Facebook 'sorry' after computer bug exposes up to 6.8 million users' photos
Facebook announced Friday that up to 6.8 million users could have been affected by a computer bug that exposed their private photos without their permission.
Homeland & Cybersecurity
The latest coverage of the Department of Homeland Security and cyber threats around the globe.
Putin developing fake videos to foment 2020 election chaos: 'It's going to destroy lives'
By Ben Wolfgang - The Washington Times
U.S. leaders say Vladimir Putin used a familiar cyber playbook to "muck around" in the midterm elections last month, but intelligence officials and key lawmakers believe a much more sinister, potentially devastating threat lies just down the road -- one that represents an attack on reality itself. Published December 2, 2018
Recent Stories
Iran hackers hunt nuclear workers, U.S. targets
As U.S. President Donald Trump re-imposed harsh economic sanctions on Iran last month, hackers scrambled to break into personal emails of American officials tasked with enforcing them, The Associated Press has found -- another sign of how deeply cyberespionage is embedded into the fabric of US-Iranian relations.
Mike Pompeo confirms China was behind massive Marriott hack
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo revealed Wednesday that China was behind the massive security breach in Marriott's guest system.
Secretive State Dept. offensive targets propaganda, 'deep fakes'
The State Department is ramping up a secretive counter-propaganda center to fight Russian disinformation efforts in nearly two dozen nations as part of what Trump administration officials say is an expanding push to crush Moscow's "fake news" influence operations around the world.
Google CEO answers charges from Republicans: 'I lead this company without political bias'
Google's top executive faced sharp questioning on Capitol Hill from Republicans complaining of liberal bias in its search engines and Democrats focused on Google's role in spreading disinformation and clearing the path for adversaries such as Russia to meddle in the U.S. democratic process.
Facebook emails show how it sought to leverage user data
A U.K. Parliament committee accused Facebook on Wednesday of cutting special deals with some advertisers to give them more access to data as it released 250 pages worth of documents on the tech giant's internal discussions about the value of users' personal information.
Iran helps Houthis fight Yemen war in cyberspace
Iranian operatives are helping Houthi rebels control cyberspace in Yemen's brutal civil war, allowing the militia to command the country's main internet service provider, censor online comment, alter government websites and make money from cryptocurrencies, according to a report.
Marriott says personal information for up to 500 million guests was stolen in data breach
Marriott International, a Bethesda, Maryland, based company, admitted Friday that information for up to 500 million guests staying at one of their Starwood properties was compromised as early as 2014.
Sheryl Sandberg reportedly asked Facebook employees to dig into George Soros' finances
Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook's second-ranking official, reportedly asked the company's communications staff earlier this year to research the financial interests of liberal billionaire George Soros.
Bernie Sanders nonprofit discloses $242K loss caused by email scam
Our Revolution, a nonprofit associated with Sen. Bernard Sanders, Vermont independent, lost nearly a quarter-million dollars due to an email scam, tax records revealed Thursday.
Dunkin' Donuts warns of security breach affecting members of chain's 'DD Perks' program
Dunkin' Donuts on Thursday alerted customers of the chain's "DD Perks" program about the potential compromise of their account credentials.
Justice Department indicts two Iranian nationals in ransomware scam
The Justice Department unsealed charges Wednesday against two Iranian nationals who are accused of using sophisticated ransomware to extort more than $6 million from cities, hospitals, universities and government agencies, among others.
Ivanka Trump said her personal emails were nothing like Hillary Clinton's
Ivanka Trump defended her use of a personal email for government business and said it was nothing like former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's email scandal.
Dolce & Gabbana goods pulled in China over alleged insults
Dolce & Gabbana goods disappeared Thursday from Chinese e-commerce sites as the fallout grew over remarks insulting to China that were apparently made by two of its Instagram accounts. The company has blamed hackers.
China rejects U.S. hacking report ahead of Trump-Xi meeting
China on Thursday rejected a U.S. government report that accuses Beijing of stepping up efforts to steal technology ahead of a meeting between Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg says he's not going anywhere after latest scandal
Mark Zuckerberg won't be relinquishing his position as Facebook's chairman anytime soon, despite a pile-up of scandals for the company in the past year.
