Cyber

National Guardsmen may soon use personal electronics in deployments

“Bring Your Own Approved Device” initiative would allow guardsmen to use personal mobile equipment to perform the same functions in the field that they would otherwise carry out at a desktop in their offices.

Kennedy confirmed as Air Force cyber boss

Air Force Maj. Gen. Kevin Kennedy was approved by voice vote on June 23 to lead the 16th Air Force (Air Forces Cyber) and receive his third star.

US must prepare for proliferation of cyber warfare

To build cyber resilience in this heightened threat environment, agencies must work closely with both international counterparts and industry to align on a proactive, global approach to all cyber threats –– not just state-sponsored attacks.

What the Cyber Workforce bill means for federal IT professionals

President Biden signed the Federal Rotational Cyber Workforce Program Act into law, offering agencies a practical solution to the cyber staffing crisis—if they act proactively.

How the cloud saved Ukraine’s data from Russian attacks

Russian operatives conducted physical and virtual “wiper attacks” on computer networks in Ukraine - attempting to delete all stored government information. Yet the data survived.

Russia hasn't launched brazen cyberattacks yet—but it might

"We have to keep our shields up," said Neal Higgins, the deputy national cyber director for national cybersecurity. "We can’t let our guard down."

Zero Trust in Zero Gravity: US must commit to stay ahead of rivals in space

The U.S. must pivot towards a comprehensive cybersecurity plan immediately, the first step of which is to implement Zero Trust architectures (ZTA) across networks, and at the data level where possible, SpiderOak Inc. Executive Chairman Charles Beames says.

Senators seek boosts for JADC2, cyber mission, hypersonics in defense bill

The Senate Armed Services Committee on June 16 published its summary of the annual defense bill, tackling everything from future network development to supply chain challenges, electronic warfare integration to hypersonic weapons development.

US Army to double cyber corps strength as focus shifts from counterinsurgency

"We're on a multiyear growth pattern," said Army Lt. Gen. John Morrison. "But we're in a pretty good spot right now."

Palantir’s Karp is first western CEO to visit Zelenskyy amid invasion

“We are actively working not only on the digital blockade of the Russian Federation, but also to attract top international companies to Ukraine,” a Ukrainian minister said. “This is one of our priorities today.”

To maximize cybersecurity dollars, lean on Zero Trust

Getting quickly to a Zero Trust architecture is more important than ever. Implementing C2C is a means available now to continuously identify and control access for all endpoints connecting to the network, making a comprehensive Zero Trust architecture achievable.

Air Force’s Haugh confirmed as US Cyber Command deputy

In 2019, he said the U.S. was “engaged in power competition with adversaries in all domains today,” further describing intelligence as “the fuel that commanders require to maneuver in response.”

Marine Corps seeks ‘information command’ in Force Design 2030 update

“We believe that in a conflict with a peer adversary, first moves may be in space and cyber, so we must enable our” forces “to integrate with, and have access to, those capabilities now,” reads the update.

Pentagon making progress on cybersecurity amid challenges, watchdog says

“Safeguarding federal computer systems has been a longstanding concern,” the GAO wrote in a May 19 memo to congressional committees, noting cybersecurity has been “on our high-risk list since 1997.”

GEOINT

US and allies blame Russia for Viasat hack ahead of Ukraine invasion

While the U.S. and others did not tie the digital assault to any one specific element of the Russian government, Estonia pinned the blame on Russia’s infamous intelligence directorate, known as GRU.

US cyber squad boosts Lithuanian defenses amid Russian threat

Such operations offer a “key asymmetric advantage that our adversaries don’t have,” according to Army Maj. Gen. Joe Hartman, the Cyber National Mission Force commander.

NSA cyber boss seeks to discourage vigilante hacking against Russia

“This certainly isn’t going to make the State Department discussions with Russia of ‘you need to hold your people accountable’ any easier.”

Pentagon finds hundreds of cyber vulnerabilities among contractors

The campaign launched in April 2021 with 14 participating companies and 141 publicly accessible assets to probe. Interest quickly ballooned; 41 companies and nearly 350 assets were eventually admitted.

Feared Russian cyberattacks against US have yet to materialize

“The threat environment isn’t getting any less dynamic, less complex, less dangerous,” said CISA Director Jen Easterly. And the “threat actors are not getting any less sophisticated.”

Biden nominates Haugh as CYBERCOM deputy

Lt. Gen. Timothy Haugh is also considered a potential successor to Gen. Paul Nakasone, the current commander of U.S. Cyber Command and the director of the National Security Agency.

Finland wins NATO cyber defense competition

The multi-day event is typically conducted under intense conditions, simulating a spreading crisis that ropes in the military and civilian worlds and the public and private sectors.

Cyberattacks don’t win wars

One of the key lessons from the Russian invasion of Ukraine for other militaries is to not abandon land-maneuvering capabilities in favor of investing too much in technology. Both abilities are needed, but not at the expense of one or the other.

Cyber Mission Force could continue growing, says commander

"We are a different force today than we were even four years ago, when I took over," Gen. Paul Nakasone said, addressing a House Armed Services subcommittee April 5.

US Cyber Command reinforces Ukraine and allies amid Russian onslaught

"In conjunction with interagency, private sector and allied partners, we are collaborating to mitigate threats to domestic and overseas systems," Gen. Paul Nakasone, the U.S. Cyber Command boss, told the Senate Armed Services Committee.

The US Navy had cybersecurity wrong. Expect change.

“We have 15 years of track record that proves that the current approach to cybersecurity, driven by a checklist mentality, is wrong,” says Aaron Weis, the service's chief information officer. “It doesn’t work.”