Teen on Musk’s DOGE Team Graduated from ‘The Com’

Wired reported this week that a 19-year-old working for Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) was given access to sensitive US government systems even though his past association with cybercrime communities should have precluded him from gaining the necessary security clearances to do so. As today’s story explores, the DOGE teen is a former denizen of ‘The Com,’ an archipelago of Discord and Telegram chat channels that function as a kind of distributed cybercriminal social network for facilitating instant collaboration. Continue reading Teen on Musk’s DOGE Team Graduated from ‘The Com’

CIA nominee tells Senate he, too, wants to go on cyber offense

John Ratcliffe said he wants to develop cyber offense tools and supports a cyber-focused deterrence strategy.

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Wyden legislation would mandate FCC cybersecurity rules for telecoms

It would go beyond the FCC’s own proposal to regulate telecommunications carriers under federal wiretapping law.

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Host of House panels getting briefed on major Chinese hacker telecom breaches

The reported scope of the Salt Typhoon hacks has expanded in recent days and weeks, from the incoming president to top U.S. officials.

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More frequent disruption operations needed to dent ransomware gangs, officials say

The comments from White House and ODNI officials ahead of a Counter Ransomware Initiative summit come as the gangs prove difficult to keep down.

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Lawmakers fret over who will report foreign election interference 

When the U.S. government has credible evidence of a foreign nation interfering in an American election, who is responsible for sounding the alarm and what processes are in place to ensure it’s done in a responsible, nonpartisan manner?

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Top spy official releases principles on intel agency use of info bought from data brokers

But it falls short on a very key point, says a lawmaker who has been heavily scrutinizing spy agency purchase of commercial bulk data.

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Lawmakers press spy leaders on lagging efforts to block foreign hackers, deterrence

When companies become aware they have been targeted by criminal or nation-state hackers, they need to fess up and come to the U.S. government with information to help feds get a better handle on foreign nation-state hacking, FBI Director Chris Wray emphasized during testimony on Capitol Hill Wednesday. Wray noted that companies coming forward when they are impacted in cyberattacks is a crucial part of developing a sort of early-warning system for foreign hackers working to conduct sweeping cyber-operations against multiple American companies and government entities. “We need that first company [impacted]. Someday you’re going to be the first company, if you’re the CEO and someday you’re going to be the second, third or fourth company,” Wray told the Senate Intelligence Committee during the intelligence community’s global threats briefing. “We need in every instance those companies to be stepping forward promptly and reaching out to government so that we can […]

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US intelligence report warns of increased offensive cyber, disinformation around the world

Over the course of the next 20 years, nation-states will see a rise in targeted offensive cyber-operations and disinformation in an increasingly “volatile and confrontational” global security landscape, according to a new U.S. intelligence assessment. The U.S. intelligence community’s Global Trends report, issued on Thursday, notes many of theses offensive cyber-operations will likely target civilian and military infrastructure. Nation-states will likely increasingly favor tools that allow them to operate below the level of armed conflict in order to avoid the geopolitical and resource costs that come with violence and traditional warfare, the report adds. Countries also will leverage proxies such as hackers or military contractors to disrupt their adversaries, according to the assessment, which is issued by the National Intelligence Council, which reports to the Director of National Intelligence. “Proxies and private companies can reduce the cost of training, equipping, and retaining specialized units and provide manpower for countries with […]

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Feds: Iran Behind ‘Proud Boys’ Email Attacks on Democratic Voters

Messages that threaten people to ‘vote for Trump or else’ are part of foreign adversaries’ attempts to interfere with the Nov. 3 election, according to feds. Continue reading Feds: Iran Behind ‘Proud Boys’ Email Attacks on Democratic Voters