Short Takes – 2-13-23

Power Struggles: Grid Attacks and Extremism in an Age of Climate Volatility. LawfareBlog.com article. Long form tirade about grid physical security. Pull quote: “The powers that monitor the nation’s electrical grid—from utilities to local energy commissions to the federal government—have repeatedly failed to allocate adequate funds or otherwise treat the power grid’s long-standing physical weaknesses as legitimate national security threats. The frailty of the grid’s physical infrastructure—the substations, wires, and transformers that power the nation—has been habitually neglected, even as the risks have grown and attacks on that infrastructure have increased.”

Russian spacecraft leaks coolant, station crew reported safe. Phys.org article. Another impact or a manufacturing issue? Pull quote: “The depressurization of the cargo craft's coolant loop follows a similar incident in December with the Soyuz crew capsule, which Russian space officials said had been caused by a tiny meteoroid that left a small hole in the exterior radiator and sent coolant spewing into space.”

Here Comes the 60-Year Career. WSJ.com article. I am living this dream. Pull quote: “Millennials like Ms. Japp, as well as the generations behind them, are starting to think about their careers in a totally different way from their elders. They have no choice: Because they are likely to live healthily into their 90s or longer, they must learn to navigate 60-year careers instead of the traditional 40-year span.”

Medical-Device Makers Face Push to Protect Their Wares From Hacks. WSJ.com article. Pull quote: “While individual devices such as insulin pumps are unlikely to be the target of an attack, weak security combined with often relatively open networks in hospitals can allow hackers to use them as jumping-off points to launch an attack, or to spread malware through computer systems via devices’ links to each other.”

Hackers threaten to publish ‘confidential’ MTU data unless ransom is paid, High Court told. IrishTimes.com article. Pull quote: “As a result, MTU represented by Imogen McGrath SC, with Stephen Walsh BL instructed by Arthur Cox solicitors, obtained an emergency temporary injunction preventing the currently unknown persons behind the attack, and anyone else who has knowledge of the order, from publishing, making available to the public, or sharing any of the university’s confidential material.” An injunction against hackers? Really”

ARC Advisory Panel: Industrial Cybersecurity Requires Internal and External Collaboration. ChemicalProcessing.com article. ““We don’t want to go too cyber secure where we erode the value of the business opportunity, so that balance of what’s the fit-for-purpose/fit-for-risk approach is something that we’re continuously evaluating and we utilize our governance capabilities to make sure that we’re acting on informed decisions,” he says.” An interesting look at the cybersecurity problem.