Bill Roth

Things I have no choice but to write

Who’s Hiring Silicon Valley: December 2024 version

Welcome to another edition of my “Who’s Hiring” series. I have written about this in the last in September 2023 and May.

As I have said before, looking for a job is a numbers game. It’s usually around 25 resume submissions to get 1 call back, and 3 callbacks to get a job. Your numbers may vary depending on the economic cycle, your industry and your age. (Ageism is real in Silicon Valley).1

When it comes to looking for a job, my algorithm is this:

  1. Use your contacts for jobs they know about. This is your best source.
  2. Look for companies who have just received funding from VCs. The first thing A and B round startups do once they have funding is hire people.
  3. Search the Web. This is the lowest yield approach. I have been trying to get a job at Adobe for 20 years with no luck.

Follow the Money

Here’s how it works. VCs go out and solicit commitments for money for funds from their investors. The VCs then invest in companies, who then hire people. Simple right?

So, as of December 2024, here is are some additional funds that I could find who have raised money and have job sites. My full list is here.

  1. Insight Partners
    • Fund Size: $20 billion (Insight Partners XII).
    • Focus: Growth-stage and late-stage technology companies.
    • Date Announced: 2021
    • Source: VentureBeat.
    • Jobs
  2. Lightspeed Venture Partners
    • Fund Size: $7.1 billion (across four funds).
    • Focus: Growth equity, early-stage investments.
    • Date Announced: July 2024.
    • Source: Crunchbase
    • Jobs
  1. I had a recruiter tell me in the last 2 weeks (of writing this) that I would have trouble getting a job at my age and that I should leave experiences off my resume, and remove years from my education. ↩︎

I never lose. I win, or I learn

This quote above from Nelson Mandela seems apt lately. Our campaign did not turn out how I would have liked, but some great things happened, and I learned a lot.

Great Things Happened

One of the best (and also worst) things that happen in a campaign is you find out who your real friends and supporters are. I’m proud of the folks who have endorsed and supported me. For endorsers, I am most proud to have had the support of David Cohen, someone I greatly respect, as well as Patrick Ahrens, who I know is going to make a great Assemblyperson. I am honored beyond belief to have the support of the NorCal Carpenters Union, and the laborer’s union, LiUNA local 270. I am equally proud of my other endorsers, including Chappie Jones, Carlos Rosario, and more.

I also learned who my friends and supporters are. I will forever be comforted by this photo of my campaign kickoff, all the way back in July. When I look at this photo, I know I have won. I am so proud of these people and honored to have them at my event.

Bill Roth Campaign Kickoff team photo
Campaign Kickoff, July 29th

Finally, I got to meet a lot of my neighbors, and it was a great experience. I come from the Catholic faith tradition, and Pope Francis talks about “encuentro”. This is encountering another person, but in a deep way. In Spanish, encuentro has a deeper meaning. Encuentro involves an openness to The Other in hopes of a true understanding of them.

I had many encuentros that I am grateful for. I am thinking of Susan in the TAPNA neighborhood, Leonard on Davis Street. Jean, who just got back from a devastated western North Carolina. John in Santa Clara who is dealing with health issues. And Katherine and Bear downtown, who had great questions about water, water policy, and politics. After talking with folks like these, I’m more hopeful about the future than have been in a long time. There are a lot of good, thoughtful people out there. We’re going to be ok.

I Learned A Lot

I did learn a lot in this process. As mentioned above, I learned who my friends and supporters are. I also learned how to crisply articulate my values, what my plans are, and how I will make my voters’ lives better.

I learned that endorsements matter. One key data point was that as we approached the election, there was a marked spike in traffic to the endorsement page. It looks like people do pay attention to this. Something to do better on next time.

I learned 1:1 in-person contact with voters is the most valuable interaction. It is the most joyous part of the job. I also learned that this is not scalable. You need people to help carry your message.

I learned that if you don’t have a database of contacts you can lean on, you are at a disadvantage. The voter file is not enough.

