective, reply officials at the National Nuclear Security Administration.

Science & Tech

NIST Has a Roadmap to Develop Artificial Intelligence Standards

NIST also calls for tools to help agencies better study and assess the quality of AI-powered systems.

Science & Tech

US Plans Face Recognition on ‘All Passenger Applications’

Customs and Border Protection is pressing ahead despite a recent backlash to federal law enforcement's use of such technology.

Science & Tech

'Zero Trust' Lab Will Explore the Future of Pentagon Data Security

Once upon a time, U.S. Cyber Command and DISA could act like no one got past their passwords. Those days are over.

Science & Tech

DARPA Is Taking On the Deepfake Problem

The agency wants to teach computers to detect errors in manipulated media using logic and common sense.

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.

Science & Tech

Interior Dept. Will Buy Chinese Drones Despite Spy Concerns

Agency officials say they have taken various technical precautions to keep DJI from gathering intelligence with their drones.

Science & Tech

The Pentagon Looks to Virtual Reality to Prepare Troops for Nuclear War

The Defense Threat Reduction Agency wants info about VR training systems that could simulate “radiological threats.”

Science & Tech

Report: Pentagon Should Assume US Satellites Are Already Hacked

As U.S. and its allies tether more of their military operations to government and commercial satellites, they need to start taking cybersecurity more seriously.

Threats

Code that Allowed the Equifax Breach Was Downloaded 21M Times Last Year

A report highlights the difficulties of securing the many government IT systems that rely on open-source software.

Science & Tech

Fight Deepfakes with Cyberweapons and Sanctions, Experts Tell Congress

Social media companies and the federal government must help fight hyper-realistic misinformation, witnesses told the House Intelligence Committee.

Science & Tech

CBP Says Thousands of Traveler Photos Stolen in ‘Malicious Cyber-Attack’

The breach happened at one of the agency’s subcontractors and didn’t involve any data collected under its facial recognition program, officials said.

Science & Tech

Nuclear Energy Regulators Need to Bring on More Cyber Experts, Watchdog Says

Cyberattacks on nuclear power stations on the rise, and an aging workforce may soon leave the government struggling to defend plants against the latest threats.

Science & Tech

Lawmakers Question FBI’s Facial Recognition Program

The bureau for years ignored concerns about the accuracy and transparency of its facial recognition efforts, and the House Oversight Committee isn’t happy about it.

Science & Tech

NSA Deflects Blame for Baltimore Ransomware Attack

An agency's policy advisor says city officials had more than two years to patch computers against the attack.