New project to expose congress’ Browsing Habits
The latest “let’s see how YOU like it” project aims to track what government employees are up to online.
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Category Archives: congress
Comey: Russians Targeted ‘Hundreds’ of Entities in Election Hacking
Former FBI director James Comey’s testimony is a solid reminder that the Russian hacking campaign went far beyond the Democratic National Committee and John Podesta. Continue reading Comey: Russians Targeted ‘Hundreds’ of Entities in Election Hacking
Comey: Russians Targeted ‘Hundreds’ of Entities in Election Hacking
Former FBI director James Comey’s testimony is a solid reminder that the Russian hacking campaign went far beyond the Democratic National Committee and John Podesta. Continue reading Comey: Russians Targeted ‘Hundreds’ of Entities in Election Hacking
Lawmakers fret over proposed budget cuts to some DHS cyber programs
During two days of hearings on Capitol Hill, lawmakers generally said they were pleased so far with Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly, but several from both parties expressed concern about the impact of budget cuts on some DHS cybersecurity programs — and Kelly indicated the cuts weren’t final. Proposed cuts to the department’s Science and Technology Directorate and the planned closure of a cybercrime training college for state and local law enforcement and prosecutors were highlighted by Republican congressmen Wednesday, while Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri complained Tuesday about the proposed reduction of grant programs that helped fund port and airport security. “Why have you cut the science and technology budget … by 20 percent?” asked Rep. John Rutherford, R-Fla., noting that the budget reductions would cause several of the department’s research laboratories and centers of scientific excellence to close. Kelly hedged. “This is obviously a work in progress, congressman,” he […]
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Proposed bill would make DOD tell Congress when ‘special cyber operations’ are taking place
There’s an oversight bill in the works that would compel the Defense Department to notify Congress when the military is engaged in sensitive cyber operations. The bipartisan legislation, as it’s currently written, would require congressional notification when the Defense Department takes action in cyberspace under U.S. Code Title 10, which supervises operations led by Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard, as well as the Reserves. Title 10 is unrelated to the U.S. government’s intelligence gathering mission set, which is led by federal organizations like the National Security Agency. Sponsored by top House Armed Service Committee Reps. Elise Stefanik, D-N.Y., Mac Thornberry, R-Texas, Jim Langevin, D-R.I., and Adam Smith, D-Wash., the bill does not provide Congress with any additional authorization authority, but rather codifies an informal disclosure process that exists between the Defense Department and relevant congressional committees. There is no mention of a public disclosure element in […]
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New Bill Asks Homeland Security to Investigate Whether Terrorists Use Bitcoin
Despite little evidence. Continue reading New Bill Asks Homeland Security to Investigate Whether Terrorists Use Bitcoin
New Bill Asks Homeland Security to Investigate Whether Terrorists Use Bitcoin
Despite little evidence. Continue reading New Bill Asks Homeland Security to Investigate Whether Terrorists Use Bitcoin
Lawmakers introduce bill to shine spotlight on government hacking stockpile
A bipartisan bill introduced in Congress Wednesday aims to add transparency to a controversial oversight framework currently used by federal agencies known as the Vulnerabilities Equities Process. The legislation, as it’s currently written, would help better define exactly when and if the U.S. government should notify a company about flawed computer code they discover in one of their products. Named the Protecting Our Ability to Counter Hacking Act, or PATCH Act, the bill seeks to codify the VEP into law; answering some of the tough questions that surround the current framework, including who sits on the multi-agency review board responsible for decisions and when public disclosure is appropriate. In addition, the PATCH Act offers a brief decision-making criteria and broadly describes certain considerations that must be weighed by board members, including the Secretary of Commerce and the Directors of National Intelligence. Sens. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, Ron Johnson, R-Wis., and Cory […]
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HHS working on cyber guidelines for health industry
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, taking a cue from Congress, has begun developing principles and best practices for cybersecurity in health care, officials said Tuesday. “We had an information day … and we are kicking off next week,” said Julie Anne Chua, from the office of the department’s chief information officer. She spoke at a cybersecurity workshop at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Section 405d of the 2015 Cybersecurity Act — passed as part of the massive omnibus appropriations nearly 18 months ago — is titled “Aligning health care industry security approaches.” It mandates the HHS secretary “to lead a task group to put together a set of voluntary, consensus-based principles and best practices for cybersecurity in the health sector,” explained Chua. As the law requires, it will be consistent with the NIST Cybersecurity Framework and the privacy and security provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and […]
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FBI Director: If left unchecked, Russian hackers will change vote tallies in a future U.S. election
FBI Director James Comey predicts that if left undeterred, Russian hackers will one day attempt to change the vote tally in a U.S. election. Comey said as much during a public hearing Wednesday in the Senate Judiciary Committee. Members asked Comey a series of questions concerning Russia’s ability to conduct damaging cyber-operations against both the U.S. and its allies. “In my view, [Russia is] the greatest threat of any nation on earth given their intention and capability,” Comey blankly stated. Last year, in the months preceding the U.S. presidential election on Nov. 8, the Homeland Security Department discovered a series of digital attacks aimed specifically at voter registration databases used in different states. These systems are disconnected from and do not affect machines that record or tally actual votes, and there is no evidence to suggest that Russian hackers were able to alter vote counts in the 2016 election. Some officials fear, however, that […]
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