Short Takes – 4-2-25

Lesley, What Happened to the “Cybersecurity Skills Shortage”? Tisiphone.net blog post. This is a take on cybersecurity jobs that I have not seen elsewhere. Pull quote: “So now we have a big, Big, BIG problem. The universities, colleges, and boot camps sold the hell out of an entry level skills shortage that does not practically exist, and everybody in those programs just graduated, all at once. I cannot express how numerically and logistically dire things are. In the US, my peers are reporting upwards of 100 qualified candidates (after HR screening) for SOC roles. Red team has always been far worse. These numbers mean HR and recruiters can (and sometimes must) keep raising the minimum bar to entry to the most basic, entry level cybersecurity roles. “

Who's in Charge of OT Security? IHSOnline.org article. Long form discussion by Joe Weiss on the  ssues associated with OT Security. Pull quote: “CSO’s need to work with engineering and operations to develop, implement, and maintain control system cyber programs as well as identify control system cyber incidents. Without understanding control system issues, cyber protections may not be sufficient to prevent cyberattacks that can damage hardware and cause injuries. On the other hand, inappropriate technologies or testing can, and have caused, the same impacts as hackers.”

JAXA institute studying Mars lander concept. SpaceNews.com article. Pull quote: ““Instead of having a complicated operational supersonic parachute and a hard aeroshell, you can do all the job just with this single technology,” he said of the inflatable aeroshell. “If we’re focusing on small missions, this is the key technology for enabling our way of Mars landing missions.””

Fermenting miso in orbit reveals how space can affect a food’s taste. ScienceNews.org article. Pull quote: “The researchers could not isolate the ISS miso’s fermentation variables, including radiation, temperature and microgravity, to attribute specific properties to them, Coblentz says. But all those environmental features — or the “space terroir” — contributed to the miso, imparting a unique taste of space.”

Postponement of Effectiveness for Certain Provisions of Trichloroethylene (TCE); Regulation Under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). Federal Register EPA delayed enforcement notice. Summary: “The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or Agency) is postponing the effectiveness of certain regulatory provisions of the final rule entitled “Trichloroethylene (TCE); Regulation Under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)” for 90 days pending judicial review. Specifically, this postponement applies to the conditions imposed on the uses with TSCA exemptions.” New enforcement date: June 20^th, 2025.

Comments in Aid of Analyses of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Program. Federal Register Treasury Department Request for comment. Summary: “The Terrorism Risk Insurance Act of 2002 (TRIA) created the Terrorism Risk Insurance Program (Program) to address disruptions in the market for terrorism risk insurance, to help ensure the continued availability and affordability of commercial property and casualty insurance for terrorism risk, and to allow for the private markets to stabilize and build insurance capacity to absorb any future losses for terrorism events. The Secretary of the Treasury (Secretary) administers the Program, with the assistance of the Federal Insurance Office (FIO). Treasury requests comments from interested parties regarding the issues that FIO will be analyzing in connection with its upcoming study related to the participation of small insurers in the Program, including any competitive challenges such insurers face in the terrorism risk insurance marketplace.” Comments due May 19^th, 2025.