federal cybersecurity News

White House Plan Aims to Strengthen Cyber Defenses for Water Utilities

The White House on Thursday unveiled a plan to beef up cybersecurity in the nation’s water sector, an extension of its efforts to thwart attacks against critical infrastructure including electricity and natural gas pipeline operators. Senior administration officials said water …

Biden Administration Hit for Delay in Creating New Cybersecurity Board

It’s a key part of President Joe Biden’s plans to fight major ransomware attacks and digital espionage campaigns: creating a board of experts that would investigate major incidents to see what went wrong and try to prevent the problems from …

U.S. Security Agencies Issue Advisory on Russian Cyber Attacks on Infrastructure

Federal cybersecurity officials are again warning of Russian cyber attacks and urging critical infrastructure networks in particular to be on alert. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the National Security Agency released a joint …

Ransomware Attacks Not High-Profile or Front Page News But Still Happening Frequently

In the months since President Joe Biden warned Russia’s Vladimir Putin that he needed to crack down on ransomware gangs in his country, there hasn’t been a massive attack like the one last May that resulted in gasoline shortages. But …

Regulator Warns Banks That Ransomware Attacks Are Rising

A top U.S. banking regulator is cautioning firms to ensure they have robust policies to protect themselves from cyberattacks, saying it is seeing an uptick in ransomware attacks, it said in a report issued Monday. The Office of the Comptroller …

U.S. Issues New Cybersecurity Directives for Rail Airport Operators

The Transportation Security Administration is issuing new directives and recommendations aimed at strengthening the cybersecurity defenses of U.S. rail and airport operators. The Biden administration said the requirements made public Thursday are part of a broader effort at protecting the …

Memo Cites Lessons from Ransomware Payments by CNA, JBS and Colonial Pipeline

In March 2021, CNA Financial Corp., one of the country’s largest insurance companies, suffered a ransomware attack from a cybercriminal group called Phoenix. The attackers pressured the insurer to pay up quickly by raising the ransom demand, claiming the data …

Justice Department to Escalate Fight Against Cybercrime, Ransomware: Interview

The Justice Department is stepping up actions to combat ransomware and cybercrime through arrests and other actions, its No. 2 official told The Associated Press, as the Biden administration escalates its response to what it regards as an urgent economic …

‘American Way of Life’ at Risk From Cyber Attacks, Top U.S. Official Warns

A top U.S. cybersecurity official offered a dire warning to members of Congress on Wednesday, saying the “American way of life” faces serious risks amid the drumbeat of ransomware attacks and physical threats to the nation’s critical infrastructure. Jen Easterly, …

White House Plans 30-Country Meeting to Combat Ransomware and Cyber Crime

Top U.S. national security advisers will gather officials from 30 countries this month with plans to combat the growing threat of ransomware and other cyber crime, President Joe Biden said on Friday. An online session hosted by the White House …