Happy Friday! Take this opportunity to get a recap on cybersecurity news with our picks for this week’s hottest articles from the IT and security presses:

1. “OPM hack: China blamed for massive breach of US government data” by Dominic Rushe
   On Thursday, word spread of a massive data breach on the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and the Interior Department. Chinese hackers are believed to be responsible for this attack that could affect up to 4 million people at every federal level. With the IRS breach occurring just a short time ago, many are left weary of the government’s current cybersecurity measures. Give this article a read for more insight on this breach.
2. “IRS data breach would have been 'much more difficult' with security upgrades” by Jana Kasperkevic
   Last week, the security presses were flooded with articles regarding the IRS breach that exposed the personal information of over 100,000 taxpayers. J Russell George, treasury inspector general for tax administration, attributes the futile efforts of the IRS to implement a series of security upgrades as the cause of the breach. To find out what the IRS should have done and what they need to do moving forward, check out this article.
3. “How the Tech Behind Bitcoin Could Stop the Next Snowden” by Klint Finley
   The digital currency known as Bitcoin has been gaining traction as many people are behind its versatile capabilities. Recently, the Bitcoin transaction system known as blockchain has been used as a model by an Estonian company called Guardtime to create a system for data security. This new system, called Black Lantern, is said to secure digital assets, make data tamper-proof, and keep the government honest. To learn more, read this article.
4. “Ex-NBA All Star Chris Gatling accused of being ID theft kingpin” by Lisa Vaas
   On Saturday, former NBA All-Star Chris Gatling was arrested in Arizona on charges of credit card and identity theft. Gatling is believed to have been the kingpin behind internet businesses that gathered people’s credit card information. One of Gatling’s alleged victims is a woman that he met on an online dating site who owned a fitness studio that suffered $90,000 in losses. For more on this case, give this article a read.
5. “Update: Risk Lurks at Autonomous Driving’s Fuzzy Edge” by Paul Roberts
   With self-driving vehicles on the horizon, safety and liability concerns have begun to arise. Less than a month ago, a video of a Volvo sedan hitting a group of people observing the car’s “self parking” feature went viral and raised even more concern. So far California and Nevada are the only 2 states that have legislation allowing for testing and operation of autonomous vehicles. Before autonomous vehicles can progress any further, questions as to who is responsible for accidents and software malfunctions must be answered.