Richard A. Clarke, Interviewed
FastCompany contributing editor Alex Pasternack has written-up a superb interview piece with the highly respected Richard A. Clarke, detailing his warnings of significant attack modalities that we all face as a nation, today, and the extreme danger unfolding around us. Today's Must Read!
"FC: The ransomware attacks seem like an interesting case study in how to respond, because some people are paying ransoms and some aren’t, and at great cost. RC: I think what’s interesting to me about ransomware is it’s picking off the low-hanging fruit. You know there’s that old joke that you don’t have to outrun the bear, you just have to, if there are three or four of you running, you just to run faster than the other guy. Well, that’s kind of the case with ransomware. Ransomware is picking off the slow runners. Ransomware is picking off the people who are spending 3 to 4% of their IT budget on security." - FastCompany contributing editor Alex Pasternack's superb interview of Richard A. Clarke
PRC PLA Navy Targeting Undersea Communications Cables?
Opinion piece of merit, via James Stavridis, ADM USN (RET) and former Supreme Commander of NATO; in which, the good Admiral details behaviors, focus and actions of the PRC's People's Liberation Army Navy in relation to the world's undersea communications systems. An eye opener of immense potential downside. Today's Must Read.
The Geomagnetic Jerk
Superb explanatory post - via Julien Aubert from l’Institut de physique du globe de Paris (CNRS/IPGP/IGN/Université de Paris), and writing at CNRS - focusing on the phenom of geomagnetic jerks. Today's Must Read.
FCC To Auction Wireless Spectrum That Will Interfere With Weather Data Collection
What kind of idiot would do this damage to the data collection of meteorological data, just to make a buck? Ajit Varadaraj Pai, that's who... The first (that I can recall) Federal Communications Commission Chairman that's for sale to the highest bidder.
Medieval Diseases Find New Vector In United States: The Homeless
via Anna Gorman writing at The Atlantic (along with Kaiser Health News) are sounding the klaxxon horns in warning of an astonishing fact in the United States: The influx of infectious diseases in the homeless populations of several states. This my friends, is a true and deadly emergency.
And then, there's this...
NYPD Seeking Capability To Disable (Shoot Down) Drones
via Joseph De Avila, writing at The Wall Street Journal, details the particular needs of the New York City Police Department (NYPD), (very well known as New York City's Finest, which, of course, they are). In the context of this particular case, they are on to something quite important, indeed.
"Congress passed a law in 2018 authorizing federal law-enforcement officials to disable a drone, including shooting it down. But it would take additional federal legislation to give local law-enforcement agencies like the NYPD the same right." - via Joseph De Avila, writing at The Wall Street Journal
US DoD Launches New AI Based Fire-Fighting Project In California
via Doug Cameron, reporting for The Wall Street Journal, comes a well-crafted artificial intelligence screed(paywall) that just might have a truly positive impact. Targeting wildfires in Califormia, the DoD will swing it's massive research and development apparatus targeting the devastation left by these fires. Now, if the Department can just develop software looking for incompetent utility companies that are the cause of fires like the 'Campfire'(paywall) wildfire (the deadliest fire in the State of Californias' history)...
BSides Tampa 2019, Brian Etchieson's 'Beyond Lockpicking' →
Researchers Discover Hardcoded Passwords In Physical Access Controls
via Greg Otto, Editor-in-Chief at CyberScoop, comes news of what many security researchers, analysts, engineers, developers and architects have feared (and in some cases obviously have known) for a considerable time: Hardcoded User IDs and Passwords in code running a range of building access controls exists to the detriment of all. Here's the Tenable post and a Medium post providing explanatory content on this troubling find... (Tenable security researchers are the discoverers of the incredible security incompetence of the manufacturer under scrutiny [I'll wager many other manufacturers are guilty of this practice, as well]).
The Chicago Five: Heroes All →
University of Washington Develops Cellphone Sonar App To Detect Opioid Overdose
via Sarah McQuate, writing at the University of Washington's UW News, comes a story that may change the downward spiral of opiate addicts for the better...
"Researchers at the University of Washington have developed a cellphone app, called Second Chance, that uses sonar to monitor someone’s breathing rate and sense when an opioid overdose has occurred." - via Sarah McQuate, writing at the University of Washington's UW News
Poaching The Poachers, Prayers for the Pachyderms
Certainly perfect, morally affirmative, and best use case for night vision known: The capture, detainment, trial and subsequent incarceration of truly evil homo sapiens preying on the Earth's beloved Elephants.
Roger G. Johnston, Ph.D. and The Journal of Physcial Security
The Journal of Physical Security (JPS) has just released it's latest edition (August 11(1). JPS (ISSN 2157-8443) is hosted over at Right Brain Sekurity, LLC, and the editor is Roger G. Johnston, Ph.D., CPP. If you are into Security in any form, this Journal should draw your immediate interest. Free for the asking (just download it), I cannot stress how important the information contained therein can be to Information, Cyber and Physical Security Professionals.