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☆ US Supreme Court temporarily blocks order curbing Biden social media contacts
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( Andrew Chung | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 13 (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday maintained a block on restrictions imposed by lower courts on the ability of President Joe Biden's administration to encourage social media companies to remove content deemed misinformation, including about elections and COVID-19. Conservative Justice Samuel Alito temporarily put on hold a preliminary injunction constraining how the White House and certain other federal officials communicate with social media platforms pending the administration's appeal to the Supreme Court. Alito first placed a temporary hold on the injunction pending the justices' review on Sept. 14. The Biden administration has argued that its officials did nothing illegal and had sought to mitigate the hazards of online misinformation, including about the pandemic, by alerting social media companies to content that violated their own policies. Reporting by Andrew Chung in New York; Editing by Will DunhamOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Joe Biden, Jonathan Ernst, Joe Biden's, Samuel Alito, Alito, Biden, Terry Doughty, Doughty, Donald Trump, Andrew Chung, Will Dunham Organizations: White, REUTERS, U.S, Supreme, Conservative, Facebook, District, Democrat, Republican, FBI, CDC, Cybsecurity, Infrastructure Security Agency, Thomson Locations: Palestine, Israel, Washington , U.S, Missouri, Louisiana, New York

☆ Federal appeals court expands limits on Biden administration communications with social media companies
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( Devan Cole | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Washington CNN —A federal appeals court has expanded the scope of a ruling that limits the Biden administration’s communications with social media companies, saying it now also applies to a top US cybersecurity agency. Similar to the ruling last month, in which the appeals court said the federal government had “likely violated the First Amendment” when it leaned on platforms to moderate some content, the new ruling says CISA violates the Constitution. “CISA used its frequent interactions with social media platforms to push them to adopt more restrictive policies on censoring election-related speech,” the three-judge panel wrote. But the court’s new ruling was only modified to add CISA as an enjoined entity. The judges said they were pausing their new injunction for 10 days, and the Biden administration has the option of asking the Supreme Court to issue a more lasting pause on the modified ruling.

Persons: “, CISA, “ CISA, ”, Biden Organizations: Washington CNN, Biden, 5th Circuit, White, Centers for Disease Control, FBI, Infrastructure Security Agency, Department Locations: Missouri

Arizona’s governor was out of the state for a day this week, prompting false claims that she’d abruptly resigned or vanished entirely. The Democrat, who has been the target of misinformation since taking office this year, was out of state for meetings in Washington for a day, so the state treasurer briefly served as acting governor. Political Cartoons View All 1190 Images“She has now stepped down as Arizona governor, and it’s raising questions,” claimed one Facebook user in a widely shared video posted on Thursday. “Republican State Treasurer Kimberly Yee is currently the Acting Governor,” wrote another user on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter on Wednesday. The usually unremarkable handover gained attention when Yee released a statement Wednesday acknowledging she’d be serving as acting governor from that evening through Thursday morning.

Persons: she’d, Katie Hobbs, Hobbs, Joe Biden, ”, Kimberly Yee, “, Christian Slater, Yee, hasn’t, Slater, Alejandro Mayorkas, Sen, John McCain, Adrian Fontes, Kyrsten Sinema, Paul Smith, Leonard, Kris Mayes, Richie Taylor, baselessly, ” Slater Organizations: Arizona, Democrat, “ Republican, Twitter, Democratic, Republican, U.S . Homeland, Tempe Center, Arts, of Regents, U.S, Sen, Infrastructure Security Agency, White House, Drug, Agency, U.S . Department of Agriculture, Kroger Locations: Washington, Arizona, U.S, Flagstaff

