Cybersecurity and Cyberwarfare

A year ago, President Donald Trump issued an Executive Order aimed at strengthening the cybersecurity of federal networks and critical infrastructure.  The order mandated that all federal agencies use the Cybersecurity Framework developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. In April, NIST released version 1.1 of the Framework, which shows how this voluntary approach can provide a first line of cyber defense for companies.

The House Appropriations Committee quietly rejected the Trump administration’s efforts to help restore the US operations of the controversial Chinese tech megafirm, ZTE. Lawmakers from both parties unanimously agreed to include in an appropriations bill a provision that would uphold sanctions against the Chinese phone-maker, just days after President Donald Trump revealed in a tweet that he has directed his administration to help put the company “back in business.” The language was added to a relatively uncontroversial House spending bill, which funds the Commerce Department, among other ag

The Justice Department and the FBI are investigating Cambridge Analytica, the now-defunct political data firm, and have sought to question former employees and banks that handled its business. Prosecutors have questioned potential witnesses in recent weeks, telling them that there is an open investigation into Cambridge Analytica — which worked on President Trump’s election and other Republican campaigns in 2016 — and “associated U.S.

The Trump administration has eliminated the White House’s top cyber policy role, jettisoning a key position created during the Obama presidency to harmonize the government's overall approach to cybersecurity policy and digital warfare. The decision is part of an effort to “streamline authority” for the senior directors who lead most NSC teams.

A mere 72 hours after the Chinese government agreed to put a half-billion dollars into an Indonesian project that will personally enrich President Donald Trump, he ordered a bailout for a Chinese-government-owned cellphone maker ZTE. 

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said that the Trump administration is open to changing its ban on US companies buying and selling products from Chinese phone-maker ZTE, a day after President Donald Trump hinted at a surprising reversal. “ZTE did do some inappropriate things. They’ve admitted to that,” Sec Ross said. “The question is: Are there alternative remedies to the one that we had originally put forward? And that’s the area we will be exploring very, very promptly.”

President Donald Trump pledged  to help Chinese telecom giant ZTE return to business, days after the company said it would cease “major operating activities” because of the US government’s recent trade restrictions, a dramatic shift in tone for a president who has long accused China of stealing US jobs. “President Xi of China, and I, are working together to give massive Chinese phone company, ZTE, a way to get back into business, fast,” President Trump tweeted. “Too many jobs in China lost.

The Securities and Exchange Commission announced that the entity formerly known as Yahoo! Inc.

The Senate quietly confirmed President Donald Trump's nominee to lead the National Security Agency and US Cyber Command. US Army Cyber Command chief Lt. Gen. Paul Nakasone was unanimously confirmed by voice vote to serve as the "dual-hat" leader of both organizations. The two have shared a leader since the Pentagon established Cyber Command in 2009. He will replace retiring Navy Adm. Mike Rogers after a nearly four-year term.