Amid a government shutdown that has dragged on for more than five weeks, the United States Congressional Budget Office said on Thursday that it recently suffered a hack and moved to contain the breach. CBO provides nonpartisan financial and economic data to lawmakers, and The Washington Post reported that the agency was infiltrated by a “suspected foreign actor.”

CBO spokesperson Caitlin Emma told WIRED in a statement that it has “implemented additional monitoring and new security controls to further protect the agency’s systems” and that “CBO occasionally faces threats to its network and continually monitors to address those threats.” Emma did not address questions from WIRED about whether the government shutdown has impacted technical personnel or cybersecurity-related work at CBO.

With increasing instability in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) leaving Americans hungry, air traffic control personnel shortages disrupting flights, financial devastation for federal workers, and mounting operational shortages at the Social Security Administration, the shutdown is increasingly impacting every corner of the US. But researchers, former and current government workers, and federal technology experts warn that gaps in foundational activities during the shutdown—things like system patching, activity monitoring, and device management—could have real effects on federal defenses, both now and for years to come.

“A lot of federal digital systems are still just running in the cloud throughout the shutdown, even if the office is empty,” says Safi Mojidi, a longtime cybersecurity researcher who previously worked for NASA and as a federal security contractor. “If everything was set up properly, then the cloud offers an important baseline of security, but it’s hard to rest easy during a shutdown knowing that even in the best of times there are problems getting security right.”

Even before the shutdown, federal cybersecurity workers were being impacted by reductions in force at agencies like the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency—potentially hindering digital defense guidance and coordination across the government. And CISA has continued cutting staff during the shutdown as well.

In a statement, spokesperson Marci McCarthy said “CISA continues to execute on its mission” but did not answer WIRED’s specific questions about how its work and digital defenses at other agencies have been impacted by the government shutdown, which she blamed on Democrats.

The government’s transition to the cloud over the last decade, as well as increased attention to cybersecurity in recent years, does provide an important backstop for a disruption like a shutdown. Experts emphasize, though, that the federal landscape is not homogenous, and some agencies have made more progress and are better equipped than others. Additionally, missed and overlooked digital security work that accumulates during the shutdown will create a backlog when workers return that could be difficult to surmount.

Winter bedding is different from summer bedding—thicker, loftier, softer, cozier—and now’s the perfect time to upgrade thanks to Brooklinen’s Flash Sale. We test a lot of bedding at WIRED for our numerous sleep-related buying guides, and Brooklinen is mentioned in nearly all of them. Its bedding is high-quality, aesthetically pleasing, and functions like it should. The brand hosts relatively frequent sales, but it’s rare that so many of our top picks are discounted at the same time. Many of our favorite bedding items we’ve hand-tested on our own beds are on sale through November 10. If you’re in the market for new sheets, quilts, or even a down comforter, we’ve highlighted our recommendations below.

Good bedding starts with good sheets. You can get 20 percent off the Luxe Sateen Core Sheet set in 21 colors across six sizes; they’re some of our favorite sateen sheets thanks to their silky, cooling texture and thick, quick-to-warm weave. They’re slick and slinky, and they warm up faster than traditional cotton sheets. If you don’t love sateen or you don’t need the warmth it provides, there’s also a deal on crispy, crinkly percale sheets that WIRED bedding expert Nena Farrell recommends.

Once you’ve upgraded your sheets, top them with a down comforter or quilt. For folks in colder climates, the Brooklinen All-Season Down Comforter ($60 off) is a worthy choice. I tested it during the coldest months of the year in northern Illinois, and it kept me plenty warm while offering that classic, crinkly, hotel-like experience. The baffle box construction keeps the down evenly dispersed, and it’s lofty without feeling too lightweight. You could also go with the pricier ultra-warm option, but that was almost too warm for me. It’d be nice if you need a heavy comforter or you run very cold. For additional blanket options, Brooklinen’s AirWeave line has a few contenders on sale, all of which I’ve liked.