☆ US, Japan authorities warn of China-linked hacking group BlackTech
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( Kantaro Komiya | Thomson Reuters | Kantaro Writes About Everything Japan'S Economic Indicators To North Korea'S Missiles To Global Regulation On Ai Companies. His Previous Stories Have Been Published In The Associated Press | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Kacper Pempel/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Hss Otomotiv Ve Lastik Sanayi Anonim Sirketi FollowTOKYO, Sept 28 (Reuters) - U.S. National Security Agency, Federal Bureau of Investigation and Japanese police jointly warned multinational companies of China-linked hacker group BlackTech in a cybersecurity advisory late on Wednesday. "BlackTech has demonstrated capabilities in modifying router firmware without detection and exploiting routers’ domain-trust relationships to pivot from international subsidiaries to headquarters in Japan and the United States, which are the primary targets," the statement said. BlackTech has been engaging in cyberattacks on governments and tech-sector companies in the United States and East Asia since around 2010, Japan's National Police Agency said in a separate statement. Amid heightening U.S.-China tensions over issues including Taiwan, U.S. security officials are raising the tone of their warnings against China's cyberattack capabilities. FBI chief Chris Wray earlier this month said China "has a bigger hacking program than every other major nation combined".

Persons: Kacper, BlackTech, cyberattacks, Chris Wray, Kantaro Komiya, Michael Perry Organizations: REUTERS, . National Security Agency, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Security Agency, Japan's National Police Agency, Chinese Communist Party, U.S, FBI, United Kingdom, Washington Post, Pentagon, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, China, Japan, United States, East Asia, Blacktech, Taiwan, U.S, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, United, South Korea

☆ FBI and White House likely coerced social media platforms into removing posts, appeals court rules
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( Lauren Feiner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

A federal appeals court on Friday limited the scope of a district court ruling that sought to limit communications between government agencies and social media companies, while finding that several agencies likely violated the First Amendment. The ruling will make it easier for several federal agencies to communicate with social media companies like Meta , Google and X, previously known as Twitter, as many do to flag concerns they see on the platforms. At the same time, the appeals court concluded that the White House, Surgeon General's office and Federal Bureau of Investigation likely violated the First Amendment by coercing social media platforms into moderating posts on their sites. The appeals court vacated all but one of ten prohibitions Doughty set out in the initial injunction. The White House, Surgeon General's office, FBI and CDC did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Persons: Joe Biden, Terry A, Doughty, Donald Trump, That's Organizations: Idalia, White, Meta, Google, Western, Western District of, State Department, Facebook, Washington Post, Federal Bureau of, Centers for Disease Control, Infrastructure Security Agency, National Institute of Allergy, FBI, CDC, Twitter, YouTube Locations: Maui, Hawaii, Washington ,, Missouri, Louisiana, Western District, Western District of Louisiana

WASHINGTON (AP) — The government is worried about the safety of chemical facilities across the country after its power to keep dangerous substances out of the hands of extremists lapsed a month ago. Homeland Security officials say this left gaping holes in the country's national security, and they are calling on Congress to act quickly when it returns this week. The Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency, which falls under DHS, then determines whether the facility is considered high risk and therefore must develop a security plan. Congress gave the department the authority to begin the chemical security program in 2006, and it went into effect the following year. Homeland Security officials say the program's lapse has left them without a vital security tool.

Persons: Alejandro Mayorkas, ”, Kelly Murray, Sen, Rand Paul, Paul, ” Paul, there's, Murray, she's, reauthorized, they're, Matt Fridley, “ They’re, Scott Jensen Organizations: WASHINGTON, Department of Homeland Security, Chemical, Homeland Security, Homeland, Chemical Security, Infrastructure Security Agency, DHS, Congress, Kentucky Republican, & Infrastructure Security Agency, American Chemistry Council Locations: Virginia, Kentucky

☆ Russian hackers broke into Ukrainian battlefield tech, pillaging data from Android devices: intel agencies
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russian hackers breached devices Ukraine was using on the battlefield, Western intel agencies said. The hacking campaign targeted Android devices used by the Ukrainian military, they said. They said they discovered malware that can "steal sensitive information" was being used in a campaign targeting Android devices used by the Ukrainian military. The Five Eyes agencies' announcement backs up Ukraine's claim that Russia was hacking its battlefield tech. The Five Eyes agencies did not comment on this claim.

