Latest news with #U.S.CyberCommand
Politico
20 hours ago
- Politics
- Politico
Bank hacks, internet shutdowns and crypto heists: Here's how the war between Israel and Iran is playing out in cyberspace
The war between Iran and Israel has already expanded from the battlefield into cyberspace. The conflict between the two Middle East adversaries has so far largely played out in public view, with hundreds of missiles and drones causing mass casualties across major cities. But Iran and Israel have also been launching cyber attacks against one another from the shadows — which officials are now warning may soon spill over onto U.S. targets. Overnight strikes by the U.S. against Iranian nuclear facilities have heightened the threat environment, and Iran could retaliate by hacking into U.S. electrical grids, water plants, and other critical sectors. 'Cyber is one of the tools of Iran's asymmetric warfare,' said Alex Vatanka, senior fellow at the Middle East Institute. The National Terrorism Advisory System warned Sunday of a range of Iranian threats to the U.S., including attacks on 'poorly secured U.S. networks and Internet-connected devices.' 'Low-level cyber attacks against U.S. networks by pro-Iranian hacktivists are likely, and cyber actors affiliated with the Iranian government may conduct attacks against U.S. networks.' Joint Chiefs Chair Gen. Dan Caine told reporters on Sunday that U.S. Cyber Command was helping support the strikes, although he did not elaborate on its involvement. A spokesperson for U.S. Cyber Command did not respond to a request for comment. A spokesperson for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, the main U.S. cyber defense agency, declined to comment. Critical infrastructure groups last week called on U.S. companies to proactively step up their defenses in anticipation of an attack. Former CISA Director Jen Easterly posted on LinkedIn on Sunday that U.S. critical infrastructure organizations should have their 'shields up' and be prepared for malicious cyber activity. 'While it's unclear whether its cyber capabilities were at all impacted by recent Israeli strikes, Iran has a track record of retaliatory cyber operations targeting civilian infrastructure, including: water systems; financial institutions; energy pipelines; government networks; and more,' she wrote. Both Iran and Israel are considered global cyber powers and have traded barbs online, particularly in the aftermath of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel. An Iranian gang claimed responsibility for hacking into an Israeli hospital and stealing patient data in 2023, and an Israeli hacking group followed by shutting down large swaths of Iran's gas stations. But Israel's cyber capabilities are widely considered more sophisticated. 'The Iranians … are good, they are emerging, but I don't think they're at the level of the Israelis or Americans,' Vatanka said. Some of the most aggressive efforts over the past week have been cyberattacks against major financial institutions in Iran and disinformation campaigns aimed at causing chaos and confusion in Israel. A pro-Israeli hacking group known as Predatory Sparrow claimed credit for a cyberattack last week on Iran's Bank Sepah, which caused widespread account issues for customers. The group also later claimed credit for draining around $90 million from Nobitex, Iran's largest cryptocurrency exchange, and for posting stolen Nobitex source code lists on the social media platform X. Hackers also targeted Iranian news stations. Videos circulated online appeared to show Iranian state TV broadcasting anti-regime messages last week. The Iranian government shut down the nation's internet in response to the attacks late last week, a blackout that was largely still ongoing on Sunday. 'Gaining control of the flow of information is certainly to be expected from the regime … they suspect that there is maybe an attempt to mobilize public attention,' Vatanka said. Top Iranian officials and their security teams were also advised last week to stop using internet-connected devices, in particular telecommunication devices, to protect against potential Israeli disruptions. Last year, thousands of pagers used by the Iranian proxy militant group Hezbollah exploded across Lebanon, leaving thousands injured. One reason Israel's cyberattacks may have been more effective in this round of fighting is that Israel struck Iranian facilities first, giving it more time to prepare its offensive and defensive options before Iran could retaliate. Iran and its proxy organizations are fighting back, albeit on a smaller scale. Israel's National Cyber Directorate warned Israelis abroad on Saturday not to fill out forms on malicious websites that are seeking to gather intelligence on these individuals. Gil Messing, chief of staff for Israeli cyber company Check Point Software, said Saturday just before the U.S. strikes that his company had tracked cyber and disinformation campaigns against Israel 'escalating a bit,' though no new major attacks had been reported. Messing said that there was a 'flood of disinformation' pouring onto social media last week, including messages discouraging Israelis from entering shelters during attacks and erroneous texts about gas and supply shortages. Israel's civilian cyber defense agency warned that Iran was renewing its efforts to hack into internet-connected cameras for espionage purposes. John Hultquist, chief analyst for Google Threat Intelligence Group, posted on X on Saturday shortly after the attacks that Iranian cyber forces usually use their 'cyberattack capability for psychological purposes.' 'I'm most concerned about cyber espionage against our leaders and surveillance aided by compromises in travel, hospitality, telecommunications, and other sectors where data could be used to identify and physically track persons of interest,' Hultquist wrote.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Hegseth briefly paused cyber ops against Russia as part of negotiations, GOP Rep. Bacon says
