The National Task Force on Fraud and Scam Prevention called for a coordinated national strategy to address rampant financial fraud, underscoring that scams represent a national security crisis. The Task Force is made up of more than 80 high-profile members, including financial institutions, non-profits, trade associations, U.S. government agencies, and technology companies. The Task Force calls for stronger public-private coordination to stop scams and recommends that the federal government consider establishing a national anti-scam center, as other nations have done. Coverage of this development can be found from Nextgov/FCW.
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This Week in Washington
- Reuters: The U.S. House of Representatives Select Committee on China issued a report that found a 66% increase in tool sales to Chinese chipmakers since export restrictions were introduced in 2022. In response, the bipartisan committee called for broader bans on chipmaking equipment sales to China and coordination with allies to ensure non-U.S. chip equipment manufacturers abide by the same standards.
- CNN: Williams & Connolly, a law firm with significant political clients and a history of working on Supreme Court cases, has been breached by a Chinese-linked hacking campaign. Although the attack has been contained and the hackers are no longer in the firm’s system, highly sensitive information may have been accessed.
- Nextgov: Office of Personnel Management (OPM) director Scott Kupor said in an interview that he is prioritizing “cutting-edge, modern tech skills” in governmental hiring initiatives. He is particularly focused on skill-based hiring and building out an early-career digital skilling pipeline for high-quality IT staffers.
Article Summary
- Valley News: New Hampshire has reached almost 100% broadband access, an impressive achievement driven by the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment fund (BEAD). According to the state’s broadband program manager, fewer than 5,000 addresses in the state lack internet access.
- WHEC: New York State will begin fining social media companies that do not report their content moderation policies to the state by January 1. The reporting requirement stems from a 2024 bill, the Stop Hiding Hate Act, and will apply only to companies generating over $100 million in gross annual revenue in the state.
- Security Week: The Cl0p ransomware group sent out extortion emails after stealing sensitive information from companies using Oracle EBS software. The hackers stole the data in August through a zero-day flaw. The full extent of data compromised is not yet known.
- Bleeping Computer: Microsoft Defender identified a GoAnywhere vulnerability that had been used by the cybercrime group Storm-1175 in Medusa ransomware attacks. Medusa ransomware has a long history of high-value targets, attacking over 300 critical infrastructure organizations in the U.S. in 2024.
- Scientific American: The Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to three U.S.-based researchers for their discovery of macroscopic properties of quantum mechanics. John Clarke, Michel H. Devoret, and John M. Martinis’ discovery, allowing for real-world applications of quantum tunneling, is a key part of the modern computer revolution and the ongoing quantum computing race.
Featured Podcast
- POLITICO Tech
AI innovation is coming for local governments, as cities look to grow their capacity through automation and artificial intelligence. On this episode of POLITICO Tech, James Anderson of Bloomberg Philanthropies discusses the opportunities and hurdles cities face as they optimize new technology for the public good. (Coming to a city near you: AI-powered government – October 2, 2025) – 19 minute and 26 second listen.
Note: Voices for Innovation regularly shares a range of opinion articles and press releases from organizations in and publications covering tech policy. These pieces are meant to educate our audience, not to endorse specific platforms or bills.