Short Takes – 7-11-24

Senator Grassley intensifies oversight on national cybersecurity in wake of recent CISA CSAT breach. IndustrialCyber.co article. Pull quote: “Grassley is demanding a slew of records regarding CISA’s efforts to address these attacks. He’s also asking how the agency assessed the damage and notified affected parties, as well as whether CISA was aware of Ivanti’s vulnerabilities beforehand. CISA must additionally provide him with details on the materials to which the hackers had access and documents on its protocols for detecting and preventing cyberattacks.”

NASA, Boeing Conduct Ground Tests Ahead of Starliner Return. Blogs.NASA.gov post. Pull quote: “After an agency-level readiness review later this month, NASA and Boeing plan to select a new target return date for the Crew Flight Test. Following this review, NASA plans to host a televised briefing and will share more details on that when finalized.”

NASA Says No Plan to Use SpaceX to Rescue Boeing Starliner Astronauts. NYTimes.com article. Pull quote: “The hope was for Starliner to be ready for its first operational mission in February, taking four astronauts to the space station for a six-month stay. Mr. Stich said no decision would be made until after the test flight has landed, but said, “The longer we go, probably the more risk there is to that date in February.””

Bird flu viruses may infect mammary glands more commonly than thought. ScienceNews.org article. Pull quote: “An H5N1 virus isolated from an infected cow spread to the mammary glands of mice and some ferrets — common stand-ins to study flu infections in mammals — exposed to the virus directly in their noses, virologist Amie Eisfeld of the University of Wisconsin–Madison and colleagues report July 8 in Nature. A bird flu virus taken from an infected person in 2004 also made it to the mouse and ferret mammary glands. But additional experiments show that the virus isn’t very effective at spreading through the air.”

Thermonuclear Blasts and New Species: Inside Elon Musk’s Plan to Colonize Mars. NYTimes.com article (free). Pull quote: “In 2018, SpaceX engineers gathered with university researchers and others for a private meeting in Colorado to discuss the technology needed to survive on Mars, according to notes of the meeting obtained by The Times. Topics included harvesting ice to make water and selecting the right area on Mars to build a colony.”

One Year Without CFATS. ACD.Chem.com blog post. Pull quote: “The chemical distribution industry is an economic force in America, employing over 75,800 people and generating $10.82 billion in tax revenue for local communities across the country. We deliver valuable products to every industry sector and serve as a major driver of the American economy. Our nation cannot afford to overlook the potential impact of a major terrorist event in our industry.”