Hillicon Valley: Twitter bug exposes passwords | Army cyber unit gets new chief | White House preps talking points for CIA pick | Sprint shuffles leadership ahead of merger

View in Browser     The Hill's Overnight Cybersecurity and Tech teams are joining forces to bring you Hillicon Valley, a new comprehensive newsletter detailing all you need to know about the tech and cyber news from Capitol Hill to Silicon Valley. Welcome! Follow the tech team, Ali Breland (@alibreland) and Harper Neidig (@hneidig), and the cyber team, Morgan Chalfant (@mchalfant16) and Olivia Beavers (@olivia_beavers), on Twitter.   A BUG WORTH SQUASHING: Twitter is recommending that all of its users change their passwords after the company discovered a bug that exposed passwords on an internal system. "We recently identified a bug that stored passwords unmasked in an internal log," Twitter announced Thursday. {mosads}"Out of an abundance of caution, we ask that you consider changing your password on all services where you've used this password," the company said. Twitter, which has over 330 million users globally, said an investigation turned up no evidence of "breach or misuse by anyone." As a precaution, the company recommended users change their Twitter passwords and enable two-factor authentication to further protect their accounts.   --What happened: Twitter uses a bcrypt, a hashing function that encrypts passwords. It allows the company to validate the account credentials without revealing the actual password. But Twitter said Thursday that a glitch resulted in passwords being written to an internal log before the hashing function was complete--meaning that they were exposed on the company's internal system.   --The company was quick to apologize and play damage control. Twitter's chief technology officer though, Parag Agrawal, wants everyone to know that the company "didn't have to" make the breach transparent. "We are sharing this information to help people make an informed decision about their account security. We didn't have to, but believe it's the right thing to do," he tweeted.   To read more, click here.   MEET THE ARMY'S NEW CYBER CHIEF: Maj. Gen. Stephen Fogarty has been selected to lead the U.S. Army's cyber warfare unit, replacing soon-to-be director of the National Security Agency, Lt. Gen. Paul Nakasone. Fogarty's nomination was quietly confirmed by the Senate late last week, before lawmakers left for a weeklong recess. A Senate Armed Services Committee staffer and a spokesman for Army Cyber Command both confirmed the development.   --Where he's from: Fogarty has served at Fort Meade, Md., as chief of staff at U.S. Cyber Command, the Pentagon's chief cyber warfighting unit, since June 2016. Before that, Fogarty was the commanding general at the Cyber Center of Excellence at Fort Gordon in Georgia.   --What he'll be doing: Army Cyber Command, which is headquartered at Fort Belvoir in Virginia, is a service component supporting U.S. Cyber Command. Past commanders of the Army's cyber warfighting unit have also led Joint Task Force Ares, a unit that conducts cyber operations against computer networks used by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). To read more, click here.   SCOOP ON CIA PICK: The White House has drafted a 27-page memo providing talking points to back up CIA Deputy Director Gina Haspel's controversial nomination to lead the spy agency. The document, obtained by The Hill, includes five broad points that Haspel's supporters are urged to use in defending and promoting Trump's nominee, who is expected to face a difficult confirmation fight in the Senate. The five talking points emphasize the CIA veteran's experience and "common-sense" leadership and note that she would be the first woman to lead the intelligence agency. It also preps defenders to counter attacks on Haspel for her involvement in the agency's use of harsh interrogations techniques, now widely considered torture, in the post-9/11 era.   --Take note of talking point #5: The final talking point doesn't mention that controversy directly but says that if the White House is "pressed on a specific matter," defenders of Haspel should respond with the following: "She is an 'intelligence and national security expert' who follows the law as written, and has demonstrated strong and clear leadership in very challenging positions."   --Why it's important: The talking points are intended to counter the narrative from Democratic critics of Haspel who argue her past work should disqualify her from leading the CIA. "Her role, whatever it was and whatever you think of torture, her role in it is not as deep or not as horrific as Democrats are describing it," according to one GOP source familiar with the confirmation process.   To read more about the administration's Haspel talking points, click here.   