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   Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill" set to award $1 billion funding to    
   "offensive cyber operations"   
      
   Date:   
   Wed, 16 Jul 2025 19:47:00 +0000   
      
   Description:   
   Security spending may be slashed, but cyber offensives are getting a boost   
   from Trump bill.   
      
   FULL STORY   
      
   President Trumps landmark One Big Beautiful Bill legislation includes plans    
   to commit $1billion over the next four years on unspecified "offensive cyber   
   operations".    
      
   Cyber-offensive operations typically include exploiting flaws in software to   
   hack devices or deploy spyware, intelligence gathering, or collecting    
   internet traffic data (among many others).    
      
   Its not clear what tools or software would qualify, but the legislation notes   
   that the funds would go towards enhancing and improving the capabilities of   
   the US Indo-Pacific Command, potentially focusing on the USs biggest   
   geopolitical rival, China.    
      
   Switching focus   
      
   This comes despite mass federal layoffs that a former NSA cybersecurity   
   director has warned will have a devastating impact on cybersecurity  and an   
   unprecedented cut of over $1.2 billion to the federal cybersecurity budget -   
   although some cuts have been partially reversed since a federal court ruled   
   the firing of 130 workers unlawful.    
      
   The US government recently announced a pause in cyber-offensive operations   
   against Russia , which highlights the administrations focus away from eastern   
   Europe and onto China, especially considering the ongoing trade war against   
   the state.    
      
   Following this, the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency    
   (CISA) reaffirmed its commitment to defending against all cyberthreats,   
   although the continued efforts to undermine and weaken cybersecurity teams   
   capabilities, however counter-productive that may be in protecting US   
   infrastructure.    
      
   Senator Ron Wyden, member of the Senate Intelligence Committee confirmed to   
   TechCrunch the Trump administration, has slashed funding for cybersecurity    
   and government technology and left our country wide open to attack by foreign   
   hackers.    
      
   Vastly expanding U.S. government hacking is going to invite retaliation  not   
   just against federal agencies, but also rural hospitals, local governments    
   and private companies who dont stand a chance against nation-state hackers.   
      
   ======================================================================   
   Link to news story:   
   https://www.techradar.com/pro/security/trumps-one-big-beautiful-bill-act-gives   
   -usd1-billion-in-funding-to-offensive-cyber-operations   
      
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