Short Takes – 11-17-22

CISA Highlights Space, Bioeconomy as Possible New Critical Infrastructure Sectors. NextGov.com article. Pull quote: “ The report, obtained by Nextgov, was referenced in a Nov. 7 letter President Biden addressed to Congress, noting his intention of implementing its recommendations. The secretary of the Department of Homeland Security was required to deliver the report under the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act. The NDAA provision nudged DHS’ standing obligation under the Homeland Security Act and a 2013 presidential policy directive—PPD 21—to produce and update a national plan to secure key resources and protect critical infrastructure.”

Ukrainian Analysis Identifies Western Supply Chain Behind Iran’s Drones. WSJ.com article. Pull quote: “Ukrainian intelligence estimates that three-quarters of the components of the Iranian drones downed in Ukraine are American-made, according to documents reviewed by the Journal. The findings were made after the Ukrainian military downed several drones, including an Iranian Mohajer-6 drone that agents hacked midflight and landed intact, according to Ukrainian investigators.”

Enel to Build Massive Solar Panel Factory in U.S. WSJ.com article. Pull quote: “Enel’s plan is the latest in a rush of deals being announced after the U.S. passed legislation offering generous incentives to build up a domestic supply chain for renewables. That law, the Inflation Reduction Act, offers tax credits to companies that make everything from wind turbines to electric-vehicle batteries in the U.S., as well as bonus tax credits for power-plant developers that use domestically made components.”

Press conference of President Duda and Prime Minister Morawiecki. "Nothing indicates that it was an intentional attack on Poland". Fakt.pl article.  Pull quote (translated by Google): “Ukraine defended itself - which is obvious and understandable - also firing rockets whose task was to knock down Russian missiles. In connection with the above, we were dealing with a very serious clash caused by the Russian side, as well as the entire conflict. In fact, therefore, the Russian side is certainly to blame for yesterday's clash, said Andrzej Duda.”

US FTC Delays Safeguards Rule Deadlines by 6 Months. GovInfoSecurity.com article. Lack of infosec personnel make implementation impracticable. Pull quote: “A clutch of industry lobbyists including the National Automobile Dealers Association and ACA International, which represents debt collectors, asked the agency in July for a 12-month delay. "With every organization (not just financial institutions) vying for the same scarce talent, it is extremely difficult to fill open requisitions for positions that are crucial to an effective information security program," the associations wrote.”

Covid deaths and hospitalizations are falling in the U.S. NBCnew.com article. Pull quote: “Dr. Vin Gupta, a pulmonologist and an affiliate faculty member at the University of Washington in Seattle, attributes the decline in deaths and severe Covid cases to a level of "baked-in immunity," including vaccination, prior infection or a combination of the two. While Covid-related hospitalizations are not currently increasing, Gupta warns that they could during the winter as immunity, especially from previous infection, diminishes.”

Wray tells lawmakers that FBI conducts cyber offensive operations. TheHill.com article. Pull quote: “Although Wray did not provide specifics into the type of cyber offensive operations the agency has conducted, he did say that the department engages in other types of activities, including conducting counterintelligence operations, targeting adversaries’ infrastructure, disrupting malicious cryptocurrency schemes, and indicting cyber criminals.”

Russia supply shock forces rethink for chemicals and fertiliser groups. FT.com article. Pull quote: “Russia is the world’s principal supplier of fertilisers and their core components. It accounts for roughly 45 per cent of the global ammonia nitrate market, 18 per cent of the potash market, and 14 per cent of global phosphate fertiliser exports.”

DHS blocked vital research on domestic threats, say terrorism experts. WashingtonPost.com article. Privacy concerns stop open-source research. Pull quote: “The lack of reliable data on violent-extremist threats has persisted for years despite demands from Congress and advocacy groups for improvement. Under the Trump administration, Homeland Security released a counterterrorism report that acknowledged a growing threat, but could not offer hard numbers on attacks because “current national-level statistics on terrorism and targeted violence in all its forms are not comprehensive.””

A new tick-borne disease is killing cattle in the US. TechnologyReview.com article. Asian disease spreading in US cattle. Pull quote: “Theileria can cause cows to abort their fetuses. It can also cause anemia so severe that a cow will die. In Australia, where the disease has been spreading since 2012 and now affects a quarter of the cattle, theileria costs the beef industry an estimated $19.6 million a year in reduced milk and meat yields, according to a 2021 paper. In Japan and Korea, the combined loss is an estimated $100 million annually.”