I learned I liked taking on problems that voters had. For instance, the folks in the TAPNA neighborhood have houses with basements that routinely flood, especially after wet years like the one we have last winter. I also enjoyed working with a voter, David, on getting a leak in an empty lot fixed. It look way to long to fix, but he got it done. I credit this approach to Forrest Williams, former city councilman, mentor, and raconteur of the highest order.

I also learned that folks have a lot of concerns about water. Mainly, they’d like lower water rates, and more efficient Water District. I hope the new board and my opponent pay attention to this.

I learned I can precinct walk in 103 degree heat. With the right clothing and enough water, you can do anything. Take that Climate Change!

I learned that digital marketing is not a panacea. I ran a multi-channel approach with search, display, video, and social ads. We focus on all kinds of segments including democrats, engineers, cybersecurity folks, and even Catholics. It was not enough.

I learned to get help from staff and volunteers early, and let go. They will do it differently than you will, but you need to let it go.

I learned that sometimes, the person who you are is not what the majority of the establishment or voters want. I learned that there were folks who would not vote for a 59-year-old, white guy, no matter how good his ideas were. And that I had to not take it personally and move on quickly to the next interaction.

Gratitude

First, I am thankful for Frances Herbert, who was my consultant during this process. I’m grateful for her steady hand, focus on data (especially from the Voter.Vote platform), and generally keeping me from doing dumb things. The fact that we did as well as we did is a testament to her work.

Second, I am grateful for the staff and volunteers, including James Deng, Joseph Fierro, Steve Samuel, Claudia Martinez, and GOAT Jenny Coupe. And to Dylan Lehmann who gave me some valuable training on how to do precinct walking in the early days. I am also grateful for Spanish translation help Monsé Rodriguez and Leslie Murillo. And also to folks like Jon Pedigo and Darren Seaton for his advice and counsel.

And a special thanks to my campaign coordinator/manager/sidekick Anthony Shing whose boundless energy challenged me and bouyed when I needed it.

Third, thank you to my family. To my passel of cousins/aunts/uncles/friends, you supported me early, and I am forever grateful. One of the best parts of running a campaign is that you see who is really “with” you. You were there for me, and I am grateful. I owe you.

To my daughters, thanks for keeping me human, and reminding me about balance. I remain so proud of you. I love you always and forever.

And finally, to Dara, who tolerated this mess, and sacrificed a lot. She raised me up during the tough times, and tried to bring me back to reality. Thank you for standing with me during this process. I could not have made it without you. Thank you for being a the supportive partner I needed.

In reality, running for office is something I always wanted to try. Thanks to all of you for helping make this happen.

La Lucha Sigue!

Where to Vote in Santa Clara Valley Water District 2

For those of you who have not voted yet, here is a list of vote center locations in Santa Clara Valley Water District 2. I recommend vote centers so your ballot will likely get delivered and counted earlier. And don’t forget to sign up for BallotTrax! If you have any questions, Contact Us!

4-DAY VOTE CENTER LOCATIONS (Full List)
OPEN NOVEMBER 2 – NOVEMBER 4, 2024 – FROM 9:00 AM TO 5:00 PM
ELECTION DAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2024 – FROM 7:00 AM TO 8:00 PM