LATEST ON RUSSIA PROBES: Rod Rosenstein is offering a fierce defense of the Justice Department amid mounting Republican criticism, making an unusually public stand for the institution he has served for nearly three decades. On Tuesday, the deputy attorney general rebuked the nascent conservative effort to impeach him, likely exacerbating tensions with conservatives in the House. House Republicans are demanding access to classified documents related to special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation, including a heavily redacted memo that spells out the scope of the investigation. "There is really nothing to comment on there, but just give me the documents. The bottom line is, he needs to give me the documents," Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) said during an interview with The Hill on Wednesday when asked about his response to Rosenstein. "I have one goal in mind, and that is not somebody's job or the termination of somebody's job, it is getting the documents and making sure we can do proper oversight," he said, adding that there are "no current plans to introduce an impeachment resolution."  Republican lawmakers led by Meadows, chairman of the House Freedom Caucus and one of President Trump's top allies in Congress, have drafted eight articles of impeachment against Rosenstein. The articles make a series of charges against Rosenstein and question his credibility, reputation and fitness to serve. Rosenstein dismissed the impeachment threat and went a step further by suggesting the Justice Department's independence is being threatened. To read more of our piece, click here.   SPRINT SHUFFLES LEADERSHIP: Sprint is giving a title bump to its CEO as the company pursues regulatory approval for its merger with T-Mobile. Marcelo Claure will become the company's executive chairman, while CFO Michael Combes will replace him as chief executive. Claure will focus on getting the $26 billion merger cleared in Washington, Sprint said in a release. "Marcelo has done a remarkable job of turning around the Sprint brand and business, driving enhanced network performance, strong subscriber growth and significant cost reductions leading to the best financial results in Sprint's history," Masayoshi Son, CEO of Sprint parent company SoftBank, said in a statement. "Marcelo has also positioned Sprint as a leader in the race to 5G, which promises to revolutionize the communications industry.  He will continue to guide Sprint's strategy and momentum as Executive Chairman through a successful closing with T-Mobile." To read more, click here.   TROUBLE IN SEATTLE: Amazon is threatening to halt development projects in Seattle as the city's leaders consider a new tax to fund efforts to help its homeless population. The Seattle Times reported that the tech giant has paused its plans on a new downtown building and is considering subleasing another building it currently occupies ahead of the Seattle City Council's vote on a "head tax" on companies that earn more than $20 million a year. "I can confirm that pending the outcome of the head-tax vote by City Council, Amazon has paused all construction planning on our Block 18 project in downtown Seattle and is evaluating options to sub-lease all space in our recently leased Rainer Square building," Amazon spokesman Drew Herdener said in a statement. To read more, click here.   REPORT ALERT: The Estonian Foreign Intelligence Service has published an annual assessment of the security environment around the country that delves into cyber and other threats. No surprise: It's mostly about Russia.   A LIGHTER NON-RELATED TWITTER CLICK: What happens when Giuliani orders breakfast? (Twitter)   TODAY'S OPINION: Senate would be prudent to leave internet freedom alone. (The Hill)   LONGREAD OF THE DAY: The New Yorker looks at digital vigilantes who hack back. American companies are increasingly finding themselves on the receiving end of hacks from foreign governments and other actors. Companies usually refrain from hitting back. (The risk of backlash can be high.) But what if other people not explicitly affiliated with such companies took it upon themselves to do something?   ON TAP: Mark your calendars: The Senate Armed Services Committee has released its fiscal 2019 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) markup schedule. The Subcommittee on Cybersecurity's closed-door markup will take place on Tuesday, May 22, according to a release sent out on Thursday.   NOTABLE LINKS FROM AROUND THE WEB: EXCLUSIVE: Giuliani calls for Sessions to 'step in' on Cohen investigation. (The Hill) Mueller subpoena of Trump could spark historic legal clash. (The Hill) Sen. John McCain writes in a new book that the U.S. should considering striking back at Russia with a cyberattack. (Defense News) Pennsylvania has convened an independent commission to investigate its election security. (Pittsburg Post-Gazette) "Cyber Warfare: The Threat From Nation States." (Forbes) The European Central Bank has developed a cyber simulation test. (Reuters) Elon Musk turns conference call into a sparring session (WSJ) BSA, the Software Alliances new policy agenda           Did a friend forward you this email? 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Overnight Energy: Third Pruitt aide leaving EPA this week | Prosecutors charge Volkswagen ex-CEO | Anheuser-Busch aims for zero emission truck fleet

