10/4/2017

2016 ELECTION/CYBERWAR/INTELLIGENCE/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Senate Intelligence Chairman Richard Burr said Wednesday [10-4-17] the committee is continuing to investigate potential collusion between the Trump campaign and Russian agents meddling in the U.S. election. Despite the president’s dismissal of possible collusion between his campaign and Russian officials as ‘a hoax,’ Burr, R-N.C., and Vice Chairman Mark Warner, […]

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10/4/2017

CYBERWAR/INTELLIGENCE/NATIONAL SECURITY: “A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers unveiled legislation on Wednesday [10-4-17] that would overhaul aspects of the National Security Agency’s warrantless internet surveillance program in an effort to install additional privacy protections… The legislation, written by the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee, is seen by civil liberties groups as the best chance in […]

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10/4/2017

BUSINESS/CONSUMER PROTECTION/CYBERWAR/POLITICS: “Senators questioning Equifax Inc.’s former chief Wednesday [10-4-17] attacked the business model of the credit-reporting industry, asking why consumers shouldn’t have power over the data that the companies collect on them. The hearing, one of a series this week, was as much about the control consumers have over their personal data as it […]

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10/3/2017

CYBERWAR/IRS: “The IRS will pay Equifax $7.25 million to verify taxpayer identities and help prevent fraud under a no-bid contract issued last week, even as lawmakers lash the embattled company about a massive security breach that exposed personal information of as many as 145.5 million Americans. A contract award for Equifax’s data services was posted […]

Read More… from 10/3/2017

10/2/2017

CYBERWAR/INTELLIGENCE/RUSSIA: “Facebook Inc. on Monday [10-2-17] said it estimates 10 million people saw ads it has discovered on its platform paid for by Russian entities, but warned that it may not have uncovered all malicious activity that attempted to interfere in the American political process. The revelation from Facebook quantifies for the first time the […]

Read More… from 10/2/2017

10/1/2017

CYBERWAR/FOREIGN POLICY/NORTH KOREA/RUSSIA: “North Korea has opened a second internet connection with the outside world, this time via Russia, a move which cyber security experts said could give Pyongyang greater capability to conduct cyber attacks. North Korea has been blamed by Western governments for several major cyber attacks in recent years, including against banks and […]

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9/28/2017

2016 ELECTION/CYBERWAR/RUSSIA: “Twitter Inc. on Thursday [9-28-17] offered its first public information on Russian use of its platform during the U.S. presidential election, but its limited disclosure only fueled criticism from lawmakers who are pushing for greater transparency from internet companies over how their platforms are manipulated. In presentations to congressional investigators and a post […]

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9/27/2017

CYBERWAR/LEGAL/RUSSIA: “Executives from Facebook, Alphabet Inc’s Google and Twitter have been asked to testify to the U.S. Congress in coming weeks as lawmakers probe Russia’s alleged interference in the 2016 U.S. election, committee sources said on Wednesday. A Senate aide said executives from the three firms had been asked by the Senate Intelligence Committee to […]

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9/26/2017

2016 ELECTION/CYBERWAR/FAKE NEWS/MEDIA/RUSSIA: “Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein was the beneficiary of at least one of the Russian-bought political ads on Facebook that federal government officials suspect were intended to influence the 2016 election. Other advertisements paid for by shadowy Russian buyers criticized Hillary Clinton and promoted Donald Trump. Some backed Bernie Sanders and […]

Read More… from 9/26/2017

9/26/2017

CYBERWAR/SEC: “U.S. senators, already facing distress calls from constituents over the Equifax Inc. hack, criticized the Securities and Exchange Commission’s new leader on Tuesday for how the agency handled a 2016 breach of its cornerstone system for storing market-moving information… Facing his first crisis as the SEC’s chairman, Jay Clayton suggested during a hearing that […]

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9/21/2017

CONSUMER PROTECTION/CYBERWAR: “Equifax Inc. Chief Executive Richard Smith will testify in front of U.S. senators next month about the company’s handling of a data breach that compromised the personal information of millions of Americans. At an Oct. 4 hearing of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, Mr. Smith will have to answer […]

