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Sorry, FCC - killing net neutrality probably didn't expand internet access

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If you believe the US Federal Communications Commission, last June’s end of net neutrality—the system that required internet service providers to treat all data equally—has helped more Americans get broadband access. But the data behind this claim is highly controversial.

Brittany Day
Jun 03, 2019

Huawei files motion against US declaring law as 'unconstitutional'

Huawei has filed a motion for a summary judgment against the US government that alleges section 889 of the National Defense Authorization Act 2019 (NDAA) is unconstitutional.

Brittany Day
May 29, 2019

Why the future of US data regulation must come from Congress

As of May 2019, over 20 US states have introduced bills seeking to regulate data privacy, data security, or some combination of the two. While many of these bills agree in spirit (i.e. privacy good, data collection and usage bad), the various bills are decidedly more divergent as to how to accomplish these objectives.

Brittany Day
May 25, 2019

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2016 election hacking in Florida: Russian emails, hidden tracks

Since early April when Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s redacted report on the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election was released, a storm of confusion and controversy has raged over what happened in Florida during that election. A cryptic passage in the Mueller report outlines how Unit 74455 of Russia’s military intelligence arm GRU sent “spear-phishing emails to public officials involved in election administration and personnel involved in voting technology.”

Brittany Day
May 24, 2019

South Korea eyes Linux as Windows 7 end of support nears

Rather than pay hefty fees to Microsoft once Windows 7 becomes unsupported, the South Korean government is looking to roll out more Linux systems.

Brittany Day
May 20, 2019

Cyber Security NSW to boost state capabilities

The New South Wales government has launched Cyber Security NSW in a bid to consolidate and lift the cyber capability of state entities.

Brittany Day
May 20, 2019

Congress sends letter to Google for details on Sensorvault location tracking database

US legislators have sent an open letter to Google CEO Sundar Pichai asking for details about Sensorvault, an internal Google database that keeps track of users' historical geo-location details.

Brittany Day
Apr 24, 2019

Security flaw in French government messaging app exposed confidential conversations

The French government just launched its own messaging app called Tchap in order to protect conversations from hackers, private companies and foreign entities. But Elliot Alderson, also known as Baptiste Robert, immediately found a security flaw. He was able to create an account even though the service is supposed to be restricted to government officials.

Brittany Day
Apr 19, 2019

Utah County Struck by Ransomware

Garfield County, Utah, was recently affected by ransomware. Local government is an increasingly attractive target for criminals because of its high dependence on information technology, and generally poor security. Elected officials are under constant pressure to spend available funds on something visible and appealing to the electorate rather than unseen technology.

Brittany Day
Apr 17, 2019

Proposed bill would forbid big tech platforms from using dark pattern design

A new piece of bipartisan legislation aims to protect people from one of the sketchiest practices that tech companies employ to subtly influence user behavior. Known as “dark patterns,” this dodgy design strategy often pushes users toward giving up their privacy unwittingly and allowing a company deeper access to their personal data.

Brittany Day
Apr 09, 2019

FBI criticized for delaying breach notifications, including insufficient details

The Federal Bureau of Investigations does a poor job at notifying victims of a cyber-attack, a US government report released earlier this week concluded.

Brittany Day
Apr 06, 2019

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US Government Leaks PII of 2m+ Disaster Survivors

A US government agency responsible for disaster relief has accidentally leaked the personal data of millions of disaster survivors with a third-party contractor, it has revealed.

Brittany Day
Mar 25, 2019

Beto O’Rourke’s secret membership in America’s oldest hacking group

As the Texas Democrat enters the race for president, members of a group famous for “hactivism” come forward for the first time to claim him as one of their own.

Brittany Day
Mar 18, 2019

US Senators say it shouldn’t be a secret when they’ve been hacked

Take a look at the security headlines, and you’ll see report after report of businesses and large organisations being hacked.

Brittany Day
Mar 14, 2019

Vulnerability in Swiss e-voting system could have led to vote alterations

Two separate teams of security researchers and academics from universities in Australia and Switzerland have revealed today vulnerabilities in the e-voting system that the Swiss voting commission plans to roll out for future elections.

Brittany Day
Mar 13, 2019

As Trump and Kim Met, North Korean Hackers Hit Over 100 Targets in U.S. and Ally Nations

North Korean hackers who have targeted American and European businesses for 18 months kept up their attacks last week even as President Trump was meeting with North Korea’s leader in Hanoi.

Brittany Day
Mar 04, 2019

Judge says Washington state cyberstalking law violates free speech

Washington was one of the first states to fightcyberstalkingthrough legislation, but it may have to rethink its approach. A federal judge has blocked the state's 2004 law afterrulingthat a key provision violated First Amendment protections for free speech due to vague terms.

Brittany Day
Feb 26, 2019

China's cybersecurity law update lets state agencies 'pen-test' local companies

New provisions made to China's Cybersecurity Law last November gives state agencies the legal authority to remotely conduct penetration testing on any internet-related business operating in China, and even copy and later share any data government officials find on inspected systems.

Dave Wreski
Feb 11, 2019

Active Cyber Defence Should Be Rolled Out UK-Wide: Report

The UK government’s highly successful Active Cyber Defence (ACD) program should be rolled out across other sectors to improve national cybersecurity, and could even be spurred by the government naming and shaming laggards, according to a new report.

Brittany Day
Jan 22, 2019

As the Government Shutdown Drags on, Security Risks Intensify

The current federal government shutdown, the longest in United States history, is in its fourth week, with no clear path to resolution. With 800,000 federal employees on full or partial leave as a result, cybersecurity experts raised an early alarm about how the shutdown would impact US cybersecurity.

Brittany Day
Jan 16, 2019

German State Abandons Microsoft for Linux and LibreOffice

White House Warns: Move to Memory-Safe Languages

European Court of Human Rights Declares Backdoored Encryption Illegal