Trump picks Sean Cairncross for national cyber director | CyberScoop
President Donald Trump has selected Sean Cairncross, the former CEO of the Millennium Challenge Corporation, to be his national cyber director.| CyberScoop
Then-Millenium challenge corporation CEO Sean Cairncross speaks during a ceremony on Aug. 5, 2019 at the presidential palace in Abidjan. (Photo by ISSOUF SANOGO / AFP) (Photo credit should read ISSOUF SANOGO/AFP via Getty Images) | CyberScoop
(L-R) Rep. Nick LaLota R-N.Y., Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga. and Rep. Andrew Garbarino, R-N.Y., listen during a hearing with the House Committee on Homeland Security on Jan. 30, 2024. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) | CyberScoop
President Donald Trump holds up an executive order on creating a White House 2028 Olympics task force after signing it in the South Court Auditorium of the White House on Aug. 5, 2025. (Photo by Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP) | CyberScoop
Then-Millenium challenge corporation CEO Sean Cairncross speaks during a ceremony on Aug. 5, 2019 at the presidential palace in Abidjan. (Photo by ISSOUF SANOGO / AFP) (Photo credit should read ISSOUF SANOGO/AFP via Getty Images) | CyberScoop
President Donald Trump holds up an executive order on creating a White House 2028 Olympics task force after signing it in the South Court Auditorium of the White House on Aug. 5, 2025. (Photo by Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP) | CyberScoop
Sean Cairncross, CEO, Millenium Challenge Corporation, speaks onstage during the 2019 Concordia Annual Summit – Day 2 at Grand Hyatt New York on Sept. 24, in New York City. (Photo by Riccardo Savi/Getty Images for Concordia Summit) | CyberScoop
Then-Millenium challenge corporation CEO Sean Cairncross speaks during a ceremony on Aug. 5, 2019 at the presidential palace in Abidjan. (Photo by ISSOUF SANOGO / AFP) (Photo credit should read ISSOUF SANOGO/AFP via Getty Images) | CyberScoop
President Donald Trump has selected Sean Cairncross, the former CEO of the Millennium Challenge Corporation, to be his national cyber director.| CyberScoop
Hundreds of victims are surfacing across the world from zero-day cyberattacks on Europe’s biggest software manufacturer and company.| CyberScoop
The Trump administration can start by returning CISA to its core mission, former DHS and California officials argue.| CyberScoop
The law is due to lapse in September, something cyber experts and industry officials say would be a huge loss.| CyberScoop
CrowdStrike observed significant growth in China’s offensive cyber capabilities last year as more groups used sector-specific skills to target critical industries and technologies.| CyberScoop
As adversaries deploy more audacious digital attacks on U.S. critical infrastructure, necessary innovations to American maritime transportation systems and interests are essential to reinforcing America’s position as the gold standard. (Getty Images)| CyberScoop
Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell serves on the House Judiciary, Intelligence and Homeland Security committees, and co-chairs the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee. Follow him on Twitter at @RepSwalwell.| CyberScoop
Brian Harrell is the former assistant secretary for infrastructure protection at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. He currently serves as the vice president and chief security officer at the energy company AVANGRID.| CyberScoop
In this op-ed, cybersecurity expert Dave Kennedy argues that the U.S. must pivot to offensive cyber operations in 2025.| CyberScoop
Brett Leatherman told CyberScoop in an interview that while the group still poses a threat, the bureau is focused on resilience and victim support, and going on offense could be in the future.| CyberScoop
President Donald Trump’s pick to lead CISA told senators Thursday that he would prioritize evicting China from the U.S. supply chain.| CyberScoop
The bipartisan legislation would codify the agency’s position as the one in charge of coordinating responses to incidents like the breach on U.S. telecoms.| CyberScoop
It’s a “pivotal” moment for Sean Cairncross, fresh off his Senate confirmation in a changing federal cyber landscape.| CyberScoop
Federal analysts are still sizing up what the Chinese hackers known as Volt Typhoon might have intended by setting up shop there, a CISA official said Thursday.| CyberScoop
The Oregon Democrat has vowed to place a hold on the nomination to lead the agency until CISA releases the report.| CyberScoop
Dave Kennedy is the founder of TrustedSec and Binary Defense.| CyberScoop
Sean Plankey, of Pennsylvania, responds to questioning during Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs hearings to examine his nomination to be Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, of the Department of Homeland Security, in the Dirksen Senate office building, in Washington, DC, on Wednesday July 24, 2025. (Mattie Neretin/CNP/Sipa USA) | CyberScoop
A series of moves from the president raises questions about what’s next for the federal government’s many cyber grant and aid initiatives.| CyberScoop
The guidance comes from the Office of the Director of National Cybersecurity and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.| CyberScoop
Mark Green, R-Tenn., has championed legislation on the cyber workforce, renewal of a cyber threat information sharing bill and more.| CyberScoop
The social media giant is looking for improvements that focus on abuse detection, anti-phishing, password authentication and user safety.| CyberScoop
