Author Archives: Chris Bing

Microsoft-led industry group pledges to not assist government cyberattacks

Posted on by

A cohort of major technology companies led by Microsoft committed Tuesday to a core set of principles for behavior in cyberspace, including not helping any government mount a cyberattack against “innocent civilians and enterprises.” For the last several weeks, Microsoft has been seeking support from companies in order to define a common standard of behavior, or norms, for the broader software making community. The announcement was spearheaded by Brad Smith, president and chief legal officer of Microsoft. Smith spoke Tuesday morning at the RSA cybersecurity conference in San Francisco to an audience mostly comprised of cybersecurity industry insiders and marketers. These norms spelled out in the agreement cover more than government relations. They contain the concept of “collective action” between technology companies to eliminate some of the more expansive cybersecurity threats facing the global economy. Dubbed the “Cybersecurity Tech Accord,” the agreement showcases the signatures of more than 30 chief executives from some of […]

The post Microsoft-led industry group pledges to not assist government cyberattacks appeared first on Cyberscoop.

Continue reading Microsoft-led industry group pledges to not assist government cyberattacks→

Bolton will lead charge to replace cybersecurity coordinator, DHS Secretary says

Posted on by

Newly appointed national security adviser John Bolton will lead the charge in finding a replacement for Cybersecurity Coordinator Rob Joyce, according to Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen. Nielsen spoke to a small group of reporters Monday ahead of a public speaking appearance at the 2018 RSA Conference in San Francisco. The meeting occurred several hours after Joyce’s planned departure was first reported by Reuters and then independently confirmed by CyberScoop. “It’s within Ambassador Bolton’s prerogative [to select the next cybersecurity coordinator],” Nielsen said. “[Bolton] will take the time to work with Rob’s team and work with him, but that would be up to him.” While Joyce spends the next month transitioning out of his role, Bolton will coordinate with the White House National Security Council to find a replacement. It is also possible that Bolton will take this opportunity to restructure aspects of the existing position, a current U.S. […]

The post Bolton will lead charge to replace cybersecurity coordinator, DHS Secretary says appeared first on Cyberscoop.

Continue reading Bolton will lead charge to replace cybersecurity coordinator, DHS Secretary says→

U.S. Cyber Command chief calls for debate around hacking unit’s authorities

Posted on by

Lawmakers and Pentagon leadership are considering plans that could one day provide U.S. Cyber Command with additional authorities to more easily operate outside declared war zones, two senior U.S. officials acknowledged Wednesday during an open congressional hearing. The testimony confirms aspects of a story CyberScoop published Wednesday about a push inside the government to give more authority to the military’s top hacking unit. That story described concerns shared in the intelligence community about the potential impact of a spike in cyber warfare operations. Such a shift in policy may allow Cyber Command to offer more protection to private companies, including those that own and operate what the U.S. government considers “critical infrastructure.” When it comes to offensive measures, the shift could also open the door for soldiers to hack a much wider array of targets; beyond the Middle East, where the military is already engaged in firefights. Under existing authorities, U.S. […]

The post U.S. Cyber Command chief calls for debate around hacking unit’s authorities appeared first on Cyberscoop.

Continue reading U.S. Cyber Command chief calls for debate around hacking unit’s authorities→

DHS security unit makes another big hire from elsewhere in government

Posted on by

The federal agency charged with protecting U.S. infrastructure — including its computer networks — has hired Daniel Kroese, the chief of staff for Republican Rep. John Ratcliffe, as a senior adviser. The National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD), part of the Department of Homeland Security, brings on Kroese as the Trump administration and Congress are seeking to harden U.S. cybersecurity, including its elections systems. Kroese, who announced the hire in an email to colleagues, will arrive at NPPD with close contacts throughout Congress. The move follows NPPD’s addition of Matthew Masterson, the former chairman of the Election Assistance Commission (EAC), as another senior adviser. Masterson’s role is focused on election security. It’s not clear yet what Kroese will specialize in at NPPD. “After a remarkable 4+ years, today will be my last day working for Congressman John Ratcliffe,” Kroese said in an email to colleagues. “I will soon be starting as Senior Advisor […]

The post DHS security unit makes another big hire from elsewhere in government appeared first on Cyberscoop.

Continue reading DHS security unit makes another big hire from elsewhere in government→

Thomas Bossert resigns from White House

Posted on by

White House official Thomas Bossert, a special assistant to the president on homeland security matters, has resigned, the White House announced Tuesday. The resignation comes one day after newly appointed national security adviser John Bolton took his position at the White House. Bloomberg has reported that Bossert’s resignation came as a result of a Bolton request. NEWS: Bossert is essentially being fired. He is resigning at the request of new National Security Adviser John Bolton, I’m told. — Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) April 10, 2018 Bossert spoke publicly as recent as Sunday on the Trump administration’s ongoing efforts to counter Russian aggression in cyberspace. Various national security experts, including some current U.S. officials, have criticized the White House in recent months for what they describe as insufficient punishment towards the Kremlin for having meddled in the 2016 presidential election. Bossert was an important voice in the Trump administration when it came […]

The post Thomas Bossert resigns from White House appeared first on Cyberscoop.

