The global cyberattack that targeted a number of federal agencies should be seen as a wake-up call for the government, according to experts.
The “constant” threat of cyberattacks for both the public and private sector is unlikely to abate, cyber experts say.
The Russian-speaking ransomware group, which is reportedly behind the hack, exploited a vulnerability in a software application known as MOVEit, which is widely used by government agencies to transfer files.
Rex Booth, chief information security officer at tech company SailPoint, said that people should remain concerned.
The software is widely used across the federal government and private companies and may hold sensitive information, including human resources files containing personal identifiable information or audit reports.
Although the impact and scope of the attack is still under investigation, the fact that the hackers targeted multiple agencies simultaneously should be of great concern, experts said.
“In simple terms, U.S. agencies and businesses worldwide are under constant cyber threat,” said Ryan Lasmaili, CEO and co-founder of Vaultree, a data encryption company.
“The recent attack by the CLoP group is the latest reminder of this fact,” Lasmaili said in an email.
Tech giant Meta’s large language model will be available for free commercial and research use, rivaling OpenAI’s GPT-4 that powers the popular ChatGPT tool, the social media company said Tuesday. Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, is releasing its open source Llama 2 large language model, which can power artificial intelligence (AI) tools, in partnership with Microsoft. “We believe an open approach …
The Federal Reserve’s top watchdog warned Tuesday artificial intelligence and machine learning could bolster bias in lending practices. “While these technologies have enormous potential, they also carry risks of violating fair lending laws and perpetuating the very disparities that they have the potential to address,” the Fed’s vice chair of supervision, Michael Barr, said at the National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA) 2023 national …
Patients seeking out-of-state abortions and gender-affirming care are at risk of increased surveillance from law enforcement, according to a new report. The Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (STOP) released a report Tuesday detailing the elevated dangers for patients who travel for abortions or gender-affirming care. “Surveillance doesn’t stop at the state line,” said Albert Fox Cahn, the executive director of STOP. …
Some tech industry titans are praising, and fundraising for, the presidential campaign of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a candidate known for spreading conspiracy theories about vaccines and COVID-19. Kennedy’s long-shot Democratic primary bid against President Biden’s reelection campaign has caught the attention of some of Silicon Valley’s wealthy tech executives, The Wall Street Journal reported this week. In addition to Twitter …
News we’ve flagged from the intersection of tech and other topics:
OpenAI strikes partnership to boost local news
OpenAI, the company behind the popular ChatGPT tool, announced a $5 million partnership with the American Journalism Project to support local news, Mashable reported.
AI is impacting the advertising world
The New York Times reported on how the booming artificial intelligence world is both helping and hurting theadvertising industry.
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The House Judiciary Committee’s Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government will hold a hearing about the federal government’s communication with tech platforms featuring testimony from Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Thursday at 9 a.m. ET.
In Other News
Branch out with other reads on The Hill:
First-gen iPhone sells at auction for almost 380 times its original price
A first-generation iPhone sold at auction Sunday for $190,373, almost 380 times its original price of $499 when the groundbreaking device went for sale in 2007. LCG Auctions, which hosted the sale, said the 4GB iPhone model was 20 times rarer than the 8GB model released at the same time for $599. …
An American soldier has been detained in North Korea after “willfully” crossing into the country, throwing a curveball into Washington-Pyongyang relations … Read more
Republicans defended former President Trump after he announced Tuesday he was the target of the federal Jan. 6 investigation focusing on his efforts … Read more
