Detecting the Origins of a Pandemic | Protection in an Era of Cyberwarfare | Unifying Cybersecurity Efforts, and more
The fraying of the norms against the use of biological and chemical weapons couldn’t come at a more important time.
QAnon’s Ron Watkins Finishes Last in Arizona Primary Race (Mikael Thalen, Daily Dot)
Ron Watkins, the man suspected by many of being behind the QAnon conspiracy theory, has lost his primary race for Congress in Arizona.
Watkins sought the chance to unseat Democratic incumbent Tom O’Halleran in Arizona’s 2nd Congressional District but failed to beat fellow Republican contender Eli Crane. Although the race has yet to be called, Crane is firmly in the lead.
But Watkins is firmly in last place among seven other Republicans, only able to secure little more than 3% of the vote, which right now amounts to around 3,000 people.
UC Berkeley Cybersecurity Master’s Students Double Their Salaries Postgrad (Sydney Lale, Fortune)
Cybersecurity workers are in high demand—and the White House is even calling for action. “With approximately 700,000 cybersecurity positions open, America faces a national security challenge that must be tackled aggressively,” reads a July 2022 announcement from the White House National Cyber Workforce and Education Summit.
The government and private sector alike are so desperate for cybersecurity workers because of a massive talent gap in the industry. Cybersecurity gigs often require candidates to have certifications or trainings in the field, whether it’s through the company itself, a university, or other accrediting groups. Just one of the many ways to break into the cybersecurity industry is earning a master’s degree in the field, which can be done online.
Ranked No. 1 in the nation for its online master’s in cybersecurity by Fortune, the University of California at Berkeley sees its graduates go on to both high-ranking and high-paying jobs in the field. In fact, in 2020–21, students entering the program self-reported salaries of $104,100 while their peers who were graduating during that same period reported salaries of $200,000—almost twice as much.
How Companies Can Protect Themselves and the Country in an Era of Cyberwarfare (Shaun McAlmont, Federal News Network)
As more and more companies are targeted by state-sponsored cyberattacks, as well as shadowy cybercriminal organizations that operate with the tacit endorsement of hostile governments around the world, they have a responsibility to build cybersecurity into all their systems and operations. This means generating organizational alignment around cybersecurity priorities, working with government and law enforcement to target cybercriminal activity, and most importantly, developing a robust cybersecurity training platform.
$9 Million Research Grant Targets Software Supply Chain Security (Security Magazine)
Researchers across four universities will collaborate to investigate technical challenges in software supply chain security and help build a diverse workforce for the software industry.
North Carolina State University (NC State) is the lead institution on a $9 million, multi-institution National Science Foundation grant, which will establish the Secure Software Supply Chain Center (S3C2), bringing together researchers, industry partners and government agencies to develop scientific tools, metrics, data formats and methods to reduce risks with software. Other university partners include Carnegie Mellon University, The George Washington University and the University of Maryland College Park.
Seeing the Dots, Connecting the Dots: How Government Can Unify Cybersecurity Efforts (Michael McLaughlin and Harvey Rishikof, Lawfare)
To effectively tap into the domestic cybersecurity ecosystem, Congress should enact legislation to establish a marketplace of accredited cybersecurity vendors that defense industrial base companies would be contractually required to use.