Cybersecurity

WASHINGTON -- A cybersecurity expert told a congressional panel Wednesday that private industry alone cannot be expected to effectively confront the kinds of cyberattacks that have wreaked havoc on U.S. computer networks in recent years. He testified to a House... Read More

WASHINGTON — The Federal Bureau of Investigation distributed a Flash report on Friday warning of indicators of compromise from the Hive ransomware known to have infiltrated business networks. The ransomware utilizes multiple mechanisms as attachments to gain access and “Remote... Read More

U.S. Census Bureau computer servers were exploited last year during a cybersecurity attack, but it didn't involve the 2020 census, and hackers' attempts to keep access to the system were unsuccessful, according to a watchdog report released Wednesday. The attack... Read More

WASHINGTON -- Congress took a stab Thursday at improving the nation’s cybersecurity as the federal government mobilizes more resources against ransomware and hackers. Both President Joe Biden and members of a House Homeland Security subcommittee described threats to U.S. computer... Read More

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — As a member of the secretive Senate Intelligence Committee, Sen. Angus King has reason to worry about hackers. At a briefing by security staff this year, he said he got some advice on how to help... Read More

WASHINGTON -- As the international blame game over ransomware heats up this week, the U.S. government is scrambling for solutions with increasingly combative strategies. Legislation that won tentative approval in Congress on Monday anticipates a bigger role for the U.S.... Read More

BEIJING (AP) — China on Tuesday rejected an accusation by Washington and its Western allies that Beijing is to blame for a hack of the Microsoft Exchange email system and complained Chinese entities are victims of damaging U.S. cyberattacks. A... Read More

WASHINGTON — Despite our reliance on space technology for things like communication, transportation, food, and health care — not to mention national security — our national space assets aren’t officially designated as critical infrastructure. Humanity is already dependent on space,... Read More

The United States, NATO and several allies collectively called out China on Monday for a series of malicious cyber- and ransomware attacks, including a March attack that exploited a flaw in Microsoft's Exchange Server. Monday’s announcement, which followed a conference... Read More

BOSTON (AP) — The State Department will offer rewards up to $10 million for information leading to the identification of anyone engaged in foreign state-sanctioned malicious cyber activity against critical U.S. infrastructure — including ransomware attacks — and the White... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden said Tuesday that damage to U.S. businesses in the biggest ransomware attack on record appears minimal, though information remained incomplete. The company whose software was exploited said fewer than 1,500 businesses worldwide appeared compromised... Read More

WASHINGTON - Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm requested $201 million in additional funds to fortify her department’s cybersecurity defenses in testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday. Granholm’s request came in response to a ransomware attack on an... Read More

WASHINGTON — The Government Accountability Office issued a report this week addressing cybersecurity vulnerabilities in the Department of Defense inventory management systems used to manage the national defense supply chain. Risks in six inventory management systems run by the Defense... Read More

BOSTON (AP) — If your business falls victim to ransomware and you want simple advice on whether to pay the criminals, don't expect much help from the U.S. government. The answer is apt to be: It depends. "It is the... Read More

WASHINGTON -- A group of U.S. senators responded Thursday to recent ransomware attacks by introducing legislation to impose new tactics and harsh penalties on cyberattackers. They pinned much of the blame on Russia, despite denials a day earlier by Russian... Read More

WASHINGTON — The rise in profit-driven cyberattacks has prompted Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Chairman Mark Warner, D-Va., to contemplate a mandatory reporting bill so law enforcement can promptly take action on urgent threats. Warner told Axios recently that he... Read More

WASHINGTON - As Congress edges closer to putting a final infrastructure bill on President Joe Biden’s desk, it looks like lawmakers and the White House are aligned in their commitment to bolster U.S. cybersecurity through increased federal investment, focusing on... Read More

Rep. John Katko, R-N.Y. recently went into a couple of Lincoln car dealerships in Syracuse, New York, but “neither one of them had any cars.”  “And they’re not going to have any cars for several weeks because of the chip... Read More

WASHINGTON -- Testimony at a congressional hearing Wednesday on last month’s Colonial Pipeline Co. ransomware attack demonstrated that a bigger role for the federal government is coming soon to protect private computer networks. The Georgia-based company’s chief executive officer admitted... Read More

WASHINGTON — Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm would like to see more public-private cooperation on cyber defenses and said U.S. adversaries already are capable of using cyber intrusions to shut down the U.S. power grid. "I think that there are very... Read More

WASHINGTON -- The Biden administration and members of Congress are pledging a tough response to the mounting devastation of cyberattacks as the risk of a bigger confrontation with Russia grows. On Wednesday, a White House spokesperson spelled out the U.S.... Read More

BOSTON (AP) — The state-backed Russian cyber spies behind the SolarWinds hacking campaign launched a targeted spear-phishing assault on U.S. and foreign government agencies and think tanks this week using an email marketing account of the U.S. Agency for International... Read More

The U.S. witnessed an “uptick” in ransomware attacks during the pandemic, particularly small businesses. And if those small businesses were offline even a couple of days, “the impact on their supply chain was so significant” that manufacturers turned to other... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. pipeline operators will be required for the first time to conduct a cybersecurity assessment under a Biden administration directive in response to the ransomware hack that disrupted gas supplies in several states this month. The Transportation... Read More

WASHINGTON -- Lawmakers who listened to Defense Department officials explain recent cyberthreats Friday gave unmistakable hints that some kind of large-scale U.S. response is coming soon. The hearing of the House Armed Services subcommittee on cyber, innovative technologies and information... Read More

WASHINGTON -- Defense Department officials described a bleak outlook for cybersecurity to a Senate panel Tuesday as a report of another huge Internet scam emerged from a new government report. However, they also said they are becoming increasingly sophisticated in... Read More

The Biden administration swung aggressively into action after a primary gasoline pipeline fell prey to a cyberattack — understanding that the situation posed a possible series of political and economic risks. The pipeline shutdown was an all-hands-on-deck situation for a... Read More

“Make no mistake, our adversaries want to divide us to conquer us,” warned Erin Joe, section chief of the private sector office of the FBI, noting that nation-states like Russia, North Korea, Iran, and China are deploying daily cyberattacks against... Read More

WASHINGTON -- The ongoing energy crisis created by a Russian gang’s ransomware attack late last week led the Biden administration to announce a multi-pronged strategy for confronting it on Monday. While President Biden declared an emergency, Colonial Pipeline officials said... Read More

Last year saw an increase of 20% in cyberattacks against organizations, said James Turgal, vice president of Optiv, during the first day of the CyberSatDigital conference. The most common attack, with over 184 million reported last year, is known as... Read More