Agencies Question Security Protocols Amid Shift to Post-Quantum Cryptography

by  Ashley Hackett

Experts say the PQC migration is less about quantum threats and more about whether agencies can build the infrastructure to handle any cryptographic shift ahead.

Summary

The federal government's push to adopt post-quantum cryptography is exposing a more immediate problem: many agencies don't know what cryptographic systems are currently protecting their networks.

Experts speaking at a recent Federal News Network panel described a migration effort that has become a stress test of federal security infrastructure. The core challenge is inventory — identifying every cryptographic asset across sprawling agency systems. Officials cited three persistent gaps: ownership, continuity, and completeness. Inventories go stale quickly, and cryptography often lives in places tools never reach.

Beyond the 2035 federal deadline, panelists stressed that “crypto agility” — the ability to swap algorithms without rebuilding infrastructure — matters more than any single migration. As one expert put it, “slow and steady, start shifting.”

 Read full story at FedTech

ClearGov Launches Interactive AI Platform to Communicate City Budgets

by  Ryan Kushner

Rochester Hills, Michigan, received hundreds of resident comments in a pilot effort to reach its “silent majority,” a case study found.

Summary

ClearGov launched an AI-powered platform to make city budget data accessible and interactive for constituents.

The platform, used by early adopters like Rochester Hills, Michigan, provides AI insights, feedback channels, and interactive visuals to enhance public engagement and understanding of city budgets.

 Read full story at SmarCitiesDive

The White House Is Ordering Agencies to Place Its New App on All Employees' Government Phones

by  Eric Katz & Natalie Alms

The newly created, often overtly political app places the Trump administration into unprecedented and “dangerous” territory, IT experts say.

Summary

The Trump administration is directing federal agencies to install its White House app on government-issued phones across the executive branch. Launched in March 2026, the app offers Americans access to administration news, livestreams, and social media content — including a button to “text President Trump.”

Federal CIO Greg Barbaccia issued instructions to agency chief information officers on the rollout's mechanics. The FAA confirmed the app will be automatically installed on all agency-issued iPhones and iPads.

Current and former federal officials called the move highly unusual and potentially dangerous. Cybersecurity experts warned the app shares users' IP addresses and time zone data with third parties. Critics argue the push is less about communication and more about ensuring federal employees see the administration's political messaging.

 Read full story at NextGov

Cybersecurity Evolution: How We Went From Perimeter Defense to AI-Native Security

by  Fahmida Y. Rashid

he cybersecurity industry of 2006 barely resembled today's billion-dollar behemoth. As part of Dark Reading's 20th anniversary celebration, we trace the industry's evolution through a technology lens.

Summary

Over the past two decades, cybersecurity has transformed from a back-office function focused on antivirus software and firewalls into a strategic business priority. The rise of cloud computing, mobile devices, and the Internet of Things dramatically expanded corporate attack surfaces, forcing security teams to rethink defenses built around flat, campus-based networks.

Security tooling shifted accordingly — from hardware appliances to software and services. Gartner projects worldwide security spending will reach $239.8 billion in 2026, with software accounting for roughly half. In 2006, the entire market totaled just under $30 billion.

Despite the scale of change, experts note the fundamentals haven't moved. Organizations still patch systems, manage access privileges, and train employees not to reuse passwords. As one analyst put it, “Cybersecurity today looks nothing like it did 20 years ago, but cybersecurity also looks exactly the same.”

 Read full story at DarkReading

Millions of AI Agents Imperiled by Critical Vulnerability in Open Source Package

by  Dan Goodin

“BadHost” was found in Starlette, a package with 325 million weekly downloads.

Summary

A critical security vulnerability dubbed BadHost is exposing millions of AI agents and servers to potential data breaches. Tracked as CVE-2026-48710, the flaw resides in Starlette, an open source Python framework downloaded 325 million times per week and the foundation of FastAPI, vLLM, LiteLLM, and other widely used tools.

The vulnerability allows attackers to inject a single character into an HTTP Host header, bypassing authentication and potentially accessing MCP servers — which store credentials for external services including email, databases, and cloud accounts. Exposed data includes clinical trial records, personal health information, full mailbox access, and SSH connections to industrial devices.

