news 
The Trump administration has announced plans to allocate a staggering $1 billion over the next four years towards “offensive” cyber operations. This massive investment is intended to enhance and improve the capabilities of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, which operates in the Asia-Pacific region, including China, the country’s biggest geopolitical rival.
The move comes as the newly passed budget has also cut a staggering $1 billion from the nation’s cyber defense budget, at a time when the U.S. is facing ongoing cyber threats from China. The decision has been met with criticism from Senator Ron Wyden, who emphasized that the Trump administration has slashed funding for defensive cybersecurity programs, including gutting the U.S. cybersecurity agency CISA and its budget.
In an emailed statement to TechCrunch, Wyden expressed deep concerns about the move, stating, “The Trump administration has slashed funding for cybersecurity and government technology and left our country wide open to attack by foreign hackers.” The senator further emphasized that “vastly expanding U.S. government hacking is going to invite retaliation — not just against federal agencies, but also rural hospitals, local governments and private companies who don’t stand a chance against nation-state hackers.”
The $1 billion allocated for “offensive” cyber operations can describe a wide range of targeted hacks against U.S. adversaries, which include the use of zero-day exploits or the deployment of spyware. These operations can also encompass more commonplace components required to support those operations, such as establishing the infrastructure necessary to carry out cyberattacks, intelligence gathering, including collecting or buying internet traffic (known as “netflow”), and more.
When contacted for comment, spokespeople from the White House and the Department of Defense acknowledged receipt of the inquiry but failed to provide any further information on the matter.
Source: techcrunch.com
