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Nov 15, 2023 • 4 min read

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Marina Bay Sands Data Breach:

Marina Bay Sands, a high-end resort in Singapore, announced that a data breach has affected 665,000 customers. The breach, which occurred on October 19 and 20, was discovered on October 20. It involved unauthorized access to the resort's shopping loyalty program, the Sands Rewards Club. However, there's no evidence suggesting that the casino rewards program was also affected.
The data accessed includes names, email addresses, phone numbers, countries of residence, and membership details. Marina Bay Sands, owned by U.S.-based Las Vegas Sands, has stated that there's no indication that the data has been misused to harm customers. Despite no evidence of compromised passwords or financial information, the exposed data could potentially be used for phishing attacks.
The resort has responded by initiating an investigation with the help of a leading cybersecurity firm and has taken measures to enhance their data protection systems. They have also reported the incident to authorities in Singapore and other relevant countries. As of now, Marina Bay Sands hasn't provided further details about the nature of the attack, including whether it was a ransomware attack. No major ransomware group has claimed responsibility for this incident yet.

SCOTUS Code of Conduct:

For the first time, the U.S. Supreme Court has established an official ethics code. Previously, all federal judges, except those on the Supreme Court, were subject to a specific code of conduct. Supreme Court justices had informally committed to following similar standards for many years. However, recent allegations of some justices receiving gifts and vacations without adequate disclosure heightened public demand for a formal ethics framework for the Supreme Court.
Responding to these calls, the Supreme Court introduced its ethics code on Monday. This new code closely resembles the one already in place for other federal judges. Notably, it lacks provisions for enforcement or oversight, focusing primarily on setting ethical guidelines rather than implementing measures for their regulation or enforcement.

Exxon Mobil Lithium Production:

ExxonMobil, traditionally known as a major oil producer, is set to diversify its operations by venturing into lithium production by 2027. This move represents a significant shift in strategy, aiming to leverage the company's existing expertise in drilling and processing to establish itself in the growing market for battery metals.
The company has initiated efforts to extract lithium from underground brine sources in Arkansas, USA. They have secured rights to a substantial land area of 120,000 acres in the Smackover formation for this purpose.
Dan Amman, the head of Exxon's low-carbon solutions business, emphasized the importance of this project, stating that it aligns with the company's core skills, particularly in drilling deep wells into saltwater reservoirs, a process central to their new lithium venture.
This strategic pivot is driven by the increasing global demand for lithium, a critical component in lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles and energy storage systems. The International Energy Agency forecasts that lithium consumption could rise more than 40-fold from 2020 to 2040 due to the growing emphasis on energy transition.

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