Articles by Joseph Menn

Snowden Leaks, NSA Activities Complicate Push for Cybersecurity Law

Senior U.S. officials on Wednesday sought to mend fences with the technology industry as they renewed their pleas for legislation to increase the flow of information about cyber attacks between federal agencies and private companies. A plan to protect companies …

Cyber Alert: Syria, Aided by Iran, Could Retaliate Against More U.S. Companies

If the United States attacks Syria, it will be the first time it strikes a country that is capable of waging retaliatory cyberspace attacks on American targets. The risk is heightened by Syria’s alliance with Iran, which has built up …

Cyber Attacks On Banks More Serious Than Public Realizes

The series of cyber attacks that repeatedly knocked major U.S. banking websites offline in the past nine months has been more powerful than the general public realizes, government officials and security experts told the Reuters Cybersecurity Summit. A self-described activist …

Government to Share Cyber Security Information with Private Sector

The U.S. government will use classified information about software vulnerabilities for the first time to protect companies outside of the military industrial complex, top officials told Reuters this week. Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano said that a system being …

Commentary: The Near Impossible Battle against Hackers Everywhere

Dire warnings from Washington about a “cyber Pearl Harbor” envision a single surprise strike from a formidable enemy that could destroy power plants nationwide, disable the financial system or cripple the U.S. government. But those on the front lines say …

US Security Group Suspects Chinese Military Unit behind Hacking Attacks

A secretive Chinese military unit is believed to be behind a series of hacking attacks, a U.S. computer security company said, prompting a strong denial by China and accusations that it was in fact the victim of U.S. hacking. The …

White House Readies Executive Order on Cybersecurity

The White House is preparing to direct federal agencies to develop voluntary cybersecurity guidelines for owners of power, water and other critical infrastructure facilities, according to people who said they had seen recent drafts of an executive order. The prospective …

Major Companies Keeping Cyber Attacks Secret from SEC, Investors: Report

At least a half-dozen major U.S. companies whose computers have been infiltrated by cyber criminals or international spies have not admitted to the incidents despite new guidance from securities regulators urging such disclosures. Top U.S. cybersecurity officials believe corporate hacking …