Read More… from 9/21/2017

9/20/2017

CYBERWAR/SEC: “The top U.S. markets regulator disclosed Wednesday [9-20-17] that hackers penetrated its electronic system for storing public-company filings last year and may have traded on the information. The Securities and Exchange Commission’s chairman, Jay Clayton, revealed the breach in an unusual and lengthy statement issued Wednesday evening that didn’t provide many details about the […]

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9/20/2017

CYBERWAR/INTELLIGENCE/RUSSIA: “Senate Intelligence Chairman Richard Burr says he’s planning to hold a public hearing next month on Russian election interference through Facebook and other social media platforms. Earlier this month, Facebook disclosed it had sold about $100,000 in ads to Russian troll farms connected to about 470 inauthentic accounts. Facebook briefed the Senate and House […]

Read More… from 9/20/2017

9/18/2017

CONSUMER PROTECTION/CYBERWAR: “New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Monday [9-18-17] that he wants credit-reporting firms to comply with the state’s cyber-security regulations, the latest government official to crack down on the industry in the wake of the massive Equifax hack. Also on Monday, Bloomberg News reported that federal authorities have opened a criminal probe […]

Read More… from 9/18/2017

9/15/2017

CYBERWAR/RUSSIA: “New scrutiny by Congress of Facebook Inc. over its acceptance of Russian ad buys in the 2016 campaign is just the latest in a string of political challenges facing technology firms, which long enjoyed a hands-off approach from Washington aimed at fostering their growth. It was already a tough year for Silicon Valley in […]

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9/15/2017

CONSUMER PROTECTION/CYBERWAR: “U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren said on Friday [9-15-17] she has begun an investigation into Equifax’s massive data breach and, along with 11 other Democratic senators, introduced a bill to give consumers the ability to freeze their credit for free. Warren, who has built a reputation as a fierce consumer champion, also signaled in […]

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9/13/2017

CYBERWAR/DHS/RUSSIA: “In a move likely to escalate tensions between Washington and Moscow, the Department of Homeland Security has ordered all federal agencies to stop using software made by the Russian cybersecurity firm Kaspersky Lab, citing concerns that the Moscow-based firm’s software could give the Kremlin a foothold in the U.S. government. The directive gives federal […]

Read More… from 9/13/2017

9/12/2017

CYBERWAR/INTELLIGENCE/RUSSIA: “The bipartisan leadership of the Senate Intelligence Committee said Tuesday [9-12-17] they are likely to call representatives from Facebook Inc. to Capitol Hill to publicly detail Russian activity on the company’s platform during the 2016 election. In separate interviews with reporters, Sens. Richard Burr (R., N.C.) and Mark Warner (D., Va.) said they are […]

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9/12/2017

CONSUMER PROTECTION/CYBERWAR/FTC/TREASURY: “A U.S. senator on Tuesday [9-12-17] called for a criminal investigation of executives from credit bureau Equifax Inc (EFX.N) for stock sales after a massive data breach this summer, and said their actions were comparable to insider trading. The breach, which the company learned about in July but did not acknowledge until this […]

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9/1/2017

2016 ELECTION/CYBERWAR/VOTING: “The calls started flooding in from hundreds of irate North Carolina voters just after 7 a.m. on Election Day last November. Dozens were told they were ineligible to vote and were turned away at the polls, even when they displayed current registration cards. Others were sent from one polling place to another, only […]

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8/22/2017

CYBERWAR/NATIONAL SECURITY/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “U.S. President Donald Trump would be required to notify U.S. lawmakers before creating a joint U.S.-Russia cyber security unit – an idea that has drawn criticism across the political spectrum – under legislation advancing in Congress. The proposal, if it became law, would be the latest in a series of maneuvers […]

Read More… from 8/22/2017

8/18/2017

CYBERWAR/DEFENSE/TRUMP MEMORANDA: “Presidential Memorandum for the Secretary of Defense Elevation of U.S. Cyber Command to a Unified Combatant Command Pursuant to my authority as the Commander in Chief and under sections 161 and 167b of title 10, United States Code, and in consultation with the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs […]

Read More… from 8/18/2017

8/17/2017

CYBERWAR/NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “U.S. President Donald Trump is close to making a decision to elevate the status of the Pentagon’s Cyber Command, signaling more emphasis on developing cyber weapons to deter attacks, punish intruders and tackle adversaries, current and former officials told Reuters on Thursday [8-17-17]. A current U.S. official, who was speaking on […]