View in your browser     ANOTHER EPA EXIT: A top public affairs official at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is calling it quits, marking the third departure of one of Administrator Scott Pruitt's political aides this week. Liz Bowman, who was in charge of general communications for Pruitt, including answering press inquiries, plans to leave EPA for a job on Capitol Hill. "I leave extremely thankful for the opportunity to serve the Trump Administration and Administrator Pruitt," Bowman said, noting her last day would be May 11. Bowman told The Hill she would be joining Sen. Joni Ernst's (R-Iowa) office as communications director. "Being a member of the EPA team has allowed me to further my skills, learn from my mistakes, and make lifelong friendships. It has also provided me the opportunity to develop a new, and deep, respect for the public servants who serve the American people, day in and day out, to ensure that we all have access to clean air, land, and water." Bowman's departure comes at an increasingly challenging time for Pruitt, who has been under intense scrutiny for questionable expenditures and has faced a number of ethics scandals. Read more here.   Why it's notable: Earlier this week two of Pruitt's top aides, mired in controversies, resigned from the agency. Albert Kelly, who was hired to lead the agency's Superfund program last year, resigned Tuesday and Pruitt's head of security, Pasquale Perrotta, resigned on Monday, EPA confirmed.     VOLKSWAGEN CHARGES: Martin Winterkorn, the former CEO of Volkswagen, has been indicted on wire fraud and conspiracy charges over an international emissions scandal, the Department of Justice announced Thursday. The four counts against Winterkorn, who resigned amid the scandal in 2015, are related to Volkswagen's alleged efforts to skirt United States diesel emissions standards. "The indictment unsealed today alleges that Volkswagen's scheme to cheat its legal requirements went all the way to the top of the company. These are serious allegations, and we will prosecute this case to the fullest extent of the law," Attorney General Jeff Sessions said in a statement. "I want to thank the Criminal Division's Fraud Section, the Department's Environment and Natural Resources Division and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Michigan as well as our partners at the EPA, FBI and in Germany for their hard work on this important case." The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2015 said it found that Volkswagen had programmed its automobiles to deceive emissions tests -- allegations the automaker admitted to at the time. Read more here.   A turn of events: Earlier in the week states had been rolling out settlements with the car company over the same scandal. On Wednesday, Arizona's attorney general announced that Volkswagen will pay $40 million in a settlement. West Virginia announced the day before that the state had settled with Volkswagen for $2.6 million for lying about its "clean diesel" engines. Read more here.   BUDWEISER AIMS FOR ZERO-EMISSION TRUCK FLEET: Budweiser beer's parent company wants its vehicles to produce zero carbon emissions by 2025. Anheuser-Busch announced Thursday that it will buy 800 hydrogen-electric powered semitrucks from Nikola Motor Company in order to offset the emissions of its current fleet. The company hopes to eventually replace all of its gas powered long-haul fleet with hydrogen and electric vehicles. The integration will begin in 2020. "At Anheuser-Busch we're continuously searching for ways to improve sustainability across our entire value chain and drive our industry forward. The transport industry is one that is ripe for innovative solutions and Nikola is leading the way with hydrogen-electric, zero-emission capabilities. We are very excited by the possibilities our partnership with them can offer," Anheuser-Busch President Michel Doukeris said in a statement. The purchases follow a recent unveiling by the company of 2025 "sustainability goals" that include cutting carbon emissions by a fourth. The company expects that, by replacing its entire semi-truck shipping fleet with renewable powered options, it will reduce its carbon footprint by 18 percent. Read more here.   OUTSIDE THE BELTWAY: Pressure restrictions on TransCanada Corp's Keystone oil pipeline were lifted, Reuters reports. The California Water Board delayed a vote on whether to support the governor's plan to build two multibillion-dollar tunnels to remake the state's water system, The Associated Press reports. U.S. electric utilities are expected to eventually shut hundreds of coal-fired generators, Reuters reports.   FROM THE HILL'S OPINION SECTION: -Pruitt's renewable fuel attacks cost him GOP support in Congress, writes Mike Carr, executive director of New Energy America. -The costs of carbon taxes are real -- and crippling, argue Vance Ginn and Megan Ingram, of the Texas Public Policy Foundation.   IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Check out stories from Wednesday... -US prosecutors charge ex-Volkswagen CEO in diesel scandal -Pruitt once bought house with Oklahoma lobbyist: report -Public affairs official is third aide to leave EPA this week -Anheuser-Busch aims for zero-emissions truck fleet -Six more US scientists selected for Macron's 'Make Our Planet Great Again' program     Please send tips and comments to Timothy Cama, tcama@thehill.com; and Miranda Green, mgreen@thehill.com. Follow us on Twitter: @Timothy_Cama, @mirandacgreen, @thehill         Did a friend forward you this email? 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Overnight Defense: Pentagon warns China after lasers injure US pilots | Trump pushes 'fix' for veterans health program | White House preps talking points for CIA pick

View in your browser     Happy Thursday and welcome to Overnight Defense. I'm Ellen Mitchell, and here's your nightly guide to the latest developments at the Pentagon, on Capitol Hill and beyond.   THE TOPLINE: The United States has issued a formal warning to China after personnel at the Chinese military base in Djibouti used lasers to interfere with U.S. military aircraft, giving two pilots minor injuries, according to the Pentagon. Top Defense Department spokeswoman Dana White told reporters Thursday that the U.S. is confident the Chinese are behind the "very serious incidents," which have increased in the past few weeks.   What exactly happened: White said there have been "more than two [and] less than 10" such instances where the Chinese used a high-power laser to disrupt pilots. The incidents have happened in the past but they have picked up in the past few weeks. "During one incident, there were two minor eye injuries of aircrew flying in a C-130 that resulted from exposure to military-grade laser beams, which were reported to have originated from the nearby Chinese base," according to a notice reported by CNN. The activity "poses a true threat to our airmen," and there already have been "two minor injuries," cause by the lasers, White said during a Pentagon briefing. How the U.S. has responded: White said that the U.S. has "formally demarched the Chinese government," meaning Washington has given Beijing a strong warning. The US has also "requested that the Chinese investigate these incidents." The U.S. government has also warned airmen to be cautious when flying in certain areas in Djibouti, on the Horn of Africa. The Pentagon has about 4,000 personnel based at Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti, the only permanent U.S. military base in Africa.  The White House weighs in: During the daily White House press briefing Thursday, press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders was asked how President Trump will respond to the laser incidents as well as reports that the Chinese have installed new military platforms on disputed islands in the South China Sea. While Sanders did not respond to the use of lasers in Djibouti, she said the administration is "well aware of China's militarization of the South China Sea" and has "raised concerns directly with the Chinese about this." "There will be near-term and long-term consequences of this," she added.     PENTAGON: 2,000 TROOPS ON BORDER TO COST $182M: Sending 2,000 National Guard troops to the Mexican border will cost $182 million through the end of the fiscal year, the Pentagon's top spokeswoman said Thursday.  Where the money will come from: The money would come from the Guard's operation and maintenance and military personnel accounts, spokeswoman Dana White said. "These are funds that are for training and so we'll use them, but at this time there are no concerns," she said. Asked whether there were concerns that dipping into such accounts would affect force readiness, she replied that there were no issues "right now." The numbers right now: The 2,000 troops represent just half the amount that President Trump wants to send to the border. Defense Secretary James Mattis in April authorized up to 4,000 National Guard troops to be sent to the border in Texas, California, New Mexico and Arizona as part of Trump's plan for the military to shore up the southern border until his administration builds a border wall. While Texas, New Mexico and Arizona have sent at least 1,000 troops so far, California rejected the federal government's initial plans for sending guardsmen to the border, as the work was thought to be too closely tied to immigration enforcement.   