From Las Vegas (for Pros): US and British leaders at Black Hat warned attendees of a “rocky road” in network security over the next few years, as AI models discover more vulnerabilities than companies can patch: subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2026...

POLITICO Pro: Global cyber leaders warn that AI is overwhelming their ability to respond to new cyber weaknesses

New artificial intelligence models, including those from Anthropic and OpenAI, are identifying vulnerabilities faster than defenders can fix them.

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Exclusive: DHS Secretary Mullin claims his agency found thousands of non-citizens on voter rolls in California, New Jersey, Nevada and Pennsylvania, according to a preliminary press release obtained by @jsaks.bsky.social (small assist from me): www.politico.com/news/2026/07...

DHS says it found thousands of non-citizens on voter rolls in four states

A draft press release viewed by POLITICO said non-citizens were registered in California, Nevada, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

politico.com

Tidbit in today’s Morning Cyber: HASC Chair Rep. Mike Rogers told me he was briefed by NSA officials on Anthropic’s Mythos AI model yesterday. NSA spox later declined to comment.

New: Election officials across the country are struggling to adapt to Trump admin changes to federal election support, such as the recent EAC dismissals. Now they are waiting to see what Trump says tonight. With @gregsvirnovskiy.bsky.social and Aaron Pellish: www.politico.com/news/2026/07...

‘Death by a thousand cuts’: Inside Trump’s remaking of American elections

The president remains laser-focused on an electoral system he claims is rigged — and his administration is uprooting entire chunks of the current structure ahead of the midterms.

politico.com

New: @rokhanna.bsky.social is urging the White House to stop distribution of the White House app — recently installed on DHS mobile devices — due to security concerns. One issue? Initial findings that the app uses software from Chinese telecom giant Huawei. subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2026...

POLITICO Pro: Rep. Khanna sounds alarm on potential foreign software in White House app

Cybersecurity researchers found evidence that the new app installed on government devices contains software from Chinese telecoms company Huawei.

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ICYMI over the holiday weekend (and while I was out on vacation): The question of who gets access to powerful AI models hangs over the NATO summit this week, even if it’s set to only be a footnote in official talks and takeaways. More here: www.politico.com/news/2026/07...

Mullin also pledged that CISA would hire “about 600 people” to help it rebuild — a year after around a third of its employees were either laid off or departed. More for Pros here: subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2026...

POLITICO Pro: Mullin pledges to rehire 600 CISA staffers after massive cuts

The DHS secretary also said that President Donald Trump has met with a nominee to lead the cyber agency, who will spearhead this effort.

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👀: DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin testified to the House Appropriations panel today that President Trump has “already met” with an unnamed nominee to serve as CISA director. Mullin said he plans to work with “him” to build CISA back up.

NEW in MC: Russian authorities used software from Israeli company Cellebrite to steal data from the phone of Andrei Pivovarov - leader of a Russian opposition group - while in custody. The catch? Russia wasn’t supposed to have access to these products. subscriber.politicopro.com/newsletter/2...

ICYMI: CISA has strengthened the security of internal networks after the discovery last month that login credentials and other sensitive info was left exposed on a GitHub repository. More in today’s Morning Cybersecurity: subscriber.politicopro.com/newsletter/2...

I'm at @istorg.bsky.social's #CriticalEffectDC event today. Looking forward to some good sessions on OT cybersecurity — and, of course, talking to Paul Roberts, @snlyngaas.bsky.social, @kimzetter.bsky.social, and @maggiemiller.bsky.social during our panel about covering this era of cyber threats.

New: DHS employees were told today that the new White House app — which lists Trump administration speeches, livestreams and other actions — will soon be automatically installed on their government mobile devices. More with @jsaks.bsky.social for Pros: subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2026...

POLITICO Pro: White House app to ‘soon’ be auto installed on all DHS mobile devices

The White House app was rolled out earlier this year, and provides updates on Trump administration activities.

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House Homeland Security Committee Chair Andrew Garbarino just said at the Homeland Security and Defense Forum that he’s heard “there’s a nominee on the president’s desk” to lead CISA. Comes a week after DHS Secretary Mullin testified to Garbarino’s panel that a director nom would soon be announced.

🚀 Don’t miss this #CriticalEffectDC session! Journalists Paul Roberts, @snlyngaas.bsky.social, @kimzetter.bsky.social, @ericjgeller.com & @maggiemiller.bsky.social join our annual press panel to share their perspectives on the narratives surrounding digital typhoons. ➡️ Register now: bit.ly/49n0jyo

Anthropic released “Mythos-class” Fable 5 for general use today, and separately rolled out Mythos 5 for a select group of agencies and cyber firms. Anthropic said Mythos 5 has “the strongest cybersecurity capabilities of any model in the world.” More w/ Dana Nickel: www.politico.com/news/2026/06...

Anthropic releases a less-powerful version of its most advanced model

“Releasing a model this capable comes with risks," Anthropic said in its announcement.

politico.com

In today’s Morning Cyber: New Zealand’s cyber agency is among the international gov agencies recently given access to Anthropic’s Mythos AI model, and Australia is also testing out the tool. Both countries are members of the Five Eyes intel sharing alliance.

