In-brief: Revelations last week of hacks that exposed information on FBI and DHS employees underscore the massive challenges that the federal sector face in securing sensitive information.
DHS
Obama Proposes Federal CISO, Huge InfoSec Boost
In-brief: President Barack Obama highlighted cyber security as a top policy priority in the final budget proposal of his presidency, seeking a massive expansion in funding for federal information security and the creation of a new federal chief information security officer (CISO).
Update: DOJ Compromise Spills Info on DHS, FBI Employees
In-brief: A hacker appears to have compromised a U.S. government network and made off with hundreds of Gigabytes of data, including personal data on tens of thousands of employees of the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice. Editors Note: This story was updated to include comment from the DOJ and DHS as well as expert commentary and analysis. PFR Feb 8 2016.
WSJ: Iranian Hackers Bust Into New York Dam
In-brief: The Wall Street Journal alleges that hackers with links to Iran may have compromised a small dam in Rye, New York. If true, the incident is just the latest evidence of information security vulnerabilities in U.S. critical infrastructure.
Senators Probe Government’s History with Ransomware
In-brief: Two U.S. Senators are requesting information about the government’s experience with ransomware – asking whether Uncle Sam has paid ransoms to get data back.
