politics

Hydroxychloroquine misinformation makes way for political disinformation

Seth RosenblattApril 17, 2020

Besides putting people’s lives at risk, Trump’s promotion of anti-malarials for Covid-19 patients could pave the way for a coordinated disinformation campaign to take root, experts say.

Features

Election hackers are ‘waiting for the bigger prize in 2020’ (Q&A)

Seth RosenblattDecember 28, 2018

At Chaos Communication Congress, election security expert J. Alex Halderman describes the United States’ rough yet vital road toward securing its many vulnerable voting systems.

Q&A

On privacy, Google CEO’s congressional hearing comes up short

Rob PegoraroDecember 13, 2018

Google CEO Sundar Pichai’s first congressional hearing—a milestone he probably wished he could have postponed for a few more years—did not lack drama. As he de... Read More...

News

CrowdStrike CEO on political infosec lessons learned (Q&A)

Rob PegoraroNovember 29, 2018

At the Web Summit, CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz shares his sharp perspectives on political-hacking topics ranging from chatbot-seeking AI to security-inept campaign volunteers.

Q&A

Tech execs to senators: Regulate us, but not too much

Rob PegoraroSeptember 27, 2018

Tech firms would like one privacy law to cover all U.S. communications—as long as it’s not as strict as the GDPR and also supersedes any pesky state regulations like the CCPA.

Features

Why health care cybersecurity is in ‘critical condition’

Seth RosenblattSeptember 25, 2018

Without regulatory pressure to enforce a federal health care cybersecurity task force’s recommendations, involved experts acknowledge, industry progress will remain slow.

FeaturesSpecial Report: Medical security

Israel’s cybersecurity industry is a unicorn. Here’s why

Seth RosenblattJune 27, 2018

It’s not just Be’ersheba’s interdisciplinary approach. Israel’s unique politics, geography, and economics have played major roles in its transformation into a cybersecurity power player.

News

On doctors’ orders, Israel plans a health care CERT

Seth RosenblattJune 26, 2018

“A CERT is like FEMA for cyber,” one expert says. Post-WannaCry, Israel is following the Netherlands, England, and Norway in creating a health care CERT.

Features

Get a new phone? Consider your Fifth Amendment rights

Wendy Knox EveretteJune 8, 2018

Biometric locks have the same function—albeit more secure and convenient—to a consumer as a PIN or passcode. But they don’t have the same legal protections under the 5th Amendment. Here’s why.

Opinion

20 years on, L0pht hackers return to D.C. with dire warnings

Rob PegoraroMay 24, 2018

Two decades after presenting at the Senate’s first cybersecurity hearing, veteran L0pht hackers Kingpin, Mudge, Weld Pond, and Space Rogue reflect on progress and urge for much more.

Features

Big tech supports Cloud Act, giving police easier access to overseas data

Grant GrossMarch 14, 2018

The so-called Cloud Act would allow U.S. law enforcement agencies to obtain customer data stored on foreign servers—in many cases with a subpoena rather than a warrant.

Features

Nunes memo promotes intelligence distrust, not surveillance reform

Grant GrossFebruary 20, 2018

Some privacy advocates say it calls for a resurrected debate over FISA practices. But Nunes himself is a steadfast surveillance supporter of the existing process.

Features

Georgia bill could stifle the state’s booming cybersecurity community

Seth RosenblattFebruary 8, 2018

Georgia Senate Bill 315 includes vague language reflective of the CFAA antihacking law that experts and advocates fear would be used to unfairly punish security researchers.

Features

As NSA spy law authorization sunsets, lawmakers remain divided

Grant GrossDecember 26, 2017

As some lawmakers push for the extension of FISA Section 702, an expiring law that allows programs like Prism and Upstream, others push for new privacy protections.

News

How Spain is waging Internet war on Catalan separatists

Greg SandovalDecember 20, 2017

Privacy and online-rights advocates say Spain’s recent heavy-handed Internet control is unprecedented for a Western democracy—and it could return with this week’s snap election.

