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CISA to Finalize Cyber Incident Reporting Rule for Critical Infrastructure in September

CISA to Finalize Cyber Incident Reporting Rule for Critical Infrastructure in September

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is set to release its final rule for the Cyber Incident Reporting for Critical Infrastructure Act (CIRCIA) this September. This forthcoming regulation will mandate that companies operating across 16 critical infrastructure sectors report covered cyber incidents within 72 hours and ransomware payments within 24 hours. The rule is expected to apply to a significant number of entities, potentially over 300,000, based on sector categories and Small Business Administration size thresholds. CISA held virtual town halls in June where industry stakeholders raised concerns regarding the broad definition of 'covered entity,' what constitutes a 'substantial cyber incident,' the amount of information CISA might request, and how these new rules will overlap with existing reporting obligations. The agency emphasizes the importance of prompt notice, evidence preservation, and cooperation with managed security providers, forensic vendors, and outside cybersecurit...

DHS Accelerates Timeline for Consolidated IT Network, Cloud, and Cyber Services Contract

DHS Accelerates Timeline for Consolidated IT Network, Cloud, and Cyber Services Contract

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has released an expedited procurement schedule for its Network Operations Security Center Network, Cloud, and Cyber Services 2.0 contract. This initiative aims to centralize IT service management functions across all DHS network infrastructure, cloud and platform services, and cybersecurity operations, which are currently fragmented. A final solicitation for the contract is expected by October 1, with proposals for Phase 1 due on October 6. Notification to proceed to Phase 2 is set for October 9, with Phase 2 proposals due by October 21. The department anticipates making awards by late November. The contract seeks to establish a single vehicle and operational structure for all DHS IT infrastructure, with a focus on incorporating agentic AI to automate low-level IT responses, thereby allowing personnel to concentrate on high-value analysis and threat detection. Phase 1 of the evaluation is a pass/fail gate based on facility clearance, while Phase 2 assesses prior ex...

Judge Blocks DHS from Acting Against Man Over Harsh Email to ICE Official

Judge Blocks DHS from Acting Against Man Over Harsh Email to ICE Official

A federal judge has issued a preliminary injunction blocking the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from taking further action against David Streever of Rochester, New York. This ruling stems from an incident where Streever sent a critical email to the former acting director of ICE, Todd Lyons, comparing him to a Nazi and calling him a 'monstrous human being.' Following the email, ICE agents attempted to track Streever down at his home, an airport, and a hotel to serve him with a warning notice stating he might be in violation of federal law. Streever, represented by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), subsequently filed a lawsuit in July, arguing that the agents' actions violated his First Amendment rights and led him to self-censor. The federal government had argued for the dismissal of the case, citing an increase in threats against public officials, but did not assert that Streever's email constituted a prosecutable violent t...

FEMA Reimburses Pima County Nearly $10 Million for Asylum Seeker Services After Advocacy from Senators Kelly and Gallego

FEMA Reimburses Pima County Nearly $10 Million for Asylum Seeker Services After Advocacy from Senators Kelly and Gallego

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has reimbursed Pima County, Arizona, approximately $9.6 million for costs incurred in providing services to legally processed asylum seekers. This includes $6.1 million for fiscal year 2023 and an additional $3.5 million for fiscal year 2024. The reimbursement follows persistent advocacy from Arizona Senators Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego, who pressed FEMA to fulfill its commitment under the federal Shelter and Services Program (SSP). Pima County and other Arizona non-profit organizations utilized SSP funding to offer short-term emergency services, such as food, shelter, and transportation, to asylum seekers who had been processed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) during a period of border crisis. These services were crucial in preventing hundreds of thousands of asylum seekers from being released into Arizona border communities without support. The SSP was established by Congress with bipartisan support to provide financial assistance to local gover...

We’re worrying about the wrong AI apocalypse

We’re worrying about the wrong AI apocalypse

America’s infrastructure was already hackable. Then came AI.

DHS Seeks Mission Support Specialist for Office of Civil Rights Compliance

DHS Seeks Mission Support Specialist for Office of Civil Rights Compliance

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is actively recruiting for a Mission Support Specialist position within its U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Office of Civil Rights Compliance, located in Washington, D.C. This role is a non-bargaining unit position. The DHS encourages applications from individuals with disabilities, including those with intellectual, severe physical, or psychiatric disabilities, as well as Disabled Veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30 percent or more. The job posting emphasizes that veterans, Peace Corps, and VISTA volunteers possess unique talents and experiences valuable to the DHS mission and may be eligible for non-competitive appointment. The application process requires completing an occupational questionnaire and submitting all necessary documentation by the deadline of September 21, 2026.