TRUMP WANTS CONGRESS TO 'FIX' VETERANS HEALTH-CARE PROGRAM: President Trump on Thursday urged Congress to "fix" a veterans health-care program hours after the chairman of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee reintroduced a plan to do so. "This spring marks [four years] since the Phoenix VA crisis. We won't forget what happened to our GREAT VETS," Trump tweeted. The plan: The Veterans Choice Program allows some veterans to see private doctors. It was created in the wake of the 2014 wait-time scandal that started with the Phoenix Veterans Affairs health-care system. Earlier Thursday, House Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Phil Roe (R-Tenn.) reintroduced a bill that would overhaul private-care options for veterans enrolled in the Veterans Affairs health-care system, as well as expand caregiver benefits for older veterans and create a process for closing excesses facilities. The bill would expand which veterans are eligible to see private-sector health specialists, as well as entitle veterans enrolled in the system to see a private doctor without a co-pay twice a year. The bill was originally negotiated as part of the massive government spending bill Congress passed in March. But it was ultimately stripped out before passage after last-minute objections by House Democrats. Democrats are worried the measures move too far toward privatization of the VA. The debate: The re-introduction of the bill and Trump's tweet come after acting Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie warned lawmakers in a letter Friday that the Veterans Choice Program will run out of money in the first two weeks of June. Roe's bill contains $5.2 billion to keep the Choice program funded until the new program is implemented. The debate over the extent to which veterans should get private health care at taxpayer expense has heated up amid Trump's leadership shakeup at the department. Former Secretary David Shulkin has said he was fired because there are forces in the Trump administration pushing the VA toward full privatization, which he opposed.   PENTAGON IDENTIFIES 9 KILLED IN AIR CRASH: The Pentagon on Thursday identified the nine pilots and crew killed a day earlier when their Air National Guard plane crashed near an airport in Savannah, Ga. "Taking care of our fallen Airmen's families and loved ones is our top priority," according to Adjutant General of Puerto Rico, Brig. Gen. Isabelo Rivera. "We are fully supporting them and providing all the assistance and resources of the Puerto Rico National Guard during this difficult moment." What we know so far: The airmen and crew were riding in a C-130 from the Air National Guard's 156th Airlift Wing out of Puerto Rico and had taken off from Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport, from which the Air National Guard also operates. The plane went down while performing a training mission and the crash is under investigation.   TALKING POINTS FOR CIA PICK: The White House has drafted a 27-page memo providing talking points to back up CIA Deputy Director Gina Haspel's controversial nomination to lead the spy agency. The document, obtained by The Hill, includes five broad points that Haspel's supporters are urged to use in defending and promoting Trump's nominee, who is expected to face a difficult confirmation fight in the Senate. The five talking points emphasize the CIA veteran's experience and "common-sense" leadership and note that she would be the first woman to lead the intelligence agency. The key issue: It also preps defenders to counter attacks on Haspel for her involvement in the agency's use of harsh interrogations techniques, now widely considered torture, in the post-9/11 era. The final talking point doesn't mention that controversy directly but says that if the White House is "pressed on a specific matter," defenders of Haspel should respond with the following: "She is an 'intelligence and national security expert' who follows the law as written, and has demonstrated strong and clear leadership in very challenging positions." 'Close' vote: The White House said Thursday that it is expecting a "close" vote on Haspel's nomination. "I think that unfortunately in this environment we accept that every vote is close. ... It's just the dynamic we face," Marc Short, director of legislative affairs, told reporters.    ON TAP FOR TOMORROW: Sen. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) will speak on the future of a denuclearized Korean Peninsula at 9:30 a.m. at the Atlantic council in Washington, D.C.    ICYMI: -- The Hill: Senate confirms new Army cyber warfare unit leader -- The Hill: North Korean leader vows he is committed to denuclearization: China -- The Hill: Trump hints at progress on North Korean prisoner release -- The Hill: Opinion: 'Forever war' needs new rules -- The Hill: Opinion: Stay in the Iran nuke deal to keep America's seat at the negotiating table -- Defense News: McCain book: U.S. should consider cyberattack to punish Putin     Please send tips and comments to Rebecca Kheel, rkheel@thehill.com, and Ellen Mitchell, emitchell@thehill.com. Follow us on Twitter: @thehill, @Rebecca_H_K, @EllenMitchell23         Did a friend forward you this email? Sign up for Defense Newsletters     Forward Defense Newsletters       Privacy Policy  |  Manage Subscriptions  |  Unsubscribe  |  Email to a friend  |  Sign Up for Other Newsletters   The Hill 1625 K Street, NW 9th Floor, Washington DC 20006 ©2016 Capitol Hill Publishing Corp., a subsidiary of News Communications, Inc.