Short Takes – 3-24-23

Lawmakers raised concerns that sensitive data could leak
to adversaries through foreign-owned consumer technology. NextGov.com article.
Pull quote: ““The widespread use of DJI drones to inspect critical
infrastructure allows the CCP to develop a richly detailed, regularly updated
picture of our nation’s pipelines, railways, power generation facilities and
waterways,” the letter states. “This sensitive information on the layout,
operation and maintenance of U.S. critical infrastructure could better enable
targeting efforts in the event of conflict.””

Enforcement of Cybersecurity Regulations: Part 1.
LawfareBlog.com post.
Lengthy, detailed look at potential cybersecurity enforcement modes. Pull
quote: “In considering what should be next for cybersecurity enforcement, I
want to put aside the two approaches that so far have dominated with regard to
the protection of consumer data (other than financial data held by banks): post
hoc case-by-case investigations by regulators and private litigation in class
actions. While both should remain part of the mix, neither one is systematic or
forward-looking. Taking place after a breach, they can single out the one
mistake the attackers exploited and in doing so often lose sight of the overall
reasonableness of the victim’s security program. In many cases, remedial action
does not come until years after the incident. And because administrative
enforcement actions and private litigation almost always settle with no
admission of wrongdoing, they fail to offer industry any generalizable
certainty on what is required.”

Space: Roscosmos Dies In Ukraine. StategyPage.com article.
Pull quote: “The current Russian government wants to eliminate all cooperation
with Western nations (the United States and Europe). Roscosmos officials point
out that is not economically possible or technically preferable. Cooperation
with the West has increased the capabilities of the Russian space program and
provided economic opportunities for Russia. A much larger space program budget
would be required and the loss of Western tech and markets for satellite launch
services and satellite manufacturing would hurt Russia more than the West.”

House GOP infighting is threatening their ability to get
bills out the door. Politico.com article.
Pull quote: “Days before that floor debate, McCarthy and his leadership team
privately fielded concerns from multiple conference members about possible
“poison pill” amendments, such as those relating to LGBTQ students or banning
books. Some of those Republicans were under pressure from groups like the
National Education Association, the nation’s largest teachers union, which
opposes the “parents’ bill of rights” proposal and supports some centrist GOP
lawmakers.”

Simple synthesis produces environmentally friendly
energetic material. CEN.ACS.org article.
Pull quote: “Guangbin Cheng and Hongwei Yang at Nanjing University of Science
and Technology and Chuan Xiao at Norinco led the researchers who discovered
DTAT-K. The chemists were simply trying to substitute azides for the chlorides
on 4,6-dichloro-5-nitropyrimidine—an inexpensive and commercially available
starting material. But they were surprised to find that after the substitution
occurred, the molecule spontaneously cyclized to form the [5,6,5]-tricyclic
bistetrazole-fused motif and appended an additional azide group.” So we have a
new explosive precursor chemical to worry about 4,6-dichloro-5-nitropyrimidine.

ORNL malware ‘vaccine’ generator licensed for Evasive.ai
platform. NewsWise.com article.
Pull quote: “Drawing on more than 35 million malware samples — some publicly
available and others never before seen — AMIGO generates optimally evasive
malware in tandem with the training information needed for a security system to
detect it in the future.”