Cybersecurity

How cyber ranges can help build trust in AI

The public and private sectors are turning more and more to closed environments to help prepare for a cyberattack. Experts said they can also build an understanding of AI and its capabilities.

Luminis cybersecurity incident highlights ‘concerning’ rise in attacks on healthcare

Experts say officials should anticipate future attacks and bolster their cybersecurity protections.

White House launches water cybersecurity pilot in Texas

Project Watershed 250 will stress-test utilities over six months and could serve as a model for protecting water providers nationwide.

Whole-of-state cyber defense: The pathway for addressing today’s AI-fueled threats

COMMENTARY | When every link in the chain is protected, the entire state is stronger, so they and their technology partners must operate as a unified, integrated force.

States, feds scramble to prevent more water cyberattacks

In the weeks after nine states were hit, lawmakers at the federal and state levels have proposed new funding to harden infrastructure, but experts warned they remain vulnerable.

White House to soon launch water provider cyber protection program

The plans come as several states face water system intrusions from what some official suspect could be linked to Iran.

Treasury sanctions Iranian hackers tied to critical infrastructure breaches

Four of the five people named in the cyber action were also charged last week in the Justice Department’s expanded Mabna Institute case.

What leaders get wrong about cloud security

COMMENTARY | Local governments are adopting cloud-based ERP systems to modernize finance operations, but cloud migration alone doesn’t eliminate security and compliance risks.

Former California CISO reflects on cyber’s importance in state government

Now a senior advisor at World Wide Technology, Vitaliy Panych said his aim was always to make everyone a “risk practitioner,” while managing an enormous state infrastructure.

New ‘Water Watch Center’ launched to help small utilities stop cyberattacks

The initiative comes as multiple states grapple with intrusions into their water systems that some officials suspect could be tied to Iran.

More US water systems struck by hackers

The FBI said systems in at least seven states have been hit, following an Iran-linked group’s hack in Minnesota. Experts urged operators to beef up operational technology cybersecurity.

Chinese telecom firms kept footholds in US networks despite federal crackdowns, House probe finds

China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom retained equipment, data center space and network ties after FCC restrictions, including a China Mobile-linked network that appeared in routes to Salt Typhoon servers.

Smart phones render Nevada privacy law vague and outdated, says attorney

“The burden has now become placed on us as humans. If we want to have a private conversation, we really need to take extra steps to have that private conversation,” an attorney said while arguing a case involving the statute.

CISA urges water utilities to take exposed systems down after Minnesota hacks

A memo distributed to water industry members and obtained by Nextgov/FCW makes mention of Iran but does not directly present evidence attributing the latest Minnesota incident to the country.

Inside the World Cup security operation

A massive effort years in the planning at the federal, state and local level helped keep the tournament safe, even as it faced enormous threats of many kinds that all needed mitigating.

FCC blocks approval of new foreign-made robots, power inverters

National security agencies said the devices could create supply-chain vulnerabilities, threaten critical infrastructure and enable surveillance or remote manipulation.

Russian hackers can steal government emails without victims clicking a link, cyber agencies warn

The Russia-linked Laundry Bear group has compromised more than 10 Western organizations through malicious emails that can trigger an exploit when they are viewed or previewed.

AI, once relegated to helping hackers with certain tasks, can now power every stage of a cyberattack

Researchers determined that AI was used in steps across entire cyber operations to identify security flaws, generate commands and carry out parts of intrusions, sometimes with little human oversight. Both U.S. and Chinese AI models have been involved.

Virginia nonprofit launches mobile tech education bus for underserved students

The cyber education bus is the latest way the nonprofit organization RFK Outreach will fulfill its goal to help children and teens learn about technology.

A Puerto Rico government agency exposed 1M Social Security numbers

A cybersecurity loophole in an official government mapping service left private data easily accessible, Centro de Periodismo Investigativo and ProPublica learned.