President Obama Talks Cybersecurity with Chinese Leader; Same Day Report Leaks on U.S. Hacking Initiative
President Obama on Friday met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping to address the growing need for cybersecurity cooperation between the two countries.
Just one week after reports surfaced claiming that China had hacked into U.S. networks to steal military weapons design plans, the two leaders used an informal summit at the Sunnylands estate in Rancho Mirage, California to address the countries’ cyber challenges.
“What both President Xi and I recognize is that because of these incredible advances in technology, that the issue of cybersecurity and the need for rules and common approaches to cybersecurity are going to be increasingly important as part of bilateral relationships and multilateral relationships,” said Obama, following the talks. Read more…
Obama to Confront China on Cyber Espionage
China is back in the cyber spotlight again. This time charged with hacking into U.S. networks to steal information on the country’s most advanced weapons systems.
Breaking the story last week, The Washington Post reported that China had infiltrated networks to gain access to more than two dozen of the United States’ missile defenses and combat aircraft and ship design plans.
“China, which is pursuing a comprehensive long-term strategy to modernize its military, is investing in ways to overcome the U.S. military advantage — and cyber-espionage is seen as a key tool in that effort,” the Post reported. “For the first time, the Pentagon specifically named the Chinese government and military as the culprit behind intrusions into government and other computer systems.”
And while the news may not come as a surprise to many in the cyber world, President Obama is preparing to confront China on the issue. Read more…
California, New York Working to Tackle Cyber Challenges
Among increased cyber attacks on the U.S. and little movement for legislation on Capitol Hill, states are stepping up to take cybersecurity into their own hands.
Home to many of the nation’s leading technology companies, California this month announced a new, state-led cybersecurity task force.
According to a report, the task force is comprised of state government officials and private sector leaders who will aim to enhance cyber collaboration and develop a framework to address some of the nation’s top cybersecurity challenges. Read more…
China Modernizing Military Program, Pentagon Reports
China is working to modernize its military program to strengthen its capabilities in cyber space, according to a new Pentagon report.
Less than one month after Chinese military officials pledged to work with the U.S. on cyber issues, the Pentagon last week released its annual report on China to advise that the nation appears to be stepping up its efforts to engage in cyber espionage and electronic warfare. Read more…
U.S. Confronts Top Cyber Adversaries
The U.S. has been in talks with two of its biggest cyber adversaries, according to reports.
White House cybersecurity coordinator Michael Daniel and coordinator for cyber issues Christopher Painter met last week with Russian officials to discuss cybersecurity, The Moscow Times reported.
Thought to be the culprit of sophisticated cyber attacks and cyber espionage to steal critical information, Russia has been on the U.S.’ list of top cyber threats for a number of years.
In the meetings held last week, leaders from the two nations reportedly talked about alleviating their cyber issues in an effort to reach an agreement on “unified cybersafety,” the Times article noted. Read more…
Senate has Work to Do as House Passes Three Cyber Bills
The House last week passed three bills aimed at strengthening the nation’s cybersecurity.
The Federal Information Security Amendments Act of 2013 (H.R. 1163) and the Cybersecurity Enhancement Act (H.R. 756) both passed the House on Tuesday, with the news nearly flying under the radar, as passage of the controversial Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA) stole much of the cyber spotlight. Read more…
House to Take Up CISPA amid Privacy Concerns
This week, the House of Representatives is expected to take up a controversial bill intended to enhance information sharing between the government and the private sector in an effort to improve the nation’s cybersecurity.
In an 18-2 vote, the House Intelligence Committee on Wednesday approved a revised version of the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA), which was reintroduced in February by Reps. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) and Dutch Ruppersberger (D-Md.) after passing the House last April, but failing in the Senate in August. Read more…
