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Reposted from EMR-ISAC
On Sept. 17, CISA and FBI released a Secure by Design Alert, Eliminating Cross-Site Scripting Vulnerabilities, as a part of their ongoing effort to reduce the prevalence of vulnerability classes at scale. Vulnerabilities like cross-site scripting (XSS) continue to appear in software, enabling threat actors to exploit them. However, cross-site scripting vulnerabilities are preventable and should not be present in software products.
CISA and FBI urge CEOs and other business leaders at technology manufacturers to direct their technical leaders/teams to review past instances of these defects and create a strategic plan to prevent them in the future.
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On Sept. 12, as part of their public service announcement (PSA) series to put potential election day cyber related disruptions during the 2024 election cycle into context for the American people, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and CISA jointly issued the Just So You Know: False Claims of Hacked Voter Information Likely Intended to Sow Distrust of U.S. Elections PSA to raise awareness of attempts to undermine public confidence in the security of U.S. election infrastructure through the spread of disinformation falsely claiming that cyberattacks compromised U.S. voter registration databases.
CISA has released an analysis and infographic detailing the findings from the 143 Risk and Vulnerability Assessments (RVAs) conducted across multiple critical infrastructure sectors in fiscal year 2023 (FY23).
The analysis details a sample attack path including tactics and steps a cyber threat actor could follow to compromise an organization with weaknesses representative of those CISA observed in FY23 RVAs. The infographic highlights the most successful techniques for each tactic that RVAs documented. Both the analysis and infographic map threat actor behavior to the MITRE ATT&CK® framework.
The National Operational Center of Excellence (NOCoE), supported by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), is hosting a webinar on Wednesday, September 25 at 1:30 p.m. EDT as part of its Talking TIM webinar series. This webinar will feature information on an innovative tool and system for safer, quicker incident clearance on roadways from practitioners within the fire and transportation disciplines:
All webinars in the Talking TIM series pertain to traffic incident management (TIM), with a focus on successful programs, best practices, and technology that advances the profession of TIM. Topics covered in this webinar series are often relevant to anyone with a role in emergency dispatch, emergency medical response to traffic incidents, emergency traffic management, or anyone with an interest in ensuring first responder safety on roadways. Webinars are typically held on the fourth Wednesday of each month. Those interested in attending the September 25 webinar can register by going to NOCoE’s Zoom registration page for the Talking TIM series and selecting the September 25 date in the registration form. You can also view recordings of past webinars in the series and sign up for updates, so you can be alerted via email when upcoming webinars are announced.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has partnered with Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM), the National Emergency Management Association (NEMA), and Big City Emergency Managers (BCEM) to conduct the Emergency Management Organizational Structures, Staffing, and Capacity Study. This study aims to provide insight on how state, local, tribal, and territorial emergency management agencies and organizations are structured and staffed, where they get their funding, and how staff time is focused across the spectrum of emergency management activities. Key insights about the capacity and challenges facing emergency management agencies across the nation will help FEMA, IAEM, NEMA, BCEM, and others identify strategies to better support emergency management efforts and increase community resilience. To accomplish the first part of this study, IAEM will be launching four surveys—state, local, tribal, and territorial. The state, local, and territorial surveys are now available. A tribal-specific survey will be available in the coming weeks. If you are the chief emergency management official of a local jurisdiction such as a municipality or county and did not receive an email from IAEM or your state director with a link to the Local Emergency Management Capacity Survey, please complete the Local Emergency Management Capacity Study - Contact Information Form. The study will include elicitation sessions to collect qualitative information and follow-up on survey responses, as well as a review of existing research and data from FEMA, emergency management associations, and other publicly available materials. Argonne National Laboratory will be conducting the analysis.