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8/10/2017

2016 ELECTION/CYBERWAR/DHS: “The Department of Homeland Security is clearing the way for state election officials to apply for security clearances so they can review classified information about cyberthreats to their election systems, federal and state authorities said in interviews this week. The move comes after many state officials criticized the federal agency for, in their […]

Read More… from 8/10/2017

8/2/2017

2016 ELECTION/CYBERWAR/DHS/VOTER FRAUD: “More than five dozen state and local election offices requested help from the Department of Homeland Security to protect their election systems from cyberattacks, according to DHS documents obtained by CNN. Before the 2016 US election, 33 states and 36 local governments requested an assessment of their election systems to help prevent […]

Read More… from 8/2/2017

8/1/2017

CYBERWAR/LEAKS/TRUMP PEOPLE: “A self-described ’email prankster’ in the UK fooled a number of White House officials into thinking he was other officials, including an episode where he convinced the White House official tasked with cyber security that he was Jared Kushner and received that official’s private email address unsolicited. ‘Tom, we are arranging a bit […]

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7/29/2017

CYBERWAR/VOTER FRAUD: “A touch-screen voting machine used in a 2014 election in Virginia was hacked in about 100 minutes by exploiting a Windows XP flaw that was more than a decade old as part of a demonstration on security vulnerabilities in election technology. The hacker was Carsten Schürmann, an associate professor with IT University of […]

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7/22/2017

CYBERWAR/FOREIGN POLICY/NSA/RUSSIA: “Adm. Mike Rogers, the director of the National Security Agency, said Saturday [7-23-17] that ‘now is probably not the best time’ to pursue a joint cybersecurity initiative with Russia — an idea that President Donald Trump floated following his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier this month… Senior Trump administration officials, including […]

Read More… from 7/22/2017

7/20/2017

CYBERWAR/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Moscow and Washington are in talks to create a joint cyber security working group, Russia’s RIA news agency reported on Thursday [7-20-17], citing Andrey Krutskikh, a special presidential envoy on cyber security. U.S. President Donald Trump said earlier this month he had discussed the idea of creating such a group with President […]

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7/19/2017

2016 ELECTION/CYBERWAR/DHS/TRUMP PEOPLE/JOHN KELLY: “Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly said Wednesday [7-19-17] that states that aren’t asking Washington for help in protecting their election systems from hackers are ‘nuts.’ But while Kelly said he supported the Obama administration’s decision to designate U.S. election systems ‘critical infrastructure,’ given threats from Russia and other entities, he also […]

Read More… from 7/19/2017

7/10/2017

CYBERWAR/FOREIGN POLICY/RUSSIA: “A joint Russian-U.S. working group on cyber security, proposed by President Vladimir Putin in a discussion with U.S. President Donald Trump in Hamburg, is unlikely to be launched any time soon, a Russian official said on Monday [7-10-17]. ‘President Putin proposed forming a working group. This does not mean that it should start […]

Read More… from 7/10/2017

7/9/2017

2016 ELECTION/CYBERWAR/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Trump tried without success on Sunday [7-9-17] to put the matter of Russia’s election meddling behind him, insisting that he had ‘strongly pressed’ President Vladimir V. Putin on the matter twice in a private meeting last week and declaring that it was ‘time to move forward.’ But if Mr. Trump […]

Read More… from 7/9/2017

7/9/2017

CYBERWAR/FAKE NEWS/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Putin & I discussed forming an impenetrable Cyber Security unit so that election hacking, & many other negative things, will be guarded…and safe. Questions were asked about why the CIA & FBI had to ask the DNC 13 times for their SERVER, and were rejected, still don’t…have it. Fake News said […]

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7/9/2017

2016 ELECTION/CYBERWAR/FOREIGN POLICY/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “I strongly pressed President Putin twice about Russian meddling in our election. He vehemently denied it. I’ve already given my opinion…We negotiated a ceasefire in parts of Syria which will save lives. Now it is time to move forward in working constructively with Russia!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, July 9, 2017 […]

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7/6/2017

2016 ELECTION/CYBERWAR/INTELLIGENCE/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump took his criticism of the U.S. intelligence community abroad on Thursday [7-6-17], calling its acumen into question before an international audience in Poland. While the president conceded that Russia meddled in the 2016 U.S. election, he said other countries could have interfered as well, an assessment that contradicts […]

