Security News

Trump Administration labels WeChat and Tiktok ‘threats’ to national security and bans transactions with both
2020-08-07 03:32

United States president Donald Trump has issued two executive orders banning Chinese messaging service WeChat and made-in-China-but-only-operating-abroad social network TikTok, and labelling the two a "Threat". Which is five days after the September 15 deadline president Trump has given Microsoft to do a deal to buy some of TikTok.

China slams President Trump's TikTok banned-or-be-bought plan in the US
2020-08-05 06:27

China has accused the US of abusing its national security laws to target Chinese companies after Washington threatened to ban video-sharing app TikTok from its shores last week. On Saturday, the Trump administration vowed to "Close down" the Chinese-owned video-sharing app unless it is bought by a "Very American" company within 45 days.

Days after President Trump suggests pausing election over security, US House passes $500m for states to shore up election security
2020-08-03 20:51

The US House of Representatives has passed a spending bill which includes a $500m election security provision. Specifically, the half-billion goes to the US Election Assistance Commission and will give states money that will be used to replace electronic voting machines with ones that provide a paper trail of results.

Days after Trump suggests pausing election over security, US House passes $500m for states to do just that
2020-08-03 20:51

The US House of Representatives has passed a spending bill which includes a $500m election security provision. Specifically, the half-billion goes to the US Election Assistance Commission and will give states money that will be used to replace electronic voting machines with ones that provide a paper trail of results.

Microsoft to Keep Exploring TikTok Deal After Talks With Trump
2020-08-03 10:06

Microsoft announced Sunday it would continue talks to acquire the US operations of popular video-sharing app TikTok, after meeting with President Donald Trump who seemingly backed off his earlier threats to ban the Chinese-owned platform. "Following a conversation between Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and President Donald J Trump, Microsoft is prepared to continue discussions to explore a purchase of TikTok in the United States," the company said in a statement, acknowledging the "Importance of addressing the President's concerns" over national security.

Trump Says Will Bar TikTok From US
2020-08-01 12:04

President Donald Trump said Friday he will bar fast-growing social media app TikTok from the United States as American authorities have raised concerns the service could be a tool for Chinese intelligence. Speaking to reporters on Air Force One, Trump said: "As far as TikTok is concerned, we're banning them from the United States."

Report: CIA runs secret cyberwar with little oversight after Trump gave the OK, say US government officials
2020-07-16 01:58

The CIA is running a secret cyberwar including Russian-style hack-and-leak operations with little or no oversight, US officials have warned. The approval for the operations stems from a National Security Presidential Memorandum signed in 2018 by President Trump which has long been known about but the contents of which remain top secret.

Top Trump Aide Warns of 'Strong Actions' on TikTok, Angering China
2020-07-14 11:49

A top White House official said he expected President Trump to act firmly against the TikTok and WeChat social media apps, prompting an angry response from China on Monday. Trump last week had said he is considering banning the wildly popular TikTok app as a way to punish China over the coronavirus pandemic.

Trump Confirms U.S. Launched Cyberattack on Russian Troll Farm in 2018
2020-07-13 12:00

U.S. President Donald Trump has confirmed that a cyberattack was launched in 2018 against a Russian company believed to be behind some major disinformation campaigns, including ones targeting elections. The Washington Post reported in February 2019 that the U.S. Cyber Command, supported by the NSA, had launched an attack on the Internet Research Agency, a Saint Petersburg-based firm that is said to conduct online influence operations for the Russian government.

Trump reveals US cyber-attack on Russian election-misdirection troll farms
2020-07-13 08:02

In 1965, Gordon Moore published a short informal paper, Cramming more components onto integrated circuits. Based on not much more but these few data points and his knowledge of silicon chip development - he was head of R&D at Fairchild Semiconductors, the company that was to seed Silicon Valley - he said that for the next decade, component counts by area could double every year.