I am doing a fireside chat and signing free copies of the newly updated Cult of the Dead Cow book at #RSAC if you are in town tomorrow. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/josephmenn_rsac-runzeroday-activity-7441895184113729537-dheI?utm_medium=ios_app&rcm=ACoAAAABK5YBR8laPFRbhJoHeyTIRyCifkDyh6s&utm_source=social_share_send&utm_campaign=copy_link

I was part of the 45% of the Washington Post newsroom recently laid off by the economically struggling Jeff Bezos. Over at BlueSky, I posted free no-reg archive links to 15 of my favorite stories from the past four years. Thanks for reading! https://bsky.app/profile/joemenn.bsky.social/post/3mfn7fnnfac27

Apparently this NYT mention today was enough to wipe out the warehouse inventory. If you can’t find it in stores, please order and be patient. You don’t have to use Amazon. Thank you for all the love! #hacking #books

Hi all, wanted to let people here know about the imminent release of the revised version of my book on the Cult of the Dead Cow. This first-ever update chronicles the surge in #hacktivism by the group and others in the face of Big Tech’s alliance with the far right. The paperback and audio publish Dec 2!

Yikes. https://krebsonsecurity.com/2025/04/cyber-forensic-expert-in-2000-cases-faces-fbi-probe/

"Graphite" software from Paragon, which has sold its high-end phone spyware to the U.S. government and holds itself out as more ethical than peers, has been found in the devices of Italian migrant rescuers close to the Pope, according to Citizen Lab and WhatsApp. Gift link: https://wapo.st/3Y2t8KK

Scoop from me at the Post: one of hackerdom’s biggest fallen heroes, Morgan Marquis-Boire, secretly co-founded a celebrated company recovering cryptocurrency. Gift: http://wapo.st/4kSoSaw

After criticism, the Pentagon now says there is no order to stand down cyber operations vs. Russia. @DODResponse on X: "@SecDef has neither canceled nor delayed any cyber operations directed against malicious Russian targets and there has been no stand-down order whatsoever from that priority."

Gift link: US halts cyber operations vs Russia. https://wapo.st/4kjGtrI

Exclusive just up at The Post: The Justice Department told Congress in November that there were no disputes with the UK over enforcing the data-sharing Cloud Act, even though it knew Britain planned on demanding a back door from Apple. GIFT LINK. https://wapo.st/41C53f5

Updated with UK comment: Archived version, no hoops. https://archive.is/JNy6X

Breaking: Apple pulls end-to-end encrypted storage option from UK after secret order for a back door. https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2025/02/21/apple-yanks-encrypted-storage-uk-instead-allowing-backdoor-access/

I continue to report on the urgent cybersecurity and privacy issues resulting from DOGE access across the government. If you know something our readers should be aware of, please reach out to me on Signal at joemenn.01. Thank you.

Will be chatting hacking and hacktivism and giving away books in Sunnyvale a week from tonight. https://lu.ma/eerfzavh

Strong story on one of Musk's Doge heavies, if you have a Bloomberg login. Not only is a private equity approach risky for a government operation, its cost-cutting and opacity make major security flaws more likely, including in security products used by ,gov. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2025-02-10/musk-s-doge-pick-led-cybersecurity-cuts-at-citrix-hacks-followed

UPDATE to our story today on the threat warnings about DOGE access sent to Treasury officials. The analyst who send one of them has been "removed" from his position by contractor Booz Allen. https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2025/02/07/doge-treasury-payments-system-warning/

I have the lead story at the Post for now, breaking the news that the UK has secretly ordered Apple to provide a back door to the strongest encrypted storage it offers--while making it a criminal offense to tell users the truth. Free version here, no sign-up needed. https://archive.is/EzboV

I interviewed two despairing Office of Personnel Management employees for this story. Musk's people at DOGE were granted full access to sensitive records on millions of people within hours of Trump being sworn in. They can now make further actions harder to spot. Please read and share, this version should be free with an email address. https://wapo.st/3WNsOik #musk #opm

After deep Chinese hacks and ransomware growth, Republicans likely to spare cyber defense agency #CISA from major retrenchment. By me at the Post, gift link. http://wapo.st/42Ej9i7 feat. @cisajen

Overdose victims and law enforcement slam Ross Ulbricht Silk Road pardon, while some others are afraid to comment. Gift WashPost link to our story, with some marketing hoops. https://wapo.st/4aANQq8