Government concerns about the potential risk to national security from Chinese cyber attacks, a recurring theme in recent months, intensified last week, as allegations and rebuttals about the hacking threat from China swirled globally. Cybersecurity firm Crowdstrike warned in a report that China has backed away from a hacking truce with the United States.

Furloughed federal cybersecurity workers were “scrambling” last week to mop up the effects that the longest U.S. government in shutdown in history had on national cybersecurity defenses. And the prospect for another shutdown still loomed. So reports Wired. The impact of the shutdown hit even agencies that stayed fund during the shutdown, including military and intelligence. Six senators led by Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) have called for details about the shutdown and its ramifications for federal cybersecurity.

Read the full article from Wired. 

When it comes to protecting an organization’s sensitive data, best practices include taking active steps against potential intruders before they strike. So multiple reports suggest.

Duke Energy has been hit with a $10 million fine by the utility industry’s self-regulatory organization for cybersecurity violations. So reports the Charlotte Business Journal.