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<ul class="summary-list"><li>The Department of Homeland Security has sent 500 extra staff to California ahead of the Super Bowl. </li><li>The move intends to prevent disruption to the event from planned <keyword id="13123564" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="freedom-convoy" source="Orion">Freedom Convoy</keyword> <keyword id="12002887" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="protests" source="Orion">protests</keyword>. </li></ul>The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has sent 500 extra staff to California to prevent disruptions to the Super Bowl in anticipation of trucker protests.White House secretary <keyword id="11910489" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="jen-psaki" source="Orion">Jen Psaki</keyword> explained the decision in a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AO7Ry1Rd6es">Friday press conference</a>. Paski said: "On reports that this convoy is causing disruptions at the Super Bowl, the Department of Homeland Security [...] is surging additional staff to its incident command post." Demonstrations of an American Freedom Convoy began in Canada late last month, as <keyword id="6374551" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="truckers" source="Orion">truckers</keyword> drove to the country's capital, Ottawa, to protest <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/truckers-protest-vaccine-mandate-roll-to-canadian-capital-2022-1">COVID-19 lockdown measures and vaccine mandates</a> in the country.The protests have since spread to other cities in Canada and attracted groups of supporters who are also at odds with the <keyword id="12024971" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="vaccine-mandates" source="Orion">vaccine mandates</keyword>. It has <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/la-police-downplay-trucker-convoy-threat-to-super-bowl-security-2022-2">inspired similar demonstrations</a> in other countries, including France and New Zealand.On Saturday, Canadian police <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/freedom-convoy-truckers-police-clear-out-canada-us-bridge-protestors-2022-2?r=US&amp;IR=T">cleared out</a> Freedom Convoy protesters who were <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-the-freedom-convoy-and-why-are-canadians-protesting-2022-2">blocking the busiest bridge</a> on the US-Canadian border for the past five days. But their efforts failed as the bridge remained blocked throughout the evening, per Canadian media reports.US federal officials warned that a similar convoy could disrupt the Super Bowl on Sunday. During the press conference, Psaki said DHS forces were working with California Highway Patrol, the LAPD, state and local authorities, to minimize the effects of the protests."They're taking all necessary steps to ensure that the convoy does not disrupt lawful trade and <keyword id="11894924" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="transportation" source="Orion">transportation</keyword> or interfere with federal government and law enforcement operations," Psaki said.According to Psaki, the additional 500 DHS personnel are "providing extensive air and maritime security resources."

Department of Homeland Security deploys 500 extra staff to try and stop trucker protests from disrupting the Super Bowl

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The <keyword id="11896084" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="white-house" source="Orion">White House</keyword> <a href="https://twitter.com/PressSec/status/1471911345767567365?s=20">said Friday</a> that it was monitoring concerns over alleged <keyword id="12004738" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="school-shooting" source="Orion">school shooting</keyword> threats.</li><li>Districts and schools in over 10 states released statements warning about purported online threats.</li></ul>The Biden administration said on Friday it's "closely monitoring" reports of school shooting threats, despite a lack of specific and credible threats. Press Secretary <keyword id="11910489" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="jen-psaki" source="Orion">Jen Psaki</keyword> said the administration and federal law enforcement were "closely monitoring threats of violence in schools circulating on social <keyword id="11894119" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="media" source="Orion">media</keyword>.""We know a number of schools across the country are closing today, and some parents are keeping their children home," she wrote on <a href="https://twitter.com/PressSec/status/1471911345767567365?s=20">Twitter</a>. Biden's Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed it was aware of concerns of threats to schools on Friday, but that it could not name anything specific and found no "credible threats." "DHS does not have any information indicating any specific, credible threats to schools but recommends communities remain alert," the department wrote on <a href="https://twitter.com/DHSgov/status/1471816260845506568?s=20">Twitter</a>. <a href="https://www.insider.com/purported-tiktok-school-shooting-threat-friday-december-video-2021-12">Rumors of a purported TikTok video trend that warned of mass shootings</a> raised concerns across the country on Friday.Districts and schools in over 10 states, including Maryland, <a href="https://twitter.com/norwichps/status/1471749142091284483?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">Connecticut</a>, <a href="https://www.schodack.k12.ny.us/2021/12/tiktok-schools-december-17/">New York</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/gladstone.schools/photos/a.608792875937848/2379956775488107/">Michigan</a>, Massachusetts, <a href="https://www.tooeleschools.org/apps/news/article/1543465?fbclid=IwAR08TBnFLwqsAxNy0Kz3RtIpqUzxrNFBOsqT-q4k0UBIdBw6I-oXcscSeGY">Utah</a>, Minnesota, Missouri, Texas, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/K12Albemarle/posts/4774615105917974">Virginia</a>, and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BeaubienElementarySchoolPTO/">Illinois,</a> released statements warning community members about the purported social media threats of school violence. Schools in <a href="https://twitter.com/norwichps/status/1471749142091284483?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">Connecticut</a>, <a href="https://www.lfalls.k12.mn.us/2021/12/december-17-threat/">Minnesota,</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/100069233558763/posts/216385500679234/?d=n">Missouri</a> closed on Friday due to the alleged threats and Texas school districts in <a href="https://twitter.com/LamarCISD/status/1471551882116096006?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">Lamar</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/JMilesKHOU/status/1471660755716030466?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">Fort Bend</a> have told students to leave backpacks at home. Many school districts questioned the credibility of the purported threats. <a href="https://twitter.com/CitrusSchools/status/1471503412537671682/photo/1">Florida's Citrus County School District</a> tweeted Thursday saying it had "not received any indication of a credible threat" and that school would continue as normal. Brian Reagan, the superintendent of Waltham Public Schools in Massachusetts, <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pU6hhHKnRBfQRIh2ra5Wt33umesYr2q9/view">wrote in a statement released Thursday</a> that he had been communicating with law enforcement and that he didn't believe the alleged threat against school safety was credible.TikTok said in a <a href="https://twitter.com/TikTokComms/status/1471881034425946114">tweet</a> that the company found no such videos promoting violence against schools on Friday. The platform added in <a href="https://twitter.com/TikTokComms/status/1471881038280409095">an additional tweet</a> that it was "deeply concerned" that the widespread reporting of an alleged trend "could end up inspiring real world harm."The company told Insider in a statement that the platform will continue to "aggressively search for any such content on our platform."

