Cyber
DARPA’s AI Cyber Challenge gears up for final competition
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health recently released a procedures and scoring guide for the final competition of the AI Cyber Challenge (AIxCC), which will award $8.5 million in prizes. The AI Cyber Challenge final... Read More »
Rep. Garbarino urges DHS to examine Cyber Safety Review Board
U.S. Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-NY) urges the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to look into the structure of the Cyber Safety Review Board (CSRB) as the Trump administration considers reconstituting it. In a letter to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, Garbarino, the chair of the House Homeland... Read More »
Republicans ask for information about TSA’s cybersecurity measures
Republicans in the House Homeland Security Committee are requesting information from the Transportation Security Administration on its measures and resiliency following recent cybersecurity incidents. U.S. Reps. Mark Green, MD (R-TN), Carlos Gimenez (R-FL), Andre Garbarino (R-NY), and Sheri... Read More »
Legislation would assess how terrorists groups use technology
Legislation recently introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives would examine how foreign terrorist organizations use the internet and emerging technology to recruit, radicalize, and inspire attacks in the homeland. The Generative AI Terrorism Risk Assessment Act would require the... Read More »
Legislation introduced to combat online radicalization
In response to the treat posed to the U.S. by terrorist organizations like ISIS and al Qaeda, U.S. Rep. August Pfluger (R-TX) introduced legislation to examine how foreign terrorist organizations use the internet and other technology to recruit and radicalize members against the U.S. Pfluger,... Read More »
Homeland Security Committee advances Cyber Pivott Act
The Cyber Pivott Act, legislation strengthening the cybersecurity workforce, advanced out of the House Committee on Homeland Security this week. The legislation, formally H.R. 1000, the Providing Individuals Various Opportunities for Technical Training to Build a Skills-Based Cyber Workforce... Read More »
Justice Department fines companies $11M for cybersecurity violations
The U.S. Department of Justice said Health Net Federal Services Inc. (HNFS) and Centene Corporation will pay more than $11 million to resolve claims they violated cybersecurity requirements. The DOJ said HNFS, based in Rancho Cordova, Calif., and its parent company Centene, based in St. Louis,... Read More »
Cyber PIVOTT legislation reintroduced in Congress
U.S. Rep. Mark Green (R-TN), chair of the U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security, has reintroduced the Cyber PIVOTT Act to address the country’s cybersecurity workforce shortage. First introduced in the 118th Congress, the Cyber PIVOTT Act would establish a new full-scholarship program for... Read More »
Legislation would conduct study of certain foreign technologies
Bipartisan legislation recently reintroduced in the U.S. House of Representatives would safeguard communications networks from foreign adversary-controlled technology. The Removing Our Unsecure Technologies to Ensure Reliability and Security (ROUTERS) Act would require the Department of... Read More »
Justice Department participating in multinational operation to snag cybercrime marketplaces
The Justice Department is participating in a multinational operation to disrupt and disable Cracked and Nulled’s, two online cybercrime marketplaces, infrastructure. The operation is in conjunction with Operation Talent, a multinational law enforcement operation supported by Europol to... Read More »
DARPA, U.S. Army join forces to evaluate Cyber Threat Detection technologies
Recently, major military organizations came together to test and evaluate new cyber threat detection technologies, the agencies said Monday. As part of a joint operation with the U.S. Army Cyber Command Technical Warfare Center, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the... Read More »
DHS unveils framework for AI deployment in critical infrastructure
In a first-of-its-kind collaboration with industry and the AI supply chain, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security released its recommendations for the development and deployment of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in critical infrastructure Thursday. The recommendations lays out clear guidance... Read More »
CISA launches Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience Month
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the agency tasked with cyber defense and the national coordinator for critical infrastructure security, recently launched Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience (CISR) Month. CISA uses CISR Month to educate and engage the... Read More »
RTX awarded DARPA cyber resiliency contract
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) awarded RTX’s BBN Technologies a contract Thursday that will support the agency’s Compartmentalization and Privilege management (COM) program. The CPM worker to enhance cyber resilience by automatically subdividing software systems into... Read More »
TSA establishes cyber risk management programs for railroads, pipelines
A new rule proposed by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will establish cyber risk management and reporting requirements for pipeline and railroad owners and operators. In a proposed rule published as a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, the TSA said Wednesday that it would continue... Read More »
CISA releases international strategic plan
In a proactive move, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) released its first comprehensive plan focusing on how the agency will engage international partners to strengthen infrastructure security and resilience. The 2025-2026 International Strategic Plan supports CISA’s... Read More »
DOE, NNSA work to mitigate risks of AI, improve national security
A new security memo from the White House on Artificial Intelligence, the first ever released, will galvanize the federal government in its AI National Security mission, officials said. The National Security Memorandum on Artificial Intelligence provides direction on harnessing AI models and... Read More »