Persons: Sandworm, John Hultquist, SBU, Elon Musk's Organizations: Western intel, Service, Infrastructure Security Agency, NSA, FBI, GRU, South, Armed Forces, Defense Forces, CNN Locations: Ukraine, Western, Ukrainian, Wall, Silicon, UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Russia

By Meg Anderson, vice president and chief information security officer at Principal®This story previously appeared on principal.com. Employment of information security analysts is expected to grow 31% from 2021 to 2031*, outpacing the average for all occupations. There's always room for continued improvement in digital operations, of course, but we can start feeling more optimistic about progress that's been made toward cybersecurity for small businesses. *U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, information security analysts, September 2022. © 2023 Principal Financial Services, Inc. Principal®, Principal Financial Group®, and Principal and the logomark design are registered trademarks of Principal Financial Services, Inc., a Principal Financial Group company, in the United States and are trademarks and service marks of Principal Financial Services, Inc., in various countries around the world.

Persons: Meg Anderson, we've, what's, We've, cybersecurity, There's, that's Organizations: Software, Cyber Readiness, CRI, Infrastructure Security Agency, Insider Studios, U.S . Bureau of Labor Statistics, . Department of Labor, Life Insurance, Financial Services, Inc, Financial Group Locations: I'm, cyberattacks, Des Moines, United States

☆ Former U.S. Cyber Director Inglis Joins Advisory Firm Hakluyt
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( James Rundle | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +3 min

Chris Inglis, the former U.S. national cyber director who left the White House in February, has joined London-based corporate advisory firm Hakluyt & Co.Inglis, a veteran of the U.S. Air Force and the National Security Agency, was the first person to serve as national cyber director. His role in the White House was relatively short-lived. After being confirmed by the Senate in June 2021, he left the job in February 2023, a month before the release of his former office’s flagship National Cybersecurity Strategy. Newsletter Sign-up WSJ Pro Cybersecurity Cybersecurity news, analysis and insights from WSJ's global team of reporters and editors. In addition to Hakluyt, Inglis has also rejoined Paladin Venture Capital, an investment company where he was employed before his most recent stint in the federal government, as a senior strategic adviser.

Persons: Chris Inglis, Hakluyt, Inglis, ”, Cybersecurity, Varun Chandra, Chandra, ChatGPT, it’s, ” Inglis, James Rundle Organizations: U.S, White, Hakluyt & Co, U.S . Air Force, National Security Agency, Senate, Cybersecurity, NSA, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, Infrastructure Security Agency, Paladin Venture Capital, Hakluyt Locations: London, cyberattacks, james.rundle

☆ Microsoft's role in data breach part of US cyber inquiry -Bloomberg News
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A Microsoft logo is seen in Los Angeles, California U.S. November 7, 2017. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson/File PhotoCompanies Microsoft Corp FollowAug 10 (Reuters) - A U.S. cybersecurity advisory panel will investigate risks in cloud computing that will also include Microsoft Corp's (MSFT.O) role in the recent breach of government department email systems by suspected Chinese hackers, Bloomberg News reported on Thursday. That access was used to spy on the communications of U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and senior State Department diplomats. The U.S. House of Representatives Oversight Committee last week said it was opening an investigation into China's suspected involvement in recent breaches of Commerce and State department email systems. Reporting by Gokul Pisharody in Bengaluru; Editing by Himani Sarkar and Jamie FreedOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Lucy Nicholson, Ron Wyden, Gina Raimondo, CISA, Gokul, Himani Sarkar, Jamie Freed Organizations: Microsoft, Los Angeles , California U.S, REUTERS, Bloomberg, Federal Trade Commission, Infrastructure Security Agency, Justice Department, U.S . Commerce, State Department, U.S . House, Commerce, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles , California, U.S, Oregon, Bengaluru

☆ US cyber body to review cloud computing safety, Microsoft breach
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A man types into a keyboard during the Def Con hacker convention in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. on July 29, 2017. REUTERS/Steve Marcus/File PhotoWASHINGTON, Aug 11 (Reuters) - A U.S. cyber safety body will review issues relating to cloud-based identity and authentication infrastructure that will include an assessment of a recent Microsoft (MSFT.O) breach that led to the theft of emails from U.S. government agencies, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said on Friday. The review by the Cyber Safety Review Board will look at the malicious targeting of cloud computing environments, the DHS said in a statement. Senator Ron Wyden in July asked the Federal Trade Commission, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the Justice Department to "take action" against Microsoft following the hack. The Cyber Safety Review Board's review will provide recommendations to help organizations protect against malicious access to cloud-based accounts , DHS said.

