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

Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Director Jen Easterly testifies before a House Homeland Security subcommittee on April 28 in Washington. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

CISA moves away from trying to influence content moderation decisions on election disinformation

Election Security

US Vice President and 2024 Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris speaks on the fourth and last day of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, on August 22, 2024. Harris was among multiple politicians denigrated by the Chinese-linked group Spamouflage. (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP) (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)

Disinfo group Spamouflage more aggressively targeting U.S. elections, candidates

Election Security

A huge chunk of all scam revenues being tracked by Chainalysis on the blockchain (43%) were sent to wallets that only became active over the past year — something Chainalysis said suggests a surge of newly created scamming campaigns (Credit: Getty Images)

Online scam cycles are getting shorter and more effective, Chainalysis finds

Cybercrime

An Iranian hacking group has been observed using disguised social media personas to spread and share fake job recruitment websites, employment offers and other content lures to unsuspecting victims. (Credit: Manuel Augusto Moreno via Getty Images)

Iranian hackers using social media, job recruitment sites to lure Israeli spies

Cybercrime

encryption — The recent flaw in WhatsApp does not mean encryption is a gimmick. (Jeso Carneiro/Flickr)

Meta deep-sixes WhatsApp accounts tied to Iranian hacking group

Geopolitics

(Getty Images)

Kentucky man gets 81 months in prison for cyber fraud to fake his own death

Cybercrime

A view of the commission’s hearing room before a hearing at the Federal Communications Commission in 2017. (BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)

Telecom behind AI-powered Biden robocall agrees to $1 million FCC fine

AI

A mobile billboard, deployed by Accountable Tech, is seen outside the Meta headquarters on Jan. 17, 2023, in Menlo Park, Calif. (Photo by Kimberly White/Getty Images for Accountable Tech)

Tech giants reveal plans to combat AI-fueled election antics

Exclusive

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. holds a presidential campaign event on Aug. 30, 2023 in Brooklyn. A lawsuit from Kennedy challenges the government’s role in the removal of his own COVID-related posts. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Pair of lawsuits seek to revive fight over alleged censorship campaigns

Government