LOCATIONADDRESSCITYLANGUAGE TARGETED*
Campbell Community Center – Room Q801 W Campbell AveCampbell, CA 95008C/S/T/V/H/K/P/R/U
Center for Employment Training – Banquet Room 701 Vine StSan Jose, CA 95110C/S/T/V/H
Santa Clara County Fairgrounds – Heritage Hall344 Tully RdSan Jose, CA 95111C/S/T/V/J/I
African American Community Service Agency – Multipurpose Room304 N 6th StSan Jose, CA 95112C/S/T/V/H/O/L/U
Franklin-McKinley School District – Boardroom645 Wool Creek DrSan Jose, CA 95112C/S/T/V/J/I
Italian American Heritage Foundation Cultural Center – IAHF Hall425 N 4th StSan Jose, CA 95112C/S/T/V/H
Joyce Ellington Branch Library – Community Room491 E Empire StSan Jose, CA 95112C/S/T/V/G/H/K/O/B/L/U
SJSU Provident Credit Union Event Center290 S 7th StSan Jose, CA 95112C/S/T/V/H/O/L/U
Capitol Park800 Peter Pan AveSan Jose, CA 95116C/S/T/V/K
Mexican Heritage Plaza – Classrooms 4 & 51700 Alum Rock AveSan Jose, CA 95116C/S/T/V/G/H/M/K/O/B/L/U
Olinder Community Center – Community Room848 E William StSan Jose, CA 95116C/S/T/V/G/H/O/B/L/U
Roosevelt Community Center – Dance Room901 E Santa Clara StSan Jose, CA 95116C/S/T/V/G/H/K/O/B/L/U
San Jose High School – Auxiliary Gym275 N 24th StSan Jose, CA 95116C/S/T/V/G/H/M/K/O/B/L/U
Taiwanese American Presbyterian Church – Gym Room3675 Payne AveSan Jose, CA 95117C/S/T/V/H/J/K/P/R/U
Italian Gardens Apartments – Community Room1524 Almaden RdSan Jose, CA 95125C/S/T/V
San Jose Scottish Rite Center – Library2455 Masonic DrSan Jose, CA 95125C/S/T/V/H/O/L
Willow Glen Community Center – Rooms 3 & 52175 Lincoln AveSan Jose, CA 95125C/S/T/V/H
San Jose Odd Fellows Community Center Hall – Fellowship Hall1035 Emory StSan Jose, CA 95126C/S/T/V/H/K/U
Alum Rock Youth Center – Community Room137 N White RdSan Jose, CA 95127C/S/T/V/H/K/O/B
Roberto Cruz Leadership Academy – Jaguar Den14281 Story RdSan Jose, CA 95127C/S/T/V/H/O/B
San Jose City College-Student Center – Community Room2100 Moorpark AveSan Jose, CA 95128C/S/T/V/H/K/P/R
Vista Center for the Blind & Visually Impaired – Auditorium101 N Bascom AveSan Jose, CA 95128C/S/T/V/H/K/P/R/U
Santa Clara University – Parlors B&C Room820 Alviso StSanta Clara, CA 95050C/S/T/V/H/K/U
Triton Museum of Art – Collection Hall1505 Warburton AveSanta Clara, CA 95050C/S/T/V/H/K/O/B/R/L/U
Valley Village Retirement Community – Building 18, Social Center390 N Winchester BlvdSanta Clara, CA 95050C/S/T/V/H/K/P/R/L/U
Muslim Community Association – Banquet Hall3003 Scott BlvdSanta Clara, CA 95054C/S/T/V/H/K/O/B/R/L/U
UCSC Silicon Valley Extension – Rooms 2110 & 21303175 Bowers AveSanta Clara, CA 95054C/S/T/V/H/K/R/U

Largest US Water Utility Hacked: American Water

(Full List of Water System Cybersecurity Stories | Cybersecurity and Valley Water)

It has happened again. Another water utility has been hacked. A number of sources (CNBC, CBS, CNN) have reported that the nation’s largest water utility, American Water has been hacked. American Water manages more than 500 water and wastewater systems in about 1,700 communities across at least 14 states, including California.

American Water has announced it is back online. Further, American Water says it has no indication that its water and wastewater facilities were impacted by this incident. It also says that water quality was not affected.

The attack was first reported in an 8K filing with the SEC on October 3rd. American Water appeared to recover by October 10th, according to a statement released by the company.

The attack appeared to cause network outages, rendering both American Water’s billing portal, MyWater, and its internal phone network inoperative, according to cyberSecurity publication Dark Reading.

This is by no means the first attack on a water system this year. As has been written about on this site, there have been attacks in Texas, Hawaii, Kansas, and Pennsylvania. Moreover, there have been new cybersecurity guidelines issued for water systems by DHS, and more security called for by the EPA.

Valley Water needs a Director who understands the nature of the cybersecurity threat. Bill Roth is that candidate who brings years of experience in both technology and cybersecurity, and can ask the right questions to ensure our water systems remain safe.

