Short Takes – 10-6-23

Detroit man steals 800 gallons using Bluetooth to hack gas pumps at station. Fox2Detroit.com article. Pull quote: “When Mo says "open the pump" the thief – overrides the system, basically hacking in using a Bluetooth connection from his phone, as a kind of remote. Then, it’s a free-for-all.”

Temporary Speaker Patrick McHenry Steers House on the Fly. WSJ.com article (free). Pull quote: “With current government funding set to expire in mid-November, the limitations of his role could become more problematic. For McHenry to bring legislation to the floor, the majority of the House would have to vote to give him that authority, according to experts in House rules. That could happen in a variety of ways, including by electing him as speaker pro tempore.”

Behind the scenes of a UFO whistleblower’s odd visit to Capitol Hill. WashingtonPost.com article. Pull quote: ““We need to look through telescopes and be collecting data through instruments, not through people talking about it on social media,” said Loeb, who heads the Galileo Project, which searches for science-based evidence of extraterrestrial technological artifacts. “Somebody interviewing another guy who tells the story — who cares?””

Bitsight identifies nearly 100,000 exposed industrial control systems. Bitsight.com blog post. Bit of an advertorial. Pull quote: “Manufacturers of industrial control systems and other operational technology must take action to increase the cybersecurity of their devices. This includes improving device security prior to deployment and working with clients to ensure the proper configuration and security of already deployed devices. Some manufacturers are leading with innovative initiatives to improve the security of their devices and their customers. For example, Schneider Electric has made device security and customer security a business priority. Through a joint effort with Bitsight, Schneider Electric is working to identify externally observable risks to the OT community and engage customers in remediation initiatives.”

NACD Applauds Joint Letter to Congressional Leadership on Importance of CFATS Program to Local Law Enforcement, Emergency Services. NACD.com press release. Pull quote: “The National Association of Chemical Distributors (NACD) applauds the Chemical Sector Coordinating Council, the Emergency Services Sector Coordinating Council, and the National Sheriffs’ Association for sending a letter to Congressional leadership underscoring the importance of the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) program to local communities following Congress’ failure to reauthorize this critical program by July 27, 2023.”