national security
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Air National Guardsman accused of leaking classified documents has been indicted
Jack Texeira, the Air National Guard member who was arrested in April for sharing documents containing US intelligence matters, has been indicted on six counts of willful retention and transmission of classified national defense information.
Biden signs law blocking Huawei and ZTE from receiving FCC licenses
US President Joe Biden has signed into law the Secure Equipment Act that blocks companies like Huawei and ZTE from receiving network licenses.
SpaceX cleared to launch reused rockets for 'national security' missions
The Pentagon has signed off on its first SpaceX mission using a reused rocket, with a GPS III satellite launch set to take place on Thursday, June 17th.
DOJ memo puts ransomware investigations on a level similar to terrorism
The DoJ has laid out a new process for a centralized and coordinated response to cases relating to ransomware and digital extortion. It's a model already used in terrorism investigations.
Google stops responding to data requests from Hong Kong authorities
Google will no longer respond directly to data requests from Hong Kong authorities.
Palmer Luckey's startup will build a 'virtual' border wall
It's no secret that Palmer Luckey's Anduril Industries has been developing a "virtual wall" to heighten national security -- he's been at it for the better part of three years. According to a new report from the Washington Post, the Trump administration awarded Anduril a lucrative five-year contract to erect hundreds of AI-powered surveillance towers along the U.S.-Mexico border by 2022. “These towers give agents in the field a significant leg up against the criminal networks that facilitate illegal cross-border activity,” said Border Patrol Chief Rodney Scott in a statement released by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
FCC says Huawei and ZTE are national security threats
The FCC has officially declared Huawei and ZTE as national security threats, barring carriers from using fund money on the Chinese technology.
Senate panel wants stricter oversight of Chinese telecoms
An upcoming Senate panel report will argue that the US needs a tougher stance on Chinese telecoms to protect national security.
Judge denies Twitter effort to reveal US surveillance requests
A judge has ruled that Twitter's demand to reveal exact surveillance request numbers would risk national security.
US Space Force will send its first satellite into space today
The US Space Force will kick off its first National Security Mission this afternoon. It's sending a Lockheed Martin Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF-6) satellite into orbit, onboard a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket. The satellite will provide next-gen military communications, and it could prove that Space Force isn't just a Trump administration pipe dream.
TSA bans employees from making TikTok videos
The Transport Security Administration (TSA) is the latest US government organization to ban the use of TikTok. The decision comes after New York Senator Chuck Schumer sent a letter to TSA administrator David Pekoske, in which he flagged a number of security concerns about China-owned app.
Senate bill would block US companies from storing data in China
US Senator Josh Hawley (R-Missouri) wants to make it illegal for US companies to store user data or encryption keys in China. He also wants to prevent Chinese companies from collecting any more info from American users than is necessary to provide their service. He proposed these measures as part of a new National Security and Personal Data Protection Act announced today.
Commerce Department extends Huawei license for another 90 days
In May, the Trump administration essentially banned the purchase and sale of Huawei products on a temporary basis. The emergency measure was meant to stem concerns that the company provides intelligence or backdoor access to the Chinese government while US agencies investigate the allegations. Organizations that wanted an exemption to this had to apply for what's called a Temporary General License, or TGL. The latest extension of the TGL was scheduled to expire today, but the Department of Commerce announced a 90-day extension this morning.
US Senators ask the FCC to review licenses with China-owned telecoms
Two US Senators want the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to review whether two Chinese state-owned telecoms should be permitted to operate in the US. In a letter to the FCC, Democratic leader Senator Chuck Schumer (D-New York) and Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) ask the Commission to review licenses that give China Telecom and China Unicom the right to use networks in the US. According to The New York Times, the Senators are concerned that the companies may use that access to carry out espionage.
France says it will block Facebook's Libra cryptocurrency in Europe
Facebook's Libra cryptocurrency has run into another stumbling block. Less than a month after the EU opened up an antitrust investigation into the project, officials in France have announced that they "cannot authorize" Libra on European soil.
The Trump Administration just revived the Cold War-era Space Command
Today, President Trump and Vice President Pence announced the return of the US Space Command -- a Cold War-era division of the Air Force that's been on a 17-year hiatus. The revival of the US Space Command is meant to "ensure the protection of America's interests in space," Defense Secretary Mark Esper said at a news conference Wednesday. But it could be confused with Space Force -- the sixth branch of the military that Trump hopes to create -- or the existing Air Force Space Command, which focuses on Air Force operations in space.
White House: Google’s work in China is not a security risk
Earlier this month, Facebook board member and billionaire investor Peter Thiel accused Google of working with China's government. Today, The Wall Street Journal reports that Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said that he and President Trump have no national security concerns about Alphabet Inc.'s work in China.
US Treasury has 'serious concerns' Libra could be used for terrorism
The US government views cryptocurrencies, including Facebook-backed Libra, as a national security issue. In a press conference today, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the Treasury Department has "very serious concerns" that Libra could be misused by money launderers, terrorist financiers and other bad players. While the concerns are not entirely surprising, they do make the US government's stance on cryptocurrency more than clear.
China's supercomputers are the latest target in US trade war
The US and China have been locked in a race for the world's most powerful supercomputer. China was in the lead with its Sunway TaihuLight, which has a 93 petaflop capacity. But the US surpassed that last year, when it released the Summit, which can run at 200 petaflops -- or 200 quadrillion calculations per second. Now, the US is using export restrictions in an attempt to thwart China's supercomputing efforts.
UK report concludes Huawei's no threat to national security
For years, the UK government has been concerned that Huawei's networking equipment is aiding the Chinese government and threatening national security. In Britain, the company supplies major network providers such as BT, O2 and EE, which only amplifies the anxiety of politicians and security advocates. In 2012, Huawei opened a "Cyber Security Evaluation Centre" to alleviate some of their fears. It's designed to test all incoming updates to Huawei hardware and software used on UK networks. The problem is that all of the staff are employed by Huawei; in 2013, the UK's Intelligence and Security Committee said it was concerned about the arrangement, which effectively relies on self-policing. The government agreed, and said it would investigate the processes inside the centre.