For more information, check out Fast Facts about Bill Roth.

Kansas Water Facility Suffers Ransomware Attack

The Threat Continues…

PC Magazine is reporting that a Kansas City Water utility has been the victim of a ransomware attack. The water treatment facility in Arkansas City, Kansas, came under attack and had to resort to “manual operations.”

Ransomware is a type of malicious software that encrypts a victim’s data, rendering it inaccessible. Cyber-criminals, often from Russia and North Korea, then demand a ransom, typically in cryptocurrency, to restore access. These attacks target individuals, businesses, and government agencies, often crippling operations. Victims face tough decisions: pay the ransom with no guarantee of data recovery or risk permanent data loss. Ransomware has become an increasingly common.

Why is this serious? Consider what would happen during a storm where Lexington Dam could not open its floodgates in time, causing the dam to be over-topped. This would cause serious damage to the dam and to the towns in the path of the flood, like Los Gatos, Campbell, and San José.

Topics related to cyber-security have only shown up in the agenda and minutes of Santa Clara Valley Water Board of Directors twice in the last 5 years. More needs to be done. The water agency for Silicon Valley needs a board member who understands the threat, and can advocate for the resources to deal with it.

Bill Roth is that candidate. For more information check out more articles on cybersecurity.

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What is Valley Water?

One of the questions we receive frequently in this campaign is “What is Valley Water?”. Simply put, Valley Water is Santa Clara County’s local integrated water services agency. This means that it has several specific roles involving water in our county as part of its core missions. For the most part, Valley Water is the “water wholesaler” in the county. This means that it manages the county’s water resources, and then sells that water to entities that sell that water to you, like San Jose Water and the City of Santa Clara.

The Water District is also known as the Santa Clara Valley Water District. It’s website is at http://valleywater.org/. There is a decent history of how Valley Water came to be on Wikipedia.

Santa Clara Valley Water District

Valley Water is unique among water agencies in that it has three principal goals: First, to supply water to the people of Santa Clara County; Second, to provide flood control for the county; Third, to protect and preserve the environment on land it owns. We’ll cover these in order.

Valley Water supplies water to over 2 million residents and 15 cities in Santa Clara County, managing a vast network of infrastructure including 10 dams, reservoirs, 3 treatment plants, and over 150 miles of pipelines. They have a stated commitment to sustainability which extends to diverse water sources, including recycled water, surface water, and groundwater extraction from local aquifers. For more information on where Valley Water gets its water, check out Where Does My Water Come From?.

Flood Protection

The Water District takes a proactive approach to flood prevention. They operate flood detention basins and maintain over 800 miles of waterways to protect communities from natural disasters. Their projects, like the Upper Guadalupe River Flood Protection project, aim to restore habitats while ensuring safety and flood resilience for businesses, homes, and schools. You can read more about the Stream Maintenance Program here.

Through watershed management and habitat restoration initiatives, Valley Water safeguards five major watersheds in Santa Clara County, preserving habitats for endangered species like the Red-legged Frog and Steelhead Trout. Its dedication to environmental protection ensures the longevity of our region’s ecosystems.

Addressing Challenges

There are a number of challenges facing water resource agencies in the western United States. These include avoiding over-extraction, adapting to climate change, and educating the community about its work and also about the incentives it can offer to improve conservation and water usage.

Over-Extraction Mitigation

Recognizing the challenges of over-extraction, we’re committed to managing groundwater sustainably to prevent land subsidence and ensure a reliable water supply for future generations. Our efforts include monitoring water levels, implementing conservation measures, and promoting responsible water use.

Climate Change Adaptation

In response to climate change impacts such as droughts and severe weather events, Valley Water has developed the Climate Change Action Plan (CCAP). This comprehensive strategy focuses on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, expanding renewable energy, and enhancing water supply and flood protection measures to build resilience in our community.

Community Engagement and Education

One major challenge is teaching residents of the county what the Valley Water does. Valley Water with the community through educational programs, virtual events, and school initiatives to promote water conservation, environmental stewardship, and public health. In addition, there are marketing programs to let residents know about the various rebates that exist for things like landscape conversion, conservation, and rainwater capture.