On Sept. 13, Hawaii state officials released a report on the tragic fire that destroyed much of Lahaina, Hawaii, on August 8 and 9, 2023. The Lahaina Fire Incident Analysis Report is the second in a series of three reports commissioned by the Hawaii Department of the Attorney General. The report was prepared by the Fire Safety Research Institute (FSRI), part of UL Research Institutes. This Phase Two report focuses on the events that occurred prior to, during, and immediately following the Lahaina PM fire, including preparedness efforts, weather and its impact to infrastructure, and other fires occurring on Maui for the time period beginning at 14:55 (2:55 p.m. HST) on August 8, 2023, and concluding at 08:30 (8:30 a.m.) on August 9, 2023. Using a systems analysis methodology, the Lahaina Fire Incident Analysis Report presents relevant background information; discusses weather, fuel, and infrastructure conditions; describes communication, incident management, fire suppression, and evacuation efforts; and details the impact of the fire on Lahaina’s built environment. It also considers these factors in the context of the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy. This report does not include an analysis of recovery efforts or the fire’s cause and origin, which is being investigated by the County of Maui with assistance from the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). This report is the follow up to the Lahaina Fire Comprehensive Timeline Report released on April 17, 2024. These two reports will serve as the foundation for the Forward-Looking Report (Phase Three). The forthcoming Phase Three report will include a standards of cover (SOC) analysis to assess the capabilities of the County of Maui Fire Department, a Community Risk Assessment (CRA) to analyze natural- and human-caused risks to Maui, a community risk reduction plan to help mitigate risk, and a review of fire and building codes.
Reposted from The Art Newspaper
Dimitri Simes and his wife Anastasia have been charged with three counts of violating US sanctions, including money laundering through the acquisition of art A commentator for Russian state television and former adviser to Donald Trump’s first presidential campaign has been charged by the US Department of Justice with various schemes to violate sanctions, including laundering funds through the acquisition of art and antiques. In one of the two indictments unsealed on 5 September, Dimitri Simes and his wife Anastasia Simes allegedly laundered money through Channel One Russia, a state-owned TV station. In a second indictment, Anastasia, who designs jewelry, has been accused of helping a prominent businessman, Aleksandr Y. Udodov, circumvent US sanctions by purchasing art and antiques on his behalf and storing the items at her home in Huntly, Virginia.
According to the Department of Justice, the Simeses have allegedly participated in these activities since early June of 2022, receiving $1m, a personal car and driver, a stipend for an apartment in Moscow and a personal team of ten employees from Channel One Russia. The couple has been charged with violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, a federal law passed in the late 1970s that US President Joseph Biden has used to enforce punitive embargoes on Russian goods during Putin’s war in Ukraine. The couple’s combined sentences could carry a maximum penalty of 240 years in federal prison. The Simeses' indictments are the latest example of the Biden administration cracking down on Russian efforts to influence American voters through undisclosed telecommunications campaigns (and circumvent sanctions imposed on Russian individuals and organizations in connection to Russia's war in Ukraine). On 3 September, two employees of a Russian state broadcaster, RT, were charged with spending upwards of $10m to plant pro-Russian messages in a right-wing Tennessee-based podcasting company’s content. The FBI raided the Simes home on 13 August, seizing art and furniture over the course of four days. “They took a lot of the furniture," Dmitri said in an interview with The New York Times. “They took practically all of the paintings and icons, which are where now—who knows?” Various pieces of art were named in the indictment against Dimitri, who is now in Russia, including Lake of the Four Cantons, a 19th-century painting by the German artist F.C. Welsch, and a statue of the Ancient Greek goddess Minerva by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, the French sculptor best known for designing the Statue of Liberty. “We got most of them before we moved to this house,” Dimitri told the Times. “Most of them belonged to our parents. How could they be of any concern to the US government?” Dimitri emigrated to the US in 1973, becoming an advisor to President Richard Nixon before serving as the head of a think tank called Center for the National Interest. During President Trump’s 2016 campaign, Dimitri introduced the candidate at an event, a choice that raised eyebrows among some Washington officials due to concerns about Russia's campaign to interfere in the US presidential election. Dimitri disputed the Biden administration’s allegations, telling the Times: “I assumed that what I was saying on Russian TV would not be to the liking of the Biden administration, [...] but I also assumed that as long as it was just my opinion and was presented as such, it was not something for which I could be prosecuted.”
Reposted from Tim Richardson
“Throw me a life vest!”
