In the wake of recent high-profile cyberattacks, IT experts gathered at MeriTalk’s CDM Central: The Age of Cyber Defenders virtual event on May 12 agreed that the Federal government needs to accelerate innovation when it comes to cybersecurity, and that includes implementing the Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation (CDM) program, along with zero trust security concepts. […]

Reps. Andy Kim, D-N.J., and Joe Wilson, R-S.C., introduced bipartisan legislation on May 4 that would strengthen states’ cybersecurity readiness and allow governors to deploy their state’s National Guard to respond to cybersecurity threats. […]

The deputy commander of the Air Force’s information warfare command, known as the Sixteenth Air Force or Air Forces Cyber, is calling for the Air Force to automate its Cybersecurity Service Provider (CSSP) in order to remain one step ahead of adversaries. […]

The Department of State is eyeing its Enterprise Vulnerability Scanning Solution (EVSS) for a “technical refresh” to ensure cybersecurity officials at the agency can keep pace with vulnerabilities on State Department networks. […]

Deterrence of nation-state cyber adversaries comes in many flavors, but the operating model suggested this week by a House Armed Services Committee member lacks neither impact nor directness. […]

Protecting the supply chain from hacks has been top of mind due to recent high-profile attacks, but members of the National Cyberspace Solarium say an area of critical infrastructure they are most concerned about is water security going forward. […]

Reps. Bob Latta, R-Ohio, and Jerry McNerney, D-Calif., reintroduced legislation this week to improve the United States’ electric grid security. The Cyber Sense Act and the Enhancing Grid Security through Public-Private Partnerships Act both direct the Department of Energy (DoE) to work with electric utilities toward the goal of improving security. […]

The Department of Justice (DoJ) is launching a four-month effort to reevaluate its strategies to combat cybersecurity threats in light of increases in ransomware and supply-chain attacks and the tendency of attackers to use U.S.-based infrastructure to launch their exploits, said the United States Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco on April 30 at a security conference in Germany. […]

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) released a new graphic novel on National Superhero Day, but its superhero might not possess your typical superpowers. The fictional story Bug Bytes intends to educate the public on the dangers of dis- and misinformation campaigns, with cybersecurity and journalism skills saving the day. […]

Senior Federal IT experts – including the current and former Federal CISO and the Pentagon’s top IT official – are expressing broad agreement that the necessary ingredients are at hand to begin implementing zero trust security concepts for government networks, and that the time to act is now. […]

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s (CISA) National Risk Management Center (NRMC) has been busy assessing and identifying security risks for 5G wireless services, which present newfound risks unique to the technology, an NRMC official said April 22. […]

The combined response of the Federal government and the private sector to the Russia-based cyberattack of government and business networks via SolarWinds Orion software is making for a promising use case for addressing major incidents in the future, said Federal Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) Chris DeRusha on April 22. […]

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is currently undergoing a digital transformation to better deliver enterprise IT focused on cybersecurity, resiliency, and cloud, an agency official said on April 22. […]

Reps. Anna G. Eshoo, D-Calif., and Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., reintroduced the Understanding Cybersecurity of Mobile Networks Act in the House on Tuesday in an effort to ensure the security of existing wireless networks. […]

As cyberattacks become ever-increasing, one thing is clear: the United States needs to strengthen its cybersecurity efforts. Federal government and private sector cyber experts sat down to discuss the future of the cyber conflict and how to prevent the next big cyberattack. […]

As promised in President Biden’s executive order today that sanctions the Russian government for the SolarWinds Orion cyberattack and other transgressions, U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies published a list of five active Russian Foreign Intelligence Service cyberattack vectors that they say need network operators to defend against urgently. […]

A bipartisan group of senators reintroduced legislation this week that would create a cybersecurity personnel rotation program to help grow and retain a highly skilled Federal cyber workforce. […]

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) warned in an April 13 report that the United States and its allies face “a diverse array” of threats to national security, including increased cyber threats from adversaries. […]

Anne Neuberger, the White House’s deputy national security advisor for cyber and emerging technologies, released a statement today requiring all Federal agencies to apply Microsoft’s new set of Exchange patches “immediately.” […]

President Biden is proposing $2.1 billion of funding for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), along with large scoops of cyber funding for other Federal agencies, according to the White House’s FY 2022 request for discretionary funding released today. […]

As telework and cyber threats are both ever-increasing, the move to zero trust security concepts is needed as a generational shift in security strategy for Federal agencies to stay one step ahead of adversaries, cybersecurity experts said April 7 during FCW’s Zero Trust Workshop. […]

Reps. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., and Mike Bost, R-Ill., introduced legislation that would direct the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to lead a communications and outreach program aimed to educate veterans on cyber risks. […]

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is seeking information on a contractor that can provide cybersecurity research, development, and implementation support services and subject matter expertise on task areas of various priority levels. […]

The Federal government needs to both understand and work with the private sector when it comes to cybersecurity and innovation, Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines said today. […]

MeriTalk recently spoke with Bobby McLernon, vice president of Federal sales at Axonius, on how Federal agencies can ensure employees will transition smoothly back to in-person working environments, while maintaining proper cybersecurity practices. […]

Brandon Wales, acting director of the Cybersecurity and Information Security Agency (CISA) today defended the value of CISA’s EINSTEIN cyber defense program against criticism leveled by the ranking member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and suggested that the program be improved rather than scrapped. […]

The Department of Labor (DOL) must clarify whether plan administrators are responsible for mitigating cybersecurity risks and set minimum expectations for protecting personally identifiable information (PII), a report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) said. […]

The nine Federal agencies whose networks were compromised in the Russia-backed hack via SolarWinds Orion products are close to finishing their remediation reviews, and the government is planning new deployments of unspecified security and IT modernization technologies to avoid a repeat of the intrusions, a senior Biden administration official said during a background briefing on March 12. […]

President Biden announced today he will nominate Christopher Fonzone – who brings expertise in IT and cybersecurity legal issues – to serve as general counsel of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI). […]

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) needs to update its milestones and fully implement its plans related to CISA Act of 2018 in order to provide more effective cybersecurity for the United States, the Federal government’s chief watchdog agency said. […]