Short Takes – 3-24-23

Lawmakers raised concerns that sensitive data could leak to adversaries through foreign-owned consumer technology. NextGov.com article. Pull quote: ““The widespread use of DJI drones to inspect critical infrastructure allows the CCP to develop a richly detailed, regularly updated picture of our nation’s pipelines, railways, power generation facilities and waterways,” the letter states. “This sensitive information on the layout, operation and maintenance of U.S. critical infrastructure could better enable targeting efforts in the event of conflict.””

Enforcement of Cybersecurity Regulations: Part 1. LawfareBlog.com post. Lengthy, detailed look at potential cybersecurity enforcement modes. Pull quote: “In considering what should be next for cybersecurity enforcement, I want to put aside the two approaches that so far have dominated with regard to the protection of consumer data (other than financial data held by banks): post hoc case-by-case investigations by regulators and private litigation in class actions. While both should remain part of the mix, neither one is systematic or forward-looking. Taking place after a breach, they can single out the one mistake the attackers exploited and in doing so often lose sight of the overall reasonableness of the victim’s security program. In many cases, remedial action does not come until years after the incident. And because administrative enforcement actions and private litigation almost always settle with no admission of wrongdoing, they fail to offer industry any generalizable certainty on what is required.”

Space: Roscosmos Dies In Ukraine. StategyPage.com article. Pull quote: “The current Russian government wants to eliminate all cooperation with Western nations (the United States and Europe). Roscosmos officials point out that is not economically possible or technically preferable. Cooperation with the West has increased the capabilities of the Russian space program and provided economic opportunities for Russia. A much larger space program budget would be required and the loss of Western tech and markets for satellite launch services and satellite manufacturing would hurt Russia more than the West.”

House GOP infighting is threatening their ability to get bills out the door. Politico.com article. Pull quote: “Days before that floor debate, McCarthy and his leadership team privately fielded concerns from multiple conference members about possible “poison pill” amendments, such as those relating to LGBTQ students or banning books. Some of those Republicans were under pressure from groups like the National Education Association, the nation’s largest teachers union, which opposes the “parents’ bill of rights” proposal and supports some centrist GOP lawmakers.”

Simple synthesis produces environmentally friendly energetic material. CEN.ACS.org article. Pull quote: “Guangbin Cheng and Hongwei Yang at Nanjing University of Science and Technology and Chuan Xiao at Norinco led the researchers who discovered DTAT-K. The chemists were simply trying to substitute azides for the chlorides on 4,6-dichloro-5-nitropyrimidine—an inexpensive and commercially available starting material. But they were surprised to find that after the substitution occurred, the molecule spontaneously cyclized to form the [5,6,5]-tricyclic bistetrazole-fused motif and appended an additional azide group.” So we have a new explosive precursor chemical to worry about 4,6-dichloro-5-nitropyrimidine.

ORNL malware ‘vaccine’ generator licensed for Evasive.ai platform. NewsWise.com article. Pull quote: “Drawing on more than 35 million malware samples — some publicly available and others never before seen — AMIGO generates optimally evasive malware in tandem with the training information needed for a security system to detect it in the future.”