Honeypots

In the cyber world, a honeypot

consists of data (for example, in a network site) that appears to be a legitimate part of the site but is actually isolated and monitored, and that seems to contain information or a resource of value to attackers, which are then blocked.

Of course, nothing prevents nefarious persons or entities from using honeypots to draw in honest folks for nefarious purposes.  Purposes like the following.

The trove of leaked Democratic National Committee emails posted to Wikileaks on July 22 has sparked concerns about malware as users access the vast trove of documents.

On the day of the leak, Google’s Transparency Report warned users of dangerous downloads from Wikileaks.org. Google has not revealed specifically what was detected….

Expansion of Ukraine Occupation

The Russian-backed (with 9,000 of their own) rebels in Ukraine and Ukraine signed a cease fire agreement in September, including an agreement to withdraw their respective artillery units from that cease fire line.

Having done that,

a rebel rocket attack early Saturday morning (24 Jan) killed 29 people [at least 30 according to Reuters] in the port city of Mariupol[]

which Russia has been trying to seize for some months pursuant to their effort to open a land route to Russian-occupied Crimea. The day before,

Spinners Gotta Spin

Iraq’s Prime Minister offered this to Russian media a bit ago concerning ISIS’ blitz from Syria down through Tikrit to the doorstep of Baghdad:

If we had air cover we would have averted what had happened.

And it’s all the US’ fault, he says, for not “speeding up” delivery of some F-16s.

Never mind that ISIS, as badly outnumbered by the Iraqi “army” as shepherds and their dogs are by the sheep they herd, didn’t have any air cover, either.

YGTBSM, Again

Here’s this bit of news from Tech News Daily.

The Department of Defense (DoD) recently conducted an audit to evaluate how well the most powerful military force on Earth handled the security issues concerning personal mobile devices in conjunction with its professional duties.

The result: [failure]

DoD audited “use of iOS, Android, and Windows mobile devices among Army personnel and in Army facilities, where the devices joined on-site Wi-Fi networks.”  The audit found no requirement to:

  • secure storage for data on mobiles
  • insist on keeping devices free of malware
  • monitor mobiles while hooked up to computers or even

Cowed by Terrorism

Apparently, terrorism works in Europe.  With Bulgaria having officially determined that Hezbollah was behind the terrorist bombing of an Israeli tour bus in Burgas on the Bulgarian Black Sea last summer, we’re getting some…interesting…responses in the rest of Europe.  These responses center on European continued hesitancy to declare Hezbollah a terrorist organization, as other nations outside of Europe (and one and a half within the EU (the UK is only willing to designate, euphemistically, the “military arm” of Hezbollah a terrorist organization) have done.  We’re getting, for instance, things like the following.

Progressive Gun Control Agenda

Here are some of their thoughts.  A more complete listing of their proposals is at The Dailey Caller:

Reinstate and strengthen a prospective federal ban on assault weapons: These weapons are designed to fire a large number of rounds in a short period of time.  They constitute a lethal threat to law enforcement and other first responders.

This is…foolish.  There is no such thing as an “assault” weapon, other than a carefully manufactured-by-legislation definition.  Not even the military has “assault weapons.”

Gun Control

President Barack Obama said,

[I]f there is even one life that can be saved, then we’ve got an obligation to try.

Having the firearm and magazine of my choice in a successful defense of my family or myself will save at least one life.

By golly, Obama is right.

We’re Capable of So Much More

In a related article, I described how even Progressive Europe recognizes the retreat of the US from the global stage and from our responsibilities as a major power.  Yet we have the economic and resource capacity to do so much better, as Spiegel International Online notices.  Fracking provides an example of both our capacity and of our willful impotence.

The United States is sitting on massive natural gas and oil reserves that have the potential to shift the geopolitical balance in its favor.  Worries are increasing in Russia and the Arab states of waning influence and falling market prices.

Self Defense and the Police

The following is part of a larger beef between a sheriff and a mayor, and between a sheriff’s department and a state government, but the principle he espouses is a sound one, for all that.

In the aftermath of personnel cutbacks driven at least in part by recent changes in state law effected by Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker (R) and the Republican led state house, and against the backdrop of a personal animus felt toward him by the city of Milwaukee’s Mayor, Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke Jr has some advice for those he’s sworn to serve and protect.

Nominations

Here are three and their positions on various matters of some import.

Chuck Hagel, Secretary of Defense:  President Barack Obama has put him up to forward Obama’s defense policy of global retrenchment and defense cutbacks.

Hagel thinks it’s appropriate to negotiate with terrorists—Hamas, for instance—and he refused to join a US Senate letter to the EU calling on them to label Hamas a terrorist organization.

In a 2006 op-ed for The Washington Post, he called for a troop withdrawal in Iraq—right before the successful surge, which he also opposed when it came up.