U.S. says China hacking increasing ahead of Trump-Xi meeting
A U.S. government report ahead of a meeting between Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping accuses China of stepping up hacking aimed at stealing American technology as a tariff dispute escalated.
Judge orders feds to release dozens of illegal immigrants from Iraq
A federal judge ordered the government Tuesday to release nearly 100 migrants from Iraq who were awaiting deportation, finding that there's little chance they will be sent back home any time soon, so keeping them in detention now violates their rights.
Backlash at Chinese university shows limits to surveillance
A Chinese university's plan to conduct a blanket search of student and staff electronic devices has come under fire, illustrating the limits of the population's tolerance for surveillance and raising the prospect that tactics used on Muslim minorities may be creeping into the rest of the country.
Ivanka Trump used personal email for government business
Presidential daughter Ivanka Trump used a personal email account to conduct government business, according to a report Monday.
Caravan forces short-term shutdown on U.S. border as DHS boosts security
Homeland Security rushed to barricade part of the country's busiest land border crossing Monday after learning that some of the thousands of migrants massed on the Mexican side were planning to attempt a kamikaze run to sneak in.
Federal judge upholds Mueller indictment against Russian troll farm
A Washington, D.C., federal judge on Thursday upheld an indictment from special counsel Robert Mueller against a Russian troll farm accused of using social media to meddle in the 2016 presidential election.
Jamal Benomar, defendant in hacking case, shielded by diplomatic immunity from Trump admin.: Report
Republican fundraiser Elliot Broidy has hit a snag in his lawsuit against Jamal Benomar, a former United Nations diplomat accused of participating in a scheme to hack and leak the GOP operative's emails to journalists, after the White House determined the latter is immune from litigation.
Nominee to head ICE under fire from agency's union, compared Trump to Dennis the Menace
Ronald D. Vitiello, President Trump's pick to head ICE, lacks the spark to be the "change agent" embattled agency needs -- and appears to have once posted a tweet comparing Mr. Trump to Dennis the Menace, agency labor union leaders said Wednesday.
Alex Jones' Infowars store infected with malware capable of skimming payment data
Customers keeping Alex Jones and his Infowars brand in business may have had their payment data compromised by malware recently discovered on the right-wing media personality's online store.
Bipartisan congressional report warns of escalating Chinese national security threat to the U.S.
China continues to threaten U.S. national security in multiple ways including military expansion across the Indo-Pacific region, undermining sanctions on North Korea and potentially compromising the global technology supply chain, according to an annual report by a bipartisan congressional panel.
WannaCry cyberattacks persist more than a year after global outbreak: Report
WannaCry, a crippling computer virus blamed on North Korea, continues to spread widely in the wake of abruptly claiming victims in 150 countries last year, security researchers warned Monday.
Romanian hacker Guccifer extradited to U.S. to finish prison sentence: Reports
Marcel Lehel Lazar, a prolific computer hacker known as "Guccifer," has been extradited to the United States to finish serving a prison sentence related to a cybercrime spree credited with exposing Hillary Clinton's use of a personal email account while secretary of state, outlets in his native Romania reported Monday.
Trump reportedly preparing to fire Kirstjen Nielsen
President Trump is reportedly preparing to dismiss Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen and the removal could happen as soon as this week.
Deterring illegal immigrants
President Trump's action in dispatching troops to the southern border is meant to deter the caravan of illegal immigrants approaching from Mexico. Whether or not this works remains to be seen. However, the past use of the use of federal troops on Mexican border has largely been a paper tiger. Without some significant changes, this deployment will be no different. The problem is Posse Comitatus legislation, which forbids the use of Army — and later Air Force personnel — from arresting civilians in this country.
Key EU lawmaker seeks to ratchet up battle against Russian propaganda
A key European Union lawmaker announced Monday a proposal to create a funded task force to tackle the scourge of Kremlin disinformation campaigns and "hostile propaganda."
Russian cybercrime suspect arrested in Bulgaria on U.S. hacking charges
Bulgarian police have arrested a Russian citizen wanted by U.S. authorities in connection with a federal cybercrime case, spurring a new custody dispute between Moscow and Washington.