CISA's CDM Program Prioritizes Speed and Unification to Combat Evolving Cyber Threats

CISA's CDM Program Prioritizes Speed and Unification to Combat Evolving Cyber Threats

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is emphasizing the need for its Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation (CDM) program to become significantly faster and more unified in providing cybersecurity tools and capabilities to federal agencies. Richard Grabowski, acting branch chief of service delivery and deputy program manager for the CDM program, stated that current collaboration methods are insufficient for past threats and will be even less effective for future ones. The program's core goals are velocity, unification, and data-driven risk management. Velocity involves pushing responsible automation to allow experts to focus on novel threats, while unification aims to connect deployments meaningfully to stimulate reusable lessons learned. Data-driven risk management ensures agencies have timely, accurate data for first response during crisis-level events. The CDM program has been evolving since the SolarWinds breach, which compromised at least nine federal agencies, highlighting the n...

Federal Judge Blocks Trump Administration's International Student Visa Restrictions

Federal Judge Blocks Trump Administration's International Student Visa Restrictions

A federal judge has issued a preliminary injunction, preventing the Trump administration's new rule limiting the duration of stay for international students from taking effect. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) rule, finalized in July, sought to replace a nearly 50-year-old policy that allowed international students to remain in the U.S. until they completed their studies. The new regulation would have restricted most international students to a four-year stay, after which they would need to apply for an extension. U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV ruled that the Trump administration failed to adequately respond to public comments or consider alternative options, violating the Administrative Procedure Act. Judge Saylor also stated that the government did not demonstrate a rational connection between the rule and its stated national security objectives, calling the justification "absurd" and based on a "small handful of anecdotes" that the rule would not...

Lockheed Martin Emphasizes AI Red Teaming for Enhanced Cybersecurity and Defense Systems

Lockheed Martin Emphasizes AI Red Teaming for Enhanced Cybersecurity and Defense Systems

Lockheed Martin is prioritizing 'red teaming' in its Artificial Intelligence (AI) development processes to proactively identify and mitigate vulnerabilities in its defense systems. According to Mike “Rabbi” Harasimowicz, Director of AI Certification and Standards at Lockheed Martin AI Center, this approach involves deliberately challenging AI systems with adversarial tactics, similar to military exercises like 'Red Flag' that test human capabilities. The goal is to expose weaknesses and improve system resilience before deployment, ensuring that AI-powered defense technologies are robust against potential threats. This strategy is integrated early in the development cycle, where it is most effective and least costly to implement changes.

Wrongfully Deported Honduran Man José Martinez-Andino Set to Return to North Carolina

Wrongfully Deported Honduran Man José Martinez-Andino Set to Return to North Carolina

José Eliezer Martinez-Andino, a 20-year-old Honduran man with Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, who was wrongfully deported earlier this year, has been released from a Texas detention center and is set to return to Raleigh, North Carolina, to reunite with his family. Martinez-Andino was detained and swiftly deported by federal immigration officials after being encountered during a cross-country trip. U.S. District Court Judge Beryl Howell ordered the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in June to facilitate his return to the U.S. After being flown to Texas, he was held for over a month by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at the Port Isabel Detention Center. His legal team eventually reached a settlement with DHS for his release, dismissing the litigation. Martinez-Andino's case highlights the complexities and challenges faced by individuals with legal protections within the U.S. immigration system.

Rhode Island Delegation Seeks Answers on Alleged Political Retribution in Denied Disaster Aid

Rhode Island Delegation Seeks Answers on Alleged Political Retribution in Denied Disaster Aid

Rhode Island's congressional delegation is demanding answers from federal agencies regarding the denial of $19 million in federal disaster aid following a February 2026 blizzard. U.S. Sens. Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse, along with U.S. Reps. Seth Magaziner and Gabe Amo, all Democrats, sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). They are requesting the preservation of all records and communications related to Rhode Island's request for a major disaster declaration. The lawmakers allege that the denial may have been politically motivated, citing reports that President Trump overrode his own agencies' recommendations to deny disaster requests from four Democratic states. Despite damage estimates exceeding FEMA's thresholds for assistance, the state's request was rejected. The delegation highlighted that the storm dropped up to 37.9 inches of snow and caused significant power outages, two fatalities, and hundreds of emergency room visits, wi...

Representative Houlahan Criticizes President Trump's Administration for Purging Election Security Personnel

Representative Houlahan Criticizes President Trump's Administration for Purging Election Security Personnel

Representative Chrissy Houlahan has publicly criticized President Trump's administration for allegedly purging over 33% of election security personnel from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). Houlahan stated that while President Trump emphasizes the need for secure elections, his White House has simultaneously dismantled programs designed to protect voting rights. She asserted that she is actively working to ensure election administrators in Pennsylvania are equipped with the necessary resources to maintain free, fair, and secure elections. This statement highlights a significant concern among some lawmakers regarding the federal government's commitment to election security and the potential impact of personnel changes on the integrity of the electoral process.