The White House said it's 'closely monitoring' reports of school shooting threats, but Biden's Homeland Security department hasn't found any 'credible' threats

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Hugo Mejia, 50, was sentenced to three years in <keyword id="11899245" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="prison" source="Orion">prison</keyword> for operating an unlicensed money exchange. </li><li>Mejia exchanged $13 million in <keyword id="11893902" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="bitcoin" source="Orion">bitcoin</keyword> and cash, laundering money connected to drug trafficking.</li></ul>Hugo Mejia, a 50-year-old California man, has been jailed for three years after setting up an unlicensed cryptocurrency exchange business.The firm exchanged at least $13 million in bitcoin and cash, often for drug traffickers, the <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-cdca/pr/ontario-man-agrees-plead-guilty-federal-charges-illegally-operating-bitcoin-cash-0">US Attorney's Office said.</a>The crimes occurred between May 2018 and September 2020. <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ontario-crime-california-money-laundering-sentencing-f49593fab3cb99a9b44d8877273bc4c5">AP News</a> reported that Mejia was sentenced to three years in prison on Thursday after pleading guilty in July to operating an unlicensed money transmitting business and <keyword id="6355008" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="money-laundering" source="Orion">money laundering</keyword>.Mejia, who lived in San Bernardino County, admitted to establishing multiple businesses, including one called "The HODL Group LLC," in an attempt to hide his identity and activity. He also failed to register his company with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, a bureau in the Treasury Department that tackles such crimes. Last year, the bureau's work was under the spotlight after leaked documents were <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-fincen-files-documents-money-laundering-concerns-explained-2020-9">shared with news outlets</a>. Mejia's case was under <keyword id="49112" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="investigation" source="Orion">investigation</keyword> by the <keyword id="6359816" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="irs" source="Orion">IRS</keyword> and Department of Homeland Security, in collaboration with Costa Mesa Police Department. The Attorney's Office press release stated that a client who was working with law enforcement met Mejia multiple times between May 2019 and March 2020 to exchange bitcoin for cash.On March 12, 2020, the client met Mejia in a coffee shop and exchanged $82,150 in cash for the equivalent bitcoin. During this exchange, the client made clear he worked with an Australian drug dealer. The client who was working for law enforcement and Mejia conducted more than $250,000 worth of bitcoin and cash exchanges over five meetings. As part of his plea agreement, Mejia forfeited $233,987 in cash seized from California residences, silver coins, and bars, as well as nearly $100,000 in various cryptocurrencies.

