Census Bureau Confirms Breach, Anonymous Takes Credit
The Census Bureau has confirmed that someone gained “unauthorized access to non-confidential information” in its system. In a Tweet, hacking group Anonymous has claimed responsibility for the breach, which reportedly compromised employee names, email addresses, phone numbers and positions within the U.S. government. According to Census chief spokesman Michael C. Cool Sr., the hackers accessed an external system that’s not a part of the Censor Bureau’s internal network. Read more about the breach here.
Uber to Deliver Election-Themed Drumsticks in DC Tomorrow
Uber is teaming up with Nestlé to bring presidential election-themed Drumsticks to D.C. starting at 11 a.m. tomorrow. Users can toggle to the ICE CREAM option on the Uber app and choose a red, white or blue sleeve to show their political party allegiance. The Drumsticks will go for $3 each with a $15 minimum order and will be delivered curbside. Capital One cardholders will also be able to get a free $15 order of ice cream in D.C. by choosing their Capital One card as payment code and entering SWEETDEAL as the promo code. All ice cream customers will be entered for a chance to win free Nestlé products for a year.
1776 Announces This Year’s Challenge Cup with $1 Million Prize Pool
D.C.-based incubator 1776 has announced its third annual 1776 Challenge Cup, an international tournament that invites startups to compete for cash prizes and publicize their products. This year’s competition will feature three rounds: Local, Regional and Global Finals, a bit of a change from last year’s event which selected 400 startups to compete out of thousands of applications. Regional winners and wild cards will advance to the Challenge Cup Global Finals next June in Washington, D.C., where they’ll compete for over $1 million in prizes.
A Meth Lab Exploded in a Government Building in Gaithersburg
Police discovered signs of a meth lab at the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Gaithersburg, Md. after an explosion in a small lab that injured a federal security officer. The lab that exploded was not supposed to be hosting experiments this weekend and NBC Washington reports that police found pseudoephedrine, drain cleaner and a recipe for meth on the scene. Moreover, the now-resigned officer that was injured had burns on his hands and arms, indicating a meth cooking accident. Read more about the explosion at New York Magazine.
Baltimore Ravens Release Football-Themed Emojis
The Baltimore Ravens have released a set of special emojis that users can download via a free iOS or Android app. The images include a Ravens jersey, some football X’s and O’s and a couple other Raven-themed icons. The new emojis are part of the Raven’s revamped mobile offerings, which also includes a new iPad app.
Alion Science and Technology to be Acquired by Veritas Capital
According to Fortune Magazine, McLean, Va.-based IT and engineering company Alion Science and Technology has agreed to sell to New York private equity firm Veritas Capital. Alion provides engineering services to the federal government, especially the U.S. Navy, and had filed preliminary papers for an IPO this April before deciding to sell to Veritas. Estimates indicate that the acquisition will cost Veritas $300 million in equity. Read more about the deal here.
DC Startups Take Advantage of Ashley Madison Hack
While Ashley Madison execs scramble to salvage their company after yesterday’s hack, some D.C. startups are making the most of the situation. To help recently and soon-to-be outed users of the cheating site try and make amends, D.C.-based on demand flower delivery startup UrbanStems is offering a lifetime supply of flowers in a bundle called “The Ashley Madison.” The package includes one bouquet a week for fifty years and goes for the hefty price of $99,999. Another D.C. startup, private investigator app and website Trustify, has seen an influx of customers who want to find out if their spouses were on the cheating site. D.C. ranked number one on Ashley Madison’s least faithful cities, and a few Trustify users have have already gotten positive matches using the service. Read more about Trustify’s Ashley Madison success here.
The innovative startups born from the minds of Georgetown University alums
Georgetown University has a long history of supporting entrepreneurship in its students and plenty of alumni have gone on to found successful and intriguing tech startups. We picked out seven to highlight, offering event planning, healthcare data management and even online dating services. Check them out in our full story here.
Hackers can take over your car, what can Congress do to stop them?
A security flaw has been discovered that could let hackers remotely cut a Chrysler car’s systems or even take over. An automotive cybersecurity bill has been introduced in the Senate, but what can lawmakers do to stop malevolent hackers from taking over our cars while we drive them? Chris Bing took a look at the future of vehicle cybersecurity, check out his story here.
Is another OPM or Ashley Madison hack on the way?
Could last month’s OPM breach and the 21.5 million records it compromised been stopped? Was Monday's Ashley Madison hack preventable? Former OPM director Katherine Archuleta has defended the agency’s cybersecurity measures and claimed that it was just one attempt out of millions that got through and nothing could be done, but is that the case? Find out in Chris Bousquet's story here.
DC startups that help you chat
People really want to talk to other people, as the many billions of dollars invested in social media and messaging startups has proven. The $19 billion spent by Facebook on WhatsApp alone makes it clear how big the market is for the next big messaging tool. Chris Bing took a look at six of the D.C. area startups putting their own imprint on the deceptively simple idea of talking to others. Check out his story here.