U.S. Cyber Command paused offensive operations aimed at Russia for a day earlier this year as a negotiating tactic, House Armed Services Committee cyber subcommittee Chair Don Bacon (R-Neb.) confirmed Friday. During a subcommittee hearing on the Pentagon's cyber posture, Bacon referenced reports that emerged in late February suggesting that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had directed Cyber Command to stand down from planning on all matters regarding Russia, including offensive actions. The report sparked confusion and fury among Democratic lawmakers and European leaders, who viewed the move as a capitulation toward Russia during a time of tense negotiations to end the war in Ukraine. The Pentagon at the time denied that any stand-down order was made. 'I dug into this whole matter,' Bacon said. 'There was a one-day pause, which is typical for negotiations, that's about as much as I can say, a one-day pause.' While Bacon did not elaborate on the negotiations, the pause likely happened around the time Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was visiting the White House to negotiate a minerals deal with President Donald Trump — a deal that fell through after a contentious Oval Office meeting. Spokespersons for both the Pentagon and Cyber Command did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Bacon's claim. The Department of Defense Rapid Response account tweeted in early March that Hegseth had 'neither canceled nor delayed any cyber operations directed against malicious Russian targets and there has been no stand down order whatsoever from that priority.' Subcommittee member Rep. Eugene Vindman (D-Va.) pointed to this tweet during the hearing Friday, saying that in light of Bacon's comments, it was 'an outright lie.' 'That is not what the American people deserve, and that will be something I intend to follow up with the secretary when he actually shows up,' Vindman said. Bacon has emerged as a vocal critic of Hegseth, pushing back on the Pentagon chief's use of encrypted messaging app Signal to discuss sensitive military strikes in Yemen and calling for his dismissal last month. Bacon on Friday slammed Hegseth for the recent firing of Gen. Timothy Haugh, who ran both Cyber Command and the National Security Agency before being abruptly let go, reportedly due to allegations made against Haugh to Trump by far-right activist Laura Loomer. 'When the secretary of defense comes to the Armed Services Committee, he will have to answer for this,' Bacon said in reference to Haugh's dismissal.
Politico
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Politico
Hegseth briefly paused cyber ops against Russia as part of negotiations, GOP Rep. Bacon says
U.S. Cyber Command paused offensive operations aimed at Russia for a day earlier this year as a negotiating tactic, House Armed Services Committee cyber subcommittee Chair Don Bacon (R-Neb.) confirmed Friday. During a subcommittee hearing on the Pentagon's cyber posture, Bacon referenced reports that emerged in late February suggesting that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had directed Cyber Command to stand down from planning on all matters regarding Russia, including offensive actions. The report sparked confusion and fury among Democratic lawmakers and European leaders, who viewed the move as a capitulation toward Russia during a time of tense negotiations to end the war in Ukraine. The Pentagon at the time denied that any stand-down order was made. 'I dug into this whole matter,' Bacon said. 'There was a one-day pause, which is typical for negotiations, that's about as much as I can say, a one-day pause.' While Bacon did not elaborate on the negotiations, the pause likely happened around the time Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was visiting the White House to negotiate a minerals deal with President Donald Trump — a deal that fell through after a contentious Oval Office meeting. Spokespersons for both the Pentagon and Cyber Command did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Bacon's claim. The Department of Defense Rapid Response account tweeted in early March that Hegseth had 'neither canceled nor delayed any cyber operations directed against malicious Russian targets and there has been no stand down order whatsoever from that priority.' Subcommittee member Rep. Eugene Vindman (D-Va.) pointed to this tweet during the hearing Friday, saying that in light of Bacon's comments, it was 'an outright lie.' 'That is not what the American people deserve, and that will be something I intend to follow up with the secretary when he actually shows up,' Vindman said. Bacon has emerged as a vocal critic of Hegseth, pushing back on the Pentagon chief's use of encrypted messaging app Signal to discuss sensitive military strikes in Yemen and calling for his dismissal last month. Bacon on Friday slammed Hegseth for the recent firing of Gen. Timothy Haugh, who ran both Cyber Command and the National Security Agency before being abruptly let go, reportedly due to allegations made against Haugh to Trump by far-right activist Laura Loomer. 'When the secretary of defense comes to the Armed Services Committee, he will have to answer for this,' Bacon said in reference to Haugh's dismissal.
