Hasta La Gadget!

Members of the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) are being forced to choose between staying at their jobs or taking a government buyout, NPR reports. The buyout program is one of several methods the current administration is deploying to shrink the federal government under the guidance of the “Department of Governmental Efficiency” (DOGE), an advisory group lead by Elon Musk.

CISA was creating during the first Trump Administration in 2018 to protect key infrastructure from cyber attacks and advise the government and its partners on building more secure infrastructure in the future. The agency played an important role in investigating Salt Typhoon in 2024, the hacking group that breached US telecom companies to get at government officials. Considering cybersecurity is becoming more critical, not less, short-staffing the agency could lead to problems.

The consequences of hollowing out or effectively eliminating key government agencies and departments don’t seem to be a concern of DOGE or the Trump Administration, however. Along with CISA, staff at the IRS, CIA and Department of Education have also reportedly received the buyout ultimatum. The offer gives government employees until midnight on February 6 to accept a buyout and receive pay through October, or come back to work in-person, agree to new performance standards and promise to be “reliable, loyal and trustworthy,” according to USA Today.

The deal mirrors a similar offer Musk made to Twitter employees after he acquired the social media platform in 2022, even down to language describing it as a “Fork in the Road.” A key difference between then and now is budget. The government hasn’t set aside money to pay a bunch of employees to do nothing for eight months, and its not clear it plans to, because Congress ultimately controls government spending. Beyond that, a legal fight might make the whole thing moot. A US district judge in Boston has already ruled against the buyout deal, giving government employees until at least Monday to make a decision, Reuters writes, and there’s the possibility of another extension still on the table.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/protecting-the-us-from-hackers-apparently-isnt-in-trumps-budget-195915036.html?src=rss

Two US Congress members plan to introduce bipartisan legislation to ban China’s DeepSeek AI chatbot from government devices. The bill’s announcement came after a security expert said DeepSeek not only poses a threat to US AI stocks; it’s also a national security risk. The chatbot has recently been the most downloaded app in the US.

U.S. Representatives Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) and Darin LaHood (R-IL), each party’s senior-most member on the House Select Committee on Intelligence, plan to introduce the “No DeepSeek on Government Devices Act.” If all of this sounds familiar, the move echoes Congress’ blocking of TikTok from government devices in 2022. That was the opening salvo in a saga that culminated in the US-wide ban the app is now staring down.

The alarm follows an independent analysis from Feroot Security claiming that DeepSeek’s code sends user data directly to the Chinese government-owned China Mobile. “We see direct links to servers and companies in China that are under control of the Chinese government,” Feroot analyst Ivan Tsarynny said in an interview with ABC News. “This is something we’ve never seen before.”

“Our personal information is being sent to China, there is no denial, and the DeepSeek tool is collecting everything that American users connect to it,” Tsarynny told the Wall Street Journal. ABC reported on Wednesday that multiple cybersecurity experts verified Feroot’s findings.

The US Navy and NASA have already banned DeepSeek from their employees’ devices. Texas is the only state to have blocked the app from government devices. Three other countries have already beat the US to the punch in banning the app: Italy, South Korea and Australia.

LaHood warned of the app’s dangers. “The national security threat that DeepSeek — a CCP-affiliated company — poses to the United States is alarming,” the Representative wrote in a press release. “DeepSeek’s generative AI program acquires the data of US users and stores the information for unidentified use by the CCP. Under no circumstances can we allow a CCP company to obtain sensitive government or personal data.”

“We must get to the bottom of DeepSeek’s malign activities,” Gottheimer wrote. “We simply can’t risk the CCP infiltrating the devices of our government officials and jeopardizing our national security.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/us-lawmakers-want-deepseek-banned-from-government-devices-212230100.html?src=rss

Looking for a new streamer to fill the endless daily void? A year of Peacock Premium is on sale for just $30. Just use the code “WINTERSAVINGS” at checkout. This is a major discount of over 60 percent, as the typical price is $80.