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6/28/2017

CYBERWAR/NSA: “Twice in the past month, National Security Agency cyberweapons stolen from its arsenal have been turned against two very different partners of the United States — Britain and Ukraine. The N.S.A. has kept quiet, not acknowledging its role in developing the weapons. White House officials have deflected many questions, and responded to others by […]

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6/28/2017

CYBERWAR/FBI/RUSSIA: “The FBI interviewed several U.S. employees of Moscow-based cyber security firm Kaspersky Lab this week as part of an ongoing agency probe of the company’s operations, according to two sources familiar with the matter. Federal Bureau of Investigation agents visited the homes of Kaspersky employees late on Tuesday [6-27-17] in multiple U.S. cities, though […]

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6/21/2017

2016 ELECTION/CYBERWAR/DHS/FBI/RUSSIA: “Russian government-linked hackers potentially targeted as many as 21 states’ election systems last year, a Homeland Security official warned Congress on Wednesday [6-21-7]. None of those systems were involved in vote counting, however. DHS’ acting Director of Cyber Division of the department’s Office of Intelligence and Analysis, Samuel Liles, said that by late […]

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6/21/2017

2016 ELECTION/CYBERWAR/DHS/RUSSIA: “A senior Department of Homeland Security official told Congress on Wednesday [6-21-17] that federal investigators had evidence that the Russian government targeted election systems in nearly two dozen states during the 2016 elections. ‘As of right now, we have evidence of election-related systems in 21 states that were targeted,’ said Jeanette Manfra, the […]

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6/21/2017

2016 ELECTION/CYBERWAR/DHS/INTELLIGENCE/RUSSIA: “House investigators are examining Wednesday [6-21-17] Russia’s attempts to hack into state elections systems with former Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson before the House intelligence committee. ‘In 2016 the Russian government, at the direction of (Russian President) Vladimir Putin himself, orchestrated cyberattacks on our nation for the purpose of influencing our […]

Read More… from 6/21/2017

6/20/2017

COMMERCE/CYBERWAR: “More than two dozen U.S. companies, including several big banks, have teamed up to establish shared principles that would allow them to better understand their cyber security ratings and to challenge them if necessary, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce said on Tuesday [6-20-17]. Large corporations often use the ratings, the cyber equivalent of a […]

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6/19/2017

CYBERWAR/GOP/VOTING: “A Republican National Committee database of nearly every registered American voter was left vulnerable to theft on a public server for 12 days this month, according to a cybersecurity researcher who found and downloaded the trove of data. The lapse in security was striking for putting at risk the identities, voting histories and views […]

Read More… from 6/19/2017

6/19/2017

BUSINESS/CYBERWAR: “Top executives from the tech industry are coming to the White House on Monday [6-19-17] for meetings aimed at updating federal computer systems, part of a push to save money, guard against cyberattacks and make government websites easier to use. Executives including Amazon.com Inc. Chief Executive Jeff Bezos, Apple Inc. CEO Tim Cook and […]

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6/12/2017

CYBERWAR: “America’s fast-growing ranks of secret cyberwarriors have in recent years blown up nuclear centrifuges in Iran and turned to computer code and electronic warfare to sabotage North Korea’s missile launches, with mixed results. But since they began training their arsenal of cyberweapons on a more elusive target, internet use by the Islamic State, the […]

Read More… from 6/12/2017

6/1/2017

2016 ELECTION/CYBERWAR/RUSSIA: “Shifting from his previous blanket denials, President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia said on Thursday [6-1-17] that ‘patriotically minded’ private Russian hackers could have been involved in cyberattacks last year to help the presidential campaign of Donald J. Trump. While Mr. Putin continued to deny any state role, his comments to reporters in […]

Read More… from 6/1/2017

5/30/2017

CYBERWAR/NATIONAL SECURITY: “Between February and May, South Korean cybersecurity experts noticed intrusions at government-affiliated websites following a new pattern: They used a technique that doesn’t require tainted email links or forceful server assaults. The culprit, the experts concluded: North Korea. Pyongyang has caught blame for headline-grabbing cyberattacks dating back to 2014’s Sony Pictures Entertainment hack […]