Persons: Steve Marcus, Alejandro Mayorkas, Ron Wyden, Jasper Ward, Ismail Shakil, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Def Con, REUTERS, Microsoft, Department of Homeland Security, DHS, Federal Trade Commission, Infrastructure Security Agency, Justice Department, Thomson Locations: Las Vegas , Nevada, U.S, Washington, Ottawa

[1/2] A sign indicates the direction to the offices of Progress Software in Burlington, Massachusetts, U.S., July 26, 2023. But more than two months after the breach was first disclosed by Massachusetts-based Progress Software, the parade of victims has scarcely slowed. The tallies show that nearly 40 million people have been affected so far by the hack of Progress' MOVEit Transfer file management program. Now the digital extortionists involved, a group named "cl0p", have become increasingly aggressive about thrusting their data into the public domain. MOVEit is used by organizations to ship large amounts of often sensitive data: pension information, social security numbers, medical records, billing data and the like.

Persons: Brian Snyder, Marc Bleicher, cl0p, Huntress Security's John Hammond, Christopher Budd, Sophos, Eric Goldstein, Nathan Little, Emsisoft, Bert Kondruss, Rowe Price, Maximus, Alexander Urbelis, Crowell, Goldstein, didn't, Surefire's, Raphael Satter, Zeba Siddiqui, Chris Sanders, Grant McCool Organizations: Progress Software, REUTERS, FRANCISCO, Reuters, Software, Insurance, of America, Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Security Agency, Tetra Defense, WHO, Pension, California Public Employees, Moring, U.S ., Thomson Locations: Burlington , Massachusetts, U.S, WASHINGTON, American, Massachusetts, York, New York, Louisiana, California, New York City, Oregon

☆ White House to bolster cybersecurity training for K-12 schools, with help from the FCC, Amazon Web Services and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( Lauren Feiner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

On Tuesday, the White House convened school administrators, educators and companies to explore how best to protect schools and students' information from cyberattacks. At least eight K-12 school districts across the country experienced significant cyberattacks in the last academic year, the White House said, leading to disruptions in learning. The White House announced a series of actions from federal agencies and commitments from companies to help school districts secure their digital information. Amazon Web Services committed $20 million to fund a cyber grant program for school districts and state departments of education. It will also conduct free security reviews for U.S. education technology companies that provide "mission-critical applications" for K-12 schools.

Persons: Biden, Miguel Cardona, Cardona, Cloudflare, PowerSchool Organizations: White, Government, Office, White House, Federal Communications Commission, Universal Service Fund, Infrastructure Security Agency, Federal Bureau of Investigation, National Guard Bureau, CNBC, Web Services, Google Locations: cyberattacks, U.S

CNN —Special counsel Jack Smith unveiled his case alleging that former President Donald Trump broke several laws in his attempts to overturn the 2020 election, with a grand jury indictment returned Tuesday that illustrated the depth and breadth of the federal criminal investigation. Trump, who has derided Smith’s case as a politically motivated “fake indictment,” has been summoned to appear before a magistrate judge on Thursday. Prosecutors put forward several examples of Trump being told by his aides that fraud claims he was promoting were false. The new indictment recounts a conversation between Trump and Meadows, during which Meadows allegedly told Trump that he had observed Georgia election officials were “conducting themselves in an exemplary fashion,” while assuring Trump they would find fraud if it existed. Hours later, Trump tweeted that the election officials were “terrible people” who were trying to cover-up evidence of fraud.

