Month: December 2021

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Almost exactly a year ago, security researchers uncovered one of the worst data breaches in modern history, if not ever: a Kremlin-backed hacking campaign that compromised the servers of network management provider SolarWinds and, from there, the networks of 100 of its highest-profile customers, including nine US federal agencies.

Nobelium—the name Microsoft gave to the intruders—was eventually expelled, but the group never gave up and arguably has only become more brazen and adept at hacking large numbers of targets in a single stroke. The latest reminder of the group’s proficiency comes from security firm Mandiant, which on Monday published research detailing Nobelium’s numerous feats—and a few mistakes—as it continued to breach the networks of some of its highest-value targets.

Abusing trust

One of the things that made Nobelium so formidable was the creativity of its TTPs, hacker lingo for tactics, techniques, and procedures. Rather than breaking into each target one by one, the group hacked into the network of SolarWinds and used the access, and the trust customers had in the company, to push a malicious update to roughly 18,000 of its customers.

Enlarge / The Crew-2 mission is seen departing the International Space Station in November 2021. (credit: SpaceX)

NASA has announced that it will purchase three additional flights for its astronauts to the International Space Station on SpaceX's Crew Dragon vehicle.

The announcement, posted on the space agency's website late on Friday afternoon, follows a "request for information" issued by NASA in October seeking the additional transportation to keep "uninterrupted" US access to the space station.

The blog post contained the following somewhat stilted rationale for selecting SpaceX to provide these three crewed flights while not selecting the other potential provider, Boeing's Starliner spacecraft.

Enlarge / Workers install photovoltaic panels on the roof at the reconstruction project of Fengtai Railway Station on November 12, 2021, in Beijing, China. (credit: Jia Tianyong/China News Service)

Around the world, countries installed renewable power at a record pace in 2021, according to a new report from the International Energy Agency. The trend is likely to continue for the next five years, with 95 percent of all new electrical generating capacity being renewable.

“This is equivalent to the current global power capacity of fossil fuels and nuclear combined,” the IEA said in the report.

Yet even then, the world will need to double the rate at which it adds renewable power in the next five years to remain on track to reach net zero in 2050. To keep pace with variable wind and solar power, energy storage will have to nearly double as well. The world can’t just add more renewable power—it has to replace existing fossil fuel plants as well.