Reporter

Derek B. Johnson

CyberScoop

Derek B. Johnson is a reporter at CyberScoop, where his beat includes cybersecurity, elections and the federal government. Prior to that, he has provided award-winning coverage of cybersecurity news across the public and private sectors for various publications since 2017. Derek has a bachelor’s degree in print journalism from Hofstra University in New York and a master’s degree in public policy from George Mason University in Virginia.

Articles by Author

Federal Election Commission Chair Sean Cooksey (R) and Commissioner Dara Lindenbaum (L) testify during a hearing before House Administration Committee at Longworth House Office Building on Capitol Hill on September 20, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

FEC expands campaign spending rules to allow for physical, cybersecurity purchases

Election Security

U.S. officials said they are closely monitoring for signs that bad actors have improved their AI influence operations, whether by creating their own powerful models or finding ways to more effectively amplify content. [Image created by mathisworks via Getty Images]

Adversaries’ generative AI use isn’t fooling the masses

AI

CISA, DHS, Department of Homeland Security, RSA 2019 — The DHS and CISA booth at the 2019 RSA conference in San Francisco. (Scoop News Group photo)

OIG audit calls for more clarity from CISA, DHS on disinformation mission

Election Security

An FTC report examining the business practices of nine tech and social media companies concluded that the services “pose unique risks to children and teens” and that tech companies’ self-regulation efforts have been a failure. (Credit Peter Cade via Getty Images)

FTC details how streaming services, social media have become ‘mass surveillance’ machines

Privacy

Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon testifies during a Senate Rules and Administration Committee hearing titled “AI and The Future of Our Elections” on Capitol Hill September 27, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Despite challenges, Minnesota’s top election official is ‘an optimist’ heading into November

Election Security

Iranian flag waving with cityscape on background in Tehran, Iran. (Sir Francis Canker Photography/Getty Images)

U.S. agencies say Iranian hackers tried to pass ‘non-public’ Trump campaign docs to Biden’s campaign

Threats

visitor walks past US multinational telecommunications AT&T logo during the Mobile World Congress (MWC), the telecom industry’s biggest annual gathering, in Barcelona on February 26, 2024. (Photo by PAU BARRENA/AFP via Getty Images)

AT&T agrees to $13 million fine for third-party cloud breach

Cybersecurity

Rep. Joe Morelle (D-NY) listens during a meeting of a House Rules Committee hearing on the impeachment against President Donald Trump, December 17, 2019, on Capitol Hill in Washington,DC. (Photo by Erin Schaff / POOL / AFP) (Photo by ERIN SCHAFF/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

House Dem urges FCC to press ahead with disclosure rule around AI in political ads

Election Security

Margarita Simonyan, editor in chief of the international channel Russia Today, attends a meeting of Russian President and presidential candidate Vladimir Putin with his confidants ahead of the upcoming presidential election in Moscow on January 31, 2024. (Photo by Natalia KOLESNIKOVA / AFP) (Photo by NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA/AFP via Getty Images)

US accuses RT, others of covert arms dealing, global influence operations

Geopolitics