Author Archive
David DiMolfetta
Cybersecurity Reporter, Nextgov/FCW
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.
- By David DiMolfetta
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.
- By Alexandra Kelley and David DiMolfetta
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.
- By David DiMolfetta
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.
- By David DiMolfetta and Ross Wilkers
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.
- By Alexandra Kelley and David DiMolfetta
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.
- By Edward Graham and David DiMolfetta
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.
- By David DiMolfetta
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.
- By David DiMolfetta
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.
- By Alexandra Kelley, Edward Graham and David DiMolfetta
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.
- By David DiMolfetta
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.
- By David DiMolfetta
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.
- By David DiMolfetta
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.
- By David DiMolfetta
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.
- By David DiMolfetta
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.
- By David DiMolfetta
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.
- By David DiMolfetta
Companies
SEC to drop high-profile SolarWinds hack lawsuit
The landmark lawsuit garnered pushback from dozens of cybersecurity leaders last year.
- By David DiMolfetta
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.
- By David DiMolfetta
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.
- By David DiMolfetta
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.
- By David DiMolfetta