The Department of Energy doled out $4 million in grant funding earlier this month to four different cybersecurity firms in an effort to spur the development of new technology that can help protect against electrical grid cyberattacks. The move comes just three months after a complex cyberattack aimed at Ukrainian energy company Ukrenergo caused widespread blackouts across northern Kiev.| CyberScoop
But the South Dakota governor has touted cybersecurity as her state’s “next big industry” and signed cyber legislation into law.| CyberScoop
Without dedicated funds cybersecurity requirements tend to get short shrift, says former DHS official Greg Garcia, a champion of the new bill.| CyberScoop
Democrats voted against a bill they once supported, citing President Trump’s actions on cyber personnel.| CyberScoop
Contact the reporter on this story via email Shaun.Waterman@FedScoop.com, or follow him on Twitter @WatermanReports. Subscribe to CyberScoop to get all the cybersecurity news you need in your inbox every day at CyberScoop.com.| CyberScoop
Chloe Kim Chloe Kim Chloe Kim 88 ChloeKim@scpnewsgrp.com| CyberScoop
The order seeks to withhold federal funding from states that don’t comply, sparking a heated backlash from legal and election experts.| CyberScoop
(Getty Images) | CyberScoop
Requests to block federal agencies from sharing federal data with states and to condition federal election funding were denied by Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly.| CyberScoop
bugs, flaws, software and hardware| CyberScoop
Analysis of a recent phishing campaign targeting Ukrainian entities using Russian war crimes themes. (Computer Emergency Response Team of Ukraine) | CyberScoop
Source: Getty Images | CyberScoop
SimpleImages, Getty Images | CyberScoop
SimpleImages, Getty Images | CyberScoop
SimpleImages, Getty Images | CyberScoop
U.S. regulatory agency.| CyberScoop
An analysis of four states with data broker registry laws found that hundreds of brokers are registered as such in one state but not in others. (Image Credit: Getty Images) | CyberScoop
Members of Congress also asked nominees for their thoughts on how the FTC should tackle AI.| CyberScoop
Over 25 years, the program has weathered challenges and dealt with changes that have enabled it to retain its status as the premier global go-to mechanism for understanding cybersecurity vulnerabilities.| CyberScoop
The logo of Aflac displayed on a smartphone. (Cheng Xin/Getty Images) | CyberScoop
Verizon’s 2025 Data Breach Investigations Report noted a 37% increase in ransomware attacks and a 34% increase in exploited vulnerabilities.| CyberScoop
(Getty Images) | CyberScoop
The court vacated the district court’s decision to dismiss the case against NSO Group, saying it abused its discretion in doing so.| CyberScoop
The marriage of AI and software development isn't optional — it's inevitable. Organizations that adapt their security strategies by implementing comprehensive software supply chain security will survive.| CyberScoop
Democrats have critiqued the bill for not protecting funds for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.| CyberScoop
Palo Alto Networks' Unit 42 says that in the cases it worked, the average demand was up 144% and average payment was up 78%.| CyberScoop
The aviation industry has seemingly become the latest target of Scattered Spider, a sophisticated cybercriminal group that has shifted its focus from retail and insurance companies to airlines in what cybersecurity experts describe as a coordinated campaign against the sector.| CyberScoop
The operation — with help from Palo Alto Networks' Unit 42 as well as cybersecurity firm Group-IB — marks the second action against the group.| CyberScoop
Amid questions about the most recent cyberattacks on Ukraine a known adversary has been observed launching its own attacks.| CyberScoop
Ransomware groups last year achieved lateral movement within an average of 48 minutes after gaining initial access to targeted environments, threat intelligence experts said.| CyberScoop
A burst of global law enforcement actions during the past few weeks marked by a flurry of successful takedowns gives cybercrime experts a jolt of hope.| CyberScoop
Palo Alto Networks’ threat intelligence firm said nearly 9 in 10 cyberattacks it responded to last year involved disrupted business operations.| CyberScoop
Joe Warminsky is the news editor for CyberScoop and FedScoop.| CyberScoop
The latest smishing scam follows a familiar process as ones the industry has seen over the past decade.| CyberScoop
The network security device vendor is making a regular appearance on CISA’s known exploited vulnerabilities catalog. Unlike its competitors, SonicWall hasn’t signed the secure-by-design pledge.| CyberScoop
Top security leaders at some of the largest tech and cybersecurity vendors said public-private collaborative work continues, despite budget cuts and personnel changes.| CyberScoop
Mandiant said exploits were the most common initial access vector last year, linking software defects to 1 in 3 attacks. The most commonly exploited vulnerabilities affected network edge devices.| CyberScoop
Exploited vulnerabilities have turned up in Ivanti products 16 times since 2024. That’s more than any other vendor in the network edge device space.| CyberScoop
AWS, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud Platform each scored 0% security effectiveness in CyberRatings.org’s evaluation of cloud network firewall vendors’ ability to prevent exploits and evasions.| CyberScoop
