Author Archive

David DiMolfetta

Cybersecurity Reporter, Nextgov/FCW

David DiMolfetta
David DiMolfetta covers cybersecurity for Nextgov/FCW. Previously, he researched The Cybersecurity 202 and The Technology 202 newsletters at The Washington Post and covered AI, cybersecurity and technology policy for S&P Global Market Intelligence. He holds a BBA from The George Washington University and an MS from Georgetown University. Get in touch with him on X/Twitter: @ddimolfetta . If you have a tip you'd like to share, David can be securely contacted at djd.99 on Signal.
Companies

New coalition will enter legal debate over industry’s role in government cyber missions

Its formation occurs amid a broader discussion over whether existing laws are suited for cyber activities that increasingly depend on cooperation between the government and private sector.

Companies

Trump signs AI executive order after postponement last month

The order encourages developers of advanced AI to grant the U.S. and certain critical infrastructure operators 30 days of pre-release model access. Earlier drafts had set 90 days of early access.

Companies

Telecom firms form new cyber information-sharing group

AT&T, Verizon, Comcast and others are among members of the C2 ISAC that aims to boost cybersecurity of the telecommunications sector, a prime target for foreign hackers.

Podcasts

WT 360: NextGov/FCW’s David DiMolfetta on CISA’s catchup, federal AI policy and offensive cyber

David DiMolfetta, cyber reporter at NextGov/FCW, jumps in to break down the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s path forward after an 11-week funding lapse and other major storylines in his coverage universe.

Exclusive Companies

Trump admin floats policy language limiting contractor say on agency uses of technology

Ongoing drafts of policy documents feature language that would limit the private sector’s ability to dictate how their artificial intelligence models are used in government missions, according to sources familiar with their development.

Companies

White House accuses China of ‘deliberate, industrial-scale campaigns’ to steal US AI models

The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy told federal agencies that the Trump administration will be enhancing its engagement with the private sector to counter foreign-led distillation campaigns designed to undermine U.S. AI advances.

Companies

Autonomous weapons will be ‘key and essential part’ of warfare, Joint Chiefs chair says

Chairman Dan Caine also said the U.S. needs to become a “better” buyer of advanced tools and tech for defense activities.

Companies

US push to counter hackers draws industry deeper into offensive cyber debate

The White House is expanding the market for offensive cyber capabilities — and drawing more of the private sector into that ecosystem — even as policy boundaries around their use remain unclear.

Contracts

Trump’s FY27 budget proposes boosts and cuts to tech operations

Agencies like CISA, NIST and the IRS would see notable reductions in their budgets for next year, while programs at Energy and the VA would get additional financial support.

Contracts

Old-school spycraft could make a comeback as AI undermines trust

An article in the CIA’s Studies in Intelligence journal argues that artificial intelligence may erode confidence in certain electronic communications and further revive centuries-old human intelligence techniques.

Companies

Google launches threat disruption unit, stops short of calling it ‘offensive’

The unit will use legal authorizations and technical capabilities to impede cyber threat groups, though company execs say it will not go so far as to hack into adversaries' systems.

Contracts

CIA announces new acquisition framework to speed tech adoption

DARPA alum Efstathia Fragogiannis joined the agency as its new procurement chief in November and will be spearheading the effort, according to a CIA official.

Contracts

CISA orders agencies to patch and replace end-of-life devices, citing active exploitation

The directive gives agencies three months to identify unsupported edge devices, a year to begin removing them and 18 months to eliminate them entirely.

Contracts

White House cyber shop is crafting AI security policy framework, top official says

ONCD chief Sean Cairncross also said a bedrock National Cyber Strategy, initially expected last month, is coming “sooner rather than later” without specifying a date.

Companies

OMB reverses Biden-era software attestation order

A new executive branch memorandum instead allows agencies to lean on software bills of materials, or SBOMs, in lieu of a universal attestation framework.

Companies

US charges former Accenture employee with misleading feds on cloud platform’s security

Danielle Hillmer, most recently employed with SentinelOne, allegedly concealed a cloud product’s noncompliance with federal security regulations.

Companies

SEC to drop high-profile SolarWinds hack lawsuit

The landmark lawsuit garnered pushback from dozens of cybersecurity leaders last year.

Companies

Upcoming White House cyber strategy to seek more involvement with private sector

The Trump 2.0 cyber strategy is in development, National Cyber Director Sean Cairncross said, though he did not elaborate on when it would be released.

Companies

Industry groups push to keep open-source measures in annual intelligence bill

They’re backing provisions in the House version of the Intelligence Authorization Act. But multiple intelligence community elements are hesitant about the measures, people familiar say.

Contracts

FCC initiates process to ban Hong Kong Telecom in US

The agency has previously barred China-linked communications providers from operating on American soil.