Continue reading Thomas Bossert resigns from White House→

NSA official: U.S. has yet to hit Russia back ‘where it hurts’ for cyber aggression

Posted on by

The Trump administration has yet to hit Russia “where it hurts” after Russian intelligence agencies orchestrated a complex operation in 2016 that saw U.S. political organizations hacked and targeted propaganda spread among voters, according to a senior U.S. intelligence official. Natalie Laing, the deputy director of operations at the NSA, told attendees of an exclusive security conference Monday that the U.S. doesn’t “yet have the political fortitude to say how we’ll strike back.” The comment follows recent public testimony by current NSA Director Adm. Michael Rogers and his presumed successor, Gen. Paul Nakasone, regarding the lack of a coherent, aggressive response to Russia’s bad behavior in cyberspace. The executive branch would be responsible for developing such a strategy, which would then be carried out by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and Pentagon leadership. A historic intelligence community report published in January 2017 showed that the Russian government […]

The post NSA official: U.S. has yet to hit Russia back ‘where it hurts’ for cyber aggression appeared first on Cyberscoop.

Continue reading NSA official: U.S. has yet to hit Russia back ‘where it hurts’ for cyber aggression→

With trade war looming, Chinese cyberattacks may follow

Posted on by

With the prospect of a trade war on the horizon between U.S. and China, cybersecurity and policy experts say government-backed cyberattacks between the two countries may spike after years of calm. For the last two weeks, Chinese and U.S. government officials have been sparring over the potential creation of tariffs, which would place a tax on foreign exports coming into America. “Potential tariff implementation could raise uncertainty over the possibility of a trade war between the two countries and possibly drive a further uptick in Chinese cyber espionage,” said Dmitri Alperovitch, chief technology officer of cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, in a email to CyberScoop. “CrowdStrike has seen some pickup in Chinese cyber espionage activity over the last year, and we expect this trend to continue … There tends to be a shift in activity from nation-state adversaries when major geopolitical events occur.” Historically, the Chinese government has successfully employed hackers to advance their […]

The post With trade war looming, Chinese cyberattacks may follow appeared first on Cyberscoop.

Continue reading With trade war looming, Chinese cyberattacks may follow→

Here comes the next round of encryption legislation

Posted on by

Another Senate bill that intends to regulate encryption in private devices is in the works. Staffers for the Senate Judiciary Committee have been speaking with representatives of large U.S. technology companies in recent months to receive feedback for potential future legislation, three people familiar with the matter told CyberScoop. These representatives have so far included trade group associations and lobbyists for technology vendors. The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations, explained the process as a greater push within the Trump administration to tackle the “going dark” issue. “Going dark” refers to law enforcement’s inability to bypass device encryption in order to access information that might be relevant to a criminal investigation. Last year, investigators were blocked from accessing evidence on 7,775 devices because of encryption, FBI Director Christopher Wray recently said. It’s not clear when such a bill would be introduced, because discussions are still ongoing […]

The post Here comes the next round of encryption legislation appeared first on Cyberscoop.

Continue reading Here comes the next round of encryption legislation→

Eugene Kaspersky defends publishing ‘Slingshot’ report

Posted on by

The founder and current CEO of Kaspersky Lab is defending the Moscow-based company after it published a research report that ultimately exposed an active U.S. cyber-espionage operation against ISIS and Al-Qaeda terrorists. In an interview with Australian press, Eugene Kaspersky said his company’s anti-virus engine does not discriminate based on nationality or the malware authors’ intent. Prior reporting by CyberScoop showed that the research report in question, which looked at a malware framework dubbed “Slingshot,” was in fact connected to an expansive U.S.-led counterterrorism effort. “Don’t blame our X-ray,” he told The Australian after speaking at a Formula One event in Melbourne. “It rings on any kind of gun. It doesn’t matter who’s wearing the gun, a terrorist or a policeman. We provide the world’s best X-ray … Maybe days after we find that it’s a criminal searching for money, or it’s espionage looking for information. Our X-ray is made to ring […]

The post Eugene Kaspersky defends publishing ‘Slingshot’ report appeared first on Cyberscoop.

Continue reading Eugene Kaspersky defends publishing ‘Slingshot’ report→

Trump’s new national security adviser is a DNC breach truther

Posted on by

President Donald Trump’s newly appointed national security adviser has a history of denying that Russian hackers breached the Democratic National Committee in the run-up to the 2016 presidential election. “It’s not at all clear to me just viewing this from the outside that this hacking into the DNC and the RNC computers was not a false flag operation,” John Bolton said on Fox News in December 2016. “The question that has to be asked is, why did the Russians run their smart intelligence service against Hillary [Clinton]’s server, but their dumb intelligence services against the election?” That opinion runs counter to what most cybersecurity experts, the U.S. intelligence community and even current Trump administration officials say. In fact, the only known organization that’s entertained this same assertion is The Nation, a typically left-leaning liberal news outlet, which was subsequently mocked for its story that suggested as much. The latter half of […]

The post Trump’s new national security adviser is a DNC breach truther appeared first on Cyberscoop.

Continue reading Trump’s new national security adviser is a DNC breach truther→