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At the end of a year when Texas employees were among those targeted by hackers, the state has awarded a multi-million-dollar contract to a company that works with entities to increase technological efficiency and offer cybersecurity protection. Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) announced Dec. 18 that it was awarded a $170.9 million contract from the Texas Department of Information Resources (DIR) to provide cybersecurity services in protection of state networks.

SAIC, which is headquartered in Reston, Va., and has been providing security services to California, Colorado and Virginia for years, also has worked with the Air Force in deploying “a cloud-based command and control capability” to air defense sectors with the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), according to information technology news website StateScoop. It employs about 24,000 people.

2024: A year when AI, quantum computing, and cybersecurity converged to redefine our digital landscape. For those navigating these complex technological frontiers, clarity became the most critical currency.

Inside Cyber, Key moments that resonated with our community:

• Cybersecurity Trends for 2025 Diving deep into the evolving threat landscape and strategic priorities.

• AI, 5G, and Quantum: Innovation and Cybersecurity Risks Exploring the intersection of emerging technologies and security challenges https://lnkd.in/ex3ktwuF

• PCI DSS v4.0 Compliance Strategies Practical guidance for adapting to critical security standards https://lnkd.in/eK_mviZd.

Inside Cyber, Looking ahead to 2025, the convergence of AI, quantum computing, and cybersecurity will demand unprecedented collaboration, education, and strategic thinking. Our collective challenge is transforming potential vulnerabilities into opportunities for innovation and security.

Grateful to Georgetown University, our growing professional network, and the organizations committed to understanding and shaping our technological future.

• Ethics: As AI gets more powerful, we need to address ethics such as bias in algorithms, misuse, privacy and civil liberties.

• AI Regulation: Governments and organizations will need to develop regulations and guidelines for the responsible use of AI in cybersecurity to prevent misuse and ensure accountability.

AI is a game changer in cybersecurity, for both good and bad. While AI gives defenders powerful tools to detect, prevent and respond to threats, it also equips attackers with superpowers to breach defenses. How we use AI for good and to mitigate the bad will determine the future of cybersecurity.

Cybersecurity researchers are warning about a spike in malicious activity that involves roping vulnerable D-Link routers into two different botnets, a Mirai variant dubbed FICORA and a Kaiten (aka Tsunami) variant called CAPSAICIN.

“These botnets are frequently spread through documented D-Link vulnerabilities that allow remote attackers to execute malicious commands via a GetDeviceSettings action on the HNAP (Home Network Administration Protocol) interface,” Fortinet FortiGuard Labs researcher Vincent Li said in a Thursday analysis.

“This HNAP weakness was first exposed almost a decade ago, with numerous devices affected by a variety of CVE numbers, including CVE-2015–2051, CVE-2019–10891, CVE-2022–37056, and CVE-2024–33112.”

A data breach earlier this year at SRP Federal Credit Union has left nearly a quarter-million people exposed to possible identity theft and account fraud.

The ransomware group Nitrogen has claimed responsibility for extracting 650 gigabytes of sensitive customer data, according to reports filed recently with the state attorney general’s offices in Texas and Maine. The breach has been publicly reported throughout December by cybersecurity analysts, financial technology companies and national news media.

Screen captures of what seemed to be raw customer data from SRP were posted on social media through bogus accounts as early as Dec. 5.

This presents another challenge: convincing patients to allow the use of their data. Some 70% of Americans have expressed concerns about data privacy, with 56% admitting they find AI in healthcare “scary.”

It isn’t helped by the growing number of data breaches in the healthcare space, with 88 million patients having had their personal health information compromised in data breaches last year alone. Undoubtedly, if AI-powered healthcare is to maintain its trajectory, the sector will need to address these cybersecurity concerns.

AI is no longer a prospect but a reality today. It’s already being deployed in doctors’ offices and hospitals to analyze patient data, handle back-office tasks and assist surgeons. Anticipated to decrease administrative costs by up to 30%, free up hundreds of thousands of hours of physicians’ time and cut surgical waiting times—for the millions of Americans currently suffering in silence, whether due to affordability or accessibility, AI will offer a lifeline.