In summary, Valley Water is Santa Clara County’s $900 Million/year1 integrated water service agency. As a public agency seprate from the County of Santa Clara, it has a three-part mandate of ensuring water supply, flood protection, and environmental stewardship of creeks and watersheds. It is the “water wholesaler” for the county, which means it manages the counties public water related resources, and sells water to retailers, like San Jose Water, who in turn, sell it to you, the consumer.

I am running for a seat on the Board of Directors for Valley Water to make sure we keep water rates as low as possible, and to deliver safe and clean water to Santa Clara County for generations to come. For more information about my campaign, sign up for our newsletter below.

  1. In revenue terms. ↩︎

Securing Our Water Future: Protecting Critical Infrastructure from Cyber Threats

The Department of Homeland Security released a tool for Cyber Vulnerability Scanning for Water Utilities. It is this type of information that Valley Water needs to be aware of. Moreover, the board needs to make sure that staff is protecting our critical infrastructure from any type of malicious attack.

It is essential that Valley Water takes cybersecurity seriously because their systems are responsible for managing the supply and treatment of all water in and out of Santa Clara Valley, including but not limited to: drinking, sanitation, agriculture, and industrial processes. A cyberattack on these systems could lead to contamination, disruption of service, or manipulation of data, potentially causing widespread harm to communities and the environment.

Ensuring robust cybersecurity measures protects against threats that could compromise water quality, availability, and the infrastructure’s integrity, thereby safeguarding public health and maintaining trust in these critical services.

An often overlooked aspect of water supply is the role it plays in our economy. Did you know that the average semiconductor uses over 2200 gallons of water per chip during manufacturing? If water rates go up, so does the price of technology of all kinds. The cost of water affects all aspects of our lives. It affects not only the food we eat but all the technology we use in our daily lives.

Valley Water needs a board member who not only fights to keep rates as low as possible but someone like Bill Roth who can bring critical new skills to a board of directors that is badly in need of rejuvenation.

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Leak Detection with Flume: Digital Water Meters

There are several ways to lower your water bill. One is conservation, or simply using less water. Another way to lower your water bill is to make sure the cost of the water is low, so the user’s bill remains low. (More on that in a future post). But one topic almost rarely gets covered. Leaks.

Most of the meters in Santa Clara County are old-school mechanical meters. However, it seems San Jose Water has approval to update our meters to newer, digital ones. I can find no information on the wider rollout of newer meters. If you know anything about this, please comment below.

A couple of years back, my water bill was kept going up, and I could not figure out why. At the time I was mostly living alone, as this was during the pandemic. My daughters were in college or away working. I could not find any obvious leaks. Like the good nerd that I am, I looked to technology for answers. I found Flume.

For the record: this is not a product review. I’m merely relaying my experience with one of the commercial products. It worked for me, but your mileage may vary.

About Flume

Flume is a box you attach to your water meter, a wireless bridge, and an app on your phone. I have had mine for about 2 years. The installation is very simple. You strap the box to your water meter at the street level, and connect it to the gateway. The gateway is a box I have sitting on my window sill, and it bridges between the device and my wifi network. Finally, You use the app to connect your gateway to your home’s Wi-Fi.

Science Fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke once said, “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” Flume is like this. When you install the box, you strap it to your mechanical water meter. Somehow it figures out how your water is flowing through a meter just by being strapped to it. It’s magic. It seems to accurate +/- 5%. However, the measurement of water used indoor vs. outdoor is not accurate, since I don’t use water outdoors generally.

Flume Screenshot

My Experience with Flume

I let it run for a day, and it told me it was likely a leak from a toilet. And it was correct. I isolated the toilet that was leaking and called my friend Mike The Plumber. Mike fixed it quickly. My water usage dropped by half the next month.

Flume also has decent analytics. It will allow you to graph water use by the minute(!), hour, day, week and month. If you like line and bar graphs, you’ll love this app. The notifications are great too. The flume app will tell you on days when you are using more than the normal amount of water. It will also email you as well. You get to choose. I find this super helpful.

