Aerospace

Update: Chinese Govt. Hackers Still Active Despite Truce

In-brief: A truce hammered out between U.S. President Barack Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping in September hasn’t kept hacking groups that are believed to be affiliated with China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) from playing offense, according to a report from the security firm Crowdstrike. (Updated to add comment from Ken Westin of Tripwire. PFR 10/19/2015)

FBI Affidavit Alleges Researcher Hacked Planes In Flight

In-brief: Did security researcher Chris Roberts attempt to tamper with in-flight systems during a United Airlines flight from Denver to Chicago in April? An FBI affidavit says “yes,” Roberts says “no way.” 

Verizon: Internet of Things Hacks Pose Little Risk – For Now

In-brief: Verizon said in its latest Data Breach Investigations Report that threats from Internet of Things technologies were more theory than practice in 2014, but that 2015 could see IoT devices play a role in breaches.

The Flood: IBM Launches $3B Internet Of Things Offensive

In-brief: IBM announced that it would spend $3 billion in the next four years to build an Internet of Things division that will develop tools to help companies tap the flood of data from connected devices and remote sensors. A partnership with The Weather Company is just the start. 

Senator Warns of DHS Struggle with Cyber Security

U.S. Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) used his final days in office to warn that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is struggling to fulfill its mission to protect the nation from cyber attack. The report, “A Review of the Department of Homeland Security’s Missions and Performance,” (PDF) was released on Saturday, as the retiring Senator from Oklahoma was leaving office. In it, the outgoing Senator said that DHS’s strategy and programs “are unlikely to protect us from the adversaries that pose the greatest cybersecurity threat.” The warnings on DHS cyber operations were part of a larger critique of the Department in the report, in which Coburn called on reforms of Homeland Security focused on accountability and streamlining. Despite spending $700 million annually on a range of cybersecurity programs, Coburn said it is hard to know whether the Department’s efforts to assist the private sector in identifying, mitigating or remediating cyber […]