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Hackathons used by government, industry for app development, recruitment
Local and state governments, the music industry and private businesses have begun to host “hackathons” in an effort to learn more about applications that steal and use their data, recruit candidates for cybersecurity jobs, and more generally celebrate the hacking subculture.
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NIST biometric publication provides two new ways to identify people
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has issued a new publication that broadens agency security options for Personal Identity Verification (PIV) cards. The new publication adds iris images as biometric identifiers and on-card fingerprint comparison as options for the cards.
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Cybersecurity funding increasing despite sequestration
Sequestration-mandated cuts continue, but more money will continue to go to cybersecurity, and job opportunities in the field will continue to grow. The Defense Department intends to spend $23 billion on cybersecurity over the next five years, and that it is seeking more than $4.6 billion for cybersecurity in 2014 fiscal year, an 18 percent jump from the 2013 fiscal year.
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Consolidation expected among large cybersecurrity contractors
Europe’s largest defense company, BAE Systems, says the number of military contractors selling data protection services to governments will decrease as clients demands for ever-more-sophisticated products increase.
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U.S. Emergency Alerting System (EAS) vulnerable to hacking
The U.S. Emergency Alerting System (EAS) is designed to allow for quick alerts during an emergency. Researchers uncovered vulnerabilities in the digital alerting systems, vulnerabilities which allow an attacker remotely to log in over the Internet and manipulate any system function. The attacker could disrupt a TV or radio station’s ability to transmit and could disseminate false emergency information.
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U.S., China begin formal cybersecurity talks
U.S. and Chinese officials have begun a week of formal discussions on cybersecurity. A bi-lateral group held its first meeting Monday at the State Department with both civilians and military officials included in the talks.
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U.S. ports vulnerable to cyberattacks
New study says that the U.S. largest ports are vulnerable to cyberattacks.The study argues that the level of cyber security awareness and culture in U.S. port facilities is relatively low, and that a cyberattack at a major U.S. port would quickly cause significant damage to the economy.
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Growing cybersecurity opportunities for young Americans
With the growing number of cyberattacks on U.S. companies, government agencies, and critical infrastructure, and the likelihood that such attacks will only increase, there has been a corresponding increase in the number of cybersecurity programs and educational opportunities for young Americans.
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New expert network to advice organizations on how to keep data safe
A new expert network which helps organizations safely manage and share sensitive data has been launched. The U.K. Anonymization Network (UKAN) will advise organizations and companies on how to minimize the risk that personal details of individual people are inadvertently revealed when data are used to create valuable services.
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NSA revelations raise doubts about passage of cybersecurity legislation
U.S. officials say the revelations about the National Security Agency’s(NSA) domestic surveillance programs could make it harder for lawmakers to pass a cybersecurity bill. Critics of the House cybersecurity bill, known as the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA), which was passed earlier this year (it is still being debated in the Senate), argued the bill could lead to private information falling into the hands of the NSA.
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Former Pentagon No. 2 suspected of being source of Stuxnet leaks
The Justice Department has informed Gen. (Ret.) James E. “Hoss” Cartwright that he is the target of an investigation into the leaking of a secret U.S.-Israeli cyber campaign to slow down Iran nuclear weapons program. The four-star Marine Corps general served as deputy chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and was part of President Obama’s inner circle on many important national security issues before retiring in 2011.
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FDA warns about vulnerability of medical devices to hacking
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned manufactures of medical devices implanted into the human body, such as pacemakers and insulin pumps, to step up their cybersecurity efforts. The agency said it has discovered “cybersecurity vulnerabilities and incidents that could directly impact medical devices or hospital network operations.”
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Sector Report for Tuesday, 26 June 2013:
This report contains the following stories.
Plus 8 additional stories
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States eager to attract cybersecurity companies
As the threat of cyberattacks grows, Maryland, Washington D.C., and Virginia want to cash in on the growing business of cybersecurity. Analysts say that several states are using tax breaks to get in on the $207 billion cybersecurity industry, which is expected to show “impressive growth” in the next five years.
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New guide highlights three cyber security game changers
Cybercrime is on the rise, and it will grow even faster if organizations ignore an emerging group of cybersecurity game changers: always-on connectivity, an increasingly IT-centric society, and a new class system that separates people by technology skills.
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The long view
Encryption Breakthrough Lays Groundwork for Privacy-Preserving AI Models
In an era where data privacy concerns loom large, a new approach in artificial intelligence (AI) could reshape how sensitive information is processed. New AI framework enables secure neural network computation without sacrificing accuracy.
Need for National Information Clearinghouse for Cybercrime Data, Categorization of Cybercrimes: Report
There is an acute need for the U.S. to address its lack of overall governance and coordination of cybercrime statistics. A new report recommends that relevant federal agencies create or designate a national information clearinghouse to draw information from multiple sources of cybercrime data and establish connections to assist in criminal investigations.