OVERNIGHT CYBERSECURITY: Another health insurer hacked

Welcome to OVERNIGHT CYBERSECURITY, your daily rundown of the biggest news in the world of hacking and data privacy. We’re here to connect the dots as leaders in government, policy and industry wrap their arms around cyberthreats. What lies ahead for Congress, the administration and the latest company under siege? Whether you’re a consumer, a techie or a D.C. lifer, we’re here to give you …

THE BIG STORIES:

–NOT AS BAD, BUT… CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield on Wednesday became the third health insurer to reveal a major breach in 2015. While the number of customers involved isn’t as eye-popping as it was in the Anthem and Premera breaches — 1.1 million versus over 91 million combined — the hack is still likely to resurface concerns about the health insurance industry’s cyber defenses. It’s not clear whether the CareFirst incident is tied to the Chinese cyber espionage campaign thought to be behind the Anthem and Premera breaches. To read our full piece, click here.

{mosads}–FIGHTIN’ WORDS: FBI Director James Comey came out swinging during a Q&A Wednesday at Georgetown Law. Comey twice used the term “depressing” to describe tech companies’ recent plea to President Obama for the White House to support universal strong encryption. “I read this letter and I think either these folks don’t see what I see, or they are not fair-minded,” he said. Comey also tried to raise red flags about letting provisions of the Patriot Act sunset on June 1, calling it “a big problem.” The FBI will lose a number of critical, non-controversial crime-fighting tools, not just the ones Congress is fighting over, he argued. To read more about his encryption comments, click here. To read more about his Patriot Act comments, read here.

–JOCKEYING FOR 2016?: New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie on Wednesday gave himself a potential cybersecurity edge in the fight to be the GOP presidential nominee. Christie, who is considering a run for the White House, signed an executive order establishing a cybersecurity hub in New Jersey. It is intended to gather cyber threat data from across the public and private sector, and dispense security warnings and advice. The move separates Christie from possible 2016 rivals on cyber issues. Thus far, cybersecurity not been a major talking point for any of the declared 2016 candidates. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) did give the topic several mentions last week during a major speech on foreign policy and in follow-up interviews. But the New Jersey cyber hub could give Christie something concrete to point to on the topic. To read our full piece, click here.

AN UPDATE ON CYBER POLICY:

–STALL, STALL!!! As Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) took the floor Wednesday to give a rambling filibuster of a “clean” reauthorization of the Patriot Act’s more controversial spying programs, it became clear the Senate will not get to a final vote on anything until Friday at the earliest. Meanwhile, House lawmakers are urging the upper chamber not to dawdle on the issue, and the Justice Department is warning it will start winding down the government’s phone metadata collection program on May 22 in anticipation of a possible expiration of the authority to operate the program. Lawmakers have vowed to figure out a path forward on the various National Security Agency (NSA) surveillance programs before returning to cybersecurity legislation.

A LIGHTER CLICK:

This 3D-printed bitcoin engagement ring proves that digital currency, not diamonds, are forever. Check it out over at Motherboard. Make sure to watch the low-budget, wonderfully goofy “advertisement” for the ring.

WHO’S IN THE SPOTLIGHT:

EUGENE KASPERSKY, CEO of Kaspersky Lab, one of the world’s most influential — and most controversial — security firms. The company’s research division has unearthed some of the most high-profile cyber espionage campaigns, but media reports have repeatedly tied the Moscow-based firm and its Russian founder to the Kremlin. Kaspersky clears the air in a long interview with The Daily Dot. “Our business is saving the world from computer villains,” he says. Read on here.

A REPORT IN FOCUS:

–NO RESPECT. Less than a third of Americans trust the government to secure and safeguard their data. According to a Pew Research Center survey released Wednesday, the U.S. public has little faith in the ability of the government to guard their sensitive records. The private sector didn’t fare much better. Online advertisers, social media sites and search engine providers all garnered low marks, with over two thirds of adults saying they lacked confidence these services could protect their data. Credit card companies won the day, with 38 percent of respondents expressing some degree of confidence the firm will keep their sensitive data locked down. To read our full piece, click here.

A LOOK AHEAD:

THURSDAY:

–Georgetown Law School will continue its cybersecurity conference, including a speech from NSA Director Mike Rogers.

–The Chamber of Commerce will hold an event on the Internet of Things.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

Links from our blog, The Hill, and around the Web.

The FTC said it looks ‘favorably’ on firms that report data breaches. (The Hill)

Wall Street’s cyber-focused top regulator, Benjamin Lawsky, stepped down Wednesday. (The Hill)

Internet browser makers have fixed the “LogJam” security bug, but the patch could leave up to 20,000 sites unreachable. (The Hill)

There’s evidence LogJam was the flaw the NSA exploited to decrypt massive amounts of Internet traffic. (Motherboard)

A bankruptcy judge approved the sale of RadioShack’s customer data on 67 million people. (Bloomberg)

Australian telecom firm Telstra said its recently acquired undersea cable company Pacnet had been hacked. (Reuters)

Aircraft manufacturer Airbus issued a critical alert after a report identified a software bug as responsible for a fatal crash. (The Guardian)

A European commissioner said the European Union has no plans to require encryption “back doors” in communication technology.

Britain’s recently appointed “cyber envoy” discussed the U.K.-U.S. cyber relationship. (FCW)

A NASA representative called it “laughable” that security researcher Chris Roberts may have hacked into the International Space Station. (Christian Science Monitor)

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