It’s important to note that, despite the name, this isn’t the actual premium tier. It includes ads, which could be a dealbreaker for some. However, there’s plenty to watch on this platform for those okay with the occasional long and harrowing commercial about random pharmaceuticals. Peacock, after all, easily made our list of the best streaming services.

The platform is home to all kinds of original content, from Rian Johnson’s Poker Face to that surprisingly fun Twisted Metal adaptation. It’s also the only place to watch the dearly-departed AI-centric sci-fi romp Mrs. Davis. During its early years, Peacock invested heavily in scripted comedy and a lot of that stuff is still on the platform. This includes shows like Rutherford Falls, Bust Down and MacGruber.

More recently, the streamer has found success with shows like Ted, Hysteria! and Laid. It also has all kinds of reality TV shows, if that’s your bag, as NBC owns Bravo.

If this deal interests you, get on it quick. The aforementioned coupon code stops working on February 18. Also, this deal is only for new subscribers.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/get-one-year-of-peacock-premium-for-only-30-195123398.html?src=rss

Amazon has shared a list of video games that Prime members can snag for free this month, and there are some real gems. It’s a nice mix of AAA and indie titles. Additionally, the company revealed some new titles coming to the cloud-gaming platform Luna.

BioShock Infinite Complete Edition is available right now. This version includes the full game, as originally released back in 2013, plus all of the various DLC and add-ons that came after. We called it “an easy story to fall in love with” in our official review, and that certainly stands to this day.

The Talos Principle: Gold Edition is also ready to play right now. Just like Bioshock, this is the full game plus all of the DLC. We loved this story-driven puzzle title upon its release in 2015, calling it “mysterious and haunting, creative and beautiful.” It’s also super fun. Incidentally, there’s a remake coming sometime this year.

Other titles coming to Prime Gaming this month include Wolfenstein: Youngblood on February 20 and Deus Ex: Human Revolution – Director’s Cut on February 27. On the indie front, the co-op shooter AK-xolotl: Together is available right now and the pixelated roguelike western Colt Canyon drops on February 20.

Prime Gaming members in many parts of the world, including the US and much of Europe, also have access to the company’s cloud-gaming platform Luna. A bunch of new titles have hit the service this month, all of which are available to play right now.

These include Devil May Cry 5, Batora: Lost Haven, Fallout New Vegas: Ultimate Edition and Fallout 3: Game of the Year Edition. Other freshly-dropped games include the fantastic action RPG Nobody Saves the World Complete and Batora: Lost Haven.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/prime-gamings-february-freebies-include-bioshock-infinite-and-wolfenstein-youngblood-182321261.html?src=rss

Amazon has shared a list of video games that Prime members can snag for free this month, and there are some real gems. It’s a nice mix of AAA and indie titles. Additionally, the company revealed some new titles coming to the cloud-gaming platform Luna.

BioShock Infinite Complete Edition is available right now. This version includes the full game, as originally released back in 2013, plus all of the various DLC and add-ons that came after. We called it “an easy story to fall in love with” in our official review, and that certainly stands to this day.

The Talos Principle: Gold Edition is also ready to play right now. Just like Bioshock, this is the full game plus all of the DLC. We loved this story-driven puzzle title upon its release in 2015, calling it “mysterious and haunting, creative and beautiful.” It’s also super fun. Incidentally, there’s a remake coming sometime this year.

Other titles coming to Prime Gaming this month include Wolfenstein: Youngblood on February 20 and Deus Ex: Human Revolution – Director’s Cut on February 27. On the indie front, the co-op shooter AK-xolotl: Together is available right now and the pixelated roguelike western Colt Canyon drops on February 20.

Prime Gaming members in many parts of the world, including the US and much of Europe, also have access to the company’s cloud-gaming platform Luna. A bunch of new titles have hit the service this month, all of which are available to play right now.

These include Devil May Cry 5, Batora: Lost Haven, Fallout New Vegas: Ultimate Edition and Fallout 3: Game of the Year Edition. Other freshly-dropped games include the fantastic action RPG Nobody Saves the World Complete and Batora: Lost Haven.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/prime-gamings-february-freebies-include-bioshock-infinite-and-wolfenstein-youngblood-182321261.html?src=rss