News brief: U.S. cyberdefenses take aim at foreign threats

U.S. cyberdefenders said they are stepping up efforts to counter foreign attacks that target American citizens and companies. In recent days, the Trump administration has taken several actions against groups it blames for cyber schemes and has outlined a strategy for a more assertive and better coordinated deterrence strategy.

Decisions from Washington this week struck some as mixed messages, however. The Federal Communications Commission voted 2-1 to scrap cybersecurity regulations the Biden administration placed on U.S. telecom providers, a move that Senate Democrats said would weaken defenses against attacks, such as the 2024 Salt Typhoon attack attributed to China-backed threat actors. Leaders at CISA, meanwhile, said they plan to make hiring a priority in 2026. Layoffs and voluntary departures have significantly affected CISA this year. Security efforts, the agency's acting director wrote in a recent memo to staff, are "hampered by an approximately 40% vacancy rate across ...