Content by Scott Ferguson

US Pulls Back Curtain on Russian Cyber Operations

Scott Ferguson  •  April 16, 2021

While the Biden administration is betting that the latest round of sanctions aimed at Russia and its economy will help deter the country's cyber operations, several U.S. agencies used the sanctions announcement as an opportunity to pull back the curtain on the tactics of Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service.

US Sanctions Russia Over SolarWinds Attack, Election Meddling

Scott Ferguson  •  April 15, 2021

The Biden administration has formally sanctioned Russia over the cyber operation that targeted SolarWinds and its customers as well as the disinformation campaign against the 2020 U.S. elections. The NSA and other agencies also attributed the SolarWinds attack to Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service, or SVR.

Senators Push for Changes in Wake of SolarWinds Attack

Scott Ferguson  •  April 14, 2021

The SolarWinds supply chain attack that led to follow-on attacks on nine government agencies and 100 companies points to the need for a federal law requiring prompt breach notification, several senators said at a Wednesday hearing.

Former DHS Leader Shares Details on SolarWinds Attack

Scott Ferguson  •  April 13, 2021

Chad Wolf, the former acting secretary for the Department of Homeland Security, has confirmed the accuracy of an earlier news report saying that the SolarWinds supply chain attackers gained access to his unclassified DHS email accounts, which included calendar details.

Intelligence Report: 4 Nations Pose Serious Cyberthreat to US

Scott Ferguson  •  April 13, 2021

China, Russia, North Korea and Iran continue to pose significant cybersecurity threats to the U.S. because each is capable of launching disruptive attacks, according to a report published Tuesday by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

NSA Veterans Nominated for Top Cyber Posts

Scott Ferguson  •  April 12, 2021

President Joe Biden has nominated two U.S. National Security Agency veterans for top cybersecurity positions as the White House continues to confront the fallout from the SolarWinds supply chain attack as well as attacks against on-premises Microsoft Exchange email servers.

Texas Man Charged With Planning to Bomb AWS Data Center

Scott Ferguson  •  April 12, 2021

A Texas man is facing a federal charge after he allegedly tried to buy explosives from an undercover FBI agent to bomb an AWS data center in Virginia, according to the Justice Department. The suspect believed the bombing could interrupt 70% of internet traffic, prosecutors say.

US Blacklists 7 Chinese Supercomputer Entities

Scott Ferguson  •  April 9, 2021

Citing national security concerns, the U.S. Commerce Department has placed seven Chinese supercomputer organizations on the Entity List, which effectively bars them from receiving supplies or components from U.S. companies.

Krebs: States Need a Cyber Funding Boost

Scott Ferguson  •  April 8, 2021

The federal government should provide more funding to state and local agencies for IT projects that could enhance cybersecurity and help mitigate the risk of ransomware attacks, says Christopher Krebs, the former director of CISA.

Why Didn't Government Detect SolarWinds Attack?

Scott Ferguson  •  April 7, 2021

Two senators are pressing the Department of Homeland Security to explain why its Einstein system failed to detect the SolarWinds supply chain breach that affected agencies as well as corporations.

Senators Raise Security Concerns Over Selling Personal Data

Scott Ferguson  •  April 6, 2021

A bipartisan group of senators has sent a letter to Google, Twitter, Verizon, AT&T and online advertising firms and networks raising national security concerns about the selling of citizens' personal data, which could end up in the hands of foreign governments.

IG: Cybersecurity Weaknesses Persist in US Energy Dept.

Scott Ferguson  •  April 6, 2021

Cybersecurity weaknesses persist throughout the U.S. Department of Energy's unclassified networks, including those of the National Nuclear Security Administration, according to an inspector general audit.

CISA Orders Agencies to Recheck for Exchange Compromises

Scott Ferguson  •  April 1, 2021

CISA is ordering federal executive branch agencies to rescan and recheck their networks by Monday for any signs of compromise related to the unpatched vulnerabilities in on-premises Microsoft Exchange email servers.

Biden's Infrastructure Plan: 3 Cybersecurity Provisions

Scott Ferguson  •  March 31, 2021

Projects with potential cybersecurity components included in the Biden administration's $2 trillion infrastructure spending proposal include upgrading the aging and insecure electrical grid, addressing supply chain vulnerabilities and supporting research on artificial intelligence and quantum computing.

NIST Drafts Election Security Guidance

Scott Ferguson  •  March 30, 2021

NIST has drafted guidelines for how to use its cybersecurity framework to address cyberthreats and other security issues that can target state and local election infrastructure and disrupt voting.