Tag Archive for: Nebraska’

Nebraska state senator wants to hire a hacker to break into state systems


One state lawmaker wants Nebraska to take measures to protect it from cyberattacks. His answer? Hire its own hacker.

State Sen. Loren Lippincott presented a bill Thursday to the Legislature’s government committee that would give the Nebraska State Patrol $200,000 to hire “an ethical hacker.” The hacker would spend his or her days trying to break into the state’s computer network, as well as election equipment and software, to find any vulnerabilities in those systems.

Lippincott said he got the idea from a nephew of his who did similar work. The lawmaker’s staff did not find other states that have hired independent hackers, although Missouri has hired a company that employs “white hat hackers” to provide that service.

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“We hope to lead the way,” Lippincott said.

His bill also would allow hiring a security company that provide hackers to find weaknesses in the state’s system.

Security challenges continue to grow for state and local election officials across the country, including potential cyberattacks waged by foreign governments, criminal ransomware gangs and election misinformation that has led to harassment of election officials and undermined public confidence.

Nebraska Sen. Loren Lippincott

Nebraska Sen. Loren Lippincott is pictured here at his desk on the floor of the state Capitol on Jan. 5, 2024, in Lincoln, Nebraska. He introduced a bill to hire “an ethical hacker” to find weaknesses in state computer systems on Jan. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Margery Beck, File)

Lippincott presented the bill on the heels of FBI Director Christopher Wray’s warning that Chinese government hackers are targeting critical U.S. infrastructure, including water treatment plants, the electrical grid and transportation systems.

The Nebraska bill’s hearing was also held on the same day that the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency launched a program aimed at boosting election security in the states and after a recent cyberattack on government operations in Georgia that has created some elections challenges ahead of that state’s March presidential primary.

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“This idea is that an ethical hacker can find vulnerabilities that can be fixed…

Source…

Nebraska Medicine provides update on ‘cyber attack’ causing network issues – KETV Omaha

Nebraska Medicine provides update on ‘cyber attack’ causing network issues  KETV Omaha
“computer security news” – read more

Replaying Ballmer’s whacky Windows 1.0 ad and explaining ‘except in Nebraska’

Microsoft Windows 1.0 turns 30 tomorrow. And even though Steve Ballmer’s over-the-top TV ad for the operating system has seen its share of Internet airtime, I viewed it for the first time only this morning. Wow.

If you haven’t seen it, the 1986 production is worth every one of its grainy and crackling 62 seconds:

So, you may be asking, what’s up with the “except in Nebraska” that Ballmer says near the end of the ad?

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Network World Paul McNamara