cybersecurity

From left, Bill Wanlund of the Falls Church electoral board, Jessica Wilson of voting machine company Hart InterCivic and David Bjerke, the Falls Church director of elections test the city's new voting machines ahead of this November's election.

Learning 2016's Lessons, Virginia Prepares Election Cyberdefenses

9:19am September 26, 2017

by Pam Fessler

One of the most drastic steps was a decision to adopt all new paper-backed voting machines before November after deciding that the paperless electronic equipment was vulnerable to attack.

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People in the U.S. who want to keep their activity hidden are turning to virtual private networks — but VPNs are often insecure.

National

Turning To VPNs For Online Privacy? You Might Be Putting Your Data At Risk

4:36pm August 17, 2017

by Lauren Silverman

With Internet providers able to track and sell your browsing data, people who want to keep their activity hidden are turning to virtual private networks. But VPNs can themselves be insecure.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology recently revised its guidelines on creating passwords.

National

Forget Tough Passwords: New Guidelines Make It Simple

11:13am August 15, 2017

by Samantha Raphelson

We've been told to create passwords that are complicated, to change them regularly and to use different ones for each app or site. But the latest advice is to keep them simple, long and memorable.

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Voters at an elementary school in Provo, Utah on Nov. 8, 2016.

Timeline: Foreign Efforts To Hack State Election Systems And How Officials Responded

9:35am July 31, 2017

by Pam Fessler

For all the focus in 2016 on the cyberattacks against the Democratic National Committee and Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta, less attention was paid to what was happening in the states.

Eugene Kaspersky, founder and chief executive officer of Kaspersky Lab, at his office in Moscow last December. Kaspersky and his firm have ties to the Russian government but say that should not be cause for concern in the West, where the company's cyberse

Congress Casts A Suspicious Eye On Russia's Kaspersky Lab

5:25pm July 05, 2017

by David Welna

The renowned Russian cybersecurity firm's anti-virus software is used by millions of Americans. Congress does not want military service members to be among them.

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A ballot scanner in New York City ahead of last November's election.

If Voting Machines Were Hacked, Would Anyone Know?

5:13am June 14, 2017

by Pam Fessler

Even if most voting machines aren't connected to the Internet, "they are connected to something that's connected to something that's connected to the Internet," says one cybersecurity expert.

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While the government dodged a bullet this time by avoiding the latest malware attack, experts say its systems are still vulnerable.

Federal Computers Dodge Global Malware Attack ... This Time

6:04pm May 22, 2017

by Brian Naylor

Experts say federal agencies have taken steps to secure networks, but they remain vulnerable.

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President Trump gives a thumbs up as he speaks on the phone in the Oval Office on Jan. 29.

Is Trump Tweeting From a 'Secure' Smartphone? The White House Won't Say

6:34pm February 03, 2017

by Sam Sanders

Cybersecurity experts agree that if President Trump is using his old Android smartphone, it poses a big risk. The same experts say there are ways for Trump to tweet securely.

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Cybersecurity presents an early challenge for the incoming president, Donald Trump.

Experts Hope Trump Makes Cybersecurity An Early Priority

3:31pm December 26, 2016

by Brian Naylor

From state-sponsored hacking of government systems to criminal enterprises stealing credit card numbers, strengthening the nation's cyberdefenses is taking on growing importance.

The Nest thermostat is an Internet-connected device. Security technologist Bruce Schneier says that while Internet-enabled devices have immense promise, they are vulnerable to hacking.

Despite Its Promise, The Internet Of Things Remains Vulnerable

7:27pm December 05, 2016

by NPR Staff

There is currently no government regulation around the Internet of things, and Security technologist Bruce Schneier fears it will take a disaster for that to change.

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