OVERNIGHT CYBERSECURITY: Next military chief more ‘strategist’ than cyber expert

Welcome to OVERNIGHT CYBERSECURITY, your daily rundown of the biggest news in the world of hacking and data privacy. We’re here to connect the dots as leaders in government, policy and industry wrap their arms around cyberthreats. What lies ahead for Congress, the administration and the latest company under siege? Whether you’re a consumer, a techie or a D.C. lifer, we’re here to give you …

THE BIG STORIES:

–THE MILITARY ‘ARTISAN’: President Obama’s pick to become the nation’s next top military officer, Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford Jr., bucks a recent trend of cyber-focused appointments. “He’s not a cyber expert,” said Peter Metzger, a former CIA intelligence officer and Marine who served with Dunford on four occasions. “But he doesn’t need to be.” Cyber military specialists believe the Obama administration is seeking an operational expert and relationship builder, not a technological savant, to carry out Defense Secretary Ash Carter’s recently unveiled cyber vision. “They went with a strategist,” said Chris Finan, a former military intelligence officer and adviser to the Obama administration on cybersecurity policy. “An operational artisan.” To read our full story, click here.

{mosads}–NO MANDATORY ‘BACK DOORS’: A House bill introduced Tuesday would prohibit the government from requiring so-called back doors in technology to assist in investigations and surveillance. The measure from Reps. Ted Poe (R-Texas), Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) and Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) represents a marker in the debate over law enforcement access to protected data that is currently taking place between the federal government and Silicon Valley. The legislation would also require the government to obtain a court order before searching for information about Americans in databases collected under foreign surveillance authorities. “The NSA has and will continue to violate the constitutional protections guaranteed to every American unless Congress intervenes,” said Poe, the measure’s lead sponsor, in a statement. “Until we fix this and make the law clear, citizens can never be sure that their private conversations are safe from the eyes of the government.” To read our full story, click here.

–THE CLOCK IS TICKING: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) would not pledge on Tuesday to take up bipartisan legislation to reform the nation’s spying laws and reauthorize expiring portions of the Patriot Act. Instead, he indicated that the upper chamber will use a “clean” Patriot Act reauthorization as its starting point ahead of the June 1 legislative deadline. This choice could produce a standoff between the two chambers as the House prepares to vote on the USA Freedom Act, which would effectively end the NSA’s controversial bulk phone records program. Members of both parties have opposed a clean reauthorization, making it unlikely that McConnell will avoid a filibuster. Meanwhile, McConnell’s chief deputy indicated that his team might be looking toward a shorter-term reauthorization. “I think that’s one of the possibilities,” said Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), “because we’re going to run into some real time constraints.” To read our full story, click here.

UPDATE ON CYBER POLICY:

–ON THE ROAD: The Commerce Department next week will take 20 U.S. cybersecurity firms on a swing through Central and Eastern Europe. The trip is an attempt to increase the U.S. presence in a region that drives nearly all digital crime worldwide. “This trade mission is part of our commitment to combating the growing threat of cyber threats and protecting critical infrastructure in the U.S. and among our European allies,” said Bruce Andrews, deputy secretary of Commerce. The notorious “cyber arms bazaar” — an anonymous online black market — is largely run out of various Eastern European countries. To read more, click here.

LIGHTER CLICKS:

–Can you name one world leader that can code? That would be 63-year-old Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who posted a screenshot on Facebook of a program he wrote to solve Sudoku puzzles. The Southeast Asian leader mentioned during a speech two weeks ago that he had written the program in C++, a computer programming language, and went on to explain its structure this week. To read more, click here.

–Ever wanted to flip someone off via text? The middle finger symbol has arrived in the usually happy-go-lucky world of emojis, thanks to Microsoft: The upcoming Windows 10 will include the symbol. To read more, click here.

–Are you scared of hackers inside your computer? Join the ranks of people with stickers on their laptop webcams.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

Links from our blog, The Hill, and around the Web.

New documents revealed how the NSA can turn phone calls into searchable text. (The Hill)

Newly announced GOP presidential candidate Carly Fiorina defended her campaign’s rocky start online. (The Hill)

Hackers are turning from large-scale campaigns to targeted attacks. (CSO)

The Internet of Things is starting to help with elder care. (The Associated Press)

Is it time for a cybersecurity HMO? (Wall Street Journal)

Home Depot is disabling Apple Pay. (IBTimes)

Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe signed another anti-hacking executive order. (NBC 29)

Your guide to domain name scams. (The Guardian)

What’s the difference between the Deep Web and the Dark Web? (Tom’s Guide)

USBkill is a new program that will instantly disable a laptop if there is any activity on its USB port. (The Hacker News)

Lawmakers in France are moving to expand government surveillance. (New York Times)

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