New York Times
18-04-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Under Trump, National Security Guardrails Vanish
This month, a network of pro-Russian websites began a campaign aimed at undermining confidence in the U.S. defense industry, according to disinformation analysts. The F-35 fighter jet was one target. The effort, coordinated by a Russian group known as Portal Kombat, spread rumors that American allies purchasing the warplanes would not have complete control over them, the analysts said. In the past, U.S. cybersecurity agencies would counter such campaigns by calling them out to raise public awareness. The F.B.I. would warn social media companies of inauthentic accounts so they could be removed. And, at times, U.S. Cyber Command would try to take Russian troll farms that create disinformation offline, at least temporarily. But President Trump has fired General Timothy D. Haugh, a four-star general with years of experience countering Russian online propaganda, from his posts leading U.S. Cyber Command and the National Security Agency. The F.B.I. has shut down its foreign influence task force. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has ended its efforts to expose disinformation. And this week the State Department put employees who tracked global disinformation on leave, shutting down the effort that had publicized the spread of Chinese and Russian propaganda. Almost three months into Mr. Trump's second term, the guardrails intended to prevent national security missteps have come down as the new team races to anticipate and amplify the wishes of an unpredictable president. The result has been a diminished role for national security expertise, even in the most consequential foreign policy decisions. Trump administration officials said that is by design. In Mr. Trump's first administration, some members of his team tried to stop him from executing parts of his agenda, such as his desire to pull U.S. troops out of Syria and Afghanistan, or to deploy them against protesters in American cities. The president does not intend to allow anyone to rein him in this time. But tearing down guardrails has created room for America's adversaries to operate more freely in the disinformation space, according to Western officials and private cybersecurity experts. This is not how the American national security apparatus is supposed to work, national security experts and former officials say. The National Security Act of 1947 established the National Security Council to ensure that the president received the most expert advice on an array of global issues. The act also led to the establishment of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, which advises the president on military strategy and planning. But instead of advice, Mr. Trump is getting obedience. 'Right now, the N.S.C. is at the absolute nadir of its influence in modern times,' said David Rothkopf, the author of 'Running the World: The Inside Story of the National Security Council and the Architects of American Power.' Mr. Trump is skeptical of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, so the Pentagon is considering plans to hand over U.S. command of NATO troops. The president is close to the tech billionaire Elon Musk, so the Pentagon invited him to view plans in the event of a war with China in the Pentagon 'tank,' a meeting space reserved for secure classified meetings (the White House stopped Mr. Musk from getting the China briefing). Mr. Trump fired the director of the National Security Agency and six National Security Council officials on the advice of Laura Loomer, a far-right activist. Michael Waltz, the national security adviser, appeared to have little influence over the dismissals. 'When somebody with no knowledge can come in and level accusations at the N.S.C. senior directors, and Waltz can't defend them, what does that say?' asked John R. Bolton, one of those who had Mr. Waltz's job in Mr. Trump's first term. Back then, Mr. Bolton said in an interview, Mr. Trump made clear that he disliked pushback, once saying: 'I knew I should have made Keith Kellogg the national security adviser. He never tells me his opinion unless I want it.' Mr. Kellogg, a retired lieutenant general, is now Mr. Trump's adviser to Ukraine. In February, Mr. Kellogg had cautioned against an Oval Office meeting between Mr. Trump and President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine because he was worried such plans were premature, two administration officials said. The meeting took place anyway, and blew up. Mr. Trump temporarily cut off crucial aid and intelligence sharing to Ukraine, complaining that Mr. Zelensky had not sufficiently expressed his gratitude. The rest of the national security team cheered the president. 