Derek Johnson

Washington, D.C., United States

Reporter and knowledge broker @CyberScoopNews, covering elections, privacy and more. Priors @fcwnow and @scmagazine. Catch me at [email protected].

Articles

Vibe coding is here to stay. Can it ever be secure?

2 days ago | threatbeat.com | Derek Johnson

By Derek B Johnson • Jun 05, 2025 Software powers the world, and soon, the bulk of the work making it may be done by machines. As generative AI tools have gotten more proficient at coding, their use in software development has exploded.
Vibe coding is here to stay. Can it ever be secure?

3 days ago | cyberscoop.com | Derek Johnson

Voting is open for the 2025 CyberScoop 50 awards! Listen to this article 0:00 Learn more.
Parties behind 2024 Biden AI robocall reach deal in lawsuit

1 week ago | cyberscoop.com | Derek Johnson

Two of the parties behind an AI-generated robocall that imitated then-President Joe Biden and warned residents not to vote in the New Hampshire Democratic primary have agreed to settle a civil lawsuit brought by voting groups.
Mandiant flags fake AI video generators laced with malware

1 week ago | cyberscoop.com | Derek Johnson

As the internet fills up with clips from AI-video generators, hacking groups are seeding the online landscape with malware-laced programs and fake websites hoping to cash in on the trend.
Why telecoms may never purge their networks of Salt Typhoon

2 weeks ago | threatbeat.com | Derek Johnson

Skip to content NEW Security news and analysis brought to you by the McCrary Institute | READ MORE → By Derek B.
FCC looking to expand anti-robocalling initiative

2 weeks ago | cyberscoop.com | Derek Johnson

Voting is open for the 2025 CyberScoop 50 awards! Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr told Congress the agency is looking to expand the use of call authentication protocols that help crack down on robocalling more broadly, while floating the possibility that he may ask for enhanced authorities to take bad actors to court for AI-generated deepfakes over telephone and broadcast networks. While testifying before the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday, Carr faced questions...
FCC commissioner blasts Trump administration censorship policies

3 weeks ago | cyberscoop.com | Derek Johnson

When Donald Trump was on the campaign trail, he argued that coordination by the Biden administration and social media companies on disinformation during the COVID-19 pandemic and elections amounted to political censorship. He claimed that supposed censorship stifled the free and unencumbered exchange of ideas essential to democracy, and posed a clear threat to the First Amendment.
FTC wants a new, segregated software system to police deepfake porn

3 weeks ago | cyberscoop.com | Derek Johnson

The head of the Federal Trade Commission described to lawmakers Thursday new technology, personnel and infrastructure the agency needs as it prepares to implement and enforce the Take It Down Act, placing the FTC’s enforcement wing at the forefront of the fight against nonconsensual deepfake pornography. The FTC’s proposed budget holds funding at $425.7 million, the same as last fiscal year. Rep.
FBI warns of fake texts, deepfake calls impersonating senior U.S. officials

3 weeks ago | cyberscoop.com | Derek Johnson

The FBI said Thursday that malicious actors have been impersonating senior U.S. government officials in a text and voice messaging campaign, using phishing texts and AI-generated audio to trick other government officials into giving up access to their personal accounts. The warning provided few details about the campaign, which started in April and appears to be ongoing.
Fancy Bear campaign sought emails of high-level Ukrainians and their military suppliers

3 weeks ago | cyberscoop.com | Derek Johnson

Fancy Bear, the hacking group linked to Russia’s Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU), has been targeting the email accounts of high-ranking Ukrainian officials as well as executives at defense contractors located in other countries who sell weapons and equipment to Kyiv, according to new research from ESET.