Critical Infrastructure News

FDA published a report on June 11 that expresses concerns with farm animal operations located nearby fields growing produce. The report focuses on a 2020 Salmonella enteritidis outbreak in peaches that affected 101 people across 17 states and explains FDA’s testing and traceback processes from the outbreak.

The report explains that FDA connected pathogen samples from peaches and peach tree leaves to a strain of Salmonella on an adjacent chicken operation using whole-genome sequencing on chicken isolates from the same period as the outbreak. The results prompted additional testing around the company’s orchards where other strains of Salmonella were connected to genetically identical pathogens found in beef and cattle isolates from an adjacent cattle feedlot. The findings helped FDA quickly identify and prioritize investigations at certain peach packing and holding operations and other peach orchards.

Read more: The National Law Review

Beebe Healthcare, a healthcare system serving southern Delaware, partnered with a number of agencies, including Delaware National Guard, Delaware Division of Public Health’s Emergency Medical Services & Preparedness team, City of Lewes Ambulance, and University of Delaware to host emergency preparedness drills.

During the drills, two scenarios were simulated: a bus carrying special-needs children crashed, sending many to the hospital; and a hurricane approaching the city of Lewes required evacuation of the hospital.

The healthcare system's Incident Command was headquartered at the hospital while an on-site landing team was at the University of Delaware’s Lewes Campus.

The teams communicated via walkie-talkie and cell phones to send "patients" from the hospital to the landing zone where they were met by teams of nurses and National Guard to be transported in two Black Hawk helicopters to Nemours Children’s Health and Christiana Care in Wilmington.

Read More: Security Mag

A bill has reached Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards' desk that would double the fines for drones flying over critical infrastructure. This includes petrochemical facilities, pipelines and grain elevators. The bill increases the maximum fine for the second offense of flying a drone above critical infrastructure from $2,000 to $4,000 and increases the possible prison sentence from one year to two years. 

Read More: Security Mag

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A cyberespionage campaign blamed on China was more sweeping than previously known, with suspected state-backed hackers exploiting a device meant to boost internet security to penetrate the computers of critical U.S. entities.

The hack of Pulse Connect Secure networking devices came to light in April, but its scope is only now starting to become clear. The Associated Press has learned that the hackers targeted telecommunications giant Verizon and the country’s largest water agency. News broke earlier this month that the New York City subway system, the country’s largest, was also breached.

Security researchers say dozens of other high-value entities that have not yet been named were also targeted as part of the breach of Pulse Secure, which is used by many companies and governments for secure remote access to their networks.

Read more: AP News