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