Read More… from 5/30/2017

5/16/2017

CYBERWAR/FBI/NORTH KOREA: “The ransomware assault infecting computers in more than 100 countries bears some of the hallmarks of previous attacks by North Korea, according to some in the cybersecurity industry, offering a reminder of the secretive nation’s cyberwarfare capabilities. North Korea enlists a core of 1,700 hackers and 5,000 more supporting members, according to South […]

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5/11/2017

CYBERWAR/TRUMP EXEC ORDERS: “U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order aimed at strengthening federal government cyber security and protecting the nation’s critical infrastructure from cyber attacks, a senior administration official said. A copy of the signed order was not immediately available.” -Dustin Volz, “Trump signs cyber security executive order: senior official,” Reuters, […]

Read More… from 5/11/2017

4/20/2017

2016 ELECTION/CYBERWAR/INTELLIGENCE/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President-elect Donald Trump was very clear: ‘I will appoint a team to give me a plan within 90 days of taking office,’ he said in January, after getting a U.S. intelligence assessment of Russian interference in last year’s elections and promising to address cybersecurity. Thursday [4-20-17], Trump hits his 90-day mark. […]

Read More… from 4/20/2017

3/09/2017

2016 ELECTION/CYBERWAR/FBI/INTELLIGENCE/LEGAL/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Federal investigators and computer scientists continue to examine whether there was a computer server connection between the Trump Organization and a Russian bank, sources close to the investigation tell CNN. Questions about the possible connection were widely dismissed four months ago. But the FBI’s investigation remains open, the sources said, and […]

Read More… from 3/09/2017

3/08/2017

CYBERWAR/FBI/LEGAL/RUSSIA: “FBI Director James Comey signaled he has no plans to resign despite once again being at the center of a political storm — this time over probes into Russian hacking of the 2016 election and his request that Justice Department officials reject President Donald Trump’s claims that his predecessor ‘tapped’ his phones. ‘You’re stuck […]

Read More… from 3/08/2017

3/5/2017

CYBERWAR/FBI/INTELLIGENCE: “Is it true the DNC would not allow the FBI access to check server or other equipment after learning it was hacked? Can that be possible?  – Twitter.com, March 5, 2017, Donald Trump, 3/5/2017 […]

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2/28/2017

2016 ELECTION/CYBERWAR/INTELLIGENCE/NATIONAL SECURITY/RUSSIA/TRUMP PEOPLE/DAN COATS: “Dan Coats, President Trump’s nominee to head the U.S. intelligence community, said at his Senate confirmation hearing Tuesday [2-28-17] that he believes Russia attempted to meddle in last year’s presidential race, putting him potentially at odds with the White House. Russia ‘definitely did try to influence the campaign,’ said Coats, […]

Read More… from 2/28/2017

2/20/2017

CYBERWAR/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “For months, President Trump and his aides have insisted that they had no contact with Russian officials during the presidential campaign, a denial Mr. Trump repeated last week. ‘I have nothing to do with Russia,’ he told reporters on Thursday. ‘To the best of my knowledge, no person that I deal with […]

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2/10/2017

2016 ELECTION/CYBERWAR/RUSSIA: “Democratic lawmakers demanded Friday that President Trump address a report that his national security advisor, retired Army Gen. Michael Flynn, discussed U.S. sanctions against Russia with that country’s ambassador in December, before Trump took office. The FBI has been examining Flynn’s contacts with Ambassador Sergey Kislyak, according to reports. At issue is whether […]

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4/12/2013

CHINA/CYBERWAR/NORTH KOREA: “China controls North Korea. So now besides cyber hacking us all day, they are using the Norks to taunt us. China is a major threat.”  – 4/12/2013, Donald Trump, Twitter.com, trumptwitterarchive.com, 4/12/2013 […]

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10/1/2012

CYBERWAR: “Cyberattack on White House— what’s next? http://t.co/t9vhQRDk” [1:50:32 PM]  – 10/1/2012, Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Trumptwitterarchive.com, 10/1/2012 […]

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1/20/2012

CHINA/CYBERWAR: “China has hacked another US government body. http://t.co/OGSjTB3z When will we learn?” [3:59:55 PM]  – 1/20/2012, Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Trumptwitterarchive.com, 1/20/2012 […]

Read More… from 1/20/2012