A patch was released Friday in Starlette version 1.0.1. Users of affected frameworks are urged to run the online scanner provided by security firms X41 D-Sec and Nemesis to assess their exposure.

 Read full story at arsTechnica

The AI Tech Job Slaughter Gets Real

by  Steven Vaughan-Nichols

Ever since generative AI went mainstream, we've known this was coming. Now, hardly a week goes by without yet another tech company announcing AI-related layoffs.

Summary

Tech companies are racing to cut workforces — nearly half of this year's 37,638 tech layoffs are AI-related — yet evidence that AI meaningfully benefits business remains thin. An IDC study found 88% of AI proof-of-concept projects never reach production, while an MIT study concluded 95% fail to deliver measurable financial impact.

The human cost is significant. Employees awaiting layoffs report low morale and diminished productivity, and 29% of workers — rising to 44% among Gen Z — admit to deliberately sabotaging work when forced to train AI replacements. Meanwhile, a Deloitte study found most AI investments take two to four years to deliver returns, far longer than the seven to twelve months typical for tech investments.

The author argues companies should focus on thoughtfully integrating AI alongside employees rather than rushing workforce cuts to boost short-term stock prices.

 Read full story at ComputerWorld

Con Edison Invests $3.9 Billion in System Upgrades for Summer 2026

by  ConEdison Press Release

Upgrades Cover the 5 Boroughs and Westchester; New Cable, Transformers, Substation Equipment Boost Reliability

Summary

Con Edison is investing heavily in New York's electrical grid to prepare for increasingly intense summers. Research projects the region could see 27 days above 95 degrees annually by 2040 — up from just four historically. Upgrades include 88 new underground transformers, 142 overhead transformers, hundreds of cable spans, and 180 new poles spanning the utility's 604-square-mile service area.

Borough-specific projects range from new transmission lines in Queens' rapidly growing Long Island City to burying overhead cable on Staten Island to protect against storms. Modern technologies — including smart meters, infrared cable inspections, and state-of-the-art circuit switches — are also being deployed across the system.

Residential customers in New York City can expect summer bills to rise 5.7% over last year. Con Edison offers energy efficiency incentives, bill assistance programs, and budget billing options to help customers manage costs.

 Read full story at Con Edison

How Do Microgrids Compare to Traditional Energy Solutions for Distribution Centers?

by  Jane Marsh

Modern distribution centers depend on continuous power to support robotics, automated conveyors, warehouse management systems and real-time logistics platforms. Even short disruptions can delay shipments, damage sensitive equipment and interrupt supply chain operations.

Summary

Microgrids are emerging as a superior energy solution for distribution centers compared to traditional utility-based systems.

They offer greater reliability, cost efficiency, and long-term value by improving uptime, strengthening resilience, and supporting sustainability goals. Microgrids provide localized power generation, intelligent load management, and integration of renewable energy resources, reducing dependence on centralized utility grids and mitigating operational risks.

 Read full story at Renewable Energy

What the Streaming Wars Can Teach Utilities About the AI Data Center Boom

by  Abbey O'Brien

Utilities can avoid the same mistakes major studios made in the Netflix era, but only if they view the AI boom as a systemwide modernization challenge

Summary

The AI and data center boom is straining electrical grids much the way streaming disrupted legacy media — and utilities risk repeating those same costly mistakes. A forecast from 451 Research projects data centers will require nearly three times as much grid power by 2030, pushing interconnection queues to their limits and raising concerns about who ultimately pays for infrastructure upgrades.

The article draws a direct parallel to the streaming wars, when siloed responses by media incumbents led to consumer frustration, rising costs, and eroded trust. Utilities, the author warns, face a similar trajectory if they treat each data center request as an isolated transaction rather than a systemwide planning challenge.

The path forward requires transparent cost-allocation frameworks, long-term load integration, and proactive collaboration among utilities, regulators, technology companies, and communities before reactive consolidation becomes the only option.

 Read full story at UtilityDive