The Weekly Cypher is specially curated to keep you up-to-date on the latest in cybersecurity, biometrics, and related news and innovations. Here are a few of the headlines you might have missed this week.
Microsoft, Facebook, Dozens More Sign Cybersecurity Tech Accord | ZD NET
With more and more users eyeing consumer tech giants with unease, the companies banded together to sign the Cybersecurity Tech Accord. Like the Hippocratic Oath recited by doctors at the beginning of their medical education, this agreement vows to protect users against cybersecurity threats and to abstain from helping any government launch a cyber attack. Signed at the start of this week’s RSA conference, companies hope this digital Geneva convention is enough to protect citizens worldwide. [Read More]
DHS Secretary Talks Cybersecurity | CBS News
Google Home, Alexa, Smart Bulbs, the list of smart home gadgets goes on and on. As homeowners install more devices creating their at home Internet of Things network, DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen warns citizens about future cyber attacks. Because of the booming market for these machines, proper security measures have not been implemented, which compromises not only the device’s functionality within the home but also the data stored in them. [Read More]
Key US Cybersecurity Officials Leave the White House | Federal News Radio
In the midst of the White House’s preparations to update the National Cybersecurity Strategy, both Homeland Security Adviser Tom Bossert and Cybersecurity Coordinator Rob Joyce have left the cybersecurity team. The strategy is a critical portion of the 2018 Defense Authorization Bill, and many question when the Trump administration will execute its promise for a secure cyberspace. Others begin to wonder whether cybersecurity is a priority for the government. [Read More]
U.S. Offers $25 Million Cybersecurity Grant After Pipeline Attacks | Bloomberg
Most of the time we hear cyber terrorists attacking financial institutions and consumer tech companies like Uber. But after a series of attacks on different utility companies, the US is now offering funding for cybersecurity research to help stop a dangerous situation. Weak security measures in this industry could disrupt everyday life. Though the attacks didn’t interrupt gas supply to homeowners and businesses, they were a wake-up call for government and utility officials. [Read More]
The US Needs a Department of Cybersecurity | TechCrunch
Turbulent times calls for organization and execution. Two things that Ted Schlein, a general partner at VC firm KPCB, has not seen US lawmakers constructing for better cybersecurity measures. Citing the lack of communication amongst cyber units in the various military branches, Schlein calls on the government to restructure the teams under a cohesive Department of Cybersecurity. Without an integrated and strong cybersecurity team, he fears that incidents like the Russian interference in the 2016 US elections will only continue. [Read More]
