The cybersecurity industry has experienced a significant shock this past week. The Department of Homeland Security told members of several advisory committees that they were fired effective immediately. This move comes as the US Government seeks to remove all third-party advisors, especially those from commercial organisations brought in under the previous administration. The belief seems to be that they were appointed based on political affiliation, not their skills.
One immediate impact is that the Cyber Safety Review Board, which was investigating the actions of Chinese government hackers, Salt Typhoon, has been reduced to doing nothing. Other cybersecurity bodies are also facing a reduction in staffing levels of over 50% and a loss of access to external resources. It raises questions about the ability of the US to defend itself against cyber attacks from Russia, China, North Korea and Iran.
In other news, BlueVoyant announced the appointment of Rob Joyce as an independent director on its board. Joyce brings a wealth of experience in cybersecurity, having recently served as director of the National Security Agency’s (NSA) Cybersecurity Directorate, among other distinguished leadership roles in the United States government.
DryRun Security has secured $8.7 million in a seed funding round. The round was led by LiveOak Ventures and Work-Bench as well as participation from Cannage Capital. The monies will be used to increase its engineering hires and grow its Go To Market (GTM) function. It also launched Natural Language Code Policies (NLCP) for AppSec,
noyb
noyb has warned that a recent demand by President Trump that Democratic members of the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board (PCLOB) could dismantle the Transatlantic Data Privacy Framework (TADPF). If that happens, it would mean EU businesses, government agencies, and other organisations would have to stop using US Cloud Providers such as Apple, Microsoft, Google or Amazon immediately.
Max Schrems stated, “This deal was always build on sand, but the EU business lobby and the European Commission wanted it anyways. Instead of stable legal limitation, the EU was agreeing to executive promises that can be overturned in seconds.
“Now where the first Trump waves hit this deal, it may soon dissolve in seconds and bring many EU businesses into a legal limbo. The PCLOB itself is only one puzzle piece and as long as it is only temporarily not functioning, there is an argument that the deal is not worse then before. However, the direction this is taking already in the first week of the Trump Presidency is really not looking good.”
ThreatQuotient
The Columbian Ministry of Information Technologies and Communications (MINTIC) has selected ThreatQ as its threat intelligence platform. It is one of several vendors MINTIC uses in its Security Operations Centre (SOC).
Mauricio Lizcano, ICT Minister, said, “Today we leave a legacy of enormous importance for our country: this SOC, the first of a public civil nature, which fills us with pride. Although it is a relatively new topic and we still face challenges in our capabilities, this project focuses on national security and gives us fundamental tools to respond effectively to threats.
“With these capabilities, we are delivering a safer environment to Colombia. This project, which I once dreamed of, is today a reality at the service of all Colombians. It contributes directly to security and, ultimately, to the well-being of the entire society.”
US Department of Justice
The US Justice Department has indicted North Korean nationals Jin Sung-Il and Pak Jin-Song, Mexican national Pedro Ernesto Alonso De Los Reyes, and U.S. nationals Erick Ntekereze Prince and Emanuel Ashtor for a six-year employment fraud.
The scheme saw the defendants solicit work from sixty-four US companies, supposedly for remote US workers. Instead, they were hiring North Korean IT workers. As part of the scheme, forged and stolen identity documents were used to convince companies that they were hiring US workers. The companies paid over US$866,255, which was laundered through a Chinese bank.
Assistant Director Bryan Vorndran of the FBI’s Cyber Division, said, “FBI investigation has uncovered a years-long plot to install North Korean IT workers as remote employees to generate revenue for the DPRK regime and evade sanctions. The indictments announced today should highlight to all American companies the risk posed by the North Korean government.”
Xalient
Xalient has published a blog titled “The Importance of Identity Threat Detection and Response (ITDR) in 2025.” The blog looks at the key drivers for ITDR adoption in 2025, including the proliferation of identities and compliance and regulatory pressures.
