David DiMolfetta

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.

For all you government tech nerds: The CIA says it's overhauling how it procures tech from the private sector, as part of an effort speed adoption of cutting-edge capabilities. A DARPA procurement alum is leading the effort, a CIA official tells me:
www.nextgov.com/acquisition/...

Still image from the Super Bowl halftime show of Bad Bunny looking serious, talking directly to the camera, pointing at us.

“If I’m here at Super Bowl LX, it’s because I never stopped believing in myself. You should never stop believing in yourself either. It’s worth more than you think.” —Bad Bunny

In a statement, CIA calls @wyden.senate.gov's letter referring to deep concerns he has about unspecified CIA activities a "badge of honor."

Senator Warner, Vice Chairman of Senate Intelligence Committee “shares many of the concerns expressed by Senator Wyden in his letter, and in fact he has expressed them to DCIA Ratcliffe himself,” a spokesperson tells me.

Domestic surveillance fears loom over Congress debate to renew spying power Lawmakers’ concerns about immigration enforcement and Fourth Amendment compliance are weighing on the reauthorization fight for Section 702 of FISA, even as the FBI privately warns against letting the...

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence has also not made outreach to civil liberties groups to discuss their stances about 702, according to three other people familiar with the matter:
www.nextgov.com/cybersecurit...

Domestic surveillance fears loom over Congress debate to renew spying power Lawmakers’ concerns about immigration enforcement and Fourth Amendment compliance are weighing on the reauthorization fight for Section 702 of FISA, even as the FBI privately warns against letting the...

Against that backdrop, FBI officials have privately warned Hill staffers in recent weeks that the bureau is concerned about Section 702 lapsing altogether, according on one of those aides and another aide familiar with the bureau's stance:
www.nextgov.com/cybersecurit...

New: Growing concerns about Trump-era domestic surveillance practices are weighing on Capitol Hill’s debate over the reauthorization of FISA 702, the powerful surveillance law on track to lapse in April, congressional aides familiar tell me⬇️

Awful to hear this. Looking forward to following your work on Substack.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Washington Post says one-third of its staff across all departments, not just the newsroom, is being laid off.

DHS Hunts Down 67-Year-Old U.S. Citizen Who Criticized Them in Email The Department of Homeland Security is using a little-known tool to go after its critics.

Floored by this story. A man wrote a pollite email to a federal prosecutor objecting to the deportation of an Afghan seeking asylum. DHS responded with an administrative warrant to get the man's info from Google, then visited his home to intimidate him.

Senator says AT&T and Verizon blocked release of Salt Typhoon security reports “AT&T and Verizon apparently intervened” to block a major cyber intelligence firm from sending documentation about the telecom hackers, Sen. Maria Cantwell wrote in a letter.

"Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., said Tuesday that Verizon and AT&T are preventing the release of documents tied to Salt Typhoon, a Chinese cyber collective that infiltrated U.S. telecom networks and other communications systems around the world."

www.nextgov.com/cybersecurit...

This reminds of a similar development I reported about Salt Typhoon last year -->
www.nextgov.com/cybersecurit...

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.

Asked on stage about a release timeline for the National Cyber Strategy, Sean Cairncross said it would come “sooner rather than later” without specifying further. It was initially expected last month:
www.nextgov.com/cybersecurit...

Ruptures in China’s Leadership Could Be Due to Paranoia and Power Plays

NEW: US intelligence analysts assess that Xi Jinping has a remarkable level of paranoia. This could help explain his persecution of China's top general, Zhang Youxia, and other purges. Some experts say Xi could be moving to extend his rule for a 4th term. Gift link: www.nytimes.com/2026/02/03/u...

New survey reveals how security researchers and journalists experience legal and criminal threats Over 100 security researchers and journalists answered our survey and told us how they experienced threats for doing their work. Here are some of the top takeaways.

NEW at this.weekinsecurity.com: Over 100 security researchers and journalists responded to a survey about legal and criminal threats they have faced for doing their jobs.

A key finding is that while legal and criminal threats are common, most researchers and journalists stood their ground.

More:

NEWS: A whistleblower complaint filed 8 months ago alleges wrongdoing about Tulsi Gabbard but has been stalled within her own agency from reaching Congress. The complaint is extremely classified, may involve "executive privilege" and is currently locked in a safe, sources say.

I was rooting for Dream Theater. Love those guys.

Trump Says Kennedy Center Will Close for 2-Year Reconstruction Project The president’s announcement came after the center has been rocked by cancellations and boycotts by performers, contributors and audience members.

