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The five biggest stories at Black Hat
The annual Black Hat Briefings conference, held last week in Las Vegas, is the world’s biggest, and arguably the most important, gathering of security researchers; here are the five biggest stories to take away from last week’s Black Hat meeting in Las Vegas
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Rich pre-seminar programs and events
The 58th ASIS International Annual Seminar and Exhibits will take place in Philadelphia on 10-13 September. ASIS offers rich pre-seminar programs and events, and on the Saturday and Sunday, 8-9 September, before the big event opens, there is a series of in-depth panels and discussions attendees should note
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Science group: storing spent nuclear fuel in dry casks significantly safer then wet pools storage
An NRC report on the lessons of the Fukushima disaster says that storing spent nuclear fuel in wet pools is “adequate” to protect the public; a science groups says there is a significantly safer way to store the 55,000 tons of radioactive waste currently stored by the 104 nuclear power plants operating in the United States: transferring the spent fuel to dry casks
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Inmarsat responds: We do not sell telecommunications services to any Iranian entity
Shurat Hadin, a Tel Aviv-based law firm specializing in litigation against terror sponsors, claims mobile satellite company Inmarsat PLC provides prohibited guidance services to Iranian oil tankers and Iranian military vessels; Inmarsat says these claims are wrong: the company says it seeks to comply with all applicable sanctions laws and regulations, and that Inmarsat does not sell telecommunications services to any Iranian entity, or to any entity on the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control list of Specially Designated Nationals
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DARPA demonstrates quick vaccine development for hypothetical pandemic
A World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that between 20 and 50 percent of the world’s population will be affected if a pandemic were to emerge; WHO forecasts “it may be six to nine months before a vaccine for a pandemic virus strain becomes available”; DARPA reports that rapid fire test of novel, plant-based production method delivers more than ten million doses of H1N1 VLP influenza vaccine candidate in one month
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Chronic 2000-4 U.S. drought, worst in 800 years, may be the "new normal"
The chronic drought that hit western North America from 2000 to 2004 left dying forests and depleted river basins in its wake and was the strongest in 800 years, scientists have concluded, but they say those conditions will become the “new normal” for most of the coming century
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BAE Systems' defense technology to help Team GB win Olympic medals
Scientists and engineers from BAE Systems have been applying defense and security technology to help the British Modern Pentathlon team to evaluate their high-tech laser pistols, which were introduced at the beginning of the 2011 season, replacing traditional air pistols
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U.S. agency critical of Canadian ports' security
The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission has issued a report criticizing Canadian sea ports for lax security. The commission reports singled out Prince Rupert port in British Columbia as an especially egregious case of insufficient security for U.S.-bound cargo
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Critics charge satellite company Inmarsat violates Iran sanctions
A legal organizations specializing in fighting legal battles against terror sponsors – they say their goal is to bankrupt the terror groups and grind their activities to a halt, one lawsuit at a time – warned mobile satellite company Inmarsat PLC against providing prohibited guidance services to Iranian oil tankers and Iranian military vessels; in 2008, a United States Supreme Court ruling made the determination that individuals or companies that materially support terrorist organizations are liable for the murder and injuries they cause, according to Boim v. Holy Land Foundation
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Food prices in U.S., world set to rise as a result of drought
The U.S. Midwest is suffering the worst drought since 1956, and a total of 1,369 counties in thirty-one states across the United States have been designated for disaster aid; the prolonged drought will lead to an increase in food prices in 2013 as animal feed costs increase
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A device used to measure nuclear weapons effects is now used for rocket propulsion system
Can a device formerly used to test nuclear weapons effects find a new life in rocket propulsion research? That is the question in which researchers seek an answer; when assembled, the device will tip the scales at nearly fifty tons, and will be “one of the largest, most powerful pulse power systems in the academic world,” according to one researcher
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Northrop Grumman delivers Nationwide AIS to Coast Guard
Northrop Grumman has delivered its Nationwide Automatic Identification System (AIS) to the Coast Guard; the system provides a more comprehensive view of vessels bound for and navigating within U.S. ports and waterways
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Capturing CO2 directly from air is chemically, economically viable
With a series of papers published in chemistry and chemical engineering journals, researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology have advanced the case for extracting carbon dioxide directly from the air using newly developed adsorbent materials
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Pulling CO2 from air feasible, if still costly, way to curb global warming
Emerging techniques to pull carbon dioxide from the air and store it away to stabilize the climate may become increasingly important as the planet tips into a state of potentially dangerous warming; lower-cost technology is a stumbling block so far
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New U.S. biodedfense R&D network launched
On Monday, Texas A&M System dedicated a new research center which is part of a national network of centers aiming to develop strategies and products to counter bioterrorism, chemical and radiological attacks on the United States, and better strategies to deal with pandemics; the network will have facilities in Texas, Maryland, and North Carolina; the Texas dedication is the culmination of a Manhattan Project-like program for biological countermeasures, launched in 2004 by the Department of Health and Human Services; the research network aims to develop “rapid, nimble and flexible approaches” to vaccine and therapy development, and train the next generation of professionals to sustain U.S. capabilities in these areas
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More headlines
The long view
Ransomware Attacks: Death Threats, Endangered Patients and Millions of Dollars in Damages
A ransomware attack on Change Healthcare, a company that processes 15 billion health care transactions annually and deals with 1 in 3 patient records in the United States, is continuing to cause massive disruptions nearly three weeks later. The incident, which started on February 21, has been called the “most significant cyberattack on the U.S. health care system” by the American Hospital Association. It is just the latest example of an increasing trend.
Chinese Government Hackers Targeted Critics of China, U.S. Businesses and Politicians
An indictment was unsealed Monday charging seven nationals of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) with conspiracy to commit computer intrusions and conspiracy to commit wire fraud for their involvement in a PRC-based hacking group that spent approximately 14 years targeting U.S. and foreign critics, businesses, and political officials in furtherance of the PRC’s economic espionage and foreign intelligence objectives.
European Arms Imports Nearly Double, U.S. and French Exports Rise, and Russian Exports Fall Sharply
States in Europe almost doubled their imports of major arms (+94 per cent) between 2014–18 and 2019–23. The United States increased its arms exports by 17 per cent between 2014–18 and 2019–23, while Russia’s arms exports halved. Russia was for the first time the third largest arms exporter, falling just behind France.
LNG Exports Have Had No Impact on Domestic Energy Costs: Analysis
U.S. liquified natural gas (LNG) exports have not had any sustained and significant direct impact on U.S. natural gas prices and have, in fact, spurred production and productivity gains, which contribute to downward pressure on domestic prices.