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White House backs off mandatory cybersecurity standards for companies

The White House has backed away from its push for mandatory cybersecurity standards in favor of an approach that would combine voluntary measures with incentives for companies to comply with them. That approach reflects recognition of the political reality of a divided Congress that makes mandated standards difficult to push through, and a belief that an executive order President Obama signed in February could improve companies’ cybersecurity.

 

Vast majority of global cyber-espionage emanates from China, report finds

Cyber Spies - Washington Post

Analyses of hundreds of documented data breaches found that hackers affiliated with the Chinese government were by far the most energetic and successful cyberspies in the world last year, according to a report to be issued Tuesday by government and industry investigators.

 

Pentagon cyberdefenses weak, report warns

Cyber Security

A new report for the Pentagon has concluded that the nation’s military is unprepared for a full-scale cyber-conflict with a top-tier adversary and must ramp up its offensive prowess. The unclassified version of the study by the Defense Science Board also urges the intelligence community to boost its collection on leading nations’ cyber-capabilities.

 

The U.S. Defense Department is recruiting hackers to defend against cyber attacks.

Hackers

Faced with growing fears of potentially crippling cyber attacks and not enough skilled technicians to combat the threat, the Defense Department has launched a massive recruitment drive that's tapping an unlikely group: computer hackers. The Pentagon plans to dramatically boost the ranks of U.S. cybersecurity forces, expanding its number of cyber warriors more than five-fold, the Washington Post reported Sunday. But that strategy immediately confronts a critical shortage of those with the required skills.

 

"Cyber Security Fails As 3.6 Million Social Security Numbers Breached In South Carolina"

South Carolina Governer Nikki Haley announced Friday that, “This is not a good day for South Carolina.” The bad news was having to admit a massive security breach in the State’s Department of Revenue that resulted in the theft of 3.6 million social security numbers and 387,000 credit/debit card numbers (only 16,000 of which, it is believed, were unencrypted,) This incident affects more than three-quarters of South Carolina’s 4.6 million population.

 

Obama threatens to veto CISPA cybersecurity bill, citing privacy concerns

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The White House threatened on Wednesday to veto cyber-legislation that is widely expected to pass the House this week, asserting that the bill would put Americans’ privacy at risk and give a pass to companies that fail to secure their computer networks.

 

Bill would give president emergency control of Internet

Bill would give president emergency control of Internet

Critics question revised proposal from Sen. Jay Rockefeller to let the White House do what it deems necessary to respond to a "cybersecurity emergency."

 

U.S. Senate approves $42.9 billion homeland security bill

The Senate on Thursday approved a wide-ranging $42.9 billion measure to pay for improving U.S. border security, clamp down on illegal immigration and beef up cyber security in fiscal 2010.

 

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