Congress wants answers on embargo of Spectre and Meltdown information

Lawmakers on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce have sent letters to various CEOs at top tech companies asking why information about massive computer chip vulnerabilities was held under embargo for months. The letters focus on the Spectre and Meltdown bugs, deep-rooted flaws in chips produced by leading computer hardware companies that could allow hackers to access steal sensitive data from machines created as far back as 1995. Co-authored by panel Chairman Greg Walden, R-Ore., and members Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., Bob Latta, R-Ohio, and Gregg Harper, R-Miss., the letters request answers about why the bugs weren’t disclosed when the companies learned about them in June 2017. The committee has jurisdiction over technology issues. Information about the flaws was supposed to go public in late January, but security researchers tweeted proof-of-concept code before the companies were ready to make announcements. That tweet lead to wider public scrutiny, forcing the companies involved to […]

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Election-systems cybersecurity would take a hit under new House bill, experts say

Legislation recently introduced in the House that seeks to terminate the Election Assistance Commission, or EAC, would hamper coordination efforts between state and federal officials at a time when cybersecurity concerns are top of mind, experts tell CyberScoop. The bill, H.R. 634, would effectively gut what is considered to be one of the only organized bodies […]

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Election-systems cybersecurity would take a hit under new House bill, experts say

Legislation recently introduced in the House that seeks to terminate the Election Assistance Commission, or EAC, would hamper coordination efforts between state and federal officials at a time when cybersecurity concerns are top of mind, experts tell CyberScoop. The bill, H.R. 634, would effectively gut what is considered to be one of the only organized bodies […]

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Continue reading Election-systems cybersecurity would take a hit under new House bill, experts say