I yelled at Kelly who was quickly moving through the Gulf of Mexico without me. Aided by a strong wind, the the boat we had been sailing on was headed away from me. It was quickly moving toward shore leaving me stranded in the middle of the ocean. She was distressed and paralyzed with fear. I couldn’t blame her; she had never sailed before, and I hadn’t bothered to give her any sailing instruction in case of an emergency. I was in trouble. I was without a life vest a mile or more away from the beach in rough waters just before sunset. Fortunately, I was in my early 20’s, in excellent shape, and had been a swimmer and surfer in high school. I was able to swim toward shore and eventually was rescued after 45 minutes of swimming. Though my story ended well even without a life vest, many other stories of accidents without them do not. Life vests are important. They help save lives. Sadly, someone in your circle may feel like they are about to drown but they are too afraid or embarrassed to ask for a life vest (if that’s you, reach out to someone who can help!). Because their struggles aren’t physical or outward, the situation continues unnoticed by those around them. So, they suffer in silence and may become so despondent that they may consider taking their own life. Our community tragically lost a young teenager recently. Were there signs? Had he asked for help? Could it have been prevented? Did anyone have an opportunity to intervene? There are so many questions that those affected by suicide face. Similarly, a very good friend of mine lost his brother several years ago. I remember telling his brother once that he was going to either implode or have a conversion experience. I saw the signs and yet I didn’t get involved. No one knew that his internal troubles were so severe. No one offered a life vest. September is suicide prevention month and a reminder of the serious issue which has increased in frequency over the last several years. I read about it almost weekly on LinkedIn. Check in on friends, family or co-workers in your life. If someone in your life is struggling, get involved. Be more intentional with those who may seem less like themselves. Think about how you could help if someone you knew was really struggling. If you notice the warning signs, maybe you can be the one to throw the life vest and save a life.
Reposted from MCSC
On September 19, during the G7 Culture Ministerial, the United States announced the contribution of $1 million to the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM) to safeguard Ukraine’s cultural heritage. The grant agreement was signed by Acting under Secretary of State Lee Satterfield and ICCROM Director-General Aruna Francesca Maria Gujral. This initiative is an important step in strengthening international partnerships aimed at preserving Ukraine’s cultural heritage, which has been under threat since 2022. “We are very pleased to share this announcement of substantial additional funding to ICCROM so they can continue the good emergency response and recovery work they are doing in Ukraine. This partnership represents a vital milestone in the effort to preserve Ukraine’s cultural identity and historical heritage, and the U.S. looks forward to continuing our strong support for ICCROM and its mandate of preserving cultural heritage around the world,” said Ambassador to the UN Agencies in Rome, Jeffrey Prescott.
The project “Resilient Heritage”, which is set for 30 months and funded through the U.S. Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP), aims to establish a national framework for risk and emergency management. It will enhance coordination among Ukrainian government institutions, local authorities, and cultural heritage custodians. This funding is part of a broader $7 million U.S. program aimed at assisting in the preservation of the country’s cultural heritage. Ukraine highly values the support of the U.S. government, ICCROM, and other partners in efforts to protect and restore cultural and historical sites that are part of the world’s heritage.
Reposted from Reuters
ROME, Sept 21 (Reuters) - A man shattered a sculpture by Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei on Friday during the opening of his exhibition at Palazzo Fava in the Italian city of Bologna, a spokesperson for the show said. Footage from CCTV cameras - posted on Ai Weiwei's Instagram account - showed a man vigorously pushing the sculpture over, breaking it and then holding a piece of it over his head. The sculpture targeted was the artist's large blue and white 'Porcelain Cube', the spokesperson said. The exhibit's curator, Arturo Galansino, said the perpetrator was well-known in the art world. "Unfortunately, I know the author of this inconsiderate gesture from a series of disturbing and damaging episodes over the years involving various exhibitions and institutions in Florence," said Galansino. The police in Bologna told local media a 57-year-old Czech man had been arrested after being stopped by the museum's security. The police could not immediately be reached for comment. The spokesperson said the art show, entitled "Who am I?" had opened on Saturday as normal and that the oeuvre will be replaced by a life-size print of the cube. The exhibition is due to run until May 4. "Ai Weiwei worried that no one was hurt and then asked that the remains of the work be covered and taken away," he said. It was not clear how the man had entered the building during the invite-only event on Friday.
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