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Trump Targets Foreign Technology in New U.S. Power Grid Security Order
Trump's Executive Order 14420 declares a national emergency to restrict foreign-made bulk-power grid equipment over cyber, sabotage and supply-chain risks.
Executive Order 14420, signed August 26, declares a national emergency regarding the foreign supply of bulk-power system electric equipment to the United States. It empowers the Energy Secretary to restrict transactions with designated Covered Foreign Entities involving equipment, software, firmware, digital services, maintenance services, and remote-access capabilities. Covered equipment includes transformers, generators, inverters, RTUs, PLCs, intelligent electronic devices, and protective relays, with transmission rated 69 kV or higher in scope while local distribution is excluded. Already-installed foreign equipment may be subject to identification, isolation, monitoring, or replacement requirements, with phased compliance and pre-qualified vendor exemptions permitted.
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US offers $10 million for info on Iranian leaders behind CyberAv3ngers water utility attacks
The US offered $10 million for information on six IRGC-CEC officials behind CyberAv3ngers' 2023 hacks of Unitronics PLCs at US water utilities.
The State Department named six Iranian security officials, including IRGC Cyber-Electronic Command head Hamid Reza Lashgarian, and offered up to $10 million for information on their whereabouts. CyberAv3ngers publicly claimed compromises of Israel-made Unitronics Vision PLCs in October 2023, forcing the Municipal Water Authority of Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, to take systems offline and switch to manual operations. The US had sanctioned the six men in February for targeting critical infrastructure, and CISA notified water operators using Unitronics devices while urging default-password changes. A watchdog also criticized the EPA for lacking a comprehensive water-sector cyber risk strategy.
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A bold new strategy or a dangerous precedent? Experts are divided on Trump's memo.
Trump presidential memorandum authorizes private-sector companies to conduct federally supervised hacking operations against transnational criminal organizations.
A newly signed presidential memorandum enlists private companies in federal law enforcement hacking operations aimed at transnational criminal organizations, with a 60-day window to establish the program. Experts told CyberScoop the shift raises attribution, targeting and constitutional questions, including risks of private firms accidentally attacking foreign governments and procedures for prior approval before targeting US persons. Critics likened the approach to historical letters of marque, while supporters including NSC cyber policy director Amanda Naylor framed it as bringing private-sector speed to the fight against cybercrime and fraud.
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Cyber threats nudge Trump to sign executive order on foreign equipment in U.S. energy infrastructure
Trump signed an executive order declaring an emergency to bar foreign bulk-power equipment deemed a national security cyber risk.
The executive order, 'Declaring a National Energy Emergency to Secure the United States Bulk-Power System,' prohibits acquiring, importing, transferring, or installing foreign-produced bulk-power equipment and software deemed risky, citing fears of digital backdoors in Chinese-made grid gear. China supplies roughly 85% of solar supply chain capacity and is a major transformer manufacturer. The Energy Department has 120 days to develop implementing rules; the order revives a 2020 Trump-era measure the Biden administration had suspended after utilities found compliance difficult.
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Building AI to accelerate science and improve lives
Google highlights AI-for-science advances: AlphaGenome Atlas mapping 9 billion genetic variants, WeatherNext 3 weather model, and global health AI tools.
Google detailed AI advances across science and health, including AlphaGenome Atlas, which mapped all 9 billion possible single-letter genetic changes in the human genome and was made openly available. WeatherNext 3 delivers 50% more accurate precipitation forecasts a day or more ahead and is already in products. AlphaFold is used by 4 million researchers in 190 countries, TB chest X-ray screening has processed 25,000+ scans across six nations, and the diabetic retinopathy model has supported 1.15 million screenings. Google also released its AI & Economy ATLAS global usage insights.
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OpenAI Bans Russian ChatGPT Accounts Used to Run Influence Operation
OpenAI banned Russian-operated ChatGPT accounts that generated social media content promoting the International Burke Institute influence operation.
OpenAI disrupted a cluster of ChatGPT accounts using VPNs to generate posts and comments on Substack, Telegram, X, Facebook and LinkedIn promoting the International Burke Institute, a self-described expert community registered in February 2025. The operation republished academic work with misattributed sources and promoted a 'Sovereignty Index' scoring nations 100-700 points, casting Russia favorably. Telegram channels drew roughly 10-20,000 followers each, and operators instructed ChatGPT to conceal linguistic clues of Russian origin. OpenAI says the campaign is distinct from documented Russia-linked influence operations and illustrates how AI can support manufacturing of authority.
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Trump turns to private sector in offensive hacking operations memo
Trump signed a national security memorandum authorizing vetted private companies to conduct offensive cyber operations against transnational criminal organizations under federal oversight.
The memorandum creates a federal coordination center program authorizing 'Participating Companies' to conduct Cyber Surveillance Operations and Cyber Effects Operations against foreign cyber-enabled transnational criminal organizations. Participating firms must contract with the Justice Department or Department of Homeland Security, undergo vetting, and comply with existing laws including the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. The White House cited sustained fraud and cyber-enabled campaigns from TCOs as justification, building on a March fraud-focused executive order. Experts including Veracode co-founder Chris Wysopal called it a major shift in U.S. cyber policy, though it stops short of broader 'hack back' proposals.
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8,539 Reasons To Rethink How Vulnerabilities Get Patched
Rapid7 counted 8,539 high and critical CVEs in Q2 2026, double last year, with PoC availability up 76%.
Rapid7's Q2 2026 Threat Landscape Report tallied 8,539 high- and critical-severity vulnerability disclosures, twice the number recorded in Q2 2025, with newly disclosed flaws having public proof-of-concept code up 76% year over year. Of newly exploited vulnerabilities, 62% were network-exploitable and required neither authentication nor user interaction. Fake CAPTCHA and ClickFix social engineering accounted for 31.8% of incident response cases, the United States recorded 881 listed ransomware victims, and APT28 exploited SOHO routers for DNS hijacking while Iranian groups targeted US industrial control and OT systems.
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