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Tag: national

Sensitive government personnel data posted online, Spanish police arrest suspect

The Spanish National Police arrested a man in Granada for allegedly leaking personal data belonging to members of several sensitive state institutions. According to police, the suspect published the information on multiple online platforms, exposing personnel associated with organizations including the National Cybersecurity Institute (INCIBE), the National Security Council, the National Police, the Civil Guard,…

How NIST fumbled management of the National Vulnerability Database

A US federal watchdog has outlined how the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) failed to effectively manage the growing backlog of unprocessed cybersecurity vulnerabilities in the National Vulnerability Database (NVD). How the NVD crisis unfolded The NVD was established in 2005 and serves as a central repository for cybersecurity vulnerability data. When security…

Federal audit reveals NIST’s NVD is plagued by poor planning and duplication

A Department of Commerce inspector general report released Thursday found that the National Institute of Standards and Technology has mismanaged a critical cybersecurity vulnerability database through poor planning, inefficient operations, duplicate federal programs, and failure to communicate with users. The National Vulnerability Database, maintained by NIST since 2005, collects information about computer security flaws and…

Dutch Government just said no to an American firm buying the keys to their digital State

The Dutch government blocked Kyndryl’s €100M bid for Solvinity, citing national security concerns over critical digital infrastructure. Dutch Government told Kyndryl it can’t buy Solvinity. That sentence doesn’t sound dramatic, but what it means is this: a European government just blocked an American IT company from acquiring the firm that runs DigiD, the platform Dutch…

Ghostwriter Targets Ukraine Government Entities with Prometheus Phishing Malware

The Belarus-aligned threat actor known as Ghostwriter (aka UAC-0057 and UNC1151Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council) has been observed using lures related to Prometheus, a Ukrainian online learning platform, to target government organizations in the country. The activity, per the Computer Emergency Response Team of Ukraine (CERT-UA), involves sending phishing emails to government

CISA pushes critical infrastructure operators to prepare to work in isolation

The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has unveiled a new national initiative aimed at helping critical infrastructure operators withstand and recover from major cyberattacks by preparing to operate in isolation from the internet and third-party dependencies. The program, CI Fortify, is designed to ensure that organizations can continue delivering essential services even when…

Stronger Cybersecurity, Stronger Business: NIST Celebrates 2026 National Small Business Week

Happy National Small Business Week! For over 60 years, the U.S. Small Business Administration has led this initiative to acknowledge the critical contributions of America’s entrepreneurs and small business owners. Part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, NIST’s mission is to drive U.S. innovation and global competitiveness, and the small business community is central to…

Researchers develop tool to expose GPS signal spoofing in transit networks

The Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has developed a portable detector that identifies GPS spoofing in real time, including during motion, to help protect transportation systems. Spoofing involves transmitting counterfeit signals that imitate authentic GPS transmissions and produce false information about location, time, or both. GPS jamming, another form of interference, overwhelms receivers with noise…

ReadySteadyPlug receives $1.51 million ARENA funding to accelerate national rollout of affordable EV chargers in apartments

– ARENA funding to accelerate the national rollout of smart strata-based EV charging infrastructure – ReadySteadyPlug’s smart Level 1 solution avoids costly switchboard or infrastructure upgrades with limited upfront contribution from the Owners Corporation – Funding comes amid surging EV demand driven by global fuel crisis

Spy agency officials say job loss anxiety, moving fast ‘safely’ among top challenges in AI workforce overhaul

Like many organizations, the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency is moving to integrate AI tools into their business operations. Jay Harless, director of human development at NGA, said the agency is trying to strike a balance: move fast enough to keep pace in what U.S. national security officials increasingly view as an AI arms race with…

Alleged Chinese hacker extradited to US over cyberattacks targeting COVID-19 research

Chinese national Xu Zewei was extradited from Italy to the United States to face charges tied to an alleged cyber espionage campaign that breached thousands of computers worldwide. Xu is charged alongside Zhang Yu, who remains at large. According to court documents, officers of China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS), including its Shanghai State Security…

