Cybersecurity

Anonymous Breaches the DoJ, Bomb Threat at NSA Data Center, and More

Here is today’s federal cybersecurity and information technology news: Hackers from Anonymous have gained access to a Bureau of Justice Statistics server at the Department of Justice. More here. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ Transformation initiative to digitize immigration paperwork has resulted in its first online immigration form. More here. The U.S. Federal TradeRead… Read more »

Attracting the Next Generation of Cyber Warriors

This week on the 
DorobekINSIDER, Chris spoke with Karen Evans, the national director of the
 US Cyber Challenge. Evans discussed her organization and its mission and unique approach to improving U.S. cybersecurity efforts.
 
 The US Cyber Challenge is an online talent competition, developed to help move 10,000 people into the cybersecurity profession.
 In short:Read… Read more »

Changing of the Guard: White House Cybersecurity Coordinator

This week on the 
DorobekINSIDER, Chris Dorobek spoke with Karen Evans, the national director of 
US Cyber Challenge. Among other cybersecurity issues, Karen discussed
 soon-to-be-retired Howard Schmidt’s tenure as the White House Cybersecurity Coordinator and the challenges facing his successor, Michael Daniel.




 Evans argues that Howard Schmidt brought a lot of attention to the complicatedRead… Read more »

On Distrusting Your Toaster and Other Tiny Dystopias

Close to 16 years ago, Matt Devost, Brian Houghton, and Neal Pollard warned you not to trust your toaster. The title referred literally to computer-connected toasters and more broadly at the problem of security vulnerabilities in a networked world. Since then, the cybersecurity world has focused more narrowly on corporate and government network security andRead… Read more »

White House Cybersecurity Coordinator Retiring, HTC Phones Blocked at Customs, and More

Here is today’s federal cybersecurity and information technology news: Howard Schmidt, the White House cybersecurity coordinator, will be stepping down at the end of this month. More here. Bruce McConnell, cyber-security counselor for the Department of Homeland Security, warned that if the private sector doesn’t make serious investments in cybersecurity, it risks losing “long term-competitiveness.”Read… Read more »

The First Cybercops

Yesterday I attended a discussion put on by the Atlantic Council’s Cyber Statecraft Initiative. The event, “Lessons from our Cyber Past: The First Cyber Cops,” featured a panel that included: Steven Chabinsky, Deputy Assistant Director, Cyber Division, FBI; Shawn Henry, former Executive Assistant Director, Criminal, Cyber, Response, and Services Branch, FBI; Christopher Painter, Coordinator forRead… Read more »

SOCOM Networks, Satellite Tracking, and More

Today’s federal cybersecurity and information technology news round-up: The proposed Social Networking Online Protection Act (SNOPA) would make it illegal for employers to demand access rto social media accounts. More here. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has requested proposals for automated tracking and identification solutions for satellites More here. The full report on theRead… Read more »

Red Sky Alliance and Collaborative Cyber Sharing: It’s good to give, but it’s better to receive!

Editor’s note: This guest post from JeffStutzman of the Red Sky Alliance provides context on a topic of tremendous interest in the community, collaborative cyber security information sharing. – bg Government sponsored hackers, advanced cyber criminals, and even unskilled hactivists operate with relative ease against our information systems because of the sophistication of new toolsRead… Read more »

The PRECISE Act, Law Enforcement Data Exchange, and More

Today’s federal cybersecurity and IT news: The Promoting and Enhancing Cybersecurity and Information Sharing Effectiveness Act of 2011 (The PRECISE Act) passed the House Homeland Security Committee though members had concerns over whether it was sufficient. More here. The Department of Homeland Security and Department of Justice discussed information sharing through N-DEx, the FBI’s nationalRead… Read more »