Persons: Jack Smith, Donald Trump, Prosecutors, Trump “, Trump, ”, it’s, ” Trump, Wisconsin –, “, Mike Pence, Department of Homeland Security’s, –, Kenneth Chesebro, Rudy Guiliani –, memorializing, they’re, Pence, Pat Cipollone, Trump’s, Giuliani, ” Pence, Pat Philbin, Philbin, Mark Meadows, Meadows, Tanya Chutkan –, Obama, Smith, he’ll Organizations: CNN, Trump, ”, White, Justice, Republican, Justice Department, Department of Homeland, Infrastructure Security Agency, Prosecutors, AZ, Capitol, CNN Prosecutors, “, Manhattan Locations: United States, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Detroit, Arizona, Cipollone, Trump, Meadows, Georgia, DC, Alabama

☆ US Senator Wyden asks FTC, CISA, DOJ to 'take action' against Microsoft following hack
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) speaks during the Senate Finance Committee hearing on the nomination of Chris Magnus to be the next U.S. Customs and Border Protection commissioner, in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, U.S., October 19, 2021. In a letter released Thursday, Wyden said that "even with the limited details that have been made public so far, Microsoft bears significant responsibility for this new incident." The FTC, the Justice Department, and the Cybersecurity Agency - known as CISA - did not immediately respond to request seeking comment. Microsoft did not immediately return a request for comment. Reporting by Raphael Satter; Editing by Chizu NomiyamaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Ron Wyden, Chris Magnus, Mandel Ngan, Read, Wyden, Raphael Satter, Chizu Organizations: Senate, U.S . Customs, Border Protection, Federal Trade Commission, Infrastructure Security Agency, Department of Justice, Microsoft, FTC, Justice Department, Cybersecurity Agency, Thomson Locations: U.S, Dirksen, Washington , DC, Oregon, China

☆ Microsoft must be held responsible for China's U.S. government email hack, Senator Wyden demands
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( Rohan Goswami | In Rohangoswamicnbc | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Chinese hackers accessed the Microsoft-powered email accounts of top China envoys, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Wyden asked that the Justice Department examine whether Microsoft had violated federal law through its negligence; that CISA examine whether Microsoft violated best practices for securing the highly sensitive "skeleton key;" and that the Federal Trade Commission examine whether Microsoft violated federal privacy statutes. Both the State Department and the Commerce Department were targeted by Chinese hackers. Wyden noted it wasn't the first time that a foreign government had hacked government agencies by exploiting Microsoft vulnerabilities. Both Microsoft and federal officials have disclosed relatively little about the hack, though Microsoft has disseminated additional information and made concessions to customers to mitigate the impact of the exploitation.

Persons: Sen, Ron Wyden, Joe Biden's, Gina Raimondo, Antony Blinken, Wyden, Merrick Garland, Lina Khan, Jen Organizations: Democratic, Finance, Justice Department, Microsoft, Federal Trade Commission, Infrastructure Security Agency, Google, FTC, State Department, Commerce Department, Department's Locations: Washington, China

☆ The SEC wants corporate America to tell investors more about cybersecurity breaches and what's being done to fight them
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Bob Pisani | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

The Securities and Exchange Commission wants corporate America to tell investors more about cybersecurity breaches and what's being done to fight them. The SEC has voted 3-2 to adopt new rules on cybersecurity disclosure. It will require public companies to disclose "material" cybersecurity breaches within 4 days after a determination that an incident was material. Corporate America is pushing back, claiming that the short announcement period is unreasonable, and that it would require public disclosure that could harm corporations and be exploited by cybercriminals. Current cybersecurity rules are fuzzyCurrent rules on when a company needs to report a cybersecurity event are fuzzy.

Persons: Gary Gensler, Hope, cybersecurity, CISA, SIFMA, Gensler, Jensen Organizations: Securities, Exchange Commission, SEC, Corporate America, Federal Register, prudential, Securities Industry, Financial Markets Association, Industry, NYSE Group, Nasdaq, FBI, Infrastructure Security Agency, Department of Homeland Security, Williams Locations: America

CNN —China-based hackers breached the email account of US Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns as part of a recent targeted intelligence-gathering campaign, three US officials familiar with the matter told CNN. Blinken raised the issue of the hacking incident in a meeting with top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi last week, a senior State Department official said. A State Department analyst in mid-June noticed unusual cyber activity on the department’s computer systems and alerted Microsoft to the issue, according to multiple sources. Eric Goldstein, a senior CISA official, told CNN he fielded calls about the hack while on a weekend getaway out of Washington with his children. CISA’s engineers used a simulation lab to test different theories of how the hackers might have gotten into the State Department email accounts, he told CNN.

