DNI: Chinese hacking against U.S. companies is ‘ongoing’ but ‘significantly reduced’

Chinese hacking against U.S. targets is ongoing but “at volumes significantly lower” than before the landmark agreement reached in 2015 between Beijing and Washington D.C., according to the Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats. Former President Barack Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping signed a deal in 2015 after cyberattacks that included widespread intellectual property theft for commercial gain, along with soft attribution that prompted threats of sanctions and other retaliation. Coats’ comments came in front of the Senate Armed Services Committee Tuesday during a hearing on worldwide military threats faced by the United States. Almost two years after the agreement was signed, Coats’ assessment notes significant progress on the cybersecurity front between the world’s two biggest economies. “We assess that Beijing will continue actively targeting the U.S. government, its allies, and U.S. companies for cyber espionage,” Coats said in his written testimony. “Private-sector security experts continue to identify ongoing cyber […]

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Russian hackers targeted Obama’s aides as early as 2007, and attempts continue, report says

Russia’s preeminent cyber-espionage group, known as APT28 or Fancy Bear, heavily targeted Barack Obama’s staff during the 2008 campaign, according to newly published research by U.S.-based cybersecurity firm Area 1 Security. The former president’s closest allies — including campaign staff, top aides and other senior U.S. officials — began receiving a barrage of phishing emails from Russian spies as far back as 2007, when he was still a U.S. senator. Some Obama associates continue to be targeted, Area 1 said. Ex-officials are still being sent phishing emails even though they left government years ago, a trend that shows the attackers’ persistence in trying to compromise assets. A blog post published Friday afternoon by Area 1 shows that associated phishing emails commonly employed subject lines like “just FYI,” “RFI,” “eFax,” or “Elections.” Several corresponding attachments were titled as “harvard-iop-fall-2016-poll[.]doc” and “37486-the-shocking-truth-about-election-rigging-in-america[.]rtf[.]lnk.” The evidence uncovered by Area 1, a firm founded by National Security Agency veterans, offers […]

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Howard Schmidt’s Legacy of Service Remembered

Howard Schmidt, top cybersecurity advisor to two U.S. presidents, died on Thursday at the age of 67. Continue reading Howard Schmidt’s Legacy of Service Remembered

Howard Schmidt’s Legacy of Service Remembered

Howard Schmidt, top cybersecurity advisor to two U.S. presidents, died on Thursday at the age of 67. Continue reading Howard Schmidt’s Legacy of Service Remembered