California man who used bitcoin to launder $13 million given 3-year jail sentence

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Psaki said Biden found the footage of <keyword id="11996593" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="border-patrol" source="Orion">Border Patrol</keyword> agents whipping at Haitian <keyword id="12127762" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="migrants" source="Orion">migrants</keyword> "horrific."</li><li>"That's not who the Biden-Harris administration is," she said Tuesday.</li><li>The Biden administration has begun deporting thousands of Haitian migrants at the Texas border.</li></ul>White House press secretary <keyword id="11910489" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="jen-psaki" source="Orion">Jen Psaki</keyword> on Tuesday said President Joe Biden found footage of Border Patrol agents on horseback whipping at Haitian migrants at the border "horrific" and "horrible.""I don't know anyone who could watch that video and not have that emotion," Psaki told "CBS Mornings." "It's important for people to know this is not who we are," she added. "That's not who the Biden-Harris administration is."Scenes of horse-mounted US Customs and Border Protection agents confronting and grabbing Haitian migrants near Del Rio, Texas, over the weekend surfaced online Monday, prompting the Department of Homeland Security to announce an investigation that evening."<keyword id="11912682" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="dhs" source="Orion">DHS</keyword> does not tolerate the abuse of migrants in our custody and we take these allegations very seriously," the agency <a href="https://twitter.com/DHSgov/status/1440090164425019397?s=20">tweeted</a>. The department also announced that Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas had directed additional staff to be on-site to "ensure that the responsibilities of DHS personnel are executed consistent with applicable policies and training and the Department's values."Psaki said on Tuesday that the Biden administration was "going to absolutely pursue that investigation and get to the bottom of what happened."Thousands of <keyword id="11901216" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="haiti" source="Orion">Haiti</keyword>ans have encamped in Del Rio seeking asylum after crossing the Rio Grande into the US. Haiti has experienced turmoil recently with the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in July and an <keyword id="6362774" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="earthquake" source="Orion">earthquake</keyword> that killed over 2,200 people last month.The Biden administration began <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/texas-biden-to-deport-10000-haitian-migrants-sleeping-under-bridge-2021-9">expelling thousands</a> of Haitian migrants on flights back to their home country on Sunday, with more deportations to come, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-border-haiti-mexico-texas-09d7de5bc57e1dbd92d40751c0d91f69">The Associated Press</a> reported.A growing number of congressional <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ilhan-omar-video-of-border-patrol-whipping-haitian-migrants-shows-human-rights-abuses-2021-9">Democrats have condemned</a> the actions of the Border Patrol agents and called on the Biden administration to halt deportations of Haitian migrants. "We cannot continue these hateful and xenophobic Trump policies that disregard our refugee laws," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said during remarks on the Senate floor on Tuesday."It doesn't matter if a Democrat or Republican is President, our immigration system is designed for cruelty towards and dehumanization of immigrants," Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York tweeted Monday. "Immigration should not be a crime, and its criminalization is a relatively recent invention. This is a stain on our country."Since Biden took office, his administration has witnessed a surge in Central American migrants arriving at the US border. The White House has repeatedly discouraged migrants from coming to the country.Mayorkas reiterated the stance in a <a href="https://twitter.com/SecMayorkas/status/1439777184814706688?s=20">tweet</a> on Sunday, saying: "We have sent a very clear message early on, in light of the fact that we are in the midst of a pandemic, that the border is not open, and people should not take the perilous journey here."Psaki on Tuesday also pushed back on criticism of the Biden administration's handling of the situation in Del Rio, defending the deportations as a safety protocol amid the coronavirus pandemic."Right now, we also have to implement our laws at the border," Psaki said. "We also want to protect people, both in that community, but also migrants."One of the challenges, as we're all facing a pandemic here, is the gathering of so many people. We're still implementing Title 42, which means that we're going to send people out of the country who come in."

Psaki says 'horrific' footage of Border Patrol agents whipping at Haitian migrants is 'not who we are'

