Homeland & Cybersecurity
The latest coverage of the Department of Homeland Security and cyber threats around the globe.
Cybersecurity concerns found in DHS smartphones during the Biden administration
Offices within the Biden-era Department of Homeland Security did not effectively secure their employees’ mobile devices, leading to a higher risk of cyberattacks and unauthorized access to sensitive information, according to a new report from the department’s internal watchdog.
Federal officials plan to offload some warehouses purchased for immigrant detention
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is retreating from a plan to use warehouses to hold up to 10,000 people on a single site, jettisoning a key piece of former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s $38-billion plan to rapidly expand detention capacity this year.
‘AI is here’: Lawmakers pressed to prepare students for future that has already arrived
The outcry for federal guardrails on artificial intelligence shouldn’t stop the government from helping get AI into K-12 classrooms, education specialists recently told senators.
Cybersecurity executives urge the Trump administration to ease restrictions on Anthropic AI models
A group of cybersecurity executives and experts is asking the Trump administration to lift its directive preventing the use of Anthropic’s latest artificial intelligence models by foreign nationals, saying the move could help U.S. adversaries more than it hurts them.
Homeland Security’s Mullin says spy power lapse makes it more difficult to monitor threats
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said Sunday the lapse of a key surveillance tool that enables the government to collect foreign intelligence has made it more difficult to keep Americans safe ahead of several high-profile events, including the World Cup and America’s 250th celebrations.
Senate intelligence chairman seeks federal probe of Chinese AI-related influence operation
China is engaged in a covert influence campaign to prevent the development of U.S. data centers needed for artificial intelligence capabilities, according to the chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.
Senate bill extends CHIPS Act tax credits to space-based semiconductor factories
A bipartisan duo is pushing a bill to clarify that tax credits include space-based semiconductor manufacturing.
Security firm says China stepping up AI tech cybertheft
Chinese hackers are increasing cyberattacks aimed at stealing advanced artificial intelligence technology in the United States, according to a report by the security company CrowdStrike.
FBI shutters covert Chinese websites targeting secrets
Federal authorities shut down 13 internet domains on Wednesday, which were said to be used by China for operations to obtain classified and sensitive U.S. government information, the Justice Department said.
EU orders Meta to restore WhatsApp access for rival AI chatbots
European Union regulators on Tuesday ordered Meta Platforms to restore access to WhatsApp for rival AI chatbot makers until an antitrust investigation is complete.
Federal judge erases Trump’s 39-country travel ban
A federal judge struck down the Trump administration’s policy that barred applicants from the 39 countries on the president’s travel ban list.
FCC takes aim at school internet program as Big Tech backlash grows
All that classroom screen time may not be a good idea after all. The Trump administration is considering a top-to-bottom overhaul of a decades-old federal program that pays for public school internet — a system some children are using to watch pornography in class.
Three GOP congressmen probe foreign efforts to block U.S. data center build-out
A trio of Republicans requested evidence of foreign influence campaigns working to slow U.S. artificial intelligence progress and block the development of the infrastructure needed to power it.
California tech CEO arrested after feds say he supplied sanctioned computer equipment to Iran
A California tech CEO is facing 20 years in prison after allegedly earning millions by selling U.S.-origin computer networking equipment to Iran’s military and nuclear establishments, Justice Department officials said.
Multimedia
Document: Cybersecurity 2018: Online Security and Safety in Government, Industry and Civil Society
Download the Special Report available in the January 29, 2018, edition of The Washington Times. (3.8 MB)