Chinese Silk Typhoon Hacker Extradited to U.S. Over COVID Research Cyberattacks

A Chinese national accused of being a member of the Silk Typhoon hacking group has been extradited to the U.S. from Italy.  Xu Zewei, 34, was arrested in July 2025 by Italian authorities for his alleged links to the Chinese state-sponsored threat group and for orchestrating cyber attacks against American organizations and government agencies between…

Chinese national extradited to US for pandemic-era Silk Typhoon attacks

A Chinese national allegedly involved in a massive, pandemic-era attack spree that compromised nearly 13,000 U.S. organizations was extradited from Italy to the United States and formally charged in federal court, the Justice Department said Monday. Xu Zewei and his co-conspirators are accused of exploiting a string of zero-day vulnerabilities in Microsoft Exchange Server to…

Chinese spy posed as researcher in spear-phishing campaign targeting NASA to steal defense software

A Chinese national posed as a U.S. researcher, tricking NASA staff in a phishing campaign to steal sensitive data tied to defense software and exports. A Chinese national ran a spear-phishing campaign by posing as a U.S. researcher and tricked NASA employees into sharing sensitive information. The NASA Office of Inspector General (OIG) and federal…

NASA Employees Duped in Chinese Phishing Scheme Targeting U.S. Defense Software

The Office of Inspector General (OIG) of the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has revealed how a Chinese national posed as a U.S. researcher as part of a spear-phishing campaign to obtain sensitive information from the space agency, as well as from government entities, universities, and private companies, in violation of export control…

Users advised to drop passwords and make room for passkeys

In a decisive move that could reshape how users log in online, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) is urging consumers to abandon passwords in favour of passkeys, positioning them as the future of authentication. “Passkeys should become consumers’ first choice for logging into digital services,” NCSC said. Overhauling decades of security guidance, the agency…

China-linked threat actors use consumer device botnets to evade detection, warn UK and partners

UK National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) warns China-linked hackers use hijacked devices as proxy networks to hide activity and evade detection. UK National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and global partners warn that China-linked threat actors now rely on large proxy networks built of hacked consumer devices. Groups control routers, cameras, video recorders, and NAS systems…

Offer customers passkeys by default, UK’s NCSC tells enterprises

The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) is recommending passkeys as the default authentication method for businesses to offer consumers, citing industry progress that now makes them a more secure and user-friendly alternative to passwords. In a blog post published this week, the agency said passkeys can now be recommended to both the public and…

UK’s NCSC calls passkeys the default, says passwords are no longer fit for the purpose

The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) is recommending passkeys as the default authentication method for businesses to offer consumers, citing industry progress that now makes them a more secure and user-friendly alternative to passwords. In a blog post published this week, the agency said passkeys can now be recommended to both the public and…

Offer customers passkeys by default, UK’s NCSC tells enterprises

The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) is recommending passkeys as the default authentication method for businesses to offer consumers, citing industry progress that now makes them a more secure and user-friendly alternative to passwords. In a blog post published this week, the agency said passkeys can now be recommended to both the public and…

If cyber espionage via HDMI worries you, NCSC built a device to stop it

A new cybersecurity device developed by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) should be a helpful solution for protecting governments and businesses from malicious activity carried through display connections. Called SilentGlass, the plug-and-play tool is designed to protect HDMI and DisplayPort links from potential cyberattacks. The NCSC warns that monitors are an attractive target for…

The US NSA is using Anthropic’s Claude Mythos despite supply chain risk

Axios reports the National Security Agency uses Anthropic Mythos model despite Department of Defense concerns, blurring AI risk vs defense lines. The reported use of Anthropic’s Mythos model by the U.S. National Security Agency is a reminder that the line between AI as a defensive tool and AI as a security risk is getting harder…

NIST Scales Back Vulnerability Scoring in 2026 as CVE Volume Surges

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is narrowing how it analyzes and scores software vulnerabilities, citing a sharp increase in submissions that has made it difficult to keep pace.  “For years, security teams relied on NVD for vulnerability context to support prioritization decisions. But that model is under real strain,” said Ian Gray,…

NIST Limits CVE Enrichment After 263% Surge in Vulnerability Submissions

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has announced changes to the way it handles cybersecurity vulnerabilities and exposures (CVEs) listed in its National Vulnerability Database (NVD), stating it will only enrich those that fulfil certain conditions owing to an explosion in CVE submissions. “CVEs that do not meet those criteria will still be…