<ul class="summary-list"><li>President <keyword id="99719" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Joe-Biden">Joe Biden</keyword> on Friday said several intelligence departments would be working together to assess <keyword id="1183510" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="domestic-terrorism">domestic terrorism</keyword>. </li><li>There have been calls to expand state security in light of the January 6 <keyword id="10554785" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="capitol-siege">Capitol siege</keyword>. </li><li>However, those efforts face some legal and cultural obstacles. </li></ul>President Joe Biden ordered several intelligence agencies to review domestic terrorism in the US in the wake of the January 6 Capitol siege, however, his plans face a number of obstacles. On Friday, the Biden administration announced that the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the Federal Bureau of Investigations, and the <keyword id="134917" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="department-of-homeland-security">Department of Homeland Security</keyword> will work together to create a domestic terrorism threat assessment that could be used to determine policy, the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-donald-trump-jen-psaki-national-security-terrorism-8ac769920a5a945ed1ccaf44d0906d99">Associated Press</a> reported. "The Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol and the tragic deaths and destruction that occurred underscored what we all know: The rise of domestic violent extremism is a serious and growing national security threat," White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said. However, experts have said that Biden could face legal, political, and cultural obstacles. <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/capitol-attack-domestic-extremists/2021/01/23/1bc981c0-59b5-11eb-a976-bad6431e03e2_story.html">The Washington Post</a> reported that even before the January attack, the <keyword id="6355946" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="fbi">FBI</keyword> had warned about rising domestic terror threats, but critics have accused the agency of being "more primed" to focus on international threats over those at home since the 9/11 attacks."We have overlooked, not just over the last four years, but much longer than that some of the extremists within this country," Sean Joyce, a former FBI special agent who served as deputy director from 2011 to 2013, told The Post. Joyce said white supremacists have become a much greater threat than they were as a result.John Brennan, who served as CIA director and White House homeland security adviser in the Obama administration, told The Post that similar to extremists during 9/11, white supremacists and those who stormed the Capitol have been radicalized through misinformation and "taught" that violence is an acceptable means to get their desired political outcome. Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-federal-state-local-investigation-prosecution-georgia-call-2021-1">Trump didn't pardon himself. Here's the massive tsunami of legal peril that now awaits him.</a>On January 6, Trump supporters <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-biden-electoral-college-loss-violence-presidential-election-extremism-2021-1">breached the Capitol building</a> and clashed with law enforcement, halting a joint session of Congress as lawmakers met to certify Biden's victory in the 2020 election. The mob was motivated by unproven claims about mass voter fraud spread by Trump. The riot resulted in the deaths of five people. There has been <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ag-barr-confirms-lack-of-widespread-fraud-in-election-2020-12">no evidence found of widespread voter fraud</a> in the election, and Trump and his Republican allies <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-campaign-lawsuits-election-results-2020-11">lost several dozen lawsuits</a> attempting to overturn election results.While there have been calls to instate new laws that target domestic terrorism, some have expressed opposition, citing concerns that such laws could target minority groups and further erode civil liberties. Rep. <keyword id="6780924" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Rashida-Tlaib">Rashida Tlaib</keyword> <a href="https://twitter.com/RepRashida/status/1351654799196958721?s=20">is leading a call to not expand the security state.</a>"The Trump mob's success in breaching the Capitol was not due to a lack of resources at the disposal of federal law enforcement, and in this moment we must resist the erosion of our civil liberties and Constitutional freedoms, however well-intentioned proposed security reforms may be," Tlaib, and nine other Democrats, wrote in a <a href="https://tlaib.house.gov/sites/tlaib.house.gov/files/NationalSecurityOpp.pdf">letter</a> to Congressional leadership. "We firmly believe that the national security and surveillance powers of the US government are already too broad, undefined, and unaccountable to the people."Brennan also told The Post that there may be many legal obstacles in pursuing domestic terrorists."How do you uncover these types of incubating threats while at the same time not violating or infringing upon those principles that we're trying to protect?" Brennan asked. "It was a problem after 9/11. It is even moreso now, because you're talking about US citizens and persons."Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-leave-republican-party-rnc-gop-patriot-data-list-lawsuit-2021-1">Trump's threat to bolt from the Republican Party could spark a serious legal fight over his 'gold mine' list of supporters who have helped fill the GOP coffers with billions of dollars</a>Additionally, law enforcement cannot surveil citizens based on their political views, even if they are hateful or anti-government. And while federal law defines the concept of domestic terrorism, there isn't a specific charge for it. "We really do want to be very careful about criminalizing ideologies, no mater how poisonous and awful," David Kris, a former senior Justice Department official, told The Post. "You're entitled to have an opinion and entitled to express that opinion no matter how noxious. But when you cross the line from having or expressing an ideology to acting on it in ways that are violent, you've crossed the line."

