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Richard Forno

Senior Lecturer, Cybersecurity & Internet Researcher, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

Dr. Richard Forno is a Senior Lecturer in the UMBC Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, where he directs the UMBC Graduate Cybersecurity Program, serves as the Assistant Director of UMBC's Center for Cybersecurity, and is a Junior Affiliate Scholar at the Stanford Law School's Center for Internet and Society (CIS). His twenty-year career spans the government, military, and private sector, including helping build a formal cybersecurity program for the US House of Representatives, serving as the first Chief Security Officer for Network Solutions, and advising several technology startup companies. Richard also was one of the early researchers on the subject of cyberwarfare and he remains a longtime commentator on the influence of Internet technology upon society.

Massive IT outage spotlights major vulnerabilities in the global information ecosystem

Jul 21, 2024 16:21 pm UTC| Insights & Views Technology

The global information technology outage on July 19, 2024, that paralyzed organizations ranging from airlines to hospitals and even the delivery of uniforms for the Olympic Games represents a growing concern for...

Social media and political violence – how to break the cycle

Jul 17, 2024 08:22 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics

The attempted assassination of Donald Trump on July 13, 2024, added more fuel to an already fiery election season. In this case, political violence was carried out against the party that is most often found espousing it....

What is Volt Typhoon? A cybersecurity expert explains the Chinese hackers targeting US critical infrastructure

Apr 01, 2024 11:05 am UTC| Technology

Volt Typhoon is a Chinese state-sponsored hacker group. The United States government and its primary global intelligence partners, known as the Five Eyes, issued a warning on March 19, 2024, about the groups activity...

Ukraine conflict brings cybersecurity risks to US homes, businesses

Feb 26, 2022 10:06 am UTC| Technology

All cybersecurity is local, regardless of the world situation. That means its personal, too in Americans homes, computers and online accounts. As violence spreads thousands of miles away from the U.S., my strong...

Ransomware can interfere with elections and fuel disinformation – basic cybersecurity precautions are key to minimizing the damage

Nov 02, 2020 10:39 am UTC| Technology

Government computer systems in Hall County, Georgia, including a voter signature database, were hit by a ransomware attack earlier this fall in the first known ransomware attack on election infrastructure during the 2020...

Hackers seek ransoms from Baltimore and communities across the US

Jun 07, 2019 16:09 pm UTC| Insights & Views Technology

The people of Baltimore are beginning their fifth week under an electronic siege that has prevented residents from obtaining building permits and business licenses and even buying or selling homes. A year after hackers...

Threats remain to US voting system – and voters' perceptions of reality

Nov 08, 2018 17:29 pm UTC| Insights & Views Politics

As the 2018 midterms proceed, there are still significant risks to the integrity of the voting system and information warfare continues to try to influence the American publics choices when they cast their ballots. On...

Economy

Gold Prices Hit Record High Above $5,100 as Safe-Haven Demand Surges

Gold prices soared to a historic high above $5,100 per ounce on Monday, extending a powerful rally as investors flocked to the precious metal amid escalating geopolitical tensions and economic uncertainty. Spot gold...

Morgan Stanley Raises KOSPI Target to 5,200 on Strong Earnings and Reform Momentum

Morgan Stanley has raised its end-2026 target for South Koreas benchmark stock index, the KOSPI, citing robust earnings momentum and ongoing structural reforms that continue to support further upside despite the markets...

Asian Stocks Mixed as Yen Surges and Markets Await Fed, Tech Earnings

Asian stock markets traded mixed on Monday as investors stayed cautious ahead of a highly anticipated Federal Reserve policy meeting later this week and a heavy global technology earnings calendar. Market sentiment across...

Asian Currencies Climb as Dollar Slumps, Yen Jumps on Intervention Speculation

Most Asian currencies strengthened on Monday as the U.S. dollar extended sharp losses ahead of the Federal Reserves highly anticipated policy meeting later this week. The Japanese yen led gains in the region, surging to...

China Yuan Hits 32-Month High as Central Bank Manages Appreciation Pace

Chinas yuan strengthened to a fresh 32-month high against the U.S. dollar on Monday, supported by a combination of central bank guidance, a weaker dollar, and seasonal corporate demand ahead of the Lunar New Year. The...

