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A2 UP FRONT
Wednesday 1 august 2018

New Homeland Security center to guard against cyberattacks

By COLLEEN LONG Missouri announced that threat is not limited to elec-
NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. Russian hackers tried un- tions, and cannot be un-
Department of Homeland successfully to infiltrate her derestimated. She cited
Security is creating a center Senate computer network as examples the credit bu-
aimed at protecting banks, and Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, reau breach where half of
electric companies and D-New Hampshire, told Americans had personal in-
other critical infrastructure The Associated Press that formation exposed online,
against cyberattacks — a someone contacted her plus the WannaCry ran-
threat that now exceeds office "claiming to be an somware that spread from
the danger of a physical official from a country." She North Korea to more than
attack against the U.S. by a is not up for re-election. 150 countries, and Russian
hostile foreign group, Sec- President Donald Trump hackers compromised the
retary Kirstjen Nielsen said has offered mixed messag- control rooms of U.S. ener-
Tuesday. es on Russian interference gy companies.
The National Risk Manage- in U.S. elections — at times "These incidents, though,
ment Center will work to even calling it a "hoax," are only the beginning," she
quickly identify and ad- Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen, right, and though he acknowledged said. "Rogue regimes and
dress potential threats and U.S. officials including National Security Agency General in a recent tweet that the hostile groups are prob-
improve safeguards across Paul Nakasone hold a meeting with CEO's at the Department midterms are a likely target. ing critical systems world-
of Homeland Security (DHS) National Cybersecurity Summit,
a range of industries, she Tuesday, July 31, 2018, in New York. Nielsen said Tuesday the wide every moment as we
said. It will prioritize risks to Associated Press government cannot allow speak. And without aggres-
industries that most Ameri- Russian interference again. sive action to secure our
cans rely on, like the power of the new center, officials Department of Energy. "Let me be clear on this, networks, it is only a matter
grid. It is designed to be a said. The summit comes during any attempt to interfere in of time before we get hit
partnership with private Nielsen spoke at a cyber- renewed concern over our elections is a direct at- hard in the homeland."
companies and federal security summit hosted by the possibility of Russian- tack on our democracy, it At a summit panel, the
agencies, with Homeland government officials that sponsored meddling in the is unacceptable, and it will heads of MasterCard, AT&T
Security as the lead agen- brought CEOs of credit midterm elections, and crit- not be tolerated," she said. and Southern Company
cy. card companies, telecom- icism of the Trump adminis- "Mark my words: America talked about the need to
The department's election munications industries and tration's efforts on cyberse- will not tolerate this med- work together to create a
security task force, created utilities together with the curity. dling." systemic solution to secure
last year, will become part heads of the NSA, FBI and Sen. Claire McCaskill, D- Nielsen said Tuesday the the internet.q