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Denmark’s government on Friday announced an agreement to ban access to social media for anyone under 15, ratcheting up pressure on Big Tech platforms as concerns grow that kids are getting too swept up in a digitized world of harmful content and commercial interests.

The move would give some parents—after a specific assessment—the right to let their children access social media from age 13. It wasn’t immediately clear how such a ban would be enforced: Many tech platforms already restrict pre-teens from signing up. Officials and experts say such restrictions don’t always work.

Such a measure would be among the most sweeping steps yet by a European Union government to limit use of social media among teens and younger children, which has drawn concerns in many parts of an increasingly online world.

Speaking to The Associated Press, Caroline Stage, Denmark’s minister for digital affairs, said 94% of Danish children under age 13 have profiles on at least one social media platform, and more than half of those under 10 do.

“The amount of time they spend online—the amount of violence, self-harm that they are exposed to online—is simply too great a risk for our children,” she said, while praising tech giants as “the greatest companies that we have. They have an absurd amount of money available, but they’re simply not willing to invest in the safety of our children, invest in the safety of all of us.”

No rush to legislation, no loopholes for tech giants

Stage said a ban won’t take effect immediately. Allied lawmakers on the issue from across the political spectrum who make up a majority in parliament will likely take months to pass relevant legislation.

“I can assure you that Denmark will hurry, but we won’t do it too quickly because we need to make sure that the regulation is right and that there is no loopholes for the tech giants to go through,” Stage said. Her ministry said pressure from tech giants’ business models was “too massive.”

It follows a move in December in Australia, where parliament enacted the world’s first ban on social media for children—setting the minimum age at 16.

That made platforms including TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, Reddit, X and Instagram subject to fines of up to 50 million Australian dollars ($33 million) for systemic failures to prevent children younger than 16 from holding accounts.

Officials in Denmark didn’t say how such a ban would be enforced in a world where millions of children have easy access to screens. But Stage noted that Denmark has a national electronic ID system—nearly all Danish citizens over age 13 have such an ID—and plans to set up an age-verification app. Several other EU countries are testing such apps.

“We cannot force the tech giants to use our app, but what we can do is force the tech giants to make proper age verification, and if they don’t, we will be able to enforce through the EU commission and make sure that they will be fined up to 6% of their global income.”

Aiming to shield kids from harmful content online

Many governments have been grappling with ways of limiting harmful fallout from online technologies, without overly squelching their promise. Stage said Denmark’s legislative push was “not about excluding children from everything digital”—but keeping them away from harmful content.

China—which manufacturers many of the world’s digital devices—has set limits on online game time and smart-phone time for kids.

Prosecutors in Paris this week announced an investigation into allegations that TikTok allows content promoting suicide and that its algorithms may encourage vulnerable young people to take their own lives.

“Children and young people have their sleep disrupted, lose their peace and concentration, and experience increasing pressure from digital relationships where adults are not always present,” the Danish ministry said. “This is a development that no parent, teacher or educator can stop alone.”

The EU’s Digital Services Act, which took effect two years ago, forbids children younger than 13 to hold accounts on social media like TikTok and Instagram, video sharing platforms like YouTube and Twitch, and sites like Reddit and Discord, as well as AI companions.

Many social media platforms have for years banned anyone 13 or under from signing up for their services. TikTok users can verify their ages by submitting a selfie that will be analyzed to estimate their age. Meta Platforms, parent of Instagram and Facebook, says it uses a similar system for video selfies and AI to help figure out a user’s age.

TikTok said in an email that it recognizes the importance of Denmark’s initiative.

“At TikTok, we have steadfastly created a robust trust and safety track record, with more than 50 preset safety features for teen accounts, as well as age appropriate experiences and tools for guardians such as Family Pairing,” a tool allowing parents, guardians, and teens to customize safety settings.

We look forward to working constructively on solutions that apply consistently across the industry,” it added.

Meta didn’t respond immediately to requests for comment from the AP.

“We’ve given the tech giants so many chances to stand up and to do something about what is happening on their platforms. They haven’t done it,” said Stage, the Danish minister. “So now we will take over the steering wheel and make sure that our children’s futures are safe.”

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