Biden ordered a review of domestic extremism in the US after the Capitol siege, but a number of political, legal, and cultural obstacles lie ahead

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The DHS Inspector General issued a report detailing abuse at an Arizona <keyword id="50403" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Immigration">immigration</keyword> facility. </li><li>One photo in the report shows staff using pepper spray on detainees. </li><li>The DHS report said the detainees were pepper-sprayed after holding a peaceful protest. </li></ul>A photo from a <a href="https://www.oig.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/assets/2021-04/OIG-21-30-Mar21.pdf">report by the US Department of Homeland Security's inspector general</a> shows staff at an immigration facility in Eloy, Arizona, using pepper spray and chemical agents on migrants.The report, released Thursday, <a href="https://www.insider.com/arizona-immigration-detention-facility-neglected-migrants-dhs-report-2021-4">found employees at the facility abused and neglected the medical needs</a> of detainees at the facility.An image from surveillance video at the La Palma Correctional Center shows staff lined up and firing pepper spray at detainees at the facility on April 13, 2020.According to the report, detainees had held a peaceful protest that day over not being provided personal protective equipment to help stop the spread of COVID-19 in the facility.Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/border-immigration-biden-maga-gop-citizenship-midterm-message-2021-3">The MAGA messaging on immigration is scaring the hell out of some conservatives as millions of newly naturalized citizens will soon be joining the American electorate</a>Detainees told investigators that the facility used "pepper spray, pepper balls, and chemical agents, and punished protesting detainees with lengthy stays in segregation," according to the report.The investigation found chemical agents were sprayed from the ceiling as staff fired pepper spray from handheld devices.One detainee said he was injured by pepper balls, but felt too intimidated to seek help, the report said.

Immigration detention facility staff fired pepper spray and chemical agents at migrants, disturbing photo shows

