Don't expect the same characters to return for prominent cyber roles in the second Trump administration.
Why it matters: As people read the tea leaves to try to predict a historically unpredictable president, many keep looking back to President-elect Trump's first term for clues for who might take key positions.
Did you hear the one about the $6.2 million banana? That's the price a piece of art consisting of a banana duct-taped to a wall fetched this week, up from a "mere" $120,000 it sold for five years ago.
Why it matters: It is a fitting metaphor for an exuberant, and frothy, moment in financial markets of all types, one that raises uncomfortable questions about whether Federal Reserve policy is really restraining the economy as much as its leaders believe.
Don't expect the same characters to return for prominent cyber roles in the second Trump administration.
Why it matters: As people read the tea leaves to try to predict a historically unpredictable president, many keep looking back to President-elect Trump's first term for clues for who might take key positions.
Between the lines: The pool of Republican cybersecurity policy experts is splattered in bad blood.
Chris Krebs, the first-ever director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, was famously fired by tweet after he said the 2020 election was safe and secure. His deputy, Matthew Travis, resigned three days later.
🚨 Senate Intelligence Committee Chair Mark Warner (D-Va.) called the Salt Typhoon attacks the "worst telecom hack in our nation's history — by far" and warned the intrusions could be much worse than the public realizes. (Washington Post)
☎️ Lawmakers are calling on the Federal Communications Commission to propose new rules to reevaluate the laws that allow for wiretapping after the Salt Typhoon telecom hacks. (Nextgov)
🪖 The Philippine Army is recruiting civilian hackers to join its team and fight cyberattacks. (Rest of World)
@ Industry
💪🏻 Insurer Crum & Forster is now offering professional liability insurance to chief information security officers. (CyberScoop)
Upstart social network Bluesky is getting inbound interest for a large new investment round, just weeks after raising $15 million in Series A funding, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: Bluesky has become a post-election refuge for millions of Twitter/X users.
Left-leaning apps, news websites and social networks are experiencing a spike in engagement following President-elect Trump's election win, further dividing the internet along political lines.
Why it matters: It's not unusual for resistance media to rise in response to contentious elections. But the internet itself is becoming more politically divided than ever, driving Americans further into echo chambers.
DirecTV terminated its planned acquisitionof rival Dish Network on Thursday night following bondholders' rejection of a debt swap that the deal depended upon.
Why it matters: A merger between the two struggling satellite TV providers was seen as essential to the survival of both.
Sexual misconduct allegations have tanked one of President-elect Trump's most high-profile Cabinet picks, Matt Gaetz, but other choices to staff his administration have also been accused of participating or overlooking sexual misconduct.
Why it matters: While the first Trump administration's staff also included members who faced sexual misconduct allegations, Trump's picks the second time around are set to fill much more prominent and influential roles.
Public figures, high-ranking executives and activists will soon be able to purchase a phone and use a cell network that will collect as little information about them as possible.
AI safety experts from around the world are convening in San Francisco this week to compare notes on how to evaluate and mitigate the risks posed by artificial intelligence.
Why it matters: Governments are looking to gain from AI's potential benefits, but officials are also worried about potential risks.
The Department of Justice is pushing for Google to sell its Chrome web browser after a landmark ruling found the tech giant had illegally abused its search monopoly.
Why it matters: The proposal for a partial breakup of Google and an overhaul of the running of its Android mobile operating system, among other changes, would mark the biggest antitrust action in the U.S. in decades if it's approved.