A draft of a major bipartisan AI bill, set to be unveiled later today, includes a clause that would renew the CISA 2015 law - crucial for private sector companies sharing threat data with Feds - through 2035. Read more from my colleagues here: www.politico.com/news/2026/06...

Congress set to unveil AI draft that would preempt state laws

The draft legislation represents Republicans’ last realistic chance to craft federal rules governing artificial intelligence before the midterm elections.

politico.com

Several secretaries of state tell Bloomberg that intelligence agencies are no longer briefing them on election security threats, with one also saying that CISA has stopped conducting some security tests for states. www.bloomberg.com/news/newslet...

US Stops Sharing Crucial Election Threat Data With State Officials

Classified briefings and some cybersecurity services have ceased.

bloomberg.com

Anthropic expands Mythos access to 150 new orgs, up from the original 50 www.anthropic.com/news/expandi...

Expanding Project Glasswing

We’re extending Project Glasswing to approximately 150 new organizations in more than fifteen countries

anthropic.com

Details: Establishes process for frontier companies to voluntarily submit AI models for federal testing 30 days before release; establishes federal AI cyber clearinghouse to track vulnerabilities discovered by AI models; and tasks CISA, NCD, OMB with finding federal AI funds.

Politico@politico.com · 2mo ago

EXCLUSIVE: Trump signed an AI executive order with less-advanced government scrutiny than the White House initially had been set to impose.

New: Democrats on the House Homeland Security Committee are pressing DHS Secretary Mullin for details on CISA’s election security efforts - paused last year - with the midterms fast approaching: subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2026...

POLITICO Pro: With the midterms fast approaching, House Dems want answers on CISA's election security work

Congress gave CISA almost $40 million in recently enacted appropriations to secure upcoming elections, but it is not yet clear how these funds will be used.

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Russian hackers are shifting their tactics from destructive cyberattacks to quieter espionage schemes aimed at Ukrainian defense efforts, as the war drags into a fifth year. More at the top of today’s NatSec Daily: www.politico.com/newsletters/...

National Security Daily

From the SitRoom to the E-Ring, the inside scoop on defense, national security and foreign policy.

politico.com

ICYMI over the long weekend: Researchers with early access to Anthropic’s Mythos and OpenAI’s GPT-5.5 say these models’ hacking abilities are “more” than expected — and warned that defenders are running out of time to secure networks. With my colleague Aaron Mak: www.politico.com/news/2026/05...

What to know about the AI models that are jolting Washington

Researchers who have tested Anthropic’s Mythos and OpenAI’s GPT-5.5 say their hacking capabilities are a “game-changer.”

politico.com

Latest on DNI Tulsi Gabbard’s resignation with @jsaks.bsky.social and Daniella Cheslow: www.politico.com/news/2026/05...

Tulsi Gabbard resigns as director of national intelligence

The former Democratic member of Congress said she was stepping aside to support her husband as he battles bone cancer.

politico.com

The latest on the Trump administration’s efforts to name a new nominee to lead CISA. Reporting with @jsaks.bsky.social in today’s Morning Cybersecurity newsletter: subscriber.politicopro.com/newsletter/2...

New: Tom Parker, a security services lead at IBM, has emerged as a potential contender to lead CISA after the most recent nominee withdrew himself from consideration for the role, five people familiar tell me: www.nextgov.com/people/2026/...

IBM security executive emerges as possible contender to lead CISA

Tom Parker doesn’t have prior government experience, characteristics the Trump administration may be seeking in its next pick to lead the cyber agency, a person familiar said.

nextgov.com

For Pros: Adam Cassady, President Trump’s pick to serve as the nation’s next cyber ambassador, was approved by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Thursday by a vote of 17-5. subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2026...

POLITICO Pro: Senate committee approves nomination of Adam Cassady for US cyber ambassador

Five Democratic committee members voted against his nomination.

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Greg Hogan—associated with DOGE—is now in charge of the government’s identity proofing system, Login .gov, which has over 150 million users. www.nextgov.com/digital-gove...

GSA taps Greg Hogan as head of government’s identity proofing service, Login.gov

Hogan previously worked at the Office of Personnel Management, an early DOGE stronghold, and more recently in the White House’s National Design Studio.

nextgov.com

With my colleague Dana Nickel: Iranian hackers are going after US energy and water facilities through exploiting a vulnerability in industrial control equipment, a coalition of federal agencies warned today: subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2026...

ICYMI: The White House’s proposed FY27 budget would slash CISA’s budget by $700 million — and it also adjusts funds for the Office of the National Cyber Director ($3 million less) and the Energy Dept’s cyber office (+$10million). More here for Pros: subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2026...

POLITICO Pro: Trump expands trim down of cyber agencies, proposes $700M cut to CISA’s budget

The White House’s latest budget proposal would significantly reduce funding to CISA, which has been the target of Trump's ire since the 2020 election.

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