Researchers at Symantec say a new round of targeted web assaults appear to come from the same group responsible for last year’s attacks against Google and other major U.S. businesses. Writing on the Symantec Security blog, researcher Karthik Selvaraj said evidence collected on the new targeted attacks have  many of …

Defense industry experts are bracing for a major consolidation after public comments last Tuesday from Dennis Muilenburg, CEO of Boeing’s defense, space and security division, fueled rumors that the company might consider a merger with Northrop Grumman. However, a Boeing-Northrop merger would put almost half of all defense work in …

The Pacific Northwest Science and Engineering Festival (PNSEF) has kicked off as a satellite prelude to the USA Science and Engineering Festival to be held in Washington, D.C. Oct. 10-24. The festival marks the first large-scale, organized effort of its kind in the region to promote science and engineering education …

Large defense contractors are increasingly readying to bid for cybersecurity work by buying or partnering with smaller firms that specialize in closely monitoring the data that courses over communications networks, The Washington Post reports. One current in-demand capability is known as “deep packet inspection”; the ability to analyze the packets …

Boeing’s unmanned space vehicle, the X-37B (also known by its prototype designation, OTV-1), launched in April. Its top-secret mission and undisclosed capabilities have engendered plentiful speculation from amateur astronomers, space-policy enthusiasts and arms-control activists alike. Recently, however, the spacecraft pulled off a new trick: a vanishing act. The robotic space …

Cyberspace has become a lawless environment without any natural technical barriers to protect information, requiring every user to assume a personal responsibility for firewalls, said Gen. Michael V. Hayden, former director of the National Security Agency and of the CIA. In an interview with PBS, Hayden spoke about the cyber …

Google CEO Eric Schmidt has suggested a novel approach to offset potentially damaging search-result histories: Change your name once you reach adulthood. “I don’t believe society understands what happens when everything is available, knowable and recorded by everyone all the time,” Schmidt told The Wall Street Journal. Instead, Schmidt envisions …

Afghan President Hamad Karzai has issued a stern decree to private security contractors, demanding that the firms cease operations in the country within four months. NATO, which relies on private contractors to secure convoys and bases, is expected to resist the move. According to Karzai’s order, contractors must disband or …

ManTech International Corporation has received a contract with the FBI’s security division to provide cybersecurity services to the bureau. The contract is worth a potential $99.5 million over a five-year period. ManTech will be responsible for providing cybersecurity support 24/7, including intrusion-detection monitoring, incident identification and response, security engineering,  vulnerability …

The networks of the Federal Aviation Administration are still vulnerable to cyber attacks even though a number of radar facilities have been improved, according to a new government study. The Inspector General of the Department of Transportation said despite the FAA’s steps to install cyber intrusion detection systems in some …

A new report by Sophos indicates a relaxed attitude to state-sponsored cyber crime with a majority of respondents saying it is OK for their country to spy on other nations by hacking or installing malware. The Sophos Security Threat Report Mid-Year 2010 reveals how 63 percent of those polled believe …

Presidential nominee James R. Clapper was unanimously confirmed by the Senate yesterday to become the next Director of National Intelligence. Clapper is a retired Air Force lieutenant general who most recently served as director of military intelligence and as undersecretary of defense for intelligence. He will take over for Dennis …

The alternative Quadrennial Defense Review independent panel delivered its findings to Congress last week, and it had some different recommendations for Congress than the version released late last year. While the official QDR recommended that the Department of Defense shift its priorities away from large, expensive weapons systems and more …

CACI International Inc (NYSE: CACI) and the U. S. Naval Institute (USNI) announced the release of a new report, titled Cyber Threats to National Security: Countering Challenges to the Global Supply Chain. The report contains the recommendations of a recent symposium in the new Asymmetric Threats series on cybersecurity. The …

Now that Boeing and EADS have each submitted bids for the Air Force’s lucrative KC-X refueling tanker contract, the war of words between supporters of both companies has kicked into high gear. Following a WTO ruling against illegal subsidies provided to EADS by European governments and the Pentagon’s refusal to …