China violated Obama-Xi cyber pact banning cyber-enabled economic espionage: NSA official
China has violated a bilateral agreement with the United States, reached during the Obama administration, that bans either country from conducting state-sponsored, cyber-enabled economic espionage against each other, a top U.S. National Security Agency official claimed Thursday.
DHS says no evidence of election hacking in 2018 midterms
Homeland Security Secretary Kristjen Nielsen said Tuesday election officials have not seen any evidence of efforts to hack the midterm elections.
DHS logged scores of suspicious cyber incidents targeting election systems before midterms: Report
Federal officials logged scores of suspicious incidents targeting election infrastructure in the weeks prior to Tuesday's midterms, including attacks against voter registration databases and other efforts reminiscent of the 2016 race.
Facebook blocks 115 accounts ahead of U.S. midterm elections
Facebook said it blocked 115 accounts for suspected "coordinated inauthentic behavior" linked to foreign groups attempting to interfere in Tuesday's U.S. midterm elections.
Washington Examiner hacked with anti-Trump tweet
An anti-Trump message posted to the Washington Examiner's Twitter account Monday was the work of a hacker, the newspaper said.
Risk of foreign interference, hacking and fraud in midterm vote still a concern
Experts remain tense and concerned about the risk of foreign interference, vote hacking and fraud, in what they say is shaping up as a test of historic proportions for the integrity of America's electoral systems.
Brian Kemp opens 'cyber crimes' probe of Georgia Democrats
Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp, a Republican locked in a tough race for governor, has opened an investigation into the Democratic Party of Georgia, citing "possible cyber crimes" after it detected a failed attempt to hack voter-registration systems.
Top Senate Dems blast Facebook for political ad loopholes
Facebook's latest effort to improve online political ad transparency has fallen short, and the embattled social media giant must adhere to the same requirements as those sold for TV and radio, leading Senate Democrats said Friday, just days before the midterm elections.
Joshua Schulte, suspected CIA leaker, claims he's being tortured while awaiting trial
Joshua Schulte, a former CIA computer engineer suspected of leaking classified hacking tools to WikiLeaks, said he is being subjected to "torture" while awaiting trial for espionage.
Online rants by would-be shooters create dilemma for police
Their anger is all over social media for the whole world to see, with rants about minorities, relationships gone bad or paranoid delusions about perceived slights.
Julian Assange loses first round in court fight challenging Ecuador's new embassy rules
WikiLeaks publisher Julian Assange has suffered a setback in his efforts to overturn new rules imposed by Ecuador concerning his stay inside its embassy in London.
Convertibles and cyber war
Years ago, I bought a two-seat convertible — it was a great car, and a ton of fun to drive. But after I'd had it about a year it started turning off — just out of the blue. After making certain it was mechanically as close to perfect as it could be, I focused on the electronics and managed to identify a faulty fuel-pump relay, a small electronic circuit. I replaced it and the car ran beautifully.
Americans overwhelmingly fear foreign meddling in the midterm elections, survey shows
With a week to go before Election Day, two-thirds of Americans believe Russia or other foreign governments will try to influence the midterms, according to a new national survey by Pew Research Center.
'Do not come': Homeland Security chief says migrant caravan is 'not getting in'
Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen on Sunday said the migrant caravan marching through Mexico to the U.S. is "not getting in." "There a legal way to get into this country. Those who choose to enter illegally will be stopped," Ms. Nielsen told Fox News Sunday.
America under siege from within
I have never seen people fight for their own demise, to erase their very existence, as I have in recent weeks with Democrats, their left-leaning supporters and the mainstream media outlets. The radical left has reached a pathological level of self-loathing, willing to sacrifice everything to gain a few votes or a couple of seats in Congress, even if it means burning down our nation, founded by the blood, sweat and tears of generations of patriots.
Secret U.S. cybercampaign snuffs out ISIS' once-vaunted media empire
At its peak, the Islamic State's online propaganda machine was one of the group's most potent weapons, a calling card that distinguished it from any other terrorist organization that the world had ever seen.
White House says Trump's lone iPhone constantly checked for attacks
The White House Thursday night criticized an "inaccurate" New York Times report alleging that President Trump's careless use of a personal iPhone allows Russia and China to spy on his private conversations.
