CyberWire Daily

China’s hackers aren’t invincible.

May 12, 2026
Tim Starks, CyberScoop reporter covering federal cybersecurity policy. Asaf Karan, Qualtrics CSO and author on AI and security. They discuss AI-driven threats and defenses in cybersecurity. They cover shifts in a federal cybersecurity scholarship toward AI and the worries it raises for students. Short, sharp conversations on minimizing attack surface, hardening basics, and staying curious about AI risks.
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INSIGHT

Private Sector Gives U.S. Edge Over China

  • Timothy Hogg argues industry-led detection gives the U.S. a decisive advantage over China's cyber campaigns.
  • He cites Google disrupting a Chinese espionage operation and calls for legal authority to disrupt foreign operations and more funding for Cyber Command.
ANECDOTE

Canvas Paid Hackers To Recover Student Data

  • Instructure (Canvas) negotiated with the ShinyHunters after a breach affecting ~9,000 institutions to secure data return and assurances of destruction.
  • The attack stole 3.5 TB, disrupted exams, and Instructure paid to prioritize student protection despite law enforcement guidance.
INSIGHT

FCC KYC Could End Anonymous Burner Phones

  • FCC KYC proposals aim to curb illegal robocalls by requiring ID and behavior-based red flags for prepaid phone service.
  • Civil liberties groups warn this could end anonymous burner phones and harm abuse survivors and refugees.
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