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 try to counter the rise in cyber threats. 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:
–DOES ANYBODY HAVE A PEANUT?: President Obama on Tuesday nominated Beth Cobert to be permanent director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), just months after the agency’s previous director resigned amid likely the largest government data breach ever. Cobert has been the agency’s acting director since former OPM head Katherine Archuleta stepped down, bowing to the growing calls for her firing from lawmakers claiming the OPM needed a more tech-savvy leader. With a background in information technology, Cobert has been touted as a leader better capable of righting the OPM’s myriad digital shortcomings. In Cobert’s first few months atop the agency, she has received mostly praise from Capitol Hill. Lawmakers on Tuesday were quick to express their hopes for her full four-year tenure as OPM chief. The Senate has not yet set up a timeline to vote on Cobert’s nomination, but the acting director seems to stand a good chance of getting the upper chamber’s approval. However, the OPM still faces criticism from Capitol Hill as it works to recover from the hacks. To read our full piece, click here.
–THERE’S A BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MOSTLY DEAD AND ALL DEAD: Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump is vowing to enforce a “zero tolerance policy” for China’s digital theft of U.S. corporate secrets if elected. He made the pledge as part of a policy paper on U.S.-China trade released Tuesday. “China’s government ignores this rampant cyber crime and, in other cases, actively encourages or even sponsors it — without any real consequences,” the paper says. “China’s cyber lawlessness threatens our prosperity, privacy and national security.” The paper is one of the first major forays into cybersecurity for Trump, who has been leading most national polls for the Republican presidential nomination in recent months. To read our full piece, click here.
–INCONCEIVABLE!: U.S. prosecutors have charged three men in connection with the massive 2014 breach of JPMorgan’s computers, which impacted more than 83 million small business and household accounts. The indictment, unsealed Tuesday, describes the hack as “the largest theft of customer data from a U.S. financial institution in history.” The 68-page document names the alleged hackers for the first time, leveling 23 charges against Gery Shalon, Joshua Samuel Aaron and Ziv Orenstein. Shalon and Orenstein are Israeli natives. Aaron is a U.S. citizen. The indictment alleges that the defendants were part of a sprawling hacking scheme that involved at least one other unnamed participant. The charges include computer hacking, wire fraud and securities fraud. To read our full piece, click here.
UPDATE ON CYBER POLICY:
–MAWAGE IS WHAT BWINGS US TOGEVUH. American and Cuban officials met Monday to discuss closer cooperation on cyber crime, according to the State Department.
The two sides also talked about how to counter terrorism and the narcotics trade, as well as strategies for safe travel and trade.
While Cuba is not a leading haven for hackers, the dialogue builds on the Obama administration’s ongoing efforts to strike deals for cyber cooperation with its allies around the world, as well as its broader push to rebuild its political relationship with Cuba.
“Law enforcement is a key area in the bilateral relationship as the United States continues on the path toward normalized relations with Cuba,” the State Department said in a statement.
To read our full piece, click here.
LIGHTER CLICK:
–WHAT ABOUT THE R.O.U.S.’S? From a groundbreaking new study, you can look at whatever you want two hours before bed with wild impunity.
Words of authority: “Is blue light from your smartphone, tablet, laptop, and other electronic devices keeping you from sleeping at night? No, it’s not. We checked. We’re science, and we looked into it.”
Read on, here. Also, if you don’t know who Mallory Ortberg is, you should, and here is what you should read.
A FEATURE IN FOCUS:
–“NEVER START A LAND WAR IN ASIA”: As U.S. lawmakers continue to demand clear definitions for cyber conflict and a coherent strategy for cyber warfare, The Wall Street Journal takes a look into a country where attackers are already combining computer assaults with traditional action.
“Ukraine offers a glimpse into the type of hybrid warfare that Western military officials are urgently preparing for: battles in which traditional land forces dovetail with cyberattackers to degrade and defeat an enemy,” writes The Journal. “It also illustrates the difficulties that nations face in identifying and defending against a more powerful cyber foe.”
Read on, here.
A LOOK AHEAD:
TIME IS A FLAT CIRCLE.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
Links from our blog, The Hill, and around the Web.
Credit firm Experian is facing a number of class-action suits over the recent breach of its servers that affected 15 million T-Mobile customers. (The Hill)
Microsoft will open its first data centers in the United Kingdom, following a European court ruling that struck down a widely used program allowing U.S.-based companies to handle Europeans’ data. (The Hill)
A bipartisan group of senators wrote the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on Tuesday, seeking more information on how it is handling the raft of data breaches that hit the healthcare sector in recent years.
Bank of America is one of several financial firms cutting off the flow of information to some sites and apps that aggregate consumer financial data over security concerns. (The Wall Street Journal)
By encouraging victims of ransomware to pay the ransom, is the FBI encouraging, directly or indirectly, behavior that leads to more hacking? (The Wall Street Journal)
Applications written for iOS devices have more vulnerabilities than those written for Androids, according to a new report. (CSO Online)
Privately held software maker Tenable Network Security Inc. said on Tuesday it is raising $250 million in venture capital funding, a record-sized round for a cyber security firm. (Reuters)
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