NIST cuts down CVE analysis amid vulnerability overload

Overwhelmed by an escalating volume of security flaws, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has announced significant changes to how it handles cybersecurity vulnerabilities and exposures (CVEs). Rather than commit to providing enrichment for all entries in its National Vulnerability Database (NVD), the agency will focus on just the most critical CVEs, which…

NIST admits defeat on NVD backlog, will enrich only highest-risk CVEs going forward

NIST is overhauling how it manages the National Vulnerability Database (NVD) and switching to a risk-based model that prioritizes “enrichment” of only the most critical CVE-numbered security vulnerabilities. “This change is driven by a surge in CVE submissions, which increased 263% between 2020 and 2025,” the National Institute of Standards and Technology said. “We don’t…

Executive orders likely ahead in next steps for national cyber strategy

National Cyber Director Sean Cairncross expects more executive orders coming from the White House as part of implementing the national cybersecurity strategy, he said Wednesday. Staffers on Capitol Hill and others in the cyber world have been awaiting the implementation guidance the Trump administration had proclaimed would come to accompany the strategy  published last month.…

FBI and Indonesian Police Dismantle W3LL Phishing Network Behind $20M Fraud Attempts

The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), in partnership with the Indonesian National Police, has dismantled the infrastructure associated with a global phishing operation that leveraged an off-the-shelf toolkit called W3LL to steal thousands of victims’ account credentials and attempt more than $20 million in fraud. In tandem, authorities detained the alleged developer, who has&

Citizen Lab: Law Enforcement Used Webloc to Track 500 Million Devices via Ad Data

Hungarian domestic intelligence, the national police in El Salvador, and several U.S. law enforcement and police departments have been attributed to the use of an advertising-based global geolocation surveillance system called Webloc. The tool was developed by Israeli company Cobwebs Technologies and is now sold by its successor Penlink after the two firms merged in July 2023

The alleged breach of China’s National Supercomputing Center can have serious geopolitical consequences

A hacker allegedly stole 10+ PB of sensitive military and aerospace data from China’s National Supercomputing Center, risking national security. A massive alleged breach has hit China’s National Supercomputing Center (NSCC) in Tianjin. A hacker claims to have exfiltrated over 10 petabytes of highly sensitive data, including military, aerospace, and missile-related information. The facility supports…

Former NSA chiefs worry American offensive edge in cybersecurity is slipping

SAN FRANCISCO — Four former National Security Agency directors shared varying concerns about a lack of earnest and widespread response to growing threats in cyberspace during a discussion at the RSAC 2026 Conference on Tuesday. Accelerating threats posed by artificial intelligence, China and cybercriminals at large are testing the country’s resolve and determination to foster…

Trump’s federal AI policy framework aims to undercut state laws

US President Donald Trump’s administration today released its National Policy Framework for Artificial Intelligence: Legislative Recommendations, a document that reads less like the AI safety blueprints that states are increasingly adopting and more like a playbook for asserting federal control over AI governance. It is part of a coordinated push with congressional allies, most notably…

Beijing wants its own quantum-resistant encryption standards rather than adopt NIST’s

China is reportedly planning to develop its own national post-quantum cryptography standards within the next three years, even as most of the world has already begun migrating to those finalized by the US in 2024. Post-quantum cryptography deals with algorithms that can protect data from the threat proposed by future quantum computers, which are expected…

Trump administration isn’t pushing companies to conduct cyber offense, national cyber director says

National Cyber Director Sean Cairncross said Tuesday that the Trump administration isn’t aspiring to enlist the private sector to conduct offensive cyber operations, but instead to help the government by keeping them abreast of the threats they’re facing. The recently-released national cyber strategy talks about incentivizing companies to disrupt the networks of adversaries. “I’m not…

Hackers tried to breach Poland’s nuclear research centre

Poland’s National Centre for Nuclear Research (NCBJ) thwarted a cyberattack targeting its IT infrastructure. The attempted intrusion was detected and blocked before attackers could compromise systems or disrupt operations. “No production, operational, or research processes were disrupted, and the MARIA reactor is operating safely and smoothly, at full power,” said Prof. Jakub Kupecki, Director of…