Homeland Security Committee Republican request hearing on cyberattacks
On Monday, Republican members of the U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security requested a hearing from intelligence agencies about the cyberattack by Salt Typhoon on ISPs like AT&T, Verizon, and Lumen Technologies. U.S. Reps. Mark Greene (R-TN), Andrew Garbarina (R-NY), and Laurel Lee (R-FL)... Read More »
Justice Department to implement rule addressing data security
The Justice Department recently issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to implement an executive order President Joe Biden issued in February. The order, Preventing Access to Americans’ Bulk Sensitive Personal Data and United States Government-Related Data by Countries of Concern,... Read More »
DHS Science and Technology Directorate awards $789,280 in contracts
The Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) recently announced four contract awards, totaling $789,280, for the development of synthetic data capabilities that model and replicate the shape and patterns of real data. “Sharing sensitive data that can be used... Read More »
Justice Department, Microsoft disrupt Russian intelligence cyber scheme
The Justice Department recently unsealed a warrant authorizing the seizure of 41 internet domains used by Russian intelligence agents and their proxies to commit computer fraud and abuse in the United States. “Today’s seizure of 41 internet domains reflects the Justice Department’s cyber... Read More »
National Security Data and Policy Institute launches
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) and the University of Virginia have partnered to create the National Security Data and Policy Institute. The institute will advance the intelligence community's (IC) use of emerging technologies to collect, analyze, and manage... Read More »
Legislation leveraging AI to handle pandemic preparedness introduced
On Thursday, U.S. Sens. Mike Rounds (R-SD) and Martin Heinrich (D-NM) introduced legislation that would use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to handle pandemic preparedness and response. The co-chairs of the Senate AI Caucus said the legislation would establish a program called MedShield and would... Read More »
Legislation would combat Chinese cyber threats
Legislation recently introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives would combat growing cyber threats from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) against critical infrastructure. The Strengthening Cyber Resilience Against State-Sponsored Threats Act would create an interagency task force tasked... Read More »
Legislation would increase cyber training access
Legislation recently introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives would increase the accessibility of cyber training and education. “I am proud to introduce legislation to ensure all levels of government have the best and brightest cyber professionals on the frontlines of America’s cyber... Read More »
DHS opens application period for cybersecurity grants
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security recently announced the availability of $279.9 million in State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program grant funding for fiscal year 2024. The program funds projects that help reduce cyber risk and build resilience against evolving cybersecurity threats by... Read More »
United States, UK, Canada partner for technology research and development
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the U.K. Ministry of Defence and the Canadian Department of National Defence have partnered to collaboratively research, development, test, and evaluate artificial intelligence (AI), cyber technologies, resilient systems, and information... Read More »
DHS seeking information to boost port cybersecurity
On Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) issued a Request for Information from commercial port operators to help research maritime cybersecurity. The Directorate’s Maritime Port Resiliency and Security Research Testbed project is... Read More »
DHS strengthens Maritime cybersecurity through partnership with Japan
On Friday, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said it had strengthened maritime cybersecurity through a partnership with its counterpart in Japan. From Aug. 21-22, DHS and the Government of Japan conducted a tabletop exercise that simulated a major cyber incident impacting... Read More »
Committee passes Healthcare Cybersecurity Act
On August 12, U.S. Sen. Todd Young (R-IN) applauded the passage of legislation to protect health care and the public health sectors’ cybersecurity through the U.S. Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee earlier this month. Young and U.S. Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) introduced the... Read More »
DOD, LLNL and NNSA partnering on biodefense supercomputer
The U.S. Department of Defense and the National Nuclear Security Administration said earlier this month that they will partner with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory to work on a biodefense supercomputing system. On Thursday, the DoD said it was working with NNSA to increase the computing... Read More »
Smiths Detection moves forward in partnership with SeeTrue
On Thursday, Smiths Detection, a business within Smiths Group, announced it was accelerating its partnership with AI-based threat detection software provider, SeeTrue. Smiths Detection said it had successfully integrated and tested SeeTrue’s technology into its advanced CT security checkpoint... Read More »
Legislation strengthening cybersecurity measures introduced
On Thursday, U.S. Sens. Mark Warner (D-VA) and James Lankford (R-OK) introduce legislation they said will strengthen federal cybersecurity by forcing federal contractors to adhere to cybersecurity guidelines. The legislation, the Federal Contractor Cybersecurity Vulnerability Reduction Act of... Read More »
National Security Workforce gets AI-enabled tools for upskilling
A recent DARPA competition is working to develop tools to help build national security workforce training programs, officials said. As part of DARPA’s “Building an Adaptive and Competitive Workforce,” six teams received cash prizes to kickstart and refine solutions showing promise in... Read More »