The national emblem for this country ought to be Uncle Sam standing naked at attention saluting & seated on a chair next to him, the Statue of Liberty jerking him off. - George Carlin
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| NATIONAL SECURITY |
BRACE FOR FLAWS — The organizers of DEF CON's Voting Machine Hacking Village will release the findings of their hackathon next Thursday on Capitol Hill, the team announced Tuesday. California Rep. Jackie Speier will join the hackathon's co-organizers — voting security researchers Harri Hursti and Matt Blaze and former DHS official Jake Braun — as they reveal what they learned at the DEF CON hacker event in August.
More than 30 election-related devices, including machines still in use today, "were compromised within minutes," according to the press release announcing the event. "Election security is a national security issue that demands collaboration between leaders at the federal, state, and local levels," the group said in a statement. "Election administrators from jurisdictions across the United States and national security leaders are calling for cybersecurity training and increased safeguards at every point within the election infrastructure ecosystem: from registering to vote, to casting a ballot, to election night reporting."
Whatever the DEF CON report says, it is sure to reignite tensions between the hackathon's organizers (and their backers in the security research community) and election officials and voting technology vendors who have decried their methods and procedures. While some states have embraced help from ethical hackers, the overall relationship is anything but smooth.
A spokeswoman for the National Association of Secretaries of State declined to say if the group would send a representative to discuss the new report with the hackathon team. The National Association of State Election Directors does not plan to attend the launch event, according to a NASED spokeswoman. [POLITICO's Morning Cybersecurity, September 12, 2018]
HOME(LAND) IS WHERE THE THREAT IS — Those markups aren't the only congressional action on today's agenda. The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee gavels in at 10:30 a.m. for a hearing about "evolving threats" facing the U.S., including cyber threats. Panel chairman Ron Johnson will highlight several cyber-related risks in his opening statement, including threats to U.S. companies and government agencies' supply chains. "Communication and information technology supply chain threats are increasingly pervasive and dangerous," he will say, according to his prepared remarks. "The risks posed by these threats have the ability to undermine our democracy, diminish our national security, and weaken our economy."
Among the hearing's witnesses is Kevin Mandia, CEO of the cyber research firm FireEye, which has assisted in many hacking investigations of corporate and government victims. "While we have observed thousands of attacks, we are unsure if we have witnessed the full extent of capability of any threat actors," Mandia plans to say, according to his prepared remarks. "It is probable that we have not witnessed the most sophisticated or most damaging attacks, because their use is being reserved until escalation merits their execution." Mandia will urge lawmakers to promote a national discussion of "cyber resilience."
Specifically, Mandia wants the committee to "consider ways it could require government agencies to develop and carry out continuity-of-operations plans that practice, even for just 24 hours, going without Internet connectivity while continuing critical functions." He will also encourage greater attention to supply chain threats, an increased focus on deterrence and a more cooperative approach to risk management. [POLITICO's Morning Cybersecurity, September 13, 2018]
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| HIDDEN IN THE ATTIC |
In the sweltering heat of
the afternoon on August 30, 1862, the men of the 5th New York listened to the
sounds of fighting off to their right. For the last two days, Union and
Confederate armies had been locked in a struggle along an unfinished railroad,
just north of Manassas, Virginia. Now, the New Yorkers guarded the army’s flank
while the rest of the Fifth Corps assaulted Stonewall Jackson’s men in the
railroad cut. Just as the sound of firing died down, the Zouaves were stunned
by the sudden appearance of Confederates under James Longstreet bursting out of
the trees in front of them. Joined by their sister regiment, the 10th New York,
the Federals made a valiant, but ultimately futile effort to fend off the
Confederate attackers. The two regiments from the Empire State were no match
for Longstreet’s force, which consisted of half the Army of Northern Virginia.
Within just 10 minutes, the 5th New York lost 332 men out of roughly 525
engaged. [Civil War Trust, Oct 17, 2017]
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| Add caption |
STAFFING UP FOR CYBER — After a panel
discussion on election integrity hosted by our own Mike Farrell on Wednesday at
The Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute Leadership Conference in
Washington, California Secretary of State Alex Padilla updated MC on progress
of the state's first Office of Election Cybersecurity and Office of Enterprise
Risk Management. They're looking to fill seven positions, two in the
Office of Risk Management and five in the Office of Election Cybersecurity.
Padilla hopes to have the team in place before the midterms. "California
is trying to be proactive while waiting for Congress to once again invest in
election security and modernization," he said.
The state allocated $3 million to both efforts. California
appears to be the first state to have this type of dedicated office for
election cybersecurity as well as fighting digital misinformation campaigns
related to elections (MC couldn't find another one, and Padilla's office thinks
they are the first, too). Padilla wants his state to take a much more active
role in hunting for the most damaging sort of disinformation online and
reporting it to social media companies. "We're talking about concerted
efforts to mislead people, whether it's something that leads to violence on the
extreme end or even simple things like they can vote via text or election day
is a different day." [POLITICO's Morning
Cybersecurity, September 13, 2018]
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| TAKE-AWAY SPECIALS |
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| TECHNOLOGY |
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| SPACE |
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Today, Ocean Conservancy celebrates our 46th
anniversary—and the past year has been one to remember!
The ocean teaches us that life isn’t always smooth
sailing, but big waves keep us alert and primed to alter course. From policy
changes to a changing climate, we may have earned a few gray hairs during the
last 12 months. But one thing is certain: Ocean Conservancy is stronger than
ever, and our strength comes from ocean lovers like you!
This year, we’ve been buoyed by your support, and we are
celebrating some incredible accomplishments . . .
We’ve
weathered some rocky legislation, but it has forced us to become more vocal in
the arenas that matter. Our advocates in Washington D.C. and in local
communities are speaking up for ocean health and are demonstrating how science-based
policy can protect the future of our planet’s valuable marine resources. Your
voice is being heard!
We’ve
navigated unchartered waters, especially as climate change, ocean acidification
and the increase of plastics in the ocean create a landscape not yet seen in
our lifetime—or any other documented time period. But new challenges compel
us to get creative, to work with business owners, scientists, researchers,
policymakers, civic leaders, fishermen and coastal communities to figure out
solutions to current ocean threats. Thanks to your
support, we are making tremendous progress in reducing the flow of plastics,
trash and debris into the sea and more people than ever before acknowledge the
threat of a warming climate on the fate of our ocean and marine wildlife.
We’ve
gone up against some big fish as we push back against oil and gas leasing. Our
waters are not for sale, and we will continue to fight to protect the Arctic
and other coastal areas where drilling should never occur. At just
46 years young, Ocean Conservancy is a recognized leader in empowering citizens
to take action on behalf of the ocean and convincing decision-makers to listen
up. We’ve found some unexpected allies ranging from major
businesses to a worldwide network of volunteers. Our strength in numbers is
helping—and we’ll continue to work together to safeguard already-fragile
ecosystems from unnecessary risk and greed.
I am proud of the work we’ve accomplished together this
year. It is making a difference for ocean health! Truly, every single person
who partners with Ocean Conservancy matters.
Thank you for diving in with us. We don’t always know what
waves we’ll encounter, but we are anchored by ocean lovers like you.
For
our ocean (and our future),
Janis Searles Jones
CEO
Ocean Conservancy [September 7, 2018]
CEO
Ocean Conservancy [September 7, 2018]
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| MEDICINE |
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| READ |
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| CHINA |
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| THAILAND |
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| UNITED KINGDOM |
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