<ul class="summary-list"><li>US government agencies and private organizations have been the targets of a cyberattack that was only just uncovered this month.</li><li>A group of hackers believed to be associated with the Russian intelligence agency SVR infiltrated a <keyword id="609247" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="SolarWinds">SolarWinds</keyword> software update earlier this year.</li><li>This is a huge problem for two major reasons: The attackers were able to gain access for a long period of time without being detected, and it will also take a long time for security experts to determine the extent of what's been compromised.</li><li>"Fragments of attacks can sit dormant for months, and years, and only revive when the author wants them to begin their job," <keyword id="6361948" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="cybersecurity">cybersecurity</keyword> expert Sean Harris told Business Insider. "Stealth is the most worrisome aspect of these 'attacks.'" </li></ul>For months, US government agencies and private organizations have been the targets of what's being called <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-hack-may-take-years-undo-bossert-2020-12">the most widespread cyberattack ever</a>, and one that went largely undetected until this month. At the center of the attack is a company most people have never heard of called SolarWinds, which provides IT infrastructure management tools to hundreds of thousands of customers including government agencies, corporations, and nonprofit organizations. A SolarWinds software update earlier this year was infiltrated by a group of hackers believed to be associated with the Russian intelligence agency SVR, in what is known as a <a href="https://www.csoonline.com/article/3601508/solarwinds-supply-chain-attack-explained-why-organizations-were-not-prepared.html">supply chain attack</a>. As a result, the hackers' malware was able to infect the networks of many, if not all of, SolarWinds' customers as they updated their SolarWinds Orion software."The number of organizations that downloaded the corrupted update could be as many as 18,000, which includes most federal government unclassified networks and more than 425 Fortune 500 companies," <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/16/opinion/fireeye-solarwinds-russia-hack.html">Tom Bossert</a>, former Homeland Security Advisor, said in an op-ed in the the New York Times on Thursday.Not only is this attack extraordinary in its scope, it's devastating in its impact - largely because of two things. First, the attackers were able to gain covert access for a long period of time without being detected. And second, it will be even longer before security experts will be able to determine the extent of the information that's been compromised. That means that even though the attack may have been stopped, the damage could continue for the foreseeable future. Two weeks ago, cybersecurity company <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/fireeye-stock-price-cybersecurity-firm-cyber-attack-hack-tools-theft-2020-12-1029877278">FireEye said it'd been breached</a>, with the attackers making off with its <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/08/technology/fireeye-hacked-russians.html">"red team" suite of hacking tools</a>. Upon further investigation, the company said it found that the method of intrusion was software from SolarWinds that had been compromised with a backdoor. That sounded alarm bells across government agencies and corporations, given that SolarWinds software is widely used across both the private and public sectors.A company spokesperson confirmed to Business Insider that during an investigation it "determined the SolarWinds compromise was the original vector for the attack against <keyword id="1560274" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="FireEye">FireEye</keyword>."Last week, the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/13/us/politics/russian-hackers-us-government-treasury-commerce.html">Trump administration acknowledged</a> that federal agencies including the Departments of Treasury, Homeland Security, State, and Commerce, were affected. The agencies have not said what information was compromised, or whether the attackers had gained access to classified networks.Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/solarwinds-faq-cybersecurity-experts-explain-attacks-government-russians-2020-12">Top federal cybersecurity experts explain why the SolarWinds cyberattack is such a big deal - and why it's too soon to declare cyberwar</a>And, on Thursday, <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2020/12/17/nuclear-agency-hacked-officials-inform-congress-447855">Politico reported</a> that the National Nuclear Security Agency, the division of the Department of Energy responsible for managing the country's nuclear weapons stockpile, was breached by the attack. The revelation came as agencies across the federal government have been combing their networks for signs of the malware.In the case of the NNSA, a spokesperson told Politico that "the investigation has found that the malware has been isolated to business networks only, and has not impacted the mission essential national security functions of the department, including the National Nuclear Security Administration."In response to the discovery of the breaches, Microsoft, which <a href="https://www.zdnet.com/article/microsoft-says-it-identified-40-victims-of-the-solarwinds-hack/">confirmed it was itself a victim</a> of the attack, <a href="https://krebsonsecurity.com/2020/12/malicious-domain-in-solarwinds-hack-turned-into-killswitch/">took a series of extraordinary steps</a> to mitigate against further spread, including a successful effort to <a href="https://www.zdnet.com/article/microsoft-and-industry-partners-seize-key-domain-used-in-solarwinds-hack/">sinkhole the domain name</a> used by the malware to "call home" for instructions. Sinkholing is a legal tool used to take control of a domain, which in this case can then be used to interrupt the malware's communication with the attackers. In this case, when the malware, known as SUNBURST, is installed with the software update, it would sit dormant on a host computer for a week or so, and then ping the domain. It would then receive information to communicate with another domain, which would provide instructions or software that would further infect a network. By taking control of the original domain, known as its command and control (C2), and breaking the initial chain of communication, the malware would still exist on the computer, but would be unable to receive further instructions. That effectively shuts off the likelihood that new networks will be infected. FireEye, which worked with Microsoft and GoDaddy to sinkhole the domain and turn it into a form of killswitch that prevents the malware from receiving additional instructions, said in an emailed statement: "This killswitch will affect new and previous SUNBURST infections by disabling SUNBURST deployments that are still beaconing to avsvmcloud[.]com. However, in the intrusions FireEye has seen, this actor moved quickly to establish additional persistent mechanisms to access to victim networks beyond the SUNBURST backdoor. This killswitch will not remove the actor from victim networks where they have established other backdoors. However, it will make it more difficult for the actor to leverage the previously distributed versions of SUNBURST."Microsoft has said that 40 of its customers were targeted directly by the attackers, 80% of which are located in the US. According to a <a href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2020/12/17/cyberattacks-cybersecurity-solarwinds-fireeye/">blog post</a> by Brad Smith, Microsoft's president and general counsel, "The initial list of victims includes not only government agencies, but security and other technology firms as well as non-governmental organizations."While Microsoft and its partners likely now have a better idea of which networks have been affected as a result of their visibility into efforts to ping the sinkholed domain, it will still take a substantial effort to determine what information may have been compromised. Preventing the malware from calling home for new instructions doesn't change the fact that it's still on the networks, likely far from whatever access point it used to enter. Not only that, but no one knows how much damage has already been done."The conventional narrative, at least judging from SolarWinds' disclosure, is that attackers have been in systems for months, stealing data and spying on government workers, without officials being any the wiser," said Chris Brook in a <a href="https://digitalguardian.com/blog/solarwinds-hacked-used-potentially-massive-supply-chain-attack">blog post for DigitalGuardian</a>.Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hackers-russians-consultants-unpack-solarwinds-cyberattacks-banks-hospitals-2020-12">Consultants say that banks and hospitals are overwhelmed with the sheer scale of the SolarWinds hack: 'Everybody's spooked'</a>Part of the problem, according to Homeland Security Advisor Bossert, is that "The Russians have had access to a considerable number of important and sensitive networks for six to nine months." That means it'll be some time before security experts are able to determine exactly how widespread the attack really was. Or, put another way, we'll likely find out that this gets worse before it gets better.In a statement on Thursday, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency (CISA), a part of the Department of Homeland Security, echoed that sentiment, <a href="https://us-cert.cisa.gov/ncas/alerts/aa20-352a">issuing an alert</a> that confirms the attack "poses a grave risk to the Federal Government and state, local, tribal, and territorial governments as well as critical infrastructure entities and other private sector organizations." The agency also said it believes "removing this threat actor from compromised environments will be highly complex and challenging for organizations." That's partially due to the fact that CISA now says that attackers likely <a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-malware-hacking-russia-software-b3f993fb7bc9390302f0df26ecb6c10e">used other methods and tactics</a> in addition to infiltrating SolarWinds Orion."Unfortunately, given the breadth of SolarWinds' supply chain, the length of time those customers were unknowingly compromised, uncertainty about the attacker's motivation, and the myriad time horizons and distribution of potential attacks (e.g. data breach, ransomware, espionage), the breadth and impact is untold at this point," Erin Kenneally, director of cyber-risk analytics at Guidewire, told Business Insider.Kenneally, who previously worked for the Cyber Security Division within DHS, also said that while efforts so far will help stem the tide of the attack, "It only means that the original infection vector has been closed down. Adversaries most likely implemented other backdoors to those compromised systems, so while this kill switch for the backdoor was a helpful effort and very good showing of collaboration, the threat is far from eliminated and mitigated."That aligns with CISA's statement, and reflects the ongoing concern that the worst of the fallout from the attack may be just beginning. "Given that potential victims include defense contractors, telecoms, banks, and tech companies, the implications for critical infrastructure and national security, although untold at this point, could be significant," Kenneally said.It can be difficult to imagine how attackers could have infiltrated so many companies and organizations, let alone US government agencies, without anyone knowing. "Hackers are just as smart, if not much smarter, than the folks assigned to protect environments," Cybersecurity expert Sean Harris told Business Insider. "There's an art in patience. Fragments of attacks can sit dormant for months, and years, and only revive when the author wants them to begin their job. Stealth is the most worrisome aspect of these 'attacks.'" That attackers, even those from a foreign intelligence agency, were able to wreak havoc and do so without much of a trace should be the greatest concern here. The attack represents "an act of recklessness that created a serious technological vulnerability for the United States and the world," said Microsoft's Smith. "In effect, this is not just an attack on specific targets, but on the trust and reliability of the world's critical infrastructure in order to advance one nation's intelligence agency," That's partially because they didn't attack their targets directly, but instead used a trojan horse to gain access via a trusted source. In fact, not only was it a trusted source, it was a source trusted precisely because it would prevent this very sort of breach."The remediation effort alone will be staggering," wrote Bossert. "It will require the segregated replacement of entire enclaves of computers, network hardware and servers across vast federal and corporate networks." That's not a small task for any organization, but the size and scope of the agencies and corporations targeted mean that it will take time to hunt for signs of the malware, determine what information may have been compromised, and mitigate against that loss. And, of course, do all of that without significant disruption to normal operations.

