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Richard Forno

Senior Lecturer, Cybersecurity & Internet Researcher, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

Dr. Richard Forno is a Senior Lecturer in the UMBC Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, where he directs the UMBC Graduate Cybersecurity Program, serves as the Assistant Director of UMBC's Center for Cybersecurity, and is a Junior Affiliate Scholar at the Stanford Law School's Center for Internet and Society (CIS). His twenty-year career spans the government, military, and private sector, including helping build a formal cybersecurity program for the US House of Representatives, serving as the first Chief Security Officer for Network Solutions, and advising several technology startup companies. Richard also was one of the early researchers on the subject of cyberwarfare and he remains a longtime commentator on the influence of Internet technology upon society.

Massive IT outage spotlights major vulnerabilities in the global information ecosystem

Jul 21, 2024 16:21 pm UTC| Insights & Views Technology

The global information technology outage on July 19, 2024, that paralyzed organizations ranging from airlines to hospitals and even the delivery of uniforms for the Olympic Games represents a growing concern for...

Social media and political violence – how to break the cycle

Jul 17, 2024 08:22 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics

The attempted assassination of Donald Trump on July 13, 2024, added more fuel to an already fiery election season. In this case, political violence was carried out against the party that is most often found espousing it....

What is Volt Typhoon? A cybersecurity expert explains the Chinese hackers targeting US critical infrastructure

Apr 01, 2024 11:05 am UTC| Technology

Volt Typhoon is a Chinese state-sponsored hacker group. The United States government and its primary global intelligence partners, known as the Five Eyes, issued a warning on March 19, 2024, about the groups activity...

Ukraine conflict brings cybersecurity risks to US homes, businesses

Feb 26, 2022 10:06 am UTC| Technology

All cybersecurity is local, regardless of the world situation. That means its personal, too in Americans homes, computers and online accounts. As violence spreads thousands of miles away from the U.S., my strong...

Ransomware can interfere with elections and fuel disinformation – basic cybersecurity precautions are key to minimizing the damage

Nov 02, 2020 10:39 am UTC| Technology

Government computer systems in Hall County, Georgia, including a voter signature database, were hit by a ransomware attack earlier this fall in the first known ransomware attack on election infrastructure during the 2020...

Hackers seek ransoms from Baltimore and communities across the US

Jun 07, 2019 16:09 pm UTC| Insights & Views Technology

The people of Baltimore are beginning their fifth week under an electronic siege that has prevented residents from obtaining building permits and business licenses and even buying or selling homes. A year after hackers...

Threats remain to US voting system – and voters' perceptions of reality

Nov 08, 2018 17:29 pm UTC| Insights & Views Politics

As the 2018 midterms proceed, there are still significant risks to the integrity of the voting system and information warfare continues to try to influence the American publics choices when they cast their ballots. On...

Economy

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent Slams JPMorgan Report on Gulf Oil Insurance as ‘Completely Irresponsible’

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent sharply criticized JPMorgan Chase Co. (NYSE: JPM) on Friday, calling the banks recent analysis of a government-backed oil tanker insurance program terrible and completely...

China Aims to Maintain Stable Employment Amid AI Growth and Labor Market Challenges

China remains confident it can maintain stable employment and sustain positive economic momentum over the next five years, even as global uncertainties and the rapid development of artificial intelligence reshape the labor...

Japan Seeks U.S. Tariff Exemption as Trade Tensions Lift USD/JPY

Japan has formally asked the United States for assurances that its exports will not be negatively affected by Washingtons latest tariff plans, as Tokyo works to preserve the favorable conditions secured in last years...

Fed May Tighten Policy if Inflation Stalls Despite Weak Labor Market

Cleveland Federal Reserve President Beth Hammack signaled that the U.S. central bank may consider tighter monetary policy later in 2026 if progress on inflation slows, even as signs of a cooling labor market complicate the...

Oil Prices Surge as Middle East Conflict Disrupts Global Supply

Global oil prices jumped sharply on Friday as escalating tensions between the United States, Israel, and Iran triggered significant disruptions in worldwide energy supply. U.S. crude futures recorded a dramatic rise, with...

