The Cybersecurity (CS) Digest is a curated bi-weekly news summary for cybersecurity professionals. It is transmitted in an HTML-formatted email and provides links to articles and news summaries across a spectrum of cybersecurity topics.

RECENT HEADLINES:

Critical Infrastructure:

Hacker Attack on Satellites Could Plunge the World into ‘Mad Max’ - New York Post

Real-life Star Wars may not be only for a galaxy far, far away, an explosive new report finds.

Cyberwarfare:

Cybersecurity is Threatening America’s Military Supremacy - Tech Crunch

The challenge is that the capabilities and sophistication of state-sponsored and non-state hackers are increasing exponentially.

Healthcare Security:

What’s Needed: More HHS Guidance, or New HIPAA Security Rule? - Healthcare Info Security

Watchdog Report Calls for Expanded Security Guidance, But Some Experts Want New Rule.

High Performance Computing:

USAF Lab Gets First Agile Condor Pod - Shephard News Team

The pod system, with scalable, low size, weight and power hardware architecture, is designed to enable on-board processing of large quantities of sensor data through high-performance embedded computing (HPEC).

Internet-of-Things:

Massive DDoS Attacks Launched by a Botnet - Security Affairs

The hosting provider OVH continues to face massive DDoS attacks launched by a botnet composed at least of 150000 IoT devices.

Network Security:

The Democratization of Censorship - Krebs on Security

John Gilmore, an American entrepreneur and civil libertarian, once famously quipped that “the Internet interprets censorship as damage and routes around it.” This notion undoubtedly rings true for those who see national governments as the principal threats to free speech.

Neuromorphic Computing:

Deep Learning Architectures Hinge on Hybrid Memory Cube - The Next Platform

We have heard about a great number of new architectures and approaches to scalable and efficient deep learning processing that sit outside of the standard CPU, GPU, and FPGA box and while each is different, many are leveraging a common element at all-important memory layer.

Public Sector:

EU Mulls Amending Controversial Cyber Export Rules - The Hill

A new proposal in the European Union would locally address many of the controversies over an international export control agreement that includes the United States.

Quantum Computing:

Quantum Computing AI-driven Robotics so that One Human Worker Can Do the Work of Four - Next Big Future

The robot is envisioned as a 1.2-meter tall humanoid, possibly covered with synthetic skin, with two (or more) arms ending in hands or grippers, and wheeled treads for locomotion. Cameras on its head would stream high-definition video to its simian operator, while other sensors might include infrared and ultraviolet imaging, GPS, touch, proximity and strain sensors, and even a radiation detector.

Software Security:

Unsafe at Any Clock Speed - ARS Technica

Linux kernel security needs a rethink. The Linux kernel today faces an unprecedented safety crisis. Much like when Ralph Nader famously told the American public that their cars were "unsafe at any speed" back in 1965, numerous security developers told the 2016 Linux Security Summit in Toronto that the operating system needs a total rethink to keep it fit for purpose.

FEEDBACK FROM PREVIOUS DIGEST:

Most Popular:

Windows 10 to Deploy Across AF - Air Force

The Air Force is slated to upgrade to Windows 10 during the next couple years to improve the Air Force’s cybersecurity posture, lower the cost of information technology and streamline the IT operating environment.

Obama to be Urged to Split Cyberwar Command from NSA - Washington Post

The Pentagon and intelligence community are expected to recommend soon to President Obama that he break up the joint leadership of the National Security Agency and U.S. Cyber Command to create two distinct forces­ for electronic espionage and cyberwarfare.

Governments and Nation States are now Officially Training for Cyberwarfare: An Inside Look - Tech Republic

Europe, Canada, USA, Australia, and others are now running training exercises to prepare for the outbreak of cyberwar. Locked Shields is the largest simulation and we take you inside.

CSIAC SUPPORTED COMMUNITIES:

Cyber Security of Critical Infrastructure - Department of Homeland Security

CSIAC serves on the EO 13636/PPD-21 Research & Development (R&D) Working Group (WG) run by DHS S&T. If you would like further information, contact Dr. Paul Losiewicz at plosiewicz@csiac.org

Cyber Community of Interest (COI) Group - CSIAC

The Cyber COI engages in multiple activities and forums for coordinating cyber S&T strategies, sharing innovative ideas and technical approaches, promoting technology transfer and upcoming business opportunities, and in jointly planning programs across the Department of Defense and other government agencies. Membership is based upon approval by the Cyber COI group administrator.

TECHNICAL RESOURCES, POLICY & GUIDANCE:

Presidential Policy Directive – United States Cyber Incident Coordination - The White House

Opportunities Exist for DOD to Share Cybersecurity Resources with Small Businesses - GAO

DOD OSBP officials acknowledged that cybersecurity is an important and timely issue for small businesses -and therefore the office is considering incorporating cybersecurity into its existing outreach and education efforts. During the review, GAO identified 15 existing federal cybersecurity resources that DOD OSBP could disseminate to defense small businesses.

DHS S&T Collaboration Community - Ideascale

The National Conversation is intended to bring together everyone to play a role in shaping the future of homeland security technology. This means responders, operational users, citizens, academia, and industry.

The Department of Defense Cyber Strategy - Department of Defense

The purpose of this strategy is to guide the development of DoD's cyber forces and strengthen our cyber defense and cyber deterrence posture. It focuses on building cyber capabilities and organizations for DoD's three primary cyber missions.

Information Sharing Environment - ISE

The Information Sharing Environment (ISE) broadly refers to the people, projects, systems, and agencies that enable responsible information sharing for national security.

Standards & Reference Documents - CSIAC

View all Best Practices and Reference Documents on the CSIAC website.

The DoD Cybersecurity Policy Chart (Formerly the IA Policy Chart) - CSIAC

DoD Cyber Domain Resources - Department of Defense

DHS Cyber Security Strategy (“Blueprint for a Secure Cyber Future”, 2011) - Department of Homeland Defense

DIB CS/IA Voluntary Information Sharing Program - DoD DIBNet

DoD's DIB CS/IA program is a voluntary program to enhance and supplement DIB participants' capabilities to safeguard DoD information that resides on, or transits, DIB unclassified information systems.

US-CERT Bulletins - Department of Homeland Security

Bulletins provide weekly summaries of new vulnerabilities. Patch information is provided when available.

US-CERT Alerts - Department of Homeland Security

Alerts provide timely information about current security issues, vulnerabilities, and exploits.

National Vulnerability Database - NIST

NVD is the U.S. government repository of standards based vulnerability management data represented using the Security Content Automation Protocol (SCAP). This data enables automation of vulnerability management, security measurement, and compliance. NVD includes databases of security checklists, security related software flaws, misconfigurations, product names, and impact metrics.

Trustworthy CyberSpace: Strategic Plan For The Federal Cybersecurity Research and Development Program - NITRD

Committee on National Security Systems (CNSS) - Committee on National Security Systems

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