The fallout from the SolarWinds hack that infiltrated the US Treasury and Homeland Security will get worse before it gets better

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The Immigration Customs and Enforcement agency arrested 15 foreign students who "claimed to be employed by companies that don't exist" in order to stay in the US, the <a href="https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/ice-arrests-15-nonimmigrant-students-opt-related-fraud">agency announced Wednesday</a>.</li><li>The arrests were a result of an investigation into the Optional Practical Training program (OPT), a process that allows <keyword id="113647" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="International-students">international students</keyword> to work and remain in the US after graduation if they gain employment related to their field of study.</li><li>"These latest arrests demonstrate that the agency is actively targeting individuals who try to exploit the <keyword id="6355010" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="student">student</keyword> visa system," said Tony Pham, ICE senior official performing the duties of the director. </li></ul>The Immigration Customs and Enforcement agency arrested 15 foreign students accused of claiming they worked at fictitious companies in order to stay in the US, the <a href="https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/ice-arrests-15-nonimmigrant-students-opt-related-fraud">agency announced Wednesday</a>.The arrests were the result of Operation OPTical Illusion, an ongoing investigation into students who were using the Optional Practical Training program, a process that allows foreign students to work while in school or to stay in the US after graduating if they gain employment related to their field of study."ICE has a system of checks in place to mitigate fraud and is committed to protecting national security by ensuring that students, visitors, and schools comply with U.S. immigration laws," said Tony Pham, ICE senior official performing the duties of the director."These latest arrests demonstrate that the agency is actively targeting individuals who try to exploit the student visa system," Pham said in a <a href="https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/ice-arrests-15-nonimmigrant-students-opt-related-fraud">statement</a>. The agency vets students who gain temporary employment through the OPT program to ensure compliance and prevent the status from being claimed fraudulently.OPT allows students to remain in the US for up to 12 months as part of the program. If the student earned their degree in a STEM field specializing in science, technology, engineering, and math, they may apply for a 24-month extension."Every instance of fraud is a job an American worker could have had, and with so many Americans looking for work this crime is even more unacceptable," Ken Cuccinelli, acting deputy secretary of Homeland Security, said.Among those arrested were 11 Indian nationals, two Libyan nationals, one Senegalese national, and one Bangladeshi national. The arrests took place in or near Boston, Massachusetts, Washington, DC, Houston, Texas, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, Newark, New Jersey, Nashville, Tennessee, and the Pennsylvania cities of Pittsburgh and Harrisburg.In January, an <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/immigration/thousands-foreign-students-u-s-student-visas-may-have-worked-n1109286">NBC News investigation</a> found thousands of students appeared to have been employed by "fake companies providing false employment verifications" in order to exploit the visa program.

