Short Takes – 4-20-23

New data show that an old model of the brain's motor cortex is incomplete. NPR.org article. Pull quote: “In other words, these areas integrate information from all over the body and brain in order to carry out a movement. Dosenbach says the finding, which appears in the journal Nature, contradicts a central belief about motor cortex.”

Russia Seeks to Deplete Ukraine’s Air Defenses Ahead of Kyiv’s Expected Offensive. WSJ.com article. Pull quote: “Still, a shortage of air defenses could jeopardize Ukraine’s planned offensive to drive Russia out of some occupied territories in the coming weeks, using several new reserve brigades trained and equipped by the U.S. and North Atlantic Treaty Organization partners.”

Enterprises Exposed to Hacker Attacks Due to Failure to Wipe Discarded Routers. SecurityWeek.com article. Pull quote: ““We also noted, significantly, that multiple devices were acquired following decommissioning from managed IT providers who operate networks for much larger organizations, so often the affected organizations would have no idea that they may now be vulnerable to attacks due to data leaks by some third party,” ESET said.”

Republican attorneys general ask court to overturn Biden admin’s water facility cybersecurity regulations. CNN.com article. Not an unexpected development. Pull quote: “But in their petition to the US Court of Appeals for the Eight Circuit, the Arkansas, Iowa and Missouri attorneys general argue that the new regulations circumvent state authorities and reinterpret federal statute that does not apply to cybersecurity.”

Notice of the Renewal of the Critical Infrastructure Partnership Advisory Council Charter. Federal Register DHS notice. Summary: “On November 29, 2022, the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) approved the renewal of the Critical Infrastructure Partnership Advisory Council (CIPAC) Charter. Through this notice, the Department is making the renewed CIPAC Charter publicly available and highlighting updated information and guidelines that have been included in the renewed charter.”

Pipeline Safety: Carbon Dioxide Pipeline Safety Public Meeting. Federal Reserve PHMSA meeting notice. May 31^st an June 1^st, 2023. Summary: “The public meeting will serve as an opportunity for pipeline stakeholders to help inform pipeline safety-related rulemaking decisions and share information surrounding CO2 pipeline safety. Key stakeholders include the public, states, tribal governments, other federal agencies, industry, and international regulators and/or organizations.”