In summary, if you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it. This is something I live by in my personal and professional life. Flume helps me with managing my water usage. It also helps me lower my water bills as well. In my view, this only strengthens the need for smart water meters. It is also a great conservation tool. If you have questions, contact me here.

If you’d like to keep up to date on my campaign, subscribe below.

Clean Water Lab Almost Done!

Friends: Here’s an update on the water lab, which I have written about here, and here. As you know, I have been working on raising money for clean water in Nicaragua for a while. I got an email from Brian, down in Nicaragua, that the water lab is 99% done! See the photos below. This is all part of the Water for Chinandega project, which aims to deliver clean water to an entire region in Nicaragua. This is great news for a great project. As always, if you have questions, please contact me.

I have written about it here, and here. I just heard from Brian in Chinandega that the lab is almost 99% done! I have attached some pictures that he took TODAY! One more step to being able to scale our efforts to provide Water for Chinandega!

What is the Santa Clara Valley Water District?

One of the questions we receive frequently in this campaign is “What is the Santa Clara Valley Water District?”. Simply put, Santa Clara Valley Water District is Santa Clara County’s local integrated water services agency. This means that it has several specific roles involving water in our county as part of its core missions. For the most part, Santa Clara Valley Water District is the “water wholesaler” in the county. This means that it manages the county’s water resources, and then sells that water to entities that sell that water to you, like San Jose Water and the City of Santa Clara.

The Water District is more commonly known as Valley Water. It’s website is at http://valleywater.org/. There is a decent history of how Valley Water came to be on Wikipedia.

Santa Clara Valley Water District

The Water District is unique among water agencies in that it has three principal goals: First, to supply water to the people of Santa Clara County; Second, to provide flood control for the county; Third, to protect and preserve the environment on land it owns. We’ll cover these in order.

Santa Clara Valley Water District supplies water to over 2 million residents and 15 cities in Santa Clara County, managing a vast network of infrastructure including 10 dams, reservoirs, 3 treatment plants, and over 150 miles of pipelines. They have a stated commitment to sustainability which extends to diverse water sources, including recycled water, surface water, and groundwater extraction from local aquifers. For more information on where Santa Clara Valley Water District gets its water, check out Where Does My Water Come From?.

Flood Protection

The Water District takes a proactive approach to flood prevention. They operate flood detention basins and maintain over 800 miles of waterways to protect communities from natural disasters. Their projects, like the Upper Guadalupe River Flood Protection project, aim to restore habitats while ensuring safety and flood resilience for businesses, homes, and schools. You can read more about the Stream Maintenance Program here.

Through watershed management and habitat restoration initiatives, Valley Water safeguards five major watersheds in Santa Clara County, preserving habitats for endangered species like the Red-legged Frog and Steelhead Trout. Its dedication to environmental protection ensures the longevity of our region’s ecosystems.

Addressing Challenges

There are a number of challenges facing water resource agencies in the western United States. These include avoiding over-extraction, adapting to climate change, and educating the community about its work and also about the incentives it can offer to improve conservation and water usage.

Over-Extraction Mitigation

Recognizing the challenges of over-extraction, we’re committed to managing groundwater sustainably to prevent land subsidence and ensure a reliable water supply for future generations. Our efforts include monitoring water levels, implementing conservation measures, and promoting responsible water use.

Climate Change Adaptation

In response to climate change impacts such as droughts and severe weather events, the District has developed the Climate Change Action Plan (CCAP). This comprehensive strategy focuses on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, expanding renewable energy, and enhancing water supply and flood protection measures to build resilience in our community.

Community Engagement and Education

One major challenge is teaching residents of the county what the Water District does. The District engages with the community through educational programs, virtual events, and school initiatives to promote water conservation, environmental stewardship, and public health. In addition, there are marketing programs to let residents know about the various rebates that exist for things like landscape conversion, conservation, and rainwater capture.

