Category Archives: congress

Rep. Langevin: We need a DHS briefing to understand extent of DNS hijacking threat

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A key House Democrat wants the Department of Homeland Security to brief lawmakers “as soon as possible” on a new domain name system hacking threat to federal computer networks, and the emergency order the department issued in response. DHS should brief members of the House Homeland Security Committee on the cyberthreat because “we need to understand the scope of this action and how many agencies were actually affected,” Rep. Jim Langevin, D-R.I., said in an interview Wednesday. Langevin was reacting to a rare emergency directive that DHS issued Tuesday ordering civilian agencies to tighten security controls in the face of a suspected Iranian hacking campaign. DHS issued the order out of concern that civilian agencies could be vulnerable to cyberattacks on platforms for managing domain name system (DNS) records, which help ensure that a computer user reaches an intended website. By manipulating DNS records, hackers could direct unwitting users to malicious websites. At least […]

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Senators worry that new D.C. Metro railcars could carry cyber risk

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Senators who represent the Washington, D.C., area have raised concerns about added cybersecurity risks in the region’s Metro system after reports that a Chinese state-owned manufacturing company could win a $1 billion procurement for railcars. The four Democrats – Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine of Virginia, and Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen of Maryland – wrote to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority expressing their “serious concerns” of possible foreign bidding on the project, “particularly when it could involve foreign governments that have explicitly sought to undermine our country’s economic competitiveness and national security.” The Jan. 18 letter to WMATA CEO Paul J. Wiedefeld, the lawmakers exhorted him to “take the necessary steps to mitigate growing cyber risks to these cars.” The worry is that technology in the transit system, including video surveillance cameras and the automated aspects of railcars, could be a target of spies or hackers. The state-owned China Railway […]

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Lawmakers ask DHS to take action on pipeline cybersecurity

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The top Democrats on the House and Senate energy committees have urged the Department of Homeland Security to assess cyber and physical protections for natural gas and oil pipelines following an audit that criticized the department’s approach to the issue. “The results of this assessment will help policymakers evaluate the security of our nation’s energy assets,” Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., and Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr., D-N.J. wrote to Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen on Wednesday. Operators of the nation’s 2.7 million miles of pipelines for oil, natural gas, and other hazardous liquids have grappled with cybersecurity risk as their infrastructure becomes more digitized. Those pipelines are a natural target for nation-state hackers, a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission official said in August, according E&E News. Cantwell and Pallone, Jr., said much more needs to be done to counter the threat. They were reacting to a Government Accountability Office audit that found […]

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As China tensions mount, U.S. officials outline efforts to combat economic espionage

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In congressional testimony Wednesday, U.S. officials described the vast scope of alleged Chinese theft of American intellectual property and outlined ongoing efforts to counter such threats amid a dispute with Beijing. From 2011 to 2018, more than 90 percent of Justice Department cases claiming economic espionage by a state or for its benefit involved China, Assistant Attorney General John Demers said at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing. “The [Chinese] playbook is simple: rob, replicate, and replace,” Demers said, describing Beijing’s alleged efforts to build technology-rich companies through stolen American know-how. China is “the most severe counterintelligence threat facing our country today,” said Bill Priestap, assistant director of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division. The hearing comes at a fraught time for U.S.-China relations on technology, trade, and cybersecurity issues. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo alleged during an interview Wednesday with Fox News that China is responsible for a data breach at Marriott that exposed personal […]

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Google’s Own Email Filters Flag Google’s Party Invite as Malicious

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A cybersecurity reporter says his own Google-provided email app flagged an email about a Google party because it included content “typically used to steal personal information.” Continue reading Google’s Own Email Filters Flag Google’s Party Invite as Malicious→

For the First Time Since 2010, People Who Accept Climate Change Control the House Science Committee

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Several Democratic House candidates with scientific backgrounds won against Republican incumbents on Tuesday. Continue reading For the First Time Since 2010, People Who Accept Climate Change Control the House Science Committee→