Democratic fundraiser had internal data exposed, probed from abroad, firm warns
Data belonging to a Democratic fundraising firm was mistakenly made publicly available, exposing sensitive files that may have been accessed by malicious actors based abroad.
'Guccifer' hacker credited with exposing Clinton server released from Romanian prison
Marcel Lehel Lazar, a computer hacker known as "Guccifer" who is credited with revealing the existence of Hillary Clinton's controversial private email server, has been released from a prison in his native Romania and is expected to be extradited to the United States for the second time since 2016.
Trump denies New York Times report that China, Russia hacking his personal cellphone calls
President Trump criticized a New York Times report about his personal cellphone usage on Thursday for being "so incorrect" and denied using anything but a government-issued phone.
New details on Chinese election meddling
Vice President Mike Pence announced earlier this month that China is working to unseat President Trump and meddle in U.S. elections, revealing what he said was Beijing's plan as outlined in an internal government propaganda directive.
Dems ask about China's role in 2016 race after Trump alleges election meddling without evidence
Democratic members of the Senate Intelligence Committee have asked the Trump administration to corroborate the president's recent comment accusing China of interfering in the 2016 U.S. election.
Apple CEO Tim Cook backs privacy laws, warns data being 'weaponized'
The head of Apple on Wednesday endorsed tough privacy laws for both Europe and the U.S. and renewed the technology giant's commitment to protecting personal data, which he warned was being "weaponized" against users.
FBI launches first investigation into cyberattack on 2018 congressional candidate: Report
The FBI has launched its first investigation into a cyberattack on a 2018 Congressional candidate, Rolling Stone reported Tuesday.
Moscow linked to malware deployed against Saudi Arabian petrochemical plant
Malware deployed against industrial control systems in the Middle East has origins in a Russian state-run research institution, cybersecurity experts said Tuesday.
Russian paper: Indicted Yevgeny Prigozhin ordered beatings, killing
A security aide to businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin, who has been indicted by American investigators for allegedly trying to interfere with the 2016 U.S. election, says the Russian mogul has been involved in attacks on several people and at least one killing, an independent Russian newspaper reported Monday.
Defanging America's weapons
In July 2015, Wired magazine published a report of a test in which a team of computer "hackers," using a wireless connection to the car's computers, controlled the car's computers. They turned the air conditioning and radio on, shut off the engine and the brakes. At one point, they cut off operation of the car's transmission.
Homeland Security warns of cartels' role in migrant caravan
Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen warned Sunday that the illegal immigrant caravan heading toward the U.S. could be exploited by cartels that control most of the illegal flow of people through Latin America.
Recent Opinion Columns
Google tracks your movements, like it or not
Google wants to know where you go so badly that it records your movements even when you explicitly tell it not to.
When the media acts irresponsibly
When White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said media reports compromised the fact that the U.S. government was intercepting Osama bin Laden's satellite phone calls, the media clobbered her.
A needed tutorial in the law
The U.S. Supreme Court had a lesson Tuesday for the good-hearted folk who would apply feelings instead of the Constitution to the interpretation of the law. By the familiar 5 to 4 vote on constitutional issues, the High Court upheld the clear language of Congress in support of President Trump's order limiting the entry of risky foreign nationals to the United States.
Protecting the Pentagon's cloud data
Alexa, how do we get competition? When Democrats rule D.C., you have to hand it to them. They know how to take care of their fellow Democrats. When Republicans rule D.C., they take care of the Democrats, too.
Restoring a light touch to Internet regulations
Over the last two weeks, there has been a vigorous debate about internet regulation. Under the plan I recently proposed, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) would restore internet freedom by rolling back heavy-handed government regulations imposed during the Obama administration. Some have tried to whip Americans into a frenzy by making outlandish claims. Feeding the hysteria are silly accusations that the plan will "end the internet as we know it" or threaten American democracy itself.
A Marshall Plan to defeat global terrorism
Global terrorism is spreading like a dangerous cancer that knows no borders. It cannot be defeated by the military alone. As the Islamic State's grip on Mosul is faltering today, so must its grip on the young minds of Iraq through instruction in religious freedom and reconciliation.