'Amen, Mr. President,' Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wrote on social media, applauding Mr. Trump's stance. Mr. Zelensky 'should apologize for wasting our time for a meeting that was going to end the way it did,' Secretary of State Marco Rubio added during a CNN appearance. Despite his role, Mr. Kellogg has been eclipsed in negotiating an end to the war between Russia and Ukraine by Steve Witkoff, a real estate developer who was initially tapped to be the special envoy for the Middle East. During Mr. Trump's first term, senior members of his national security team became a sort of guardrail against the mercurial instincts of a president often disdainful of anything he sees as reflecting the national security establishment's policy preferences. His first defense secretary, Jim Mattis, talked him out of using torture as a tool for interrogating detainees. Mr. Mattis and Mr. Bolton talked him out of withdrawing from NATO. His second chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Mark Milley, and his second defense secretary, Mark Esper, talked him out of using active-duty troops to shoot Black Lives Matter protesters in the legs, as the president had suggested. Sean Parnell, the Pentagon press secretary, did not respond to requests for comment. Brian Hughes, the N.S.C. spokesman, said in a statement that 'members of the national security team of the first term actively attempted to undermine President Trump including General Milley calling his then-Chinese counterpart behind the president's back.' Mr. Hughes added that it was the job of Mr. Trump's team to 'carry out the elected commander in chief's agenda, not weaken it.' The Trump team's decision to use a commercial chat app to discuss plans for attacking the Houthi militia in Yemen is one example of the way the old security rules have been pushed aside, current and former officials and national security analysts said. Mr. Mattis, Mr. Esper, Mr. Bolton and Mr. Milley would have all 'insisted that the highly classified conversations that were shamefully leaked should have been conducted in the Situation Room,' said retired Adm. James Stavridis, the former Supreme Allied Commander for Europe. Instead, Mr. Hegseth was the one who shared the sequencing for when the fighter jets would launch for the attack, and Mr. Waltz set up the chat. General Milley's immediate successor as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Charles Q. Brown, was fired by Mr. Trump in February; the acting chairman of the chiefs at the time was not in the chat. The chat itself was a rare window into national security policymaking in Mr. Trump's second term. The participants included Vice President JD Vance; Mr. Rubio; the C.I.A. director, John Ratcliffe; and the director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard. They did not discuss the follow-on effects to American forces in the region of an expanded bombing campaign against the Houthis. Mr. Vance fretted about a spike in oil prices and the risk to Saudi oil fields. Usually, someone would have at least asked whether U.S. bases need to step up security in case of retaliation. Republicans have defended the Trump administration's efforts to remove the guardrails on disinformation. This month, Representative Mark Green of Tennessee, the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, praised the administration's efforts to end the role of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency in countering foreign disinformation. 'We want CISA focused on protecting our infrastructure, right?' he said. 'That's what it was formed for. That's what it needs to be focused on. This disinformation campaign puts the federal government in a place of deciding what is and isn't justifiable speech and I, as a freedom-loving federalist, don't like that.' A study by analysts at Alethea, an anti-disinformation company that has tracked the F-35 campaign, indicates that pro-Russian outlets are already stepping up their propaganda efforts. 'The U.S. government at least publicly seems to be taking a more hands-off approach or prioritizing defense against other threats,' said Lisa Kaplan, Alethea's chief executive. 'So foreign governments are currently targeting government and military programs like the F-35 program — if they can't beat it on the battlefield, beat it through influencing political discourse and disinformation.' Alethea found that Russian-controlled websites began pushing narratives after China restricted the export of a wide range of critical minerals and magnets to retaliate against Mr. Trump's sharp increase in tariffs. The messages claimed that the United States faced a strategic vulnerability that could affect its ability to manufacture the F-35 and other weapons systems. The Russian postings said that America's willingness to allow manufacturing to move overseas had made its military edge unsustainable. The websites also amplified the message that U.S. allies no longer trusted that American defense companies would be reliable suppliers. It is hard to know how much traction the Russian disinformation campaign has gained. But it is tilling fertile ground. Canada, Portugal and other countries are reconsidering their commitments to buy F-35s in the face of Mr. Trump's criticism of Europe and Canada and his tariff policy. With the dismantling of the disinformation programs, Ms. Kaplan said, American companies 'are increasingly on their own.' 'From what we are seeing, foreign influence efforts may actually be increasing, especially with the rise of anti-Americanism, and it will increasingly target the private sector and different companies of geostrategic and geopolitical importance,' she added.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Opinion - The guardrails against authoritarianism are not holding