Politics

U.S., South Korea Deepen Defense Ties as Seoul Pursues Nuclear-Powered Submarine

The United States and South Korea have agreed to deepen defense cooperation, particularly regarding Seouls pursuit of a nuclear-powered submarine, in a move that underscores a shifting security dynamic on the Korean...

Australia Day Protests Highlight Deep Divisions Over Indigenous Rights and Immigration

Thousands of Australians marked Australia Day on Monday by attending large-scale Invasion Day rallies across major cities, showing support for Indigenous Australians and calling for unity amid growing political and social...

U.S. Security Guarantees for Ukraine Ready as Kyiv Awaits Signing Amid Ongoing Peace Talks

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has announced that a key U.S. document outlining security guarantees for Ukraine is fully prepared, with Kyiv now waiting for confirmation on when and where it will be signed....

Trump’s Centralized Foreign Policy Sparks Greenland Controversy and Ally Concerns

A recent Reuters report reveals how President Donald Trumps highly centralized foreign policy approach triggered diplomatic shockwaves over Greenland, alarming U.S. allies and even senior officials within his own...

More Than 100 Venezuelan Political Prisoners Released Amid Ongoing Human Rights Scrutiny

At least 104 people identified as political prisoners by a prominent Venezuelan human rights organization were released from detention on Sunday, marking a significant development in Venezuelas ongoing political prisoner...

Science

NASA and SpaceX Target Crew-11 Undocking From ISS Amid Medical Concern

NASA has confirmed that the agency, in coordination with SpaceX, is targeting no earlier than 5 p.m. Eastern Time (2200 GMT) on Wednesday, January 14, for the undocking of the SpaceX Crew-11 mission from the International...

Neuralink Plans High-Volume Brain Implant Production and Fully Automated Surgery by 2026

Elon Musks brain-computer interface company Neuralink is preparing for a major expansion, announcing plans to begin high-volume production of its brain implant devices and transition to a fully automated surgical procedure...

Jared Isaacman Confirmed as NASA Administrator, Becomes 15th Leader of U.S. Space Agency

The U.S. Senate has officially confirmed billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman as the new NASA administrator, making him the 15th leader in the agencys history. The confirmation, which took place on Wednesday, marks...

Senate Sets December 8 Vote on Trump’s NASA Nominee Jared Isaacman

The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee announced it will vote on December 8 on President Donald Trumps renewed nomination of private astronaut and tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman to lead NASA. Isaacman, known for his...

NASA Cuts Boeing Starliner Missions as SpaceX Pulls Ahead

NASA has significantly scaled back Boeings Starliner program after years of technical issues and delays, announcing that the next Starliner mission to the International Space Station (ISS) will fly without astronauts. The...

Technology

Samsung Set to Begin HBM4 Production for Nvidia and AMD

Samsung Electronics is preparing to begin mass production of its next-generation high-bandwidth memory chips, known as HBM4, as early as next month, according to a source familiar with the matter cited by Reuters. The...

U.S. Lawmakers Demand Scrutiny of TikTok-ByteDance Deal Amid National Security Concerns

U.S. lawmakers are calling for closer congressional scrutiny of a new deal involving TikTok and its Chinese parent company ByteDance, raising fresh concerns about national security, data privacy, and potential Chinese...

Ericsson Plans SEK 25 Billion Shareholder Returns as Margins Improve Despite Flat Network Market

Swedens telecom equipment giant Ericsson announced plans to significantly boost shareholder returns after reporting a sharp rise in net cash and continued margin improvements, even as the global mobile network market...

Microsoft Restores Microsoft 365 Services After Widespread Outage

Microsoft confirmed on Friday that it has fully restored access to its Microsoft 365 productivity suite following a widespread service outage that disrupted users across multiple regions, particularly in North America. The...

Tesla Plans FSD Subscription Price Hikes as Autonomous Capabilities Advance

Teslas Full Self-Driving (FSD) software is set to become more expensive over time as its technology improves, according to CEO Elon Musk. The announcement comes as Tesla Inc. continues its transition away from a one-time...