Persons: China Nicholas Burns, Daniel Kritenbrink, Antony Blinken, Gina Raimondo, Biden, Blinken, Wang Yi, Burns, ’, ” Blinken, Washington, Eric Goldstein, ”, Goldstein Organizations: CNN, State, Wall Street, FBI, State Department, Microsoft, Infrastructure Security Agency Locations: China, East Asia, Beijing, Blinken’s, United, Jakarta, Indonesia, Washington

WASHINGTON, July 19 (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O) is expanding its suite of free security tools for customers, the software company said on Wednesday, following criticism that it was charging clients to protect themselves against Microsoft's mistakes. Microsoft's previous practice of charging for advanced versions of those tools has come under widespread criticism, especially following the recently disclosed hack at the U.S. State and Commerce Departments. That hack - which Microsoft later acknowledged was down to a breach and coding flaws - was only discovered because one of the victims spotted an anomaly while reviewing their digital logs. In a statement released alongside Microsoft's blog post, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency official Eric Goldstein said that "everyone wins" when security tools are provided free of charge. Charging for those tools "is a recipe for inadequate visibility into investigating cybersecurity incidents," Goldstein said.

Persons: Eric Goldstein, Goldstein, Raphael Satter, Josie Kao Organizations: Microsoft Corp, U.S, Microsoft, U.S . State, Commerce, Infrastructure Security Agency, Thomson

☆ Microsoft is giving out free cybersecurity tools after an alleged Chinese hack
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Sean Lyngaas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —Microsoft is offering free cybersecurity tools to some government and commercial customers following criticism of the tech giant’s handling of a major alleged Chinese hack that compromised US government email accounts. Starting in September, Microsoft cloud computing customers won’t have to pay extra money to get access to critical data to help them spot cyberattacks, Microsoft said Wednesday. The move comes after cybersecurity officials privately expressed frustration that Microsoft had not done enough to detect the alleged Chinese cyber-espionage campaign, according to US officials. The email accounts of Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and State Department officials were breached in the activity, CNN has reported. Until now, Microsoft’s business model has involved charging customers extra for access to these logs.

Persons: Gina Raimondo, ” Sean Koessel, ” Koessel, —, Jen, “ Organizations: New, New York CNN, Microsoft, Street Journal, State Department, CNN, Infrastructure Security Agency, Department of Homeland Locations: New York

☆ White House teams with Amazon, Google, and Qualcomm on cyber security labels for gadgets
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Lauren Feiner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

To receive the U.S. Cyber Trust Mark, companies will have to follow cybersecurity standards set by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), such as requiring strong passwords and software updates. Other agencies across the executive branch also plan to get involved in making connected devices more secure, according to the announcement. For example, the Department of Energy will collaborate with National Labs and industry to create cybersecurity labeling standards for smart meters and power inverters. And the Department of State plans to engage allies in syncing up cybersecurity labeling standards and creating international recognition of such labels. Once completed, the FCC could choose to use the standards to apply the new label to these products as well.

Persons: Biden Organizations: U.S, U.S . Cyber, Federal Communications Commission, Google, LG Electronics, Logitech, Samsung, National Institute of Standards, Technology, NIST, FCC, Infrastructure Security Agency, Department of Energy, National Labs, Department of State, CNBC, YouTube Locations: cyberattacks, U.S

☆ US officials worry about ‘chilling effect’ on combating election disinformation after order limiting Biden administration contact with social platforms
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Brian Fung Sean Lyngaas | Brian Fung | Sean Lyngaas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

The resulting uncertainty, they say, risks slowing the government and social media companies’ ability to respond to election-related disinformation that appears on tech platforms. Last week, the State Department canceled a routine meeting on election security with Facebook, according to a person familiar with the matter. On Wednesday, FBI Director Christopher Wray defended the close contacts between the US government and the social media companies. The injunction does contain some exceptions allowing more limited contact between affected agencies and social media companies. “Well, the government doesn’t necessarily have those capabilities to do that back-end work that the social media companies do.