In 1941, as the U.S. headed toward war, President Franklin Roosevelt enunciated the foundational 'Four Freedoms,' the pillars on which he saw our nation built: freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom from want and freedom from fear. In just 90 days since President Trump took office, Americans have seen the Four Freedoms chilled, if not seriously imperiled. The dispensing of guardrails abounds. It includes appointments of Trump loyalists thin on qualifications for their jobs. It includes the firings of people like Gen. Timothy Hough, head of the National Security Agency and the U.S. Cyber Command, which lawmakers described as a 'chilling' action that would damage America's cyber defenses and 'roll out the red carpet' for attacks by foreign adversaries. It includes compromising national security with leaks of sensitive data to outsiders and wholesale deportations without a hearing. It includes holding large law firms to ransom out of personal animus, then exacting millions in free services, provided the services aid favored MAGA causes. It includes crashing the Federal Reserve for 'playing politics' and dismantling or neutering the independent agencies. It includes devaluing the work of scientists and defunding research at the universities — all elements constructed to keep us free, safe and healthy. As for the rule of law, Trump even threatened to seek impeachment of judges that disagreed with him, at least until Chief Justice John Roberts, with an unprecedented rebuke, put a stop to it. The public is not happy. Last weekend was marked by millions of people across the country who took to the streets to protest the havoc. While the protesters showed anger toward Trump, Elon Musk and the 'Department of Government Efficiency' that has been slashing government agencies and employees, they more generally focused on our freedoms, aiming not to change the status quo but to protect our traditional rights from abridgement. The protestors carried homemade signs. One said, 'We value: Due Process, Public Health, Science, Our Veterans, Our Diversity, The Friendship & Autonomy of Our Allies.' Another, my favorite, sized it up neatly: 'Hands Off Our Rule of Law.' So, what can save us from this madness? It might be the federal courts, which have before them more than 170 cases filed against the administration's executive orders, with a number resulting in temporary restraining orders entered against the government. But this will take time, and it is time that we may not have. Can we count on the Department of Justice? It is supposed to uphold the Constitution and the rule of law. But under Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi, examples of removing guardrails abound. Career Justice Department lawyers find it difficult to answer relevant questions put to them by judges, as honest answers might undercut the policy directives of the political appointees at the top. These career lawyers know the dire consequences of an honest answer. A top immigration law prosecutor was just fired for admitting that the deportation of a Maryland man to El Salvador was the result of an 'administrative error.' One significant guardrail has been the highly respected Office of Legal Counsel. Under Trump and Bondi, the office has been largely dealt out of the game. The Office of Legal Counsel traces its origins to the Judiciary Act of 1789, which empowers attorneys general to render legal opinions to the president, and a 1962 presidential directive requiring it to review draft executive orders. The office regularly evaluates the legality of executive orders before they are issued, ensuring they are within the president's constitutional and statutory powers. The office issues opinions, the product of meticulous research, that are supposed to bind the executive branch. Its opinions are often cited with approval by the Supreme Court. One of its opinions put a stop to torture of alleged terrorists after 9/11; another dealt with drone strikes on American citizens abroad. Another opinion is that a sitting president cannot be prosecuted while in office for criminal acts. Attorneys general can overrule Office of Legal Counsel conclusions, and presidents are not bound to follow its advice. But in practice, reversal of the office's judgments is rare. The Office of Legal Counsel has been led by the preeminent lawyers of their day, three of whom — Byron White, William Rehnquist and Antonin Scalia — went on to become Supreme Court justices. Trump has curtailed the influence of the Office of Legal Counsel, taking actions that contradict its opinions on topics involving birthright citizenship, impoundment of funds appropriated by Congress, migrants' asylum rights and White House jurisdiction over the Smithsonian Institution. The Office of Legal Counsel has been startlingly absent from public debates, including administration efforts to revoke visas of foreign students; fire officials without regard to legislated job protections against arbitrary removal; dismantling and defunding agencies such as USAID and NIH; and wholesale deportations without due process, among others. Such moves threaten our health, safety, national security and the very core of democracy. What does the Trump administration have against scientific and medical research that can save our lives? Beats me. Where have all the guardrails gone? The Office of Legal Counsel, designed to protect the president and the American people from a legal misstep, has been put out to pasture. Those who might have stood up to Trump have been fired or excluded from appointments in the first place. So we are in free fall, living in a needless fear, 'boats against the current,' leaving very little to protect the 'Four Freedoms' from overreaching executive action. James D. Zirin, author and legal analyst, is a former federal prosecutor in New York's Southern District. He is also the host of the public television talk show and podcast Conversations with Jim Zirin. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
