Overnight Cybersecurity: Senate to move forward on cyber bill

Senate to move forward on cyber bill March 11, 2015 By Cory Bennett and Elise Viebeck Welcome to OVERNIGHT CYBERSECURITY, your daily rundown of the biggest news in the world of hacking and data privacy. We're here to connect the dots as leaders in government, policy and industry wrap their arms around cyberthreats. What lies ahead for Congress, the administration and the latest company under siege? Whether you're a consumer, a techie or a D.C. lifer, we're here to give you ... THE BIG STORIES: --SENATE CYVER MARKUP LOOMS: Advocates are trying to squeeze in their last arguments before members of the Senate Intelligence Committee mark up this year's cyber threat-sharing bill on Thursday. The markup will take place at 2:30 p.m. in a closed session, and it was unclear whether lawmakers would be considering the version of the bill that has circulated around town or an update to it. Progress on the legislation -- known as CISA -- was stalled for several weeks while the White House and some Democrats voiced concerns over the bill's privacy provisions. To read our full piece, click here. --HACKING GROUP MAY BE NSA IN DISGUISE: One of the world's most effective hacking collectives may just be the NSA in disguise, security researchers said Wednesday. Experts with Moscow-based Kaspersky Lab pointed to new evidence that the hacking unit known as the Equation Group may actually be NSA personnel, including the fact that they work normal business hours and seem to be located on the East Coast. Experts also located the term "BACKSNARF" in both code from within an Equation Group platform and a previously leaked list of NSA programs, a discovery that Ars Technica called a "smoking gun." To read our full piece, click here. --IS A FAKE DOXX A 'FAUXX'?: An online anarchist group is taking issue with the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN), though a move to disclose private website login information for one of the network's former employees appears to be fake. The so-called Anarchy Agency published in early February what it described as usernames and passwords for Craig C. von Buseck, a contributor and former web producer with CBN. Obtained by The Hill on Wednesday, the anonymous post criticizes von Buseck for "cramming religion down people's throats." While it circulated on Twitter and elsewhere, the post contains no valid login information for CBN, a spokesman for the network said, adding that "the CBN website was never in any danger of being hacked." LIGHTER CLICK: The "party game for horrible people" is coming to a mobile device near you. App developers have created a way for people to play Cards Against Humanity online -- good news for fans of the game that want to play around the clock. The program allows you to invite your friends to a game. Read morehere. REPORTS IN FOCUS: --Data security professionals around the world say they're under more pressure this year than in 2014, and that they need more staff to cope with rising cyber threats. That's the conclusion from a new report conducted on behalf of Chicago-based security vendor Trustwave. Fifty-three percent of professionals surveyed said they are most worried about customer data theft, while 21 percent were worried about the stealing of intellectual property. To read the full report, click here. --Companies have a new threat to worry about: unsafe mobile applications used by their employees. About 14,000 of the most popular applications for Apple and Google device users have security problems, according to a new study, and on average, large companies have about 2,400 unsafe apps in their working environments. To read the full report by mobile security vendor Veracode, click here. A LOOK AHEAD: --THURSDAY: The U.S. Chamber of Commerce will host Senate Homeland Security Committee Chairman Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) to discuss the panel's agenda for 2015, including its plans for action on cybersecurity. --THURSDAY: The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) will host a panel of experts to discuss the debate over technological backdoors and what it means for consumers, the tech industry and law enforcement. The event is titled: "Crypto Wars 2.0: Has the United States Abandoned the Policy of 'Secure by Design?'" --FRIDAY: At a Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) event, CIA Director John Brennan will discuss the spy agency's historic shake-up that will bring more focus on cyber espionage. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Links from our blog, The Hill, and around the Web. The public should prepare for a damaging cyberattack, a New York-based FBI agent warned Wednesday. (The Hill) The arrest of an alleged cyber crime kingpin took years to plan. (The Hill) A leak investigation has stalled amid concerns that a prosecution could confirm a joint U.S.-Israeli cyber operation. (Washington Post) Apps aimed at helping students learn are creating a data nightmare for educators. (New York Times) Many State Department officials have been lax about preserving emails, an internal watchdog investigation found. (The Hill) Can the Pentagon keep pace in its use of biometrics? (FCW) Six ways the Sony hack changes everything. (Dark Reading) IBM discovered a security flaw that affected Dropbox users. (Security Intelligence) Apple's iTunes, App Stores came back online after a long outage. (Reuters) ICYMI: The State Department is seeking money to secure its classified computer network. (The Hill) We'll be working to stay on top of these and other stories throughout the week, so check The Hill's cybersecurity page early and often for the latest. And send any comments, complaints or cyber news tips our way, viacbennett@thehill.com or eviebeck@thehill.com. And follow us: @cory_bennett and @eliseviebeck. If you'd like to receive our newsletter in your inbox, please sign up here:http://goo.gl/KZ0b4A