Politics

Trump Demands Iran’s “Unconditional Surrender” as Israel-Iran War Intensifies Across Middle East

The escalating Iran-Israel war entered its second week Saturday as tensions surged across the Middle East and uncertainty grew over how the conflict might end. U.S. President Donald Trump declared he would only accept...

Ukraine and Russia Exchange 1,000 POWs as Zelenskiy Visits Eastern Front

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy visited Ukraines eastern front line on Friday while Ukraine and Russia completed a major prisoner-of-war exchange involving 1,000 soldiers. The two countries swapped 500 prisoners...

Race Begins for Next UN Secretary-General Ahead of 2027 Term

The process to elect the next United Nations Secretary-General has officially begun, with the new leader set to start a five-year term on January 1, 2027. The selection process for the successor to current UN chief Antonio...

Trump Plans New Executive Order to Address Rising NIL Costs in College Sports

U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday that the rapidly increasing costs associated with college football programs are harming collegiate athletics overall and pledged to introduce a new executive order within the next...

ICE Arrests Colombian Journalist in Tennessee, Trump Administration Says She Will Receive Due Process

Federal immigration agents arrested a Colombian journalist working for a Spanish-language news outlet in Tennessee, drawing attention to immigration enforcement practices under President Donald Trumps administration....

Science

SpaceX Pivots Toward Moon City as Musk Reframes Long-Term Space Vision

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has revealed a significant shift in the companys near-term space exploration strategy, announcing that SpaceX is now prioritizing the development of a self-growing city on the Moon rather than focusing...

SpaceX Prioritizes Moon Mission Before Mars as Starship Development Accelerates

Elon Musks SpaceX is shifting its near-term space exploration strategy, choosing to prioritize a return to the Moon before pursuing missions to Mars, according to a recent Wall Street Journal report citing sources familiar...

NASA and SpaceX Target Crew-11 Undocking From ISS Amid Medical Concern

NASA has confirmed that the agency, in coordination with SpaceX, is targeting no earlier than 5 p.m. Eastern Time (2200 GMT) on Wednesday, January 14, for the undocking of the SpaceX Crew-11 mission from the International...

Neuralink Plans High-Volume Brain Implant Production and Fully Automated Surgery by 2026

Elon Musks brain-computer interface company Neuralink is preparing for a major expansion, announcing plans to begin high-volume production of its brain implant devices and transition to a fully automated surgical procedure...

Jared Isaacman Confirmed as NASA Administrator, Becomes 15th Leader of U.S. Space Agency

The U.S. Senate has officially confirmed billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman as the new NASA administrator, making him the 15th leader in the agencys history. The confirmation, which took place on Wednesday, marks...

Technology

Nvidia Sets $4M CEO Bonus Target for Fiscal 2027 as AI Demand Drives Revenue Growth

NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ: NVDA) has introduced a new variable compensation plan for fiscal 2027 that ties executive bonuses directly to revenue performance, according to a recent regulatory filing. Under the updated...

Trump Administration Proposes Tough AI Contract Rules as Anthropic Blacklisted by Pentagon

The Trump administration has introduced sweeping new guidelines for civilian artificial intelligence contracts that could significantly reshape how AI companies work with the U.S. government. According to reports, the...

SoftBank Seeks Up to $40 Billion Loan to Fund Major Investment in OpenAI

SoftBank is reportedly pursuing a loan of up to $40 billion to support a large investment in OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT. According to a Bloomberg News reporter who shared the update on X (formerly Twitter) on...

Foxconn Sees Strong Growth Ahead Despite Limited Impact From U.S.–Israel–Iran Tensions

Foxconn, the worlds largest electronics manufacturer and a major supplier of AI servers for Nvidia, says geopolitical tensions involving the United States, Israel, and Iran are having only a limited impact on its...

California Court Rejects xAI Bid to Block AI Data Transparency Law

Title: Elon Musks artificial intelligence company xAI has failed to secure a temporary court order that would block Californias new AI data transparency law. A federal judge in California ruled that the company did not...