Cybersecurity
Hackers tried to breach, disable widely used open-source Java tools, groups warn
The alert comes just after a possible nation state entity attempted to hijack an open-source Linux tool last month.
New bill would create a governing body for water system cyber standards
The legislation comes after the Biden administration rescinded a memorandum that would have tied water sector cyber reviews to existing sanitation surveys.
HHS removed Login from its grantee payment system after funding theft
Hackers used data from a federal contracting hub to steal funding from seven grantee organizations in an HHS breach that occurred last year. Both HHS and GSA say that Login.gov was not compromised or connected to the theft.
Russian hackers accessed U.S. government emails in Microsoft breach, CISA says
The alert comes a week after Microsoft was faulted in a DHS report for fostering a security culture that enabled a similar China-backed cyberattack last year.
Exclusive
Some Volt Typhoon victims ‘won’t know they’re impacted,’ Mandiant CEO says
The efforts of the Beijing-linked Volt Typhoon hacking group represent the “natural progression” of Chinese espionage, according to Kevin Mandia.
CISA alerts Sisense breach that possibly exposed customer data
An internal company note appears to show some firm info may have been exfiltrated.
Microsoft report signals ‘great concern’ for dam cybersecurity, top FERC official says
The company’s products are heavily used in the dam sector, the official said.
Cyber Command deployed personnel on 22 missions in 17 countries last year, commander says
The DOD previously said it’d be taking a more offensive approach to cyberspace.
Congress tries again for comprehensive data privacy bill
The bill would establish national data privacy standards, with the Federal Trade Commission crafting rules for enforcement.
China-backed operatives used fake social profiles to gauge US political division, Microsoft says
Some of the fake accounts used AI-generated images, and have doubled or tripled their followers since being detected, the company told Nextgov/FCW.
Linux backdoor was a long con, possibly with nation-state support, experts say
If the XZ Utils vulnerability hadn’t been caught in time, hackers would have had a “skeleton key to the world,” one analyst told Nextgov/FCW.
Return of net neutrality will hamstring some foreign broadband firms, FCC official says
The reclassification of broadband as a Title II service will give the Federal Communications Commission new power over internet service providers, and the agency says it will be a boon to U.S. network security.
Microsoft at fault for ‘avoidable errors’ leading to Chinese email hack last year, DHS group finds
The company’s cybersecurity culture contributed to an environment that enabled the incident, according to the findings.
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