In summary, the Santa Clara Valley Water District is Santa Clara County’s $1.4 Billion/year1 integrated water service agency. As a public agency seprate from the County of Santa Clara, it has a three-part mandate of ensuring water supply, flood protection, and environmental stewardship of creeks and watersheds. It is the “water wholesaler” for the county, which means it manages the counties public water related resources, and sells water to retailers, like San Jose Water, who in turn, sell it to you, the consumer.

I am running for a seat on the Board of Directors for the Santa Clara Valley Water District to make sure we keep water rates as low as possible, and to deliver safe and clean water to Santa Clara County for generations to come. For more information about my campaign, sign up for our newsletter below.

  1. in revenue terms, based on the proposed budget for 2025. ↩︎

Places to look for Silicon Valley Jobs: May ’24 update

This is a list of sites with folks that are hiring these days. If you have questions, DM me on twitter/X at @wgroth2.

New: General Catalyst: They just raised a $6B fund: https://jobs.generalcatalyst.com/companies

New: AndreessenHorowitz: New $7.2B fund: https://jobs.a16z.com/jobs

http://sequoiacap.com/jobs (Great job portfolio site)

https://jobs.forgepointcap.com/jobs (VC portfolio, cyber and natsec related)

List of big deals(Companies hire after getting funded): https://news.crunchbase.com/biggest-us-vc-startup-funding-deals-2023

In-Q-Tel: https://careers-iqt.icims.com/jobs/search (CIA funded.)

http://stillhiring.today/ A google related list (May be a zombie site)

This is an updated version of this post.

(Update: My full list of collected job sites is here.)

The Threat is Real: Another Water Hack

The threat is real. Small Texas towns have had their water system hacked by a Russian Hacking group. You can find a cluster of news stories here.

In short, a series of cyberattacks targeted small towns in rural Texas, with one incident causing the water system to overflow. The attacks, attributed to a Russian hacktivist group called CyberArmyofRussia_Reborn, aimed at public utilities, raising concerns about the vulnerability of U.S. water systems. I have written about this previously related to hacks in Pennsylvania, and Hawaii.

In Hale Center and Muleshoe, attempts to breach the water systems were thwarted by manual intervention after the cities detected suspicious activity. Similar attacks in Lockney were also prevented. While the incidents didn’t pose immediate dangers, they underscored the need for improved cybersecurity measures in critical infrastructure. The FBI and Department of Homeland Security were notified but declined to comment on ongoing investigations. Both the FBI and DHS issued a warning about potential attacks in March.

Previous attacks on U.S. water facilities, including those attributed to Iranian state groups, prompted calls for stronger cybersecurity measures from government officials. The Environmental Protection Agency urged governors to assess cybersecurity risks and plan for potential cyberattacks on water supplies.

Valley Water needs to have a comprehensive cybersecurity policy. Moreover, it needs someone on the board of directors who understands the issues and the seriousness of the threat. Bill Roth is the candidate the board needs.

CNN: Officials Warn of Cyberattacks on Water

(Updated March 24)

CNN reported on March 19th about Biden administration officials highlighting concerns over cyberattacks targeting our nation’s critical water infrastructure. As I’ve discussed previously, reflecting on incidents in Hawaii and Pennsylvania, the threat to our water systems is both real and escalating.

The White House and EPA are now urging governors to bolster cybersecurity measures for water and wastewater systems. This comes amid revelations that many facilities lack fundamental protections against cyber threats, with recent breaches by state-sponsored hackers underscoring the urgency.

In response, a task force has been initiated to pinpoint and address vulnerabilities. However, despite these efforts, challenges remain, particularly with the implementation of regulatory protections.

The Santa Clara Valley Water District deserves a board member who not only recognizes the gravity of these cyber threats but is also prepared to take decisive action. I am confident in my ability to contribute effectively to our Board of Directors, ensuring our community’s water security against these evolving cyber risks. Do you have cybersecurity questions, comments or concerns? Contact me here.

Update 1: March 24th

Newsweek also has a story on this announcement as well. Newsweek covers Iranian cyberattacks in more detail then CNN, and does not mention China. It also mentions the Aliquippa cyberattack, but makes no mention of the recent attach in Hawaii.

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