Latest coverage for Government

'In 50 years, I think we'll view these business practices like we view sweatshops today' Interview It has been nearly a decade since famed cryptographer and privacy expert Bruce Schneier released the book Data and Goliath: The Hidden Battles to Collect Your Data and Control Your World - an examination of how government agencies and tech giants exploit personal data. Today, his predictions feel eerily accurate.…

Roses aren't cheap, violets are dear, now all your access token are belong to Vladimir Digital thieves – quite possibly Kremlin-linked baddies – have been emailing out bogus Microsoft Teams meeting invites to trick victims in key government and business sectors into handing over their authentication tokens, granting access to emails, cloud data, and other sensitive information.…

Also: Zero-Days Affect Financial Markets, SailPoint IPO Signals Market TrendsIn this week's update, ISMG editors discussed the latest "Modern Bank Heists" report and the evolving threats to financial institutions, fallout from the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency's AI-driven government shake-up, and what SailPoint's IPO signals for the cybersecurity vendor market.

The organization becomes the AI Security Institute as the UK shifts its focus to tackling AI risks to national security

Microsoft is calling attention to an emerging threat cluster it calls Storm-2372 that has been attributed to a new set of cyber attacks aimed at a variety of sectors since August 2024

Some employees steal sticky notes, others 'borrow' malicious code A crew identified as a Chinese government-backed espionage group appears to have started moonlighting as a ransomware player – further evidence that lines are blurring between nation-state cyberspies and financially motivated cybercriminals.…

Cybersecurity experts weigh in on the red flags flying around the new Department of Government Efficiency's handling of the mountains of US data it now has access to, potentially without basic information security protections in place.

Social Platforms Also Could Face Stiff Fines for Failing to Protect UsersThe Australian government passed the Scams Prevention Framework law in Parliament to make social media companies, banks and telecommunication companies accountable for scammers using their networks, subjecting them to a maximum of AU$50 million in fines for violations.

Senator, Congressman tell DNI to threaten infosec agreements if Blighty won't back down US lawmakers want newly confirmed Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard to back up her tough talk on backdoors. They're urging her to push back on the UK government's reported order for Apple to weaken iCloud security for government access.…

A nation-state threat actor with ties to North Korea has been linked to an ongoing campaign targeting South Korean business, government, and cryptocurrency sectors

Executive Order Gives Musk Team Hiring Authority Across Federal GovernmentPresident Donald Trump's latest executive order grants hiring authority across the federal government to his billionaire adviser Elon Musk's task force, raising concerns that the move could undermine federal cybersecurity efforts, weaken U.S. cyber defenses and leave key security positions unfilled.

Chinese State-Sponsored Cyber Group Deploying Fileless Malware to PersistChinese state-sponsored cyber group APT40 intensified its attacks on government and critical infrastructure networks in the Pacific region by deploying fileless malware and modified commodity malware, prompting Samoa's cybersecurity agency to issue an urgent advisory.

Analysts tell El Reg why Russia's operators aren't that careful, and why North Korea wants money AND data Feature Ransomware gangsters and state-sponsored online spies fall on opposite ends of the cyber-crime spectrum.…

NCSC CTO Ollie Whitehouse discussed a UK government-backed project designed to secure underlying computer hardware, preventing most vulnerabilities from occurring

The North Korea-linked threat actor known as Kimsuky has been observed using a new tactic that involves deceiving targets into running PowerShell as an administrator and then instructing them to paste and run malicious code provided by them

Numerous systemic vulnerabilities could scuttle $5.4T industry Despite the escalating cyber threats targeting America's maritime transportation system, the US Coast Guard still lacks a comprehensive strategy to secure this critical infrastructure - nor does it have reliable access to data on cybersecurity vulnerabilities and past attacks, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) warns.…

Researcher Jason Sinchak on Recent Cyber Warnings About Contec CMS8000 DevicesA hidden reverse backdoor in low-cost patient vital sign monitors used globally is hardcoded with an IP address connecting to a Chinese government-funded education and research network, which poses both privacy and potential safety concerns, said security researcher Jason Sinchak of ELTON.

Lawsuits Mounting Over Elon Musk's Attempts to Slash Federal Government SpendingLawsuits are mounting against President Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s task force for shrinking the federal government as reports indicate the group is feeding sensitive federal data into artificial intelligence systems to target budget cuts, potentially accessing Americans’ sensitive data.

Feds Order Agencies to Patch Critical Flaw in Widely Used Local Government SystemHackers are exploiting a critical vulnerability in Trimble's Cityworks platform, an infrastructure management tool used by governments that enables remote code execution on Microsoft IIS web servers. CISA has ordered federal civilian agencies to patch a critical vulnerability by Feb. 28.

Order requires destruction of departmental data accessed by Musky men Trump administration policies that allowed Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency to access systems and data at the Bureau of the Fiscal Service (BFS) have left the org “more vulnerable to hacking” according to Paul A. Engelmayer, Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.…