A set of ICONICS SCADA software systems used in critical infrastructure around the world suffered from at least five known vulnerabilities.| CyberScoop
The individuals are allegedly working for North Korea’s 313th General Bureau, under the DPRK’s Ministry of Munitions Industry.| CyberScoop
Security leaders at Mandiant and Google Cloud say nearly every major company has hired or received applications from North Korean nationals working on behalf of the country’s regime.| CyberScoop
A new report reveals how North Korea has built a global cybercrime syndicate, blending statecraft and criminal tactics.| CyberScoop
“It’s practically taboo” for cyber firms to talk about being targeted, but SentinelLabs said in a new report that it has observed multiple threats.| CyberScoop
U.S. authorities on Monday unsealed indictments, seized financial accounts and made an arrest in the latest attempt to crack down on North Korean remote IT workers.| CyberScoop
It’s part of a broader effort to counter Pyongyang’s use of tech professionals to fool U.S. companies and nonprofits.| CyberScoop
The logo of Aflac displayed on a smartphone. (Cheng Xin/Getty Images) | CyberScoop
Law enforcement agencies in Europe and North America have dismantled major infrastructure used in ransomware attacks as part of Operation Endgame, disrupting initial access malware and issuing international arrest warrants against key suspects.| CyberScoop
Global law enforcement authorities and Microsoft seized or disrupted the prolific infostealer’s central command infrastructure, malicious domains and marketplaces where the malware was sold.| CyberScoop
The successful break-up of DanaBot marks the second high-profile law enforcement disruption of a widespread malware operation in as many days.| CyberScoop
AVCheck and related crypting services helped cybercriminals make malware difficult to detect and confirm that malware could slip through various antivirus tools undetected, officials said.| CyberScoop
Three insurance companies have publicly disclosed cyberattacks in the past week. Scattered Spider, an amorphous band of cybercriminals, has been actively targeting the sector.| CyberScoop
A pair of AI tools advertised on hacking forums were developed using commercial AI models from xAI and Mistral, according to Cato Networks.| CyberScoop
To defend “target rich, resource poor” critical infrastructure from cyberattacks, the U.S. must expand its patchwork volunteer system, a new report concludes.| CyberScoop
Multiple U.S.-based companies in the insurance sector have already been hit over the past week and a half, according to Mandiant.| CyberScoop
The SEC is pulling back cybersecurity regulations for investment companies and investment advisers proposed under the Biden administration.| CyberScoop
A vulnerability in Intel’s x86 chips major raises questions about the assumptions underlying computer security models.| CyberScoop
(L-R) Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Tex., Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga. and Rep. Andrew Garbarino R-N.Y. listen during a hearing with the House Committee on Homeland Security on Jan. 30, 2024. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) | CyberScoop
A man holds a flag that reads “Shame” outside the Library of Congress on May 12, 2025 in Washington, D.C. On May 8, President Donald Trump fired Carla Hayden, the head of the Library of Congress, and Shira Perlmutter, the head of the U.S. Copyright Office just days after. (Photo by Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images) | CyberScoop
US Vice President and 2024 Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris speaks on the fourth and last day of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, on August 22, 2024. Harris was among multiple politicians denigrated by the Chinese-linked group Spamouflage. (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP) (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images) | CyberScoop
A supporter of President Joe Biden holds a sign outside a polling site during the state’s primary at Winnacunnet High School in Hampton, New Hampshire on January 23, 2024. (Joseph Prezioso / AFP) | CyberScoop
(Getty Images) | CyberScoop
Former employees say Elon Musk's acquisition of Twitter may have caused the company to violate a consent order with the FTC.| CyberScoop
U.S. financial regulator.| CyberScoop
In this photo illustration, a visual representation of the digital cryptocurrency Bitcoin is displayed in front of Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) logo on January 10, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo illustration by Chesnot/Getty Images) | CyberScoop
SEC Chair Gary Gensler said an unauthorized tweet was posted after the agency's Twitter account was compromised.| CyberScoop
Supporters demonstrate at a Joe Biden Write-In Rally in Manchester, New Hampshire, on January 20, 2024. (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY / AFP) | CyberScoop
Rob Joyce also shared his agenda as director of cybersecurity.| CyberScoop
The National Security Agency's Cybersecurity Collaboration Center is trying to improve threat-sharing with private sector partners.| CyberScoop
The NSA cybersecurity director's memes suggest the Pentagon may have finally figured out how to use internet culture to its advantage.| CyberScoop
"VPN servers are entry points into protected networks, making them attractive targets," said an NSA official.| CyberScoop
The goal, seemingly, was "the gathering and exfiltration of sensitive documents from the compromised organization."| CyberScoop
