Phone Searches at the US Border Hit a Record High
Customs and Border Protection agents searched nearly 15,000 devices from April through June of this year, a nearly 17 percent spike over the previous three-month high in 2022.
Security / National Security
Senate Probe Uncovers Allegations of Widespread Abuse in ICE Custody
Led by US senator Jon Ossoff, the investigation cites hundreds of reports since January, including accounts of miscarriages, child neglect, and sexual abuse at ICE detention centers in dozens of states.
The First Federal Cybersecurity Disaster of Trump 2.0 Has Arrived
The breach of the US Courts records system came to light more than a month after the attack was discovered. Details about what was exposed—and who’s responsible—remain unclear.
The US Court Records System Has Been Hacked
Plus: Instagram sparks a privacy backlash over its new map feature, hackers steal data from Google’s customer support system, and the true scope of the Columbia University hack comes into focus.
Ex-NSA Chief Paul Nakasone Has a Warning for the Tech World
At the Defcon security conference in Las Vegas on Friday, Nakasone tried to thread the needle in a politically fraught moment while hinting at major changes for the tech community around the corner.
Mysterious Crime Spree Targeted National Guard Equipment Stashes
A string of US armory break-ins, kept quiet by authorities for months, points to a growing security crisis—and signs of an inside job.
Encryption Made for Police and Military Radios May Be Easily Cracked
Researchers found that an encryption algorithm likely used by law enforcement and special forces can have weaknesses that could allow an attacker to listen in.
Google Will Use AI to Guess People’s Ages Based on Search History
Plus: A former top US cyber official loses her new job due to political backlash, Congress is rushing through a bill to censor lawmakers’ personal information online, and more.
The Kremlin’s Most Devious Hacking Group Is Using Russian ISPs to Plant Spyware
The FSB cyberespionage group known as Turla seems to have used its control of Russia’s network infrastructure to meddle with web traffic and trick diplomats into infecting their computers.
How China’s Patriotic ‘Honkers’ Became the Nation’s Elite Cyberspies
A new report traces the history of the early wave of Chinese hackers who became the backbone of the state’s espionage apparatus.