Features

Stolen email accounts used to target the Net neutrality repeal, study finds

Daniel AbbottDecember 14, 2017

The vast majority of anti-Net neutrality public comments made to the FCC were sent from stolen email addresses, according to study results. And the implications are serious.

Features

Why losing Net neutrality wouldn’t hurt your privacy or security

Rob GrahamDecember 13, 2017

Dismantling FCC Open Internet rules might allow ISPs to mess with privacy and security. But doing so today simply wouldn’t be practical or even profitable, Rob Graham argues.

Opinion

Forget Pai. Net neutrality’s privacy benefits are already neutralized

Ryan E. LongDecember 4, 2017

Eliminating Net neutrality laws would likely make online privacy more expensive, attorney Ryan E. Long argues. But CALE requirements have already handicapped them.

Opinion

Surveillance bill keeps U.S. search loophole open

Grant GrossOctober 18, 2017

The USA Liberty Act, designed to revamp and reauthorize FISA Section 702, would still allow the FBI and other agencies to query the NSA database of U.S. communications sans warrant.

Features

Self-driving car bill leaves cybersecurity rules open to interpretation

Grant GrossSeptember 18, 2017

While a passed House bill doesn’t directly address autonomous-vehicle hacking dangers, some experts maintain that broad regulatory language is better for rapidly developing technology.

Features

Broadband privacy regulations fall into a gray area

Grant GrossAugust 29, 2017

Since Congress repealed the FCC’s rules, ISPs have no federal privacy regulations.

News

Could strong encryption and backdoors coexist? Nope, experts say

Grant GrossAugust 14, 2017

After President Trump fires James Comey, a leading U.S. backer of encryption backdoor mandates, officials in Europe and Australia renew arguments for the “technically infeasible.”

Features

Congressmen at DefCon: Please help us, hackers!

Seth RosenblattAugust 1, 2017

During a fireside chat in Las Vegas, Reps. Will Hurd of Texas and Jim Langevin of Rhode Island plead for proactive hacker-lawmaker collaboration and voice concerns about election security.

Features

Kasparov talks calculated odds, AI, and cybersecurity (Q&A)

Seth RosenblattJuly 28, 2017

The longtime world chess champion and Putin foe, now a human rights activist, says we should be fostering a deepening human-computer partnership rather than trying to fight the inevitable.

Q&A

Facebook’s Stamos on protecting elections from hostile hackers (Q&A)

Seth RosenblattJuly 26, 2017

The social-networking giant’s chief security officer sounds off on why and how political campaigns should work together to fight attacks on their critical infrastructure and information.

Q&A

The DIGIT Act, paved with good intentions, needs a firm hand

Michael PattersonJune 2, 2017

As proposed, the act sounds like it could protect consumers while allowing businesses to thrive. But it risks becoming an IoT industry rubber stamp.

Opinion

Trump’s cybersecurity order not likely to have a major impact, experts say

Seth RosenblattMay 12, 2017

The 3-section order, which builds largely on initiatives the Obama administration set in motion, outlines federal guidance to “create more cohesion and consolidation between agencies.”

News

Time for a Department of the Internet of Things?

Seth RosenblattMarch 17, 2017

As regulation of Internet-connected devices inches forward, public officials and security experts disagree on how best to keep consumers safe without stifling industry innovation.

News

False hack attributions carry dangerous risks

Jeremiah GrossmanMarch 16, 2017

Attributing cyberattacks to specific people or organizations is far from an exact science. And a misattribution today runs a high risk of increasing military tensions.

Opinion

Uncertain future for Wassenaar ‘cyberweapons’ agreement under Trump

Seth RosenblattMarch 2, 2017

Revision proposals for the international agreement to control weapons exports aim to address language that could have severe consequences for security researchers.

Features

Jennifer Granick on spying: ‘The more we collect, the less we know’ (Q&A)

Seth RosenblattFebruary 17, 2017

Granick, the director of civil liberties at Stanford Law School and recent author of “American Spies,” sounds off on the nature, effectiveness, and justness of U.S. surveillance today.

