Cyberwar: paper-tiger or real threat?

Marcus Ranum, renowned IT Security expert, has interesting views on Cyberwar.
It's a lot more nuanced and subtle than "One Big Attack".

Where I diverge: a Big Event is a great distraction for really 'interesting', subtle actions - and can be just as simple as the First Worm by Morris. Oooops, it wasn't meant to do that...

Things you should read or view:



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

NBN, stuxnet and Security: It's worse than you can believe

What  did US Intelligence tell the Australian Government about Real Network Security  when a chinese vendor was vetoed  as supplier of NBN (central?) switches? Now that we have O'bama admitting " we did Stuxnet, with a little help ", we know that they aren't just capable and active, but aware of higher level attacks and defences: you never admit to your highest-level capability. Yesterday I read two pieces that gave me pause: the first,  the US Navy replacing Windows with Linux for an armed drone was hopeful, the other should frighten anyone who understands Security: there's now a market in Zero-Day vulnerabilities . The things the new-world of the NBN has to protect us against just got a lot worse than you can imagine. Links in that article: Google's responsible disclosure  [and payments] “The Hackers Who Sell Spies The Tools To Crack Your PC (And Get Paid Six-Figure Fees) " “Shopping For Zero-Days: A Price List For Hackers’ Secret Software Exploits ...
Read more

Microsoft Troubles XVII: Vanity Fair on what "Felled a Tech Giant"

The mainstream media has released an major investigative report on Microsoft. The link is "a teaser", not the full article. Microsoft’s Downfall: Inside the Executive E-mails and Cannibalistic Culture That Felled a Tech Giant by Vanity Fair 12:00 AM, JULY 3 2012 Analyzing one of American corporate history’s greatest mysteries—the lost decade of Microsoft—two-time George Polk Award winner (and V.F.’s newest contributing editor) Kurt Eichenwald traces the “astonishingly foolish management decisions” at the company that “could serve as a business-school case study on the pitfalls of success.”  [italics added]  Relying on dozens of interviews and internal corporate records—including e-mails between executives at the company’s highest ranks—Eichenwald offers an unprecedented view of life inside Microsoft during the reign of its current chief executive, Steve Ballmer, in the August issue.   Today, a single Apple product—the iPhone—generates more revenue than all of Microso...
Read more

Force Multipliers - Tools as Physical and Cognitive Amplifiers

The industrial revolution was about using Tools as Physical Amplifiers. Prior to the steam engine, the oxen/bullock/horse/donkey/elephant was the dominat non-human power-source. Humans can work at about 125-250W continuously (1/8 to 1/4 of a kilowatt, or 1/6 to 1/3 Horsepower). Elite athletes can produce 500W or more for short periods. All biological systems have a short and medium term "duty-cycle" - our muscles get tired, non-linearly, and need short-term recovery and longer-term rest and recuperation. Sleep and recreation are about the nervous system/mind/brain. From chapters of Taylor's book Scientific Management here's proof you get more out of people by making them rest! He improved average output from 12 tons/day to 47 tons/day through careful (psychological) selection and enforcing rest periods. Counter-intuitive, but well-researched. For example, when pig iron is being handled (each pig weighing 92 pounds), a first-class workman can only be under load 43...
Read more