OpenClaw AI Agent Flaws Could Enable Prompt Injection and Data Exfiltration

China’s National Computer Network Emergency Response Technical Team (CNCERT) has issued a warning about the security stemming from the use of OpenClaw (formerly Clawdbot and Moltbot), an open-source and self-hosted autonomous artificial intelligence (AI) agent. In a post shared on WeChat, CNCERT noted that the platform’s “inherently weak default security configurations,” coupled with its

Hackers targeted Poland’s National Centre for Nuclear Research

Hackers targeted Poland’s National Centre for Nuclear Research, but security systems detected and blocked the attack before any damage. The National Centre for Nuclear Research in Poland reported a cyberattack on its IT infrastructure. The intrusion attempt was quickly detected by security systems, allowing staff to secure the targeted systems and prevent any operational impact.…

Phobos ransomware leader pleads guilty, faces up to 20 years in prison

Russian national Evgenii Ptitsyn pleaded guilty to running the Phobos ransomware outfit that extorted more than $39 million from more than 1,000 victims globally, the Justice Department said Wednesday. Ptitsyn assumed a leadership role in the Phobos ransomware group in January 2022, yet his criminal activities began by April 2019, according to court records. He…

UK Warns of Heightened Iranian Cyber Risk as Middle East Conflict Intensifies

The United Kingdom’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) is urging British organizations to brace for potential Iranian-linked cyber activity as tensions escalate in the Middle East.  While officials say there is no confirmed spike in direct attacks against the UK, they caution that the situation could shift rapidly.  “There is almost certainly a heightened risk…

Manual Processes Are Putting National Security at Risk

Why automating sensitive data transfers is now a mission-critical priority More than half of national security organizations still rely on manual processes to transfer sensitive data, according to The CYBER360: Defending the Digital Battlespace report. This should alarm every defense and government leader because manual handling of sensitive data is not just inefficient, it is…

Defense Contractor Employee Jailed for Selling 8 Zero-Days to Russian Broker

A 39-year-old Australian national who was previously employed at U.S. defense contractor L3Harris has been sentenced to a little over seven years in prison for selling eight zero-day exploits to Russian exploit broker Operation Zero in exchange for millions of dollars. Peter Williams pleaded guilty to two counts of theft of trade secrets in October…

1.2 Million Accounts Exposed in French Bank Registry Breach

An incident disclosed by the French Ministry of Finance involved unauthorized access to the national bank account registry and may have exposed data tied to approximately 1.2 million accounts.  This case highlights the continued effectiveness of credential theft as an attack vector. The attacker “… was able to consult part of this file which lists…

Ukrainian National Sentenced to 5 Years in North Korea IT Worker Fraud Case

A 29-year-old Ukrainian national has been sentenced to five years in prison in the U.S. for his role in facilitating North Korea’s fraudulent information technology (IT) worker scheme. In November 2025, Oleksandr “Alexander” Didenko pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy and aggravated identity theft for stealing the identities of U.S. citizens and selling them to…

Ukrainian sentenced to 5 years in prison for facilitating North Korean remote worker scheme

A Ukrainian national who ran multiple operations to aid the North Korean government’s expansive scheme to  hire remote IT workers at U.S. companies was sentenced to five years in prison, the Justice Department said Thursday. Oleksandr Didenko stole U.S. citizens’ identities and created more than 2,500 fraudulent accounts on freelance IT job forums, money service…

US dominance of agentic AI at the heart of new NIST initiative

This week, the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) announced a new listening exercise, the AI Agent Standards Initiative, which it hopes will provide a roadmap for addressing agentic AI hurdles and, it said, ensure that the technology “is widely adopted with confidence.” AI agents, which have now ascended to the status of…

Germany’s national rail operator Deutsche Bahn hit by a DDoS attack

Germany’s national rail operator, Deutsche Bahn, suffered a major DDoS attack that disrupted booking and information systems for several hours. Germany’s rail operator Deutsche Bahn was hit by a large-scale DDoS attack that disrupted information and booking systems for several hours. The cyberattack affected IT operations, causing delays and service interruptions. At this time, the…