October
October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month
PUBLISHED: Oct. 1, 2020
October is National Cybersecurity Month (NCSAM), a time for us to focus on how cybersecurity affects all Americans and to remind us of our shared responsibility. NCSAM is a collaborative effort between the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and its public and private partners, including the National Cyber Security Alliance, to raise awareness about the importance of cybersecurity and individual cyber hygiene.
Now in it's 17th year, Cybersecurity Awareness Month has grown exponentially, reaching consumers across the nation.
For more information on Commonwealth-sponsored events throughout the month, please visit the MassCyberCenter webpage.
September
Bipartisan Digital Identity Legislation introduced in Congress
PUBLISHED: Sept. 2, 2020
A draft bipartisan bill designed to modernize the country’s lagging digital identity infrastructure has been introduced in Congress.
The Improving Digital Identity Act of 2020 would help to bolster secure methods of validating identities in government agencies' digital infrastructure. In its current form, the bill would utilize a three-pronged approach:
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It would establish a task force to bring together key federal agencies with state and local government representatives to develop secure methods for government agencies to validate identity attributes to protect the privacy and security of individuals and support reliable, interoperable digital identity verification tools in the public and private sectors.
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It would direct the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to create a new framework of standards to guide government agencies when providing digital identity verification services – placing an emphasis on privacy and security.
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It would establish a grant program within the Department of Homeland Security to allow states to upgrade the systems they use to issue drivers’ licenses and other types of identity credentials, and to support the development of secure, interoperable state systems that enable digital identity verification in accordance with the framework developed by NIST.
Third annual CISA National Cybersecurity Summit begins on Wednesday
PUBLISHED: Sept. 14, 2020
Subject matter and discussion dates for the Third Annual National Cybersecurity Summit have been announced.
The event, in its third year, brings together infrastructure stakeholders from around the world and provides a forum for meaningful conversations and collaboration on cybersecurity.
The 2020 Cybersummit will be held virtually as a series of webinars every Wednesday for four weeks beginning September 16 and ending October 7. Each series will have a different theme that focuses on CISA’s mission to “Defend Today, Secure Tomorrow,” with presentations from targeted leaders across government, academia, and industry.
This year’s themes are:
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Sept 16: Key Cyber Insights
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Sept 23: Leading the Digital Transformation
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Sept 30: Diversity in Cybersecurity
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Oct 7: Defending our Democracy
The event is facilitated by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), a federal agency within the US government with its operational component under Department of Homeland Security (DHS) oversight.
Spyware Labeled ‘TikTok Pro’ Exploits Fears of US Ban
PUBLISHED: Sept. 9, 2020
Researchers have discovered a new Android spyware campaign pushing a “Pro” version of the TikTok app that is exploiting fears that the popular social media app is on the cusp of being banned in the United States. The malware can take over basic device functions as well as uses a phishing tactic to steal victims’ Facebook credentials.
Malicious actors urge users via SMS and WhatsApp messages to download the spyware version of the application, called TikTok Pro, from a specific web address, said Zscaler CISO and VP of security Shivang Desai in a report published Tuesday.
Desai warned Android users not to trust unknown links received in SMS or other messages and to only install apps from official stores like Google Play.
July
Bill to improve the federal government's use of IoT devices reaches House floor
PUBLISHED: July 30, 2020
After languishing in Congressional limbo for nearly a year and a half, the IoT (Internet of Things) Cybersecurity Improvement Act (H.R. 1668) will finally reach the House floor.
The bill would task NIST (the National Institute of Standards and Technology) with the development of standards for agencies’ use of IoT devices and their handling of vulnerabilities in those devices.
The Internet of Things describes the network of physical objects—"things"—that are embedded with sensors, software, and other technologies for the purpose of connecting and exchanging data with other devices and systems over the internet.
NIST is one of the nation's oldest physical science laboratories, tasked with promoting "promote innovation and industrial competitiveness".