ICE arrested 15 foreign students accused of claiming to work for fake companies in order to stay in the US

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The <keyword id="3798493" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="trump-administration">Trump Administration</keyword> has deemed professional <keyword id="24261" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Athletes">athletes</keyword> as essential workers to escalate the return of <keyword id="6356028" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="sports">sports</keyword> leagues across the country.</li><li>On May 22, acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad F. Wolf signed an order that allows foreign athletes to enter the US to compete.</li><li>The order also exempts team leadership and essential staff as well as spouses and dependents from laws that would otherwise prevent them from traveling stateside.</li><li>Athletes from the NBA, WNBA, MLB, PGA, LPGA, NHL, ATP, WTA, NWSL, and more are included in the directive.</li></ul>Sports are on their way back.And now, the Trump Administration is using its power to help expedite the process.<div type="image" title="luka doncic.JPG" height="1088" width="1450" msid="76053414" hostid="261"></div>On May 22, acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad F. Wolf signed an order that allows foreign professional athletes to enter the United States to train and compete in their respective sports. The provision also exempts team leadership and essential staff as well as spouses and dependents from laws that would otherwise prevent them from traveling stateside."Professional sporting events provide much needed economic benefits, but equally important, they provide community pride and national unity," Wolf <a href="https://www.dhs.gov/news/2020/05/22/acting-secretary-wolf-signs-exemption-allowing-entry-certain-foreign-professional">said in a statement</a>. "In today's environment, Americans need their sports. It's time to reopen the economy and it's time we get our professional athletes back to work."According to the release, the order applies to athletes and staff affiliated with the NBA, WNBA, MLB, PGA, LPGA, NHL, ATP, and WTA. In a call with members of the media Wednesday afternoon, commissioner Lisa Baird confirmed that the National Women's Soccer League — which will be <a href="https://www.insider.com/nwsl-tournament-utah-2020-uswnt-stars-participation-2020-5">amongst the first professional leagues in the nation to return to action</a> — is also included in the directive."Yes, we are included in that list," Baird said. "We were on the phone yesterday and we're working with our immigration attorney to clear the visas and make sure that our players who are still outside the United States are cleared to come back in."<div type="image" title="Roger Federer" height="1500" width="2000" msid="76053415" hostid="261"></div>The order garnered some attention on Tuesday when NHL deputy commissioner and chief legal officer Bill Daly said Wolf's move deems NHL players — many of whom hail from Canada and Nordic countries — "essential personnel." "We have been dealing with the governments in both the United States and Canada on these travel restrictions and quarantine requirements," Daly said during a call with the press. "The acting director of Homeland Security in the last three days, I believe, signed an order that made professional athletes essential personnel and allows them to travel into the United States."<div type="image" title="chad wolf.JPG" height="1535" width="2047" msid="76053416" hostid="261"></div>The Department of Homeland Security memo notes that any individual eligible for the exemption is still subject to inspection by Customs and Border Protection.While some states — including New York, New Jersey, and Utah — have lifted restrictions on group training for athletic teams, other states still ban gatherings of that many people. While Wolf's directive merely lifts travel limitations for certain foreign athletes, it stands to reason that sports leagues planning to host competition across state lines will need to seek further exemptions from the government to avoid violating existing state laws.<ul class="read-more-links"><li>Read more:</li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/nwsl-tournament-utah-2020-uswnt-stars-participation-2020-5">The NWSL will host a 'bubble' tournament in Utah, but some of the USWNT's biggest stars might not participate</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/wnba-2020-season-bubble-plans-during-covid-19-2020-5">The WNBA is mulling over plans to establish a 'bubble' for its 2020 season in the wake of COVID-19, but plans remain far from certain</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/when-will-pga-tour-restart-2020-5">The PGA Tour is set to return June 11 without fans in attendance — here's how the rest of the year will look for golf</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/when-mlb-season-will-begin-details-2020-5">MLB is hoping to start a shortened 2020 season in July — here's how the season would look</a></li></ul>Read the original article on <a href="https://www.insider.com/trump-administration-pro-athletes-essential-workers-sports-travel-2020-5">Insider</a>

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