In-Q-Tel CISO Dan Greer Wants Human Touch in Security Loop

We no longer live in a time where disconnecting critical infrastructure components from the Internet is a viable options, a top security officer from In-Q-Tel told Boston Source conference attendees Wednesday. 

Disconnecting the power grid and water utilities from the Internet for security is good in theory but is is unrealistic in practice, said IQT Chief Information…

Lockheed, NSA Challenge Service Academies’ Cyber Skills; Tony Sager Comments

The National Security Agency held a cyber competition last week to test service academy students’ skills in defending computer networks from simulated threats, Bloomberg reports. 

Students from the Army, Navy, Merchant Marine and Coast Guard academies participated in the event held at Lockheed Martin Corp.’s Hanover, Md. facility.

During the three-day competition, military service members and…

Shawn Henry: Private Sector Has Cyber Info Void to Fill

Cybersecurity efforts should focus on hunting down the network intruder instead of trying to defend the network from an attack, says Shawn Henry, the FBI’s former top cyber official.

Henry retired from the bureau last month and has moved to startup company CrowdStrike, which provides malware and incident response services. 

The .gov space is effectively…

Suzanne Vautrinot: Air Force Cybercom Plays Defense for Info Advantage

The Air Force’s cyber command operates with the same mission-focus as any other command of the force, Maj. Gen. Suzanne Vautrinot said this week, according to an Air Force release.

Vautrinot serves as head of the 24th Air Force and the branch’s cyber air component to cyber command.

The 24th Air Force is responsible for…

Iran Seeking Web Content Monitoring Tech

Iran is openly seeking a vendor to provide information on Internet firewalls for filtering and monitoring web content. 

Iran’s ministry of information and communications technology issued a request for information, translated from Farsi and reported by Ars Technica, asking organizations and companies to describe software that could be used for censorship.

The RFI, posted April 11 and…

NIST Updates Crypto Key Management Draft

The National Institute of Standards and Technology issued an updated draft of guidelines to create a cryptographic key management system for securing sensitive information, GCN reports.

NIST’s Framework for Designing Cryptographic Key Management Systems draft includes a description of the system and notes documentation requirements.

The new publication is part of an effort to help agencies adopt…

Northrop Recruits Interns at DC High School Cyber Defense Event; Diane Miller Comments

A group of cyber savvy high school students recently traveled cross-country to participate in a Washington-based cyber defense competition, the Los Angeles Times reports. 

The CyberPatriot National High School Cyber Defense Competition challenged students to defend computer networks from hackers hoping to gain access to sensitive information. 

Eleven teams manged virtual databases and operating systems…

Navy Awards Contract for Game Console Data Mining

The U.S. Navy has awarded a research and development contract to a California-based firm to test and develop methods for data forensics of gaming consoles.

The firm will develop prototype rigs to capture data from video game systems that be used to create tools for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s science and technology office, the Navy…

Gordon Snow: Cyber Attacks on Mobile Devices to Climb

The FBI expects cyber attacks on smartphones and tablet computers to increase in the near future, a top FBI official said, according to AOL.

Gordon Snow, assistant director in charge of its cyber division, told listeners at the GovSec conference in Washington on April 3 that the increase will likely come as more mobile devices hit…

Los Alamos Hosts Cyber Breach Simulation; CIO Tom Harper Comments

Government information technology and cyber experts gathered at Los Alamos National Laboratory Thursday to simulate cyber threats and develop cyber response strategies.

The laboratory said Eventide cyber simulation event hosted more than 100 IT experts from both the public and private sector. 

Cyber experts from the Energy Department’s Cyber Forensics Laboratory, other national laboratories, the National…