Archive for April, 2015
State CIOs Seek Help on Cyber, Answers on FirstNet
Apr 30th
From: Emergency Management
NASCIO members will lobby federal officials on state IT concerns this week.
Steve Towns
State CIOs hope to secure more federal support for cybersecurity efforts, more details about FirstNet and more options for broadband grants as they meet with officials in Washington, D.C., this week.
Multiple state CIOs are meeting with officials from the White House, federal agencies and Congress Wednesday as part of the NASCIO Midyear Conference to focus attention on state-level IT issues and press for policy changes.
ISPs really, really want to be able to share your data
Apr 29th
From: Fortune
by Stacey Higginbotham | @gigastacey
As your personal data becomes more valuable your ISPs want permission to share more of it.
Hold on to your data, because Internet service providers are ready to give up your phone calls, your web surfing habits and troves of other personal information it has under the idea that regulating privacy based on industry specific rules is archaic, an AT&T executive said Tuesday. Robert Quinn, a senior vice president for AT&T who handles federal regulatory matters, said “entity-based regulation,” such as the Health Insurance Portability Accountability and Assurance Act, which protects medical data, “is a last-century based approach to regulation.”
How China Uses its Cyber Power for Internal Security
Apr 27th
From: The Diplomat
This is the first in a series of 5 articles discussing IT as a means to solidify Communist Party rule in the country.
By Greg Austin
On April 13, the China’s Communist Party (CCP) and State Council issued new guidelines on strengthening internal security in the wake of unprecedented terrorist attacks inside the country, rising public order concerns, and increasing online dissent. The guidelines called out the use of new high-technology and cyber-based assets, including data mining, closed circuit TV, and satellites, to help restore central government control. This is the first in a series of five brief items by Greg Austin, based on his 2014 book, Cyber Policy in China, providing some political context on how the country is using its cyber power in the service of internal security. See also the author’s earlier post on how China will want to use artificial intelligence to support its internal security objectives.
Pentagon to strengthen cybersecurity requirements in contracts
Apr 24th
From: Washington Business Journal
The Pentagon will incorporate new cybersecurity standards into all procurements for weapons systems as part of its new cyber strategy, unveiled Thursday.
According to the 42-page document, which details five overarching goals to improving the state of cybersecurity, the Department of Defense will “assess and initiate improvements to the cybersecurity of current and future weapons systems” on the basis of operational requirements.
Why Google Is the New Evil Empire
Apr 21st
From: Fox Business
“We don’t need you to type at all because we know where you are. We know where you’ve been. We can more or less guess what you’re thinking about … Is that over the line?” – Google Chairman Eric Schmidt
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away there was a Galactic Empire, a beady-eyed Emperor and his heavy-breathing sidekick, Darth Vader. Ever since, we’ve identified the corporate villains we love to hate. We had AT&T (T) in the 70s, IBM (IBM) in the 80s, and the evil empire of the 90s was of course Microsoft (MSFT)and Bill “The Conqueror” Gates.
The FBI’s Stance on Encrypted Communications
Apr 20th
From: The Wall Street Journal
AMY HESS: Imagine an America where federal, state, and municipal law enforcement agencies cannot access critical communications, even when legally authorized to do so. Imagine a time when the police cannot pursue logical leads in electronic data to rescue a missing child, identify the co-conspirators of a massive fraud scheme, or obtain relevant evidence of an elected official’s public corruption. Imagine the injustice if a suspected criminal can hide incriminating communications without fear of discovery by the police, or if information that could exonerate an innocent party is inaccessible.
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Joint Cyber Training New Nordic Priority
Apr 15th
From: Defense News
By Gerard O’Dwyer
HELSINKI — Cyberwarfare technology training has been identified as a new project area within The military-run Nordic Defense Cooperation (NORDEFCO) program.
NORDEFCO will pool information gained from military-operated cyber defense centers with research and intelligence received under partnership agreements with cyber crime law enforcement units.
The most concerning element of Facebook’s potential new power
Apr 14th
From: Columbia Jounralism Review
“Facebook has more power in determining who can speak and who can be heard around the globe than any Supreme Court justice, any king or any president.” Those prescient words came from law professor Jeffrey Rosen way back in 2010. Five years later, the Times is willingly handing its censorship keys over to that king of kings.
China’s Growing Cyberwar Capabilities
Apr 13th
From: The Diplomat
A recent attack on GitHub highlights China’s growing expertise – and aggression – in cyberspace.
By Marcel A. Green
With recent news suggesting that the recent massive denial-of-service attacks against online hosting and code-sharing site GitHub was either sponsored or encouraged by Chinese authorities, the spotlight has once again been turned on China’s intentions in cyberspace and whether or not its activities pose a threat to worldwide, and especially U.S. cybersecurity.
‘Cyber security is a job for the government’
Apr 10th
From: DW
The cyber attack on TV5 Monde shows the vulnerability of the digital workspace. The only cure: government intervention, says researcher Haya Shulman.
DW: Hackers attacked TV5 Monde last night, severely disrupting the channel’s broadcasts. Is that something that can be done from the outside?
Haya Shulman: Certainly, that can be done. Almost everything nowadays works over the Internet, over the IP network. This includes phone calls, television broadcasts, radio broadcasts. If you can exploit vulnerabilities in the Internet, then you could subvert a TV broadcast.
Are companies prepared? Do they try to secure their systems?