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New Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification Rule Paves Way for Implementation
The Department of Defense is set to implement significant changes to the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program, effective October 15, streamlining compliance for contractors by introducing a tiered system while enhancing security standards.

AI, Security Experts Discuss Who Defines the Risks, Mitigation Efforts
An attempt by the California statehouse to tame the potential of artificial intelligence catastrophic risks hit a roadblock when Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed the measure late last month. One obstacle is lack of a widely-accepted definition for "catastrophic" AI risks.

GAO: SSA Fails to Meet Industry and Federal Electronic Verification System Goals
The Social Security Administration is facing criticism for failing to update its fraud prevention technology, leaving financial institutions and federal authorities at risk of missing synthetic identity scams, according to a new Government Accountability Office report.

Thomvest Ventures Leads Series B Funding to Support Privacy and Security Compliance
Relyance AI raised $32 million in Series B funding to grow its data governance platform. The funds will be used to scale operations, enhance real-time data visibility, and support enterprises in complying with complex global privacy regulations, ensuring responsible AI adoption across industries.

Impact Is "What We Would Have Hoped For," Says NCSC CTO Ollie Whitehouse
A British cybersecurity official touted Operation Cronos, an international operation against LockBit, saying multiple strikes aimed at the ransomware-as-a-service have disrupted its ability to recruit hackers. The operation has resulted in indictments, sanctions, and server takedowns.

Act Imposes Mandatory Patching for IoT Devices
The European Council on Thursday adopted security-by-design regulation that makes patching and vulnerability updates mandatory for connected devices. The regulation will ensure that "products with digital components are made secure throughout the supply chain and throughout their life cycle."

Critical Infrastructure Firms Are Hiring - and Paying Well
As digital transformation continues to reshape industries, the convergence of operational technology and cybersecurity has emerged as a critical area of focus. But there's a noticeable gap in the workforce. Professionals who truly understand both OT and cybersecurity are in short supply.

Justice Department Aiming to Emphasize Privacy and Security in AI Deployment
The U.S. Department of Justice is drafting new guidelines for law enforcement on the use of artificial intelligence and facial recognition tools to enhance public safety while safeguarding civil rights and ensuring ethical deployment, a senior official said Wednesday.

WestCap-Led Funding to Drive Click-Fraud Protection, Ad Integrity Expansion
Human Security's recent $50 million growth funding, led by WestCap, will drive the development of click-fraud defense and enhance advertising integrity solutions. CEO Stu Solomon aims to leverage the funding for scaling the engineering and data science teams, addressing emerging fraud threats.

Hotel Chain Also Settles with Federal Trade Commission
The world's largest hotel chain agreed Wednesday to pay $52 million and agree to two decades of third-party monitoring of its cybersecurity program to settle a rash of data breaches affecting millions of guests. The multi-million payout is part of a settlement reached with 50 U.S. attorneys general.

Cyber Bill Says the Government Can't Use Information to Prosecute Victims
Ransom payments are typically tightly held secrets between cybercriminals and their victims, but the Australian government has introduced a cybersecurity bill in Parliament that would require require larger businesses to report ransom payments to the government.

Crime Syndicates Too Powerful for Regional Governments to Police, UN Report Warns
Cybercrime syndicates across Southeast Asia have teamed up with human traffickers, money launderers and cryptocurrency services to build an increasingly effective cybercrime ecosystem that can survive law enforcement crackdowns, according to a new United Nations report.

Russia, Iran and China Investing in Cyber Ops, Warns MI5 Director Ken McCallum
Nation-state actors are investing aggressively in advanced cyber operations to target government information and technology in a bid to sow "mayhem on British and European streets," warned a top British intelligence official. Russia, Iran and China are using proxies and hacking agencies.

Kivera Integrates Controls Into Cloudflare One to Prevent Cloud Misconfigurations
With the acquisition of New York-based startup Kivera, Cloudflare will enhance its Cloudflare One platform, adding proactive controls that secure cloud environments, prevent misconfigurations and improve regulatory compliance for businesses using multiple cloud providers.

Russian Nationals, Agencies Engaged in Cyberattacks, Misinformation to be Targeted
The European Council on Tuesday introduced a new sanctions framework to target Russian nationals and organizations engaged in malicious cyber activities such as election misinformation and disruptive cyberattacks. It seeks to address activities such as influence operations and hacking.

Healthcare organizations should rethink some of their approach to security, enhancing focus on insider threats, improving cyber awareness training and securing mobile applications and devices, said Ryan Witt, vice president of industry solutions at Proofpoint, discussing findings of a new study.

Parties Vow to Continue Negotiations
Time ran out for a non-binding takeover bid from the French government for the cybersecurity business of beleaguered Parisian IT consultancy Atos. Among the world's largest managed security service providers, the financially struggling firm is strategically important to the French government.

DHS Says Adversaries May Stoke Voter Fraud Fears Long After Election Day
The latest Homeland Security threat assessment lists this year’s election cycle as a top concern for 2025 and a potential trigger for domestic terrorism. The agency says foreign adversaries and violent extremists may take advantage of the outcome to further sow discord in the United States.

Settlement Addresses Claims of False Revenue Forecasts, Investor Misrepresentation
IronNet and several former executives agreed to a $6.6 million settlement, ending a class action lawsuit accusing the company of misleading investors with inflated revenue projections. The settlement aims to provide relief for investors misled by allegedly inaccurate revenue projections.

Mark Sokolovsky Admits to Felony Conspiracy Charge in US Federal Court
A Ukrainian national pleaded guilty Monday in U.S. federal court to one count of conspiracy to commit computer intrusion in connection with his role in the Raccoon malware-as-a-service info stealer criminal operation. Dutch authorities extradited him in February after arresting him in March 2022.