Crossroads Blog | Institute National Security and Counterterrorism

Cybersecurity, Data Breaches, DOD, ICANN

Cyber Round Up: Home Depot $19.5MM Settlement, Flying Blind: F-35 Devoid of Cybersecurity Assessment, ICANN55 Underway

  • Home Depot Breach Victims Reach $19.5 Million Settlement (The Hill): According to an article by Cory Bennett, Home Depot has agreed to pay $19.5 million to settle a consumer lawsuit that arose out of the 2014 data breach that exposed data of more than 50 million customers.  While only $6.5 million will be used for identify protection services for breach victims, the remaining $13 million will be used to create a reimbursement fund for affected consumer, according to the article.  Furthermore, Home Depot has agreed to enhance its data security practices and to that end will hire a Chief Information Security Officer (“CISO”) to lead its security efforts, according to the article.  {Editor’s note: Home Depot hired a CISO, Jamil Farshchi, back in March, 2015}.  The full text of the article can be found here.
  • 2015f35jsfFlying Blind: F-35’s RADAR Software Fails in the Air (TheRegister): Richard Chirgwin reports in The Register, that the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (“JSF”) has run into another software bug that requires RADAR restarts during flight operations.  According to the article, this was discovered in 2015 and Lockheed-Martin expects to roll out a patch later this month.  The article also indicates that Dr. Keith Joiner, the former Australian Defense Force Director-General for test and evaluation has indicated that the F-35 has not completed cybersecurity testing.  Dr. Joiner raises some alarms given the fact that the most technologically sophisticated and software reliant flight system in the world hasn’t been tested against cybersecurity.  {Editor’s Note: building a JSF which would presumably be used in conflict zones and failing to assess its cybersecurity seems somewhat problematic.  I am not a pilot but I have to imagine operating such an aircraft and having something like the RADAR fail also seems like it could have a negative impact.  Admittedly, the DOD has planned to perform cybersecurity testing with the JSF, however various administrative issues have precluded this from happening thus far}.  The full text of the article is here.
  • ICANN55_Daily_Schedule ICANN55_Daily_ScheduleICANN 55 — Marrakech is Currently Underway (ICANN): The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers 55 Meeting takes place from Friday, March 4 – Thursday, March 10.  The link here, allows you to view audio and/or video from previous breakout sessions or to attend sessions which are currently ongoing.

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