Warfare goes digital in the 21st century
Russia's intelligence service hacks Democratic Party computer networks and puts out stolen emails in a bid to influence the 2016 election. China says it owns 90 percent of the South China Sea and begins building military bases under a vague historical claim to the strategic waterway. Iranian hackers break into American banks and a water control computer network at an upstate New York dam. Welcome to the new form of conflict in the 21st century: information warfare.
Tweets and trials
Two of the government's highest ranking intelligence officials will go before a House committee next week to testify about President Trump's bombastic claim that his predecessor "tapped" his phones during the 2016 election.
Mr. Trump's travel ban
President Trump and the lower federal courts are playing a dangerous game of ping-pong, and the nation's security is paying for it. The president, who is responsible for the nation's safety, proposes and certain federal judges, who have no such responsibility dispose. The president proposes again, and again a judge or two dispose.
From The Vault
Nearly 50 million Facebook accounts impacted by security issue
Facebook announced Friday that nearly 50 million accounts were affected by a "security issue."
Senators' crackdown on ZTE runs counter to Trump's reprieve
President Trump on Tuesday got tough on China with tariffs, but a bipartisan group of senators want to get tougher, pushing legislation to crack down on Chinese cellphone giant ZTE.
Kaspersky Lab software fully removed from federal systems while contractors pursue purge
The federal government has purged its computers of Kaspersky Lab products, a Democratic senator revealed Tuesday, but contractors and other third-party providers are still ridding their systems of the Russian company's software and services, the head of the Department of Homeland Security added.
China cyber spy chief revealed
The activities of one of China's cyber spymasters has been revealed for the first time in a government report on Beijing's unfair trade practices made public last week.
Trump questions need for immigrants from 'sh--hole countries': Report
President Trump told lawmakers meeting on immigration at the White House Thursday that the U.S. should stop accepting immigrants from "sh--hole countries" like Haiti and El Salvador, according to a report.
White House blames North Korea for 'Wannacry' ransomware attack
The White House said Tuesday that North Korea was directly responsible for a "reckless" ransomware attack in May that struck computers in about 150 countries.
Climate changed: Trump reverses Obama, eliminates climate from list of national security threats
President Trump will announce Monday his new National Security Strategy, putting his own stamp on a defense plan that reverses an Obama administration policy by eliminating climate change from a list of threats to national security.
U.S.-Mexico border wall prototypes completed
Construction has concluded on the eight prototypes of President Trump's border wall, the government announced Thursday.
70 million people may have seen Russian Facebook ads, seven times the social media giant's estimate
Facebook estimates 10 million Americans saw the advertisements that Russian groups purchased to try to influence the presidential election last year, but analysts said that undersells the reach of the ads, which may have been seen by as many as 70 million.
Manafort wiretaps raise questions about political motives, evidence presented to FISA court
Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort's spokesman said Thursday that federal investigators' moves to wiretap him in 2014 and again in 2016, around the time he was involved with the campaign, were politically motivated.
Debbie Wasserman Schultz fires Imran Awan, IT staffer, following fraud arrest
Democratic Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz has fired an information technology staffer following his arrest on a bank fraud charge at a Virginia airport where he was attempting to fly to Pakistan.
Homeland Security officially cancels Obama's 2014 amnesty that courts had blocked
Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly officially revoked President Obama's 2014 attempt to broaden his previous deportation amnesty for Dreamers, which had been held up by federal courts for more than two years.
Trump's name-and-shame list of sanctuary cities balloons to 150
Homeland Security added dozens of jurisdictions to its latest name-and-shame list of sanctuary cities, released Wednesday, including Baltimore, where the police commissioner has said officers would not work with federal agents to enforce immigration laws.
Obama vetting procedures allowed Iraqi terrorists into U.S.
Aws Mohammed Younis Al-Jayab in 2012 was among the first Iraqi refugees to enter the U.S. after President Obama lifted a six-month freeze on such entries as his aides tightened a shaky vetting process.
FBI feared Huma Abedin's laptop had been hacked, contained secret emails
The FBI believed Huma Abedin's laptop computer did have evidence she and her boss, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, mishandled classified information, according to a search warrant released Tuesday that shows the basis agents had for upending the presidential election with their controversial election-season probe.
