Short Takes – 1-24-23

Coast Guard Releases New Maritime Cybersecurity Assessment & Annex Guide. Mariners.CoastGuard.blog post. Pull quote: “This guide will not influence Captain of the Port (COTP) review of FSPs submitted for approval.  MTSA regulated facilities who have already submitted their FSP cyber annex or addendum to the Coast Guard may decide to use the MCAAG to help review effectiveness of their FSA, confirm identified vulnerabilities, and make further enhancements to their FSP.”

Russian Agents Suspected of Directing Far-Right Group to Mail Bombs in Spain. NYTimes.com article. Pull quote: “Investigators in recent weeks have focused on the Russian Imperial Movement, a radical group that has members and associates across Europe and military-style training centers in St. Petersburg, Russia, the officials said. They added that the group, which has been designated a global terrorist organization by the U.S. State Department, is believed to have ties to Russian intelligence agencies. Important members of the group have been in Spain, and the police there have tracked its ties with far-right Spanish organizations.”

Hacktivism Is a Risky Career Path. Wired.com article. The future of the IT Army of Ukraine. Pull quote: “Reports that the IT Army includes a growing number of so-called script kiddies and first-time hackers also raise the possibility that Ukraine’s call to action may have set some people on a career path. A key question in 2023 will be how to harness those skills for good.”

Why Not Cover Ugly Parking Lots With Solar Panels? Wired.com article. Pull quote: “France, though, appears to have a solution: transforming its parking lots into solar farms nationwide. The French Senate has approved a bill requiring new and existing lots with more than 80 spaces to be at least half covered with canopies of solar panels that sit over the parking spaces. Assuming the bill comes into effect later this year, parking lots with more than 400 spaces must be compliant by 2026; smaller ones with 80 to 400 spaces will be given until 2028.”

Classified Documents in the Wild. TWITTER.COM @AstroKatie twitversation. I do not normally include TWITTER exchanges here, but…. Start quote: “Over time, natural evolutionary changes have allowed classified documents to spread more effectively through their environments, with some employing burrs similar to those of burdock seed pods, specially adapted to cling to business suit fabrics.”