U.S. federal cybersecurity agency CISA said it did not have a prepared response plan for how it should handle a cybersecurity incident in May, after an investigative reporter notified the agency that a contractor had publicly exposed sensitive keys and credentials for accessing U.S. government systems. CISA, the Homeland Security unit tasked with defending federal…
Security researchers have confirmed that a European politician had his phone hacked with the Pegasus spyware while serving on an investigatory committee probing abuses of the notorious surveillance tool. This has reigniting fresh controversy over governments abusing spyware to collect information about their critics. The researchers at the University of Toronto’s digital rights unit The…
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is pulling back the curtain on a 22,000 square-foot replica town on its Huntsville, Alabama campus that it built to train law enforcement in simulating and investigating real-world cyberattacks. The aim is to teach investigators in a secure environment beyond the classroom by getting hands-on with some of the latest…
South Korean authorities have imposed a record-breaking fine of $624 billion won (over $400 million) on retail giant Coupang after a data breach last year compromised the personal data of more than 34 million customers. Seoul’s Personal Information Protection Commission issued the maximum penalty on Thursday following discovery of the breach in December 2025. The…
LIVE WEBINARDate: June 24, 2026Time: 2pm ET / 11am PT TITLE: Research security and the effort to protect federally funded innovationParticipants can earn 1 CPE credit As the Pentagon places new emphasis on the security of technical research, universities, government agencies, and other institutions are under greater pressure to protect basic and applied research from…
Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming the geospatial intelligence landscape, making GEOINT 2026 one of the most consequential gatherings for the intelligence community this year. While Breaking Defense’s everyday focus is on the Defense Department and Ministries of Defense abroad, the annual GEOINT conference offers a unique window into the priorities of the National Reconnaissance Office…
Nearly a week after the makers of the popular web server management software cPanel and WebHost Manager (WHM) alerted users of a critical flaw in its software, hackers are still targeting thousands of websites that use the vulnerable software. As of Monday there are more than 550,000 potentially vulnerable servers running cPanel, a number that…
OpenAI is getting serious about account security. The company on Thursday launched Advanced Account Security, a set of opt-in protections for ChatGPT users designed for high-value individuals — but available to anyone who wants them. As part of that new program, digital security provider Yubico announced it has partnered with OpenAI to link two new…
Last year, WhatsApp and Apple notified several people in Italy, including journalists and activists, that they had been targeted with government spyware. In particular, WhatsApp pointed the finger at the Israeli American surveillance tech maker Paragon Solutions as the company that provided the technology for a hacking campaign that targeted around 90 people around the…
Launch may capture headlines, but in today’s space domain, it’s what rides those rockets that matters most. Satellites are increasingly central to US military planning, powering communications, enabling missile warning and tracking, and supporting a more distributed, resilient force. This new eBook from Breaking Defense brings together reporting from Theresa Hitchens on the programs, technologies…
