Homeland & Cybersecurity
The latest coverage of the Department of Homeland Security and cyber threats around the globe.
Anthropic says it blocked misuse of its AI that could have supported biological weapons
Anthropic said Thursday it has blocked efforts by bad actors to use its artificial intelligence models for malicious activity such as cyberattacks, surveillance, and research that could have led to biological weapons.
Feds move to shut down Chinese cyberscam factory
The federal government has seized a Chinese-run online scammers’ marketplace, blocked more than $50 million in laundered cryptocurrency, slapped sanctions on the operators and sent a strike force to Madagascar to help close 13 scam compounds.
Parents overwhelmingly back Meta settlement, states enacting similar social media limits for youths
Four out of five parents support the recent Meta settlement that will implement new restrictions on teens’ Instagram and Facebook accounts, according to a new poll.
Florida Bar rejects demands to probe DHS’ top lawyer over criticism of judges
The Florida Bar said it won’t investigate the Department of Homeland Security’s general counsel, shutting down a complaint filed by anti-Trump activists who said his criticism of sitting federal judges crossed ethical lines.
‘Let data reign’: Trump gives his full endorsement of data centers
President Trump said on Monday that towns that reject big data centers will fumble the “Golden Goose” and end up poor.
Meta settlement’s age verification requirements spark fears of lost privacy, free speech rights
The landmark settlement state attorneys general secured against Meta will require more robust age verification methods, alarming First Amendment advocates who worry it will intrude on users’ privacy and lead to dangerous crackdowns on free speech.
Republicans are split on Flock’s AI-powered surveillance. Here’s who’s on each side
High-profile Republicans are cautioning against the use of automated license plate readers and surveillance systems such as Flock Safety, opening investigations and urging legislative guardrails.
‘Hackers for hire’: How a Chinese group hid its attacks on U.S. infrastructure
Federal agents shut down two hacking platforms used by a China state-sponsored group to conceal cyberattacks on U.S. targets, including the Justice Department, NASA and the U.S. Senate.
Meta to pay $17 billion over teen safety lawsuit filed by dozens of states
Meta agreed to pay states up to $17.1 billion and implement new safety features for teen social media users to settle a landmark case that accused the tech titan of pushing harmful content to children.
FEMA broke federal law by skipping homes with Trump signs after hurricane
Federal emergency workers refused services to at least 11 homes after Hurricane Milton in Florida in 2024 because they had pro-Trump signs, violating the agency’s nonpolitical guidelines, a watchdog said in a new report Tuesday.
Navy Secretary Hung Cao warns personnel to review social media accounts for sensitive information
Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao says drone activity near U.S. military bases is part of a coordinated effort to gather intelligence and test defenses that have increased since the start of the U.S. war on Iran.
Ken Paxton rolls out multi-pronged plan to rein in AI data centers
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, the state’s Republican nominee for U.S. Senate, entered the political battle over data centers on Monday.
Michigan Republicans try to counter Democrats’ data center attacks
In purple Michigan, Republicans are seeking to contrast themselves with Democrats on every issue except one — data centers.
Report warns: China’s AI data commercialization to boost nation’s trade, intel collection, military
Communist China is commercializing and monetizing data sets in ways designed to boost both commercial trade and intelligence collection and military capabilities, according to a congressional China commission report.
AI-assisted tool helped secure satellite communication system after 2022 Russian hacking
On the same day it invaded Ukraine in 2022, Russia disabled thousands of satellite modems across Ukraine and other European countries, aiming to disrupt communications. A new AI-assisted tool aims to help close that kind of vulnerability amid concerns about continued Russian aggression and newer Iranian threats to cyber infrastructure.
Left-wing activist charged with wiping phone during federal search
The Justice Department is trying to prosecute a left-wing activist because he used a duress passcode to erase his phone’s data while being detained at the Atlanta airport.
Trump expands feds’ use of cyber tools against global criminals
President Trump directed federal law enforcement agencies to expand their use of cyber tools against transnational criminal organizations that operate outside the U.S. and target Americans.
Multimedia
Document: Cybersecurity 2018: Online Security and Safety in Government, Industry and Civil Society
Download the Special Report available in the January 29, 2018, edition of The Washington Times. (3.8 MB)
