Pro-Russia hacktivists are targeting and compromising small-scale operational technology (OT) systems in North American and European critical infrastructure sectors – including water and wastewater systems (WWS), dams, energy, and food and agriculture – according to a joint fact sheet released today by leading Federal cyber agencies. […]

Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Director Jen Easterly told lawmakers on April 30 that the Biden administration’s fiscal year 2025 request for CISA will help fund agency activities in three key areas, including to fight malign Chinese cyber actors. […]

In March, MeriTalk recognized the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) at the annual FITARA Awards ceremony for winning in the “Most Improved” category. EPA’s Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) Tonya Manning told MeriTalk in an exclusive interview that the agency is keeping up the momentum by moving forward on several innovative cyber and IT projects – including AI implementation and supply chain cybersecurity.    […]

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) released its Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) 2.0 earlier this year, the first update since the original was released in 2014. The framework offers detailed guidance and recommendations on a wide range of cybersecurity topics, including the role of data backups in incident response and recovery plans. MeriTalk recently sat down with Travis Rosiek, public sector chief technology officer at Rubrik, to discuss the current threat landscape and the changes in the updated framework that help agencies and organizations plan for worst-case cyberattack scenarios. […]

New research from MeriTalk and RSA Conference reveals that while 80 percent of cybersecurity decision-makers say accelerating AI adoption is critical to their organization’s resilience against evolving threats, just 31 percent say their organization is using AI for cybersecurity today. […]

The Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) expects to roll out its Thunderdome program to 60 sites in fiscal year (FY) 2024 – thus far the agency has deployed the zero trust program to 23 sites, an agency spokesperson confirmed. […]

While a total ban on ransom payments to hackers remains “the ultimate goal” for cybersecurity experts, critical infrastructure organizations need stronger cybersecurity resilience before that happens, former acting National Cyber Director Kemba Walden told lawmakers on April 16. […]

The head of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) said today that the Federal government has a “powerful” ability to mandate security standards for software vendors through its procurement process. […]

A group of industry experts called on Congress this week to enforce minimum cybersecurity standards among healthcare organizations in light of the February ransomware attack on UnitedHealth subsidiary Change Healthcare. […]

As artificial intelligence technologies continue to rapidly evolve, Federal agencies are looking to upskill their AI workforce to keep pace with emerging cybersecurity threats. […]

The former policy lead for the Department of Defense (DoD) under President Barack Obama said Tuesday that while the Biden administration’s National Cybersecurity Strategy (NCS) calls for secure-by-design technology principles, the White House doesn’t actually have the authority to regulate that. […]

Former chief of the U.S. Fleet Cyber Command said today that the Federal government and industry must be prepared to work together in the face of adversarial attacks against U.S. critical infrastructure like the electric grid. […]

In the lead-up to the Adapt 2024 conference in Washington on April 16, we sat down with two senior Axonius Federal officials – Brian “Stretch” Meyer, Senior Director of Federal Engineering, and Kevin Jones, Senior Director of Federal Sales – to talk about how Federal agencies are grappling with zero trust security mandates, and how Axonius is helping them leapfrog some of the toughest obstacles to the goal of achieving better security. […]

Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., unveiled draft legislation on Monday that would require the Federal government to set new cybersecurity and interoperability standards for collaboration software such as Microsoft Teams, Slack, and Zoom. […]

How do Federal cyber practitioners adapt to an increasingly complex attack surface? Where do Federal security leaders turn to reimagine the future cyber landscapes? Find answers to both of those questions at Adapt 2024: Reimagining Our Federal Cyber Future – a one-day event that brings together IT, cybersecurity, and operations leaders to unpack the complex security challenges that face U.S. government agencies. […]

The time when Federal IT leaders can prioritize cybersecurity more than user experience (UX) is over, according to State Department Chief Information Officer (CIO) Kelly Fletcher. […]

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) published a new dedicated High-Risk Communities webpage today with a range of cybersecurity resources for civil society organizations and other high-risk communities. […]

The head of the State Department’s IT and cybersecurity efforts said today that it is her top priority to “improve user experience while making cybersecurity more robust.” […]

The Defense Department, General Services Administration, and NASA have issued a final rule amending the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to add the framework for a new FAR part 40 covering information security and supply chain security. […]

The Department of Defense (DoD) stood up a new civilian-facing cyber policy office on March 20, the department announced last Friday. […]

2024 was the first year that artificial intelligence (AI) appeared on the National Association of State Chief Information Officers’ (NASCIO) list of top priorities for state CIOs. Also for the first time ever, digital government services and cybersecurity tied for the top priority spot. […]

The General Services Administration’s (GSA) Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) released a new roadmap today outlining how the program will evolve in the next 18 months, focusing on key goals such as customer experience (CX) and cybersecurity leadership. […]

The Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) published its long-awaited cyber incident reporting rule today for the Cyber Incident Reporting for Critical Infrastructure Act (CIRCIA), requesting public input on the forthcoming regulations. […]

Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, is calling on the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to prioritize cybersecurity efforts in the healthcare sector. […]

The Department of Justice (DoJ) announced today that it has charged seven hackers associated with the People’s Republic of China (PRC) for “malicious” cyberattacks that targeted U.S. government officials, politicians, and companies. […]

Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va. – co-chair of the Senate Cybersecurity Caucus – introduced legislation that would provide financial incentives for healthcare providers to boost their cyber defense by requiring them to meet minimum cybersecurity standards in order to receive accelerated payment in the event of a cyberattack. […]

Automation technologies have helped the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) stop more than 800 cyberattacks this fiscal year, a VA cybersecurity official said today during the ServiceNow Federal Forum – powered by MeriTalk – in National Harbor, Md. […]

Following the discovery of a Chinese-based hacking group compromising U.S. critical infrastructure, the White House – in collaboration with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) – announced plans this week to form a Water Sector Cybersecurity Task Force. […]

The National Security Agency’s (NSA) Cybersecurity Collaboration Center (CCC) has been “game-changing” for the NSA in terms of gaining unique insights from partners on specific adversaries, according to Morgan Adamski, the chief of the CCC. […]

In response to the evolving threat environment, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is looking to better coordinate cybersecurity operations across the Federal government through a newly released Federal Operational Cyber Alignment Plan, or FOCAL. […]