Persons: Biden, ”, Chris Krebs, Krebs, Katie Harbath, Donald Trump, Christopher Wray, ” Wray, Trump, Harbath, Yoel Roth, Twitter’s, Gowri Ramachandran, “, ” Ramachandran, they’re, Ramachandran, Russia’s, ” Harbath, you’re, ’, Evelyn Douek, Jocelyn Benson, ” Benson, Adam Mosseri, Meta, ’ ”, Nick Clegg, Donie O’Sullivan Organizations: Washington CNN, Infrastructure Security Agency, CNN, State Department, Facebook, Justice Department, FBI, of Homeland Security, Health, Human Services, Twitter, “, Senate Intelligence, Department of Homeland Security, National Intelligence, Big Tech, Brennan Center for Justice, New York University, Stanford Law School, Meta, YouTube, Meta Global Locations: Louisiana, Missouri, State, Michigan

☆ Chinese intelligence hacked State Department emails in ‘significant’ breach
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Rohan Goswami | In Rohangoswamicnbc | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

US National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby speaks during the daily briefing in the James S Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on June 5, 2023. Chinese intelligence hacked into Microsoft email accounts belonging to two dozen government agencies, including the State Department, in the United States and Western Europe in a "significant" breach, according to Microsoft and U.S. national security officials. "The Senate Intelligence Committee is closely monitoring what appears to be a significant cybersecurity breach by Chinese intelligence," Sen. Mark Warner, D-VA, and chair of the Select Committee on Intelligence said Wednesday. The compromise was "mitigated" by Microsoft cybersecurity teams after it was first reported to the company in mid-June 2023, Microsoft said in a pair of blog posts about the incidents. It's also a timely example of the kind of threat that U.S. national security officials have been warning about for months and years.

Persons: Strategic Communications John Kirby, James, Brady, Sen, Mark Warner, Mandiant, Charles Carmakal, Adam Hodge, Covington Organizations: National Security, Strategic Communications, White, Microsoft, State Department, Senate Intelligence, Intelligence, U.S, Warner, of State, CNBC, National Security Council, FBI, Infrastructure Security Agency, Security, Wall Street Locations: Washington ,, United States, Western Europe, China, Burling, Guam, It's, U.S

The Justice Department in a filing sought a stay pending its appeal of the judge's preliminary injunction. Doughty's order specifically mentioned certain officials including Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Jen Easterly, who heads the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. U.S. officials have said that in contacting social media companies they were aiming to tamp down misinformation about American elections and about COVID vaccines to curb preventable deaths. It raises grave separation-of-powers concerns," the Justice Department filing said, referring to the Constitution's division of powers among the executive, legislative and judicial branches of the U.S. government. The judge's order made some exceptions for communications between government officials and the companies, including to warn about risks to national security and about criminal activity.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Joe Biden's, Terry Doughty, Doughty, Donald Trump, Alejandro Mayorkas, Kanishka Singh, Will Dunham, Mike Scarcella Organizations: Twitter, YouTube, REUTERS, WASHINGTON, U.S . Justice, Republican, New, Circuit, District, Department of Health, Human Services, U.S, Department, Department of Homeland, Infrastructure Security Agency . U.S, ., Thomson Locations: New Orleans, Louisiana, Missouri, Washington

WASHINGTON, July 4 (Reuters) - A U.S. federal judge on Tuesday restricted some agencies and officials of the administration of President Joe Biden from meeting and communicating with social media companies to moderate their content, according to a court filing. A White House official said the Justice Department was reviewing the order and will evaluations its options. The order also mentioned by name officials including Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Jen Easterly, who heads the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, in its restrictions. U.S. officials have said they were aiming to tamp down misinformation about COVID vaccines to curb preventable deaths. Facebook and Instagram parent Meta Platforms (META.O), Twitter, and Alphabet's (GOOGL.O) YouTube did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Persons: Joe Biden, Alejandro Mayorkas, Terry Doughty, Kanishka Singh, Jeff Mason, Alistair Bell, Heather Timmons, Bill Berkrot Organizations: U.S, Department of Health, Human Services, FBI, United, White, Justice Department, Department of Homeland, Infrastructure Security Agency, Western, Western District of, Washington Post, Republicans, Biden, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Thomson Locations: Louisiana, Missouri, Western District, Western District of Louisiana, Washington

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