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White House Cybersecurity Strategy Promotes Active Disruption with Industry Support

White House Cybersecurity Strategy Promotes Active Disruption with Industry Support

Bob Ackerman, founder of Allegis Cyber and partner at DataTribe, discussed the new national cybersecurity strategy on the Safe Mode podcast. The strategy aims to push the industry towards more open and coordinated 'active disruption' with government support, while avoiding practices like hack-back. Ackerman highlighted the industry's demand for clearer 'rules of the road' and the challenges in transitioning from reactive collaboration to proactive threat management. The conversation also touched on the role of artificial intelligence in cybersecurity, noting the rapid acceleration of offensive tools and the difficulties defenders face with visibility, noise, and prioritization. Ackerman emphasized the importance of focusing on fundamentals and hygiene, as effective defense requires clear visibility.

Iran-Linked Hackers Target U.S. Critical Infrastructure, Causing Operational Disruptions

Iran-Linked Hackers Target U.S. Critical Infrastructure, Causing Operational Disruptions

Hackers affiliated with the Iranian government have been disrupting operations at multiple U.S. critical infrastructure sites. This activity is reportedly in response to ongoing geopolitical tensions between the U.S. and Iran. According to a joint advisory from several U.S. agencies, including the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, the hackers are targeting programmable logic controllers (PLCs) used in various industrial settings such as factories, water treatment centers, and oil refineries. These devices serve as interfaces between computers and physical machinery, and their compromise can lead to significant operational disruptions and financial losses. The advisory highlights that since March 2026, an Iranian-affiliated advanced persistent threat (APT) group has been identified as disrupting PLC functions across multiple sectors, including government services, wastewater systems, and energy.

White House says it warned staff against market bets amid Iran war

White House says it warned staff against market bets amid Iran war

April 9 (Reuters) - The White House warned staff against improperly leveraging their positions to place bets in futures markets in an email on March 24, a day after President Donald Trump ordered a brief pause in some Iran strikes, a White House official said on Thursday.

White House Cyber Strategy Prioritizes Offensive Measures Amid Rising Threats

White House Cyber Strategy Prioritizes Offensive Measures Amid Rising Threats

The White House has released a new cyber strategy that emphasizes proactive or offensive cybersecurity measures as a top priority. This shift comes in response to a rapidly evolving threat environment characterized by faster, more coordinated, and increasingly automated cyber threats. Traditionally, cybersecurity has relied on a reactive model, focusing on detecting intrusions, patching vulnerabilities, and responding to incidents. However, this approach is under pressure as cyber threats become more sophisticated. At the recent RSA Conference, Sandra Joyce from Google's Threat Intelligence Group introduced a threat disruption unit aimed at actively thwarting cyber threat groups using legal and technical capabilities. These developments highlight a significant shift from defensive to offensive cybersecurity strategies.

Iran-Linked Hackers Disrupt US Critical Infrastructure via PLC Attacks

Iran-Linked Hackers Disrupt US Critical Infrastructure via PLC Attacks

Several critical infrastructure organizations in the United States have been disrupted by cyberattacks linked to Iranian threat actors. According to a joint advisory from federal agencies including the FBI, CISA, NSA, EPA, DOE, and United States Cyber Command, these attacks have targeted operational technology (OT) devices across multiple sectors such as government services, water and wastewater systems, and energy sectors. The attackers have focused on internet-exposed programmable logic controllers (PLCs), particularly those manufactured by Rockwell Automation/Allen-Bradley. The advisory warns that the attacks have led to disruptions through malicious interactions with project files and manipulation of data on human machine interface (HMI) and supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) displays.

Trump will meet with NATO leader Rutte as he muses about pulling out of the military alliance

Trump will meet with NATO leader Rutte as he muses about pulling out of the military alliance

The White House says President Donald Trump will discuss leaving NATO when he meets with the military alliance's Secretary-General Mark Rutte

Trump meets with NATO leader Rutte as he muses about pulling out of the military alliance

Trump meets with NATO leader Rutte as he muses about pulling out of the military alliance

The White House says President Donald Trump was expected to discuss leaving NATO while meeting with the military alliance's Secretary-General Mark Rutte

Iran-Backed Hackers Target US Critical Infrastructure, Disrupt Operations

Iran-Backed Hackers Target US Critical Infrastructure, Disrupt Operations

Iranian-affiliated hackers have been targeting US critical national infrastructure (CNI) providers, causing operational disruptions and financial losses. According to a Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) advisory, these threat actors have been focusing on internet-facing operational technology (OT) assets, including programmable logic controllers (PLCs) from Rockwell Automation/Allen-Bradley. The sectors affected include government services, water and wastewater systems, and energy. The hackers have been manipulating data on human-machine interface (HMI) and supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) displays. They use configuration software to establish connections to targeted PLCs via overseas IP addresses. CISA has urged US organizations to review tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) and indicators of compromise (IOCs) to mitigate risks.

Exclusive-Intelligence report warned of Iran's 'persistent threat' to US as White House downplayed the risk

Exclusive-Intelligence report warned of Iran's 'persistent threat' to US as White House downplayed the risk

By Kristina Cooke and Ted Hesson WASHINGTON, April 7 (Reuters) - The FBI warned U.S. state and local law enforcement of an elevated threat posed by Iran's government to targets in the United States last month even as the White House sought to downplay the likelihood of an attack, a law enforcement

FBI Warns of Persistent Iranian Threat as White House Downplays Risk

FBI Warns of Persistent Iranian Threat as White House Downplays Risk

The FBI and other federal intelligence agencies have issued a report warning of a persistent threat posed by the Iranian government to U.S. military and government personnel, Jewish and Israeli institutions, and Iranian dissidents within the United States. Despite these warnings, the FBI and National Counterterrorism Center have not identified broad threats to the general American public. President Trump has publicly minimized the possibility of Iranian attacks on American soil, stating he is not worried about such threats. The report, titled 'Public Safety Awareness Report,' was released after the White House blocked a similar intelligence product, citing the need for proper vetting of information before release.

Escalation in Iranian Cyber Attacks on U.S. Critical Infrastructure

Escalation in Iranian Cyber Attacks on U.S. Critical Infrastructure

U.S. cybersecurity, law enforcement, and intelligence agencies have reported an escalation in Iranian hacking campaigns targeting critical infrastructure sectors. These attacks focus on publicly exposed programmable logic controllers and supervisory control and data acquisition systems, aiming to cause disruptive effects within the United States. The targeted sectors include government services, water and wastewater systems, and energy. The advisory, issued by the FBI, NSA, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and other federal bodies, highlights the operational disruptions and financial losses caused by these cyber operations.

Iran-Backed Hackers Target U.S. Critical Infrastructure via Internet-Facing OT Assets

Iran-Backed Hackers Target U.S. Critical Infrastructure via Internet-Facing OT Assets

Iranian-affiliated hackers have been targeting U.S. critical national infrastructure (CNI) providers, causing operational disruptions and financial losses. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) issued an advisory detailing the attacks on internet-facing operational technology (OT) assets, including programmable logic controllers (PLCs) from Rockwell Automation/Allen-Bradley. The sectors affected include government services, water and wastewater systems, and energy. The hackers have been manipulating data on HMI and SCADA displays, using configuration software to create connections to targeted PLCs.