Cybersecurity Gaps Across Government, New Monitoring Tool, and More

DOE

This month, the Department of Energy, in working with the White House, Department of Homeland Security, and power companies, will test a voluntary reporting model to discover cybersecurity gaps in electricity delivery systems. More here. A researcher at the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory has developed a cyber sensor to track how network activity relates to application [...]

International Cooperation in Cyberspace, Medical Device Security, and More

DISA

The Defense Information Systems Agency is building its own smartphone application storefront to centrally manage and secure apps. More here. The nationwide initiative announced by the Federal Communications Commission to block service on stolen smartphones may reduce device resale but won’t protect data. More here. The Department of Defense is expanding international cooperation in cyberspace with the goal [...]

DHS Video Game Hacking, Expedited Cyber Weapons Acquisition, and More

EDA

The Economic Development Administration (EDA) networks remain offline after being compromised by a virus over 80 days ago. More here. Though Smart Meters reduce traditional theft, the FBI found that hacking them can be very simple. More here. The Department of Homeland Security has awarded a contract to help them decode encrypted data on video game [...]

Industrial Control Systems Under Attack, Preventing the Next WikiLeaks, and More

DOE

According to an internal Energy Department audit, the federal utility Bonneville Power Administration, which provides power to over 305 of the Pacific Northwest, is at risk due to weak passwords. Overall, the DoE found a 60 percent increase in vulnerabilities between 2010 and 2011 across the department. More here. ICS-CERT has found that the industrial control systems [...]

The FBI’s Sentinel, iPads at the FAA, and More

fbi

After 6 years and $450 million of development, the FBI’s Sentinel, a case management system designed to allow collaboration and a unified, digital workflow, is almost complete. More here. The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) reports that while IRS Computer Security Incident Response Center (CSIRC) is overall effective, it needs improvement in some areas. More here. The [...]

Microprocessor Research, Mobile Apps, and Internet Voting

DoD

The Defense Advanced Research Project Agency’s (DARPA’s) Diverse Accessible Heterogeneous Integration (DAHI) program has committed $80 million to research in advanced microprocessors that combine materials on one chip. More here. The  Department of Defense’s Sustainment Center of Excellence (SCoE) has developed a free mobile app to help wounded soldiers and families access information and resources. More [...]

Drug Cartel Communications Systems, Big Data R&D, and More

CBP

The White House announced $200 million in Big Data R&D funding by  the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Defense, the Department of Energy, and the U.S. Geological Survey. More here. The NSA-Central Security Service Commercial Solutions Center program was announced as part of the White House’s Big Data initiative to [...]