Short Takes – 9-20-24

This Windows PowerShell Phish Has Scary Potential. KrebsOnSecurity.com article. Pull quote: “Still, it wouldn’t hurt to share this article with the Windows users in your life who fit the less-savvy profile. Because this particular scam has a great deal of room for growth and creativity.”

Flu season is coming—and so is the risk of an all-new bird flu. TechnologyReview.com article. Pull quote: “Even if every farm worker were to be vaccinated, not all of them would be fully protected against getting sick with flu. The flu vaccine used in the US in 2019-2020 was 39% effective, but the one used in the 2004-2005 flu season was only 10% effective.”

5 people displaced from accidental fire caused by combustible potting soil. WUSA9.com article. Pull quote: ““Spontaneous combustion can happen when a decomposing, organic material, such as mulch or potting soil, generates enough heat to ignite without an outside source,” said Assistant Chief of Operations James Williams. “As a result, a large or compacted area of these materials can create sufficient heat to spontaneously combust."”

Health care worker is third person to become ill after contact with Missouri patient who had bird flu. CNN.com article. Pull quote: ““It is imperative that we identify any and all cattle herds that may have H5 in all states,” she said. “It is ridiculous that this information is still not known this many months after the first cattle cases were identified.””