Q&A

How to protect your data when traveling internationally

Seth RosenblattFebruary 9, 2017

Trump’s travel ban accompanied increased scrutiny of travelers’ electronic devices and social-media activity. Here are a few steps you can take to minimize your exposure at country borders.

How To

Trump’s largely opaque cybersecurity intentions

Seth RosenblattFebruary 3, 2017

As the new president establishes his cabinet, and issues (and holds back on) security-focused executive orders, questions abound about his cybersecurity intentions—and how he might follow through on them.

Features

Over Trump’s inaugural weekend, insecurities abound

Seth RosenblattJanuary 26, 2017

After a presidential election marked by hacks and leaks and claims of “bleak” urban streets, those of the nation’s capital were filled—quite literally—with anger and worry. And hope.

Features

Trump, Putin, and the dangers of fake news

Garry KasparovJanuary 16, 2017

Information “starvation” under closed regimes prevents informed decision making. A flood of disinformation has similarly harmful effects, Garry Kasparov argues. And the antidote isn’t easy to swallow.

Opinion

Post-recount, experts say electronic voting remains ‘shockingly’ vulnerable

Seth RosenblattDecember 30, 2016

In the wake of stunted recounts in three closely contested states, security researchers argue that to ward off hacker manipulation of elections, municipalities must maintain and audit paper ballots.

Features

How political campaigns target you via email

Seth RosenblattOctober 21, 2016

Email is the most important communication means for garnering campaign awareness, funds, and participation. Here’s how campaign data scientists and marketers are using it to entice you.

Features

John McAfee created the antivirus world. Can he reinvent it too? (Q&A)

Seth RosenblattSeptember 15, 2016

Empower the individual. Keep private information private. Make the complex simple. And detect an intruder in milliseconds. McAfee and hacker Eijah say these ideas are driving their new business.

Q&A

John McAfee’s cybersecurity advice for Clinton and Trump (Q&A)

Seth RosenblattSeptember 14, 2016

“No. 1: Fire or massively retrain every employee in the U.S. government responsible for implementing cybersecurity,” advises the software entrepreneur, a former presidential candidate.

Q&A

Can your vote be hacked—after you cast it?

Seth RosenblattSeptember 12, 2016

Properly protected vote databases are tough to hack, security experts say. But in places lacking up-to-date software, proper IT training, or a paper trail, hackers have an advantage.

Features

Hackers call for federal funding, regulation of software security

Seth RosenblattAugust 9, 2016

From a plea for an “NIH for cyber” to a plan for “software supply chain transparency,” Black Hat and DefCon insiders say it’s time for the U.S. government to ensure software safety.

Features

From ‘treason’ to ‘criminal,’ experts decry Trump’s call for Russia hacks

Seth RosenblattJuly 27, 2016

Did the Republican nominee for U.S. president just encourage hackers in Russia to break into his opponent’s private email server? Here’s how several experts interpreted his comments.

News

Taking stock of the cyberstruggle against ISIS (Q&A)

Charles CooperJune 27, 2016

Counterterrorism expert John D. Cohen tells The Parallax that to tackle terrorists’ effective Internet recruitment efforts, we need to first understand the underlying issues.

Q&A

Peering into the state of facial recognition

Seth RosenblattJune 21, 2016

The “notoriously inaccurate” tech has spread from government databases to popular apps. And although it’s improving (and spreading) constantly, it’s not ready for prime time, privacy advocates say.

FeaturesSPECIAL REPORT: Facial Recognition

How to get more out of election apps than you give

Kristin BurnhamJune 7, 2016

As you install any app, be cautious about the data you share with its publishers and might expose to eavesdroppers. Here’s what to look out for this election season and beyond.

How To

How an FBI win against Apple could hurt my company

Declan McCullaghMarch 22, 2016

To any software engineer with an imagination, the resulting possibilities are horrifying. A favorable precedent would let the government turn us into unwilling surveillance assistants.

