This week, five more cities joined the Bloomberg Philanthropies City Data Alliance to explore ways to use AI to improve city services. Both Boston and Kansas City will focus on improving 311 services and responding to non-emergency issues using AI. Other cities joining the program include Denver, Austin, and Newport News, Virginia. Launched in 2022, this Bloomberg Philanthropies program helps mayors and their teams to better use data for developing policies, providing services, and measuring progress.
Thank you for reading! Below, we share this week’s tech policy news developments and a featured podcast.
This Week in Washington
- Nextgov: Sixty leading healthcare and technology companies joined the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid in a comprehensive health information initiative launched at the White House on Wednesday. The initiative is specifically focused on ensuring personal medical data can be easily and safely shared between systems.
- The Hill: On Wednesday, the White House released a 166-page report with detailed guidance on how Congress and regulators should approach digital assets and cryptocurrency. Among other recommendations, the report explicitly called for exceptions from the Bank Secrecy Act for software providers.
- Associated Press: The Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee advanced Sean Plankey as the nominee for director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). If confirmed, Plankey will be responsible for securing America’s infrastructure, election systems, and more from cyberattacks.
- FedScoop: Federal Chief Information Officer Gregory Barbaccia, responsible for major technology innovation and policy throughout the federal government, is now also the Federal Chief AI Officer, according to his social media. The position sets him up to lead the implementation of AI across federal agencies.
- CyberScoop: In an attempt to stop a North Korean cybercrime scheme, the State Department is offering a $15 million reward for information on the North Korean nationals responsible. The criminal enterprise includes smuggling, hacking, and electronic theft to fund the rogue state’s military.
Article Summary
- Microsoft Security Blog: Microsoft Threat Intelligence shared information about a cyberespionage campaign being carried out by a Russian state actor tracked as Secret Blizzard that targets Moscow-based embassies and diplomatic entities, and also poses a high risk to other organizations operating in Moscow. Secret Blizzard has the capability to conduct espionage by deploying malware through local Internet Service Providers (ISPs). The Microsoft Security Blog shares defensive measures that are broadly applicable and can help organizations reduce their risk from similar threats in any region.
- Washington Post: Major tech companies including Microsoft, Meta, and Amazon have purchased nuclear power plants in recent months. The companies plan to refurbish and restart the plants to power their AI products and innovations.
- Star Tribune: St. Paul, Minnesota, was the victim of an extensive cyberattack last weekend. The attack, which lasted into the week, limited or shut down wifi and technology at City Hall, public libraries, and rec centers, including online operations systems, but did not affect emergency services.
- CBS News: Insurance giant Allianz disclosed a significant hack of a third-party data system. The breach exposed most of the company’s 1.4 million customers’ personal data, including social security numbers.
- Science News: A team of scientists is using AI to design cancer-fighting proteins. The proteins, which help identify cancer cells in the body, are a critical part of effective immunotherapy treatment.
Featured Podcast
- Afternoon Cyber Tea
Executive Chairman of RSA Conference Dr. Hugh Thompson talks with Ann Johnson about the state of the RSA industry, the human element of cybersecurity, and his optimism for a cybersecure future. (Encore: Hugh Thompson on Building the RSA Conference – July 29, 2025) – 36 minute and 34 second listen