Live from New Orleans
September 2, 2005
Someone give the folks a book deal. Some of the most interesting reporting coming out of New Orleans from a company that refused to evacuate.
What’s in the mail today?
August 13, 2005
Spam, viruses, malicious code, widows who want to give me their fortunes and corrupt Nigerian politicians. I should point out that it is only 8:00 in the morning! My techno-geek friend Eric installed a program called MailScanner for me last week and I couldn't give a higher endorsement. I received just under 1000 emails per day and MailScanner is doing a great job of keeping out the spam and viruses and letting me deal with the real email. He also installed MailWatch, so I have a real-time control panel I can use to keep track of statistics, train the spam filters and run reports to understand what sort of email I am receiving. Thanks Eric!
A New Type of Terror Cell
August 9, 2005
From the Always On Network "The thought of people being able to use cell phones on airplanes during flight is almost too horrible to contemplate. But I understand why the airlines are considering it: They’ve run out of new ways to make flying unpleasant. Long lines, inexplicable delays, lost baggage, no food, filthy airplanes, unhappy workers (is anyone else worried about planes being flown by despondent pilots who’ve had their pensions stolen from them?)—allowing people to use their cells phones is the only way for the airlines to freshen up the hell they’ve created for us" I couldn't agree more....
e-QAEDA | From Afghanistan to the Internet
August 7, 2005
The Washington Post is running a three part series on terrorist use of the Internet. I was interviewed for this story as were several of my colleagues. Not quite sure what I think of it yet, so I will reserve comment until the final two parts of the series are out. e-Qaeda (PART 1/3)
Off to Vegas
July 26, 2005
I am not officially speaking at either conference, but I will be attending DefCon and crashing a few parties at BlackHat. I look forward to touching base with a few old friends that I only see every year or two. If you are in Vegas already, call my cell. Number hasn't changed in 6 years, otherwise drop me an email.
Security as a Market Factor
July 25, 2005
The following story from the Washington Post attracted my attention. Full Story - "The head of a payment processing firm that was infiltrated by computer hackers, exposing as many as 40 million credit card holders to possible fraud, told Congress yesterday that his company is "facing imminent extinction" because of its disclosure of the breach and industry's reaction to it. "As a result of coming forward, we are being driven out of business," John M. Perry, chief executive of CardSystems Solutions Inc., told a House Financial Services Committee subcommittee considering data-protection legislation. He said that if his firm is forced to shut down, other financial companies will think twice about…
iDefense sells for $40,000,000.00
July 25, 2005
So, it is hard not to be bitter about this given the slimy acquisition of themselves a couple of years ago that led to my stock options going away. However, that was under the old management regime, so I've got to give the new CEO and current employee base kudos for the turn-around. I was the first Director of Intelligence Analysis at iDefense and this picture documents the first ever release of the iAlert product line. This is edition number one and it led to our first sale ($1m subscription). I won't put any names with the faces, but there are a few folks who will get a kick out of this picture and the fact that iAlert is still the iDefense flagship brand product.
London Terror Attacks
July 7, 2005
The London terror attacks have obviously been the focus of my day. All my analysis goes into the TRC for events like this. I am incredibly proud of the work our team has been doing. TRC London Attack Coverage
His name is Adam Curry
June 28, 2005
Three months ago, I wrote that I had stopped listening to radio and spent all my commute time listening to PodCasts. I'm happy to report that wasn't a fad and PodCasts have fundamentally changed my interaction with broadcast media. Gone are Elliot in the Morning, Howard Stern and the Don and Mike show. I am perfectly content (happier even) to listen to Leo Laporte and Adam Curry. PodCasting is also an amazing technological development to observe. One year ago, it didn't exist. Today, it is embraced by 10 million listeners and there are over 6000 folks providing content. It has progessed to the state that Apple released a version of iTunes today with extensive PodCast support. If…
Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.
June 15, 2005
It is no secret that I am a big fan of Steve Jobs. Therefore, it should be no surprise that I find his commencment address to Stanford to be very interesting. Originally from here. " I am honored to be with you today at your commencement from one of the finest universities in the world. I never graduated from college. Truth be told, this is the closest I've ever gotten to a college graduation. Today I want to tell you three stories from my life. That's it. No big deal. Just three stories."
Utilizing Terrorism Early Warning Groups to Meet the National Preparedness Goal
June 13, 2005
The Terrorism Early Warning Group concept fulfills the intelligence requirements outlined in Homeland Security Directive 8: Interim National Preparedness Goal. Existing and emerging TEWs can serve as a foundation for a national intelligence sharing and analysis network bringing critical information and capabilities to local jurisdictions. This paper articulates a vision for expanding the Terrorism Early Warning Group (TEW) network that meets the local and national requirements as specified in, Homeland Security Presidential Directive 8: Interim National Preparedness Goal (HSPD-8). This paper contains two core sections; the first of which demonstrates how the TEW concepts meet the requirements of HSPD-8 specifically, those associated with…
Dinner gala at the Dolmabahce Palace
June 10, 2005
A wonderful evening in Istanbul... To hold an event like this at the Palace, requires the approval of the Prime Minister. The tables and open bars were actually set up outside the palace entrance, in a secured courtyard. Lights were set up to set the mood and live Turkish music was performed throughout the evening. We dined on wonderful Turkish food and due to the hospitality of our hosts, our drink glasses were never empty. For more information on the Palace, you can visit this site.
The MacTel Future
June 7, 2005
Apple computers are moving to Intel processors. Not sure what I think about that yet. As a shareholder, I worry about the transition over the next year. Who wants to buy a Mac when you know a entire new processor base is coming....
Schwartau goes Mac!
May 31, 2005
Break out the ice skates, we're playing pond hockey in hell. My good friend and colleague Winn Schwartau has switched to Mac. This is the same Winn Schwartau that has been ribbing me for two years about my switch to Mac. The same Winn, who when presenting together at a conference would look at my Mac and say "I thought you were bringing a computer!". He finally got religion and is completely frustrated with WinTel and made the switch seamlessly. He'd like to claim that he came to the conclusion on his own, but we both know that it was a year of watching Betty operate effeciently on her Mac that brought him around. He is running a 50 part series on his switch called Mad as Hell. Good luck Winn....you…
Mirror Image on CNN
May 20, 2005
To learn more about Mirror Image Training, please [click here]. CNN ran a 7 minute segment on TRC's Mirror Image training program. Overall, I thought the piece was very well done, so congratulations to all involved and to the CNN crew for producing such a great piece from a week's worth of footage. I've posted the transcript below, but to do it justice, you really have to see it.