The Israeli Method

This article was written by Uri and comes from his perspective as a now US citizen who works as an information security consultant. I’ve been very interested in the Israeli model after their procedures for handling airport security have started to become implemented at Boston Logan International Airport. Please join me in welcoming Uri back with his perspective on these recent events.

Can We Apply Israeli Principles and Proactively Protect our Loved Ones?

Sandy Hook

Thoughts on the Sandy Hook Tragedy from a Cop, Father and Husband of a Teacher

Hotel room security

Using an Arduino microcontroller and a few other components, almost anyone can build a device small enough to fit inside of a dry erase marker. This can then be used to unlock most hotel doors, including the dead bolt, in no time at all.

Video

from ITS Tactical

Smoke Detector Safety

The National Fire Protection Association states that nearly two thirds of home fire-related deaths occurred in homes that were either without smoke alarms or had non-functioning units.

While ensuring your smoke detectors are in working order is of the utmost importance, can the type of smoke detector you have actually alert you sooner than others to an impending fire?

ITS Tactical

Kill the Password

Why a String of Characters Can't Protect Us Anymore: You have a secret that can ruin your life. It's not a well-kept secret, either. Just a simple string of characters maybe six of them if you're careless, 16 if you're cautious that can reveal everything about you.

Strong Passwords Can't Save Us

The New York Times Is Wrong: Strong Passwords Can't Save Us: On Nov. 7, The New York Times ran a story called "How to Devise Passwords That Drive Hackers Away." Written by Silicon Valley correspondent Nicole Perlroth, the piece reigned over the paper?s Most Emailed List for a full week, and for a good reason: It's properly freaked out about just how vulnerable we all are ...

Personal Internet Security

The threat is real. Protect yourself.
See this personal account of an "Epic Hacking". And then follow this advice.

Emergency Get Home Bag

If you are stranded on a deserted island after a 3-hour-tour-gone-wrong, this bag probably won't help. But if your adventures are less 1960's sitcomy it might be a good idea.

The Future (of cyber crime) is Now

It's not just your personal data that needs protecting, now your ideas are vulnerable too. Why steal a bank account number or diamonds from a jewelry store when you can steal a Billion dollar idea?

Kickstarter Data Breach Publishes 70,000 Startup Ideas

Browse Wisely

This is you browsing the internet

Here is a solid article from the NY Times about maintaining some level of privacy when using the internet.  It covers tools and methods

The bottom line:

"Companies like Google are creating these enormous databases using your personal information,” said Paul Hill, senior consultant withSystemExperts, a network security company in Sudbury, Mass. “They may have the best of intentions now, but who knows what they will look like 20 years from now, and by then it will be too late to take it all back.”

“I have nothing to hide, but I’m uncomfortable with what we give away" 

Slideshow: Travel Security

Threatpost:

How to avoid getting hacked while traveling

Your mobile device may be compromised before you even deplane 

Takos and Terrorists

Book review: Learning from the Octopus [how to fight terrorists]

Federal Decryption

The story about a federal court that ordered a suspect's laptop decrypted didn't make much noise outside the tech blogs but this latest development is post worthy.

The argument is now moot, as authorities have managed to access the laptop's data without any aid from the defendant, thereby obviating any Constitutional conundrums. 

Browser-generated passwords?

Google is working on a Chrome browser that picks your passwords for you.

TBD: Google is Watching You

From TBD

Personal digital security for travelers

randomwire.com

Your personal, business, and national data is always at risk but when you travel internationally (China) the threat is immediate. Discover Magazine has a good post on the subject with links (NYTimes)

The risk of selling your electronics

Used Scanner Found with Thousands of Stored Check Images

A Narco-Criminal-insurgency primer

Small Wars Journal has been covering this topic for a while and here is a good roll-up. 
This post is focused on one document that I found particularly useful, Criminal Insurgencies in Mexico and the Americas, by Dr. Robert J. Bunker. It is a report to the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere about the current threat in the Americas. It is a useful primer for understanding the current issues and arguments associated with narco-organizations.


The author summarizes the threat categories and the government policies to counter them. His central argument is that the countering efforts are not coordinated and the strategic situation has worsened over the last 30 years. In response, he recommends the Merida Initiative be replaced by a "more encompassing Western Hemispheric Strategy".

I don't agree with his claim that drug cartels and narco-gangs are the "#1 strategic threat to the United States", but next to global malign-Iranian influence, I do think they will pose the most  significant asymmetric problem for US forces in the future. At a minimum AWG should stay connected to the community of interest associated with this threat and maintain currency.


If the US military is asked to play a larger role in the countering effort (probable considering the expansion of the problem set, the militarization of the criminal organizations, the proximity to the homeland, and the political implications) AWG will likely be asked to support.

How to: choose a survival knife

 here is a smart post from The Art of Manliness blog.

Safest way to pay online: credit card

according to the NY Times via lifehacker.com "None of the methods are perfect, but credit cards are generally your safest bet."