OpinionQ&A

Where did the CFAA come from, and where is it going?

Seth RosenblattMarch 16, 2016

In the 30 years since President Reagan signed the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act into law, it’s been the subject of heated controversy and undergone many alterations. What’s next?

Features

Privacy, cybersecurity get little play in presidential debates

Grant GrossFebruary 10, 2016

Tech issues may be too complex—and too lacking of simple populist messages—to argue about on stage. But the candidates have their opinions. Here’s an overview.

FeaturesNews

Middle ground in encryption debate is difficult to find

Grant GrossJanuary 6, 2016

Tech companies could offer alternatives to end-to-end encryption, but it would make their users less safe, privacy advocates say.

FeaturesSPECIAL REPORT: Encryption Debate

New data breach notification bills favor businesses, critics say

Grant GrossDecember 21, 2015

The Data Security and Breach Notification Act and the Data Security Act would pre-empt arguably stronger state laws and strip the FCC of authority over data security enforcement.

FeaturesNews

CISA sneaks through Congress, leaving privacy groups scrambling

Grant GrossDecember 18, 2015

Privacy advocates split on how to proceed, after the controversial cybersecurity law gets tacked on to a massive government spending bill.

FeaturesNews

Politicians try to draw online providers into fight against terror

Grant GrossDecember 10, 2015

Some lawmakers want social-media providers, ISPs, and other businesses to report suspected terrorist activity, but critics say additional requirements may be counterproductive.

FeaturesNews

NSA phone records program diminished, not dead

Grant GrossDecember 8, 2015

The USA Freedom Act may have hampered the agency’s program for bulk collection of U.S. phone records, but “there are a lot of unknowns” about how it might be interpreted or sidestepped.

FeaturesNews

Privacy protection hole of 29-year-old law is hard to measure

Grant GrossNovember 19, 2015

While several tech titans require warrants to give police and prosecutors access to customers’ older stored communications, countless Internet companies with fewer legal resources likely are complying with agency-issued subpoenas.

Features

Court makes ‘mess’ of EU and U.S. data handling

Grant GrossNovember 9, 2015

A European Union Court of Justice ruling gives privacy advocates new life to fight for stronger privacy laws in the United States.

FeaturesNews

ACLU, TPI, Consumer Watchdog at odds in privacy policy debate

Grant GrossNovember 5, 2015

What’s a bigger threat: government surveillance or data collection? The Parallax asks representatives of three prominent groups to explain (or refute) some of consumers’ biggest privacy concerns.

Q&A

The fight over CISA isn’t over

Grant GrossOctober 29, 2015

Privacy advocates still have some moves to make following Senate approval of the controversial cyberthreat information-sharing bill.

FeaturesNews

Regarding CISA, D.C.’s from Mars, Silicon Valley’s still from California

Charles CooperOctober 27, 2015

The political establishment and the tech industry aren’t clashing for the first or last time over the government’s proper role in safeguarding privacy and cybersecurity.

OpinionQ&A

Tech companies say no to CISA. Too late?

Grant GrossOctober 21, 2015

Opponents of the cyberthreat information-sharing bill, designed to protect companies that share cyberattack data with federal agencies from customer lawsuits, face tough odds.

FeaturesNews

U.S.-China cyberspying deal: Start of something big?

Grant GrossOctober 15, 2015

Some security and policy experts see the agreement as a potential model for new treaties—or, at the very least, a sign of progress. Others see a whole lot of problems.

FeaturesNews

U.S.-China cyberdeal: Another useless photo op

Charles CooperOctober 15, 2015

Although September’s agreement may prohibit China from cyberespionage for commercial gain, it’s still open season for everything else.

OpinionQ&A

CISA’s ‘a surveillance bill in cybersecurity clothing’

Grant GrossOctober 13, 2015

A proposed law to make it easier for government agencies to share information also would allow businesses to deliver personal data to the NSA or FBI, critics contend.

FeaturesNews