Breaking News: President Trump said the Kennedy Center will close for two years this summer for reconstruction. The announcement came after the center has been rocked by cancellations and boycotts by performers, contributors and audience members.

Why the domain registration system is a major security threat, according to Secret Service A Secret Service official warns the domain registration system has major security vulnerabilities that enable phishing and fraud, yet the issue remains largely overlooked.

The ‘staggering’ cybersecurity weakness that isn’t getting enough focus, according to a top Secret Service official cyberscoop.com/secret-servi...

Exclusive | Spy Chief Tulsi Gabbard Is Hunting for 2020 Election Fraud The director of national intelligence earlier this week joined the FBI search of an election center in Georgia.

New: Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, is leading an administration-wide effort to probe the 2020 election for fraud and regularly briefing Trump and top White House officials on her progress. Officials are discussing EOs on voting ahead of midterms.

www.wsj.com/politics/ele...

Lawmakers, election officials blast Trump administration after Fulton County raid State election officials pressed White House officials for their legal rationale and expressed concern about the impact of similar raids tied to the 2026 elections.

@derekbjohnson.bsky.social is at the NASS conference today and it sounds like officials are all in agreement that what happened in Fulton County yesterday was ominous cyberscoop.com/fulton-count...

US developed ‘non-kinetic’ cell ahead of Venezuela mission to push cyber operations Officials said that cyber capabilities are expected to play a central role in future U.S. military undertakings.

US developed ‘non-kinetic’ cell ahead of Venezuela mission to push cyber operations —>
www.nextgov.com/cybersecurit...

Suspected Chinese spies targeted former State official for Venezuela research The recruitment scheme involved a sham company previously reported by Nextgov/FCW that has sought out former U.S. federal employees through fake websites and job postings.

“It’s very plausible that this infrastructure will continue to be used on multiple targets, and … it appears to continue to be used even after it’s been publicly exposed,” said Max Lesser, a senior analyst at FDD who co-authored the original findings.
www.nextgov.com/people/2026/...

Suspected Chinese spies targeted former State official for Venezuela research The recruitment scheme involved a sham company previously reported by Nextgov/FCW that has sought out former U.S. federal employees through fake websites and job postings.

The timing of a China-linked outreach scam aligns at a moment when Beijing would most want an insider view into US plans for Maduro’s government, said Henry Ziemer, an associate fellow with the Americas Program at CSIS.
www.nextgov.com/people/2026/...

Suspected Chinese spies targeted former State official for Venezuela research The recruitment scheme involved a sham company previously reported by Nextgov/FCW that has sought out former U.S. federal employees through fake websites and job postings.

The outreach is “entirely consistent” with what’s been observed in periods of heightened geopolitical tension, said David Cattler, former director of the DCSA.
www.nextgov.com/people/2026/...

Suspected Chinese spies targeted former State official for Venezuela research The recruitment scheme involved a sham company previously reported by Nextgov/FCW that has sought out former U.S. federal employees through fake websites and job postings.

After a virtual job interview, a purported company executive asked the former officer to draft an 1000-word brief on US policy approaches toward Venezuela that should draw from convos they had with other State colleagues.
www.nextgov.com/people/2026/...

Suspected Chinese spies targeted former State official for Venezuela research The recruitment scheme involved a sham company previously reported by Nextgov/FCW that has sought out former U.S. federal employees through fake websites and job postings.

The outreach came amid legally questionable US airstrikes on suspected Venezuelan drug boats and occurred weeks before a major US operation that ousted Nicholas Maduro from Caracas.
www.nextgov.com/people/2026/...

SCOOP: A suspected Chinese intelligence outfit contacted a former senior State Dept officer late last year requesting an assessment of US policy priorities in Venezuela. The fake consulting firm, discovered by FDD researchers, was first reported by Nextgov/FCW in September.⬇️

WhatsApp unveils high-security mode, latest tech firm to offer users stronger protection Meta's WhatsApp messaging service is offering users an advanced security mode, joining a growing number of U.S. tech firms that are letting users opt into stronger protections against hackers in excha...

New: WhatsApp unveils a higher security offering, becoming the latest tech firm to provide users with opt-in stronger protections against hackers

www.reuters.com/business/med...

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.

The White House on Friday rescinded a 2022 order that mandated a standardized self-attestation form for agencies to obtain cyber assurances from vendors, arguing the policy hindered agencies from adopting security solutions for their specific needs:
www.nextgov.com/cybersecurit...