Microsoft and a group of global partners, including Cloudflare, the U.S. Department of Justice, Interpol, and other law enforcement agencies, took coordinated action to disrupt Lumma Stealer—a highly prevalent infostealer malware used to steal passwords, credit card numbers, and cryptocurrency wallets. The action included seizing and facilitating the takedown, suspension, and blocking of approximately 2,300 malicious domains that provided infrastructure to the malware.
The takedown underscored the importance of close collaboration between industry and government to address cybersecurity threats. Coverage of this development can be found from Reuters and Cybersecurity Dive. For more detailed descriptions of the effort, check out this Microsoft on the Issues blog and this deep dive Microsoft Security blog.
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This Week in Washington
- CyberScoop: A bipartisan group of lawmakers reintroduced the Federal Contractor Cybersecurity Vulnerability Reduction Act which would ensure government contractors have the same legal obligations that federal agencies do in abiding by National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) guidelines on vulnerability disclosure policies.
- Reuters: The U.S. Federal Trade Commission announced that it has dropped its antitrust case against Microsoft’s $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard.
- The Hill: The Former U.S. Surgeon General reemphasized that parents should regulate their children’s use of social media to protect their mental health, particularly citing 16 years old as a “benchmark.”
- Nextgov: A pair of nominees chosen to lead President Donald Trump’s core cybersecurity offices are expected to testify before a Senate panel next week. Sean Plankey will head the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and Sean Cairncross is picked to be the National Cyber Director.
Article Summary
- NBC News: It’s estimated that at least 1 in 20 patients still experience medical mistakes in the health care system. AI could help change that.
- StateScoop: The California Department of Finance announced it will allow state employees to use generative artificial intelligence tools to more effectively analyze the cost and budget impact of bills proposed by the state’s legislature.
- USA Today: Texas passed a law this week forcing Google and Apple to check the ages of mobile app store users and require parents’ permission before a teenager or child can download an app or use it to buy something.
- Wall Street Journal: Some states are still experiencing large gaps in rural broadband, and they’re turning to space for connectivity as a growing number are rolling out subsidies for satellite connectivity in rural areas.
Featured Podcast
- TED Talks Daily
Look around — almost everything you see was manufactured, from baby formula to AI data centers and beyond. Yet we rarely think about how it’s all made. Factory fixer Lauren Dunford pulls back the curtain on modern manufacturing, revealing just how thrilling and world-shaping this unsung engine of progress can be. Discover how reinventing this overlooked industry could be one of the most important opportunities of our time — and why we all have a role to play. (The future isn’t just coded—it’s built – May 27, 2025)