SDFM The Business of Defense
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Wal-Mart cell phone plan revisited, removing blog entries from search engines, Skype privacy and security, disabling laptop touchpad, configuring wireless routers, Profiles in IT (Ivan Edward Sutherland, father of computer graphics), undersea fiber optic cable cut (severe service disruption in Africa, three arrested), massive denial of service attack (targeting Spamhous, used DNS amplification to create disruption), Instamatic 50 years old (revolutionary camera, over 50 million sold), Bitcoin reaches $1B valuation (first peer-to-peer Internet currency, not tied to any country, fiscal instability is driving up valuation), ACLU challenges cell phone tracking using Stingray surveillance system, and FBI seeks realtime Internet monitoring (chat, VoIP, cloud storage, opposed by privacy advocates).
February 05, 2013 -
Wal-Mart Straight Talk cell phone plan, removing CyberCob malware, TreeSize to analyze disk usage, Apple vs Google maps in Dublin, Profiles in IT (Stephen Wolfram, creator of Mathematica software application), first domain name registered 28 years ago (March 15, 1985, symbolics.com), thunder and lightning (rainstorms vs snowstorms), Senate votes to include Internet sales taxes in budget (a bad day for online purchasing), Mac trojan in the wild (Trojan.Yontoo.1, requires user to download installer), Apple patches iForgot Password Reset (accounts could be hijacked with only AppleID and birthday, users advised to activate two-step verification), Andy Rubin no longer leading Android (Andoid will be under Chrome developer, Google vows to keep them separate for now), Google self-driving car (64-beam laser rangefinder, four radar units, camera, GPS, inertial measurement, wheel sensors, onboard computers, US$100K worth of equipment, better than human on open road, limitations to full deployment).
February 05, 2013 -
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SPAM revisited, removing the FBI malware, hiding applications on iPhone, Google cloud printing, Profiles in IT (Gil Shwed, co- founder and CEO of Check Point Software), wireless pan and tilt cams (Front Point Security Wireless Cam, Foscam Wireless Cam, both afordable and effective solutions), headphones for travelling (Bose Quiet Comfort 15, RHA SA950i), global tech labor market disruptions (caused by Internet and cost effective shipping), Estonian charged with cyber crime(hijacked millions of computers), Blackberry is doomed (the enterprise has moved to iPhone and Android), and Google opens data center in Ireland (cold climate, 50% reduction in cooling, great tax structure).
February 05, 2013 -
The Associated Press is reporting, South Korean and U.S. troops began naval drills Monday in a show of force partly directed at North Korea amid signs that Pyongyang will soon follow through on a threat to conduct its third atomic test. The region has also seen a boost in diplomatic activity since last month, when North Korea announced it would conduct a nuclear test to protest U.N. Security Council sanctions toughened after a satellite launch in December that the U.S. and others say was a disguised test of banned missile technology.
February 05, 2013 -
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Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta has decided against moving the U.S. military's headquarters overseeing Africa from Germany to the United States, concluding the benefits of staying in Europe closer to African hot spots - are worth the extra cost, officials say. Reuters is reporting, the Pentagon notified Congress of its decision this week. Some lawmakers had been pushing for Africa Command to move stateside, with South Carolina and Georgia promoted as possible locations.
February 04, 2013 -
Senator Chuck Hagel on himself. "No one individual vote, no one individual quote, no one individual statement defines me." He made the statement during a day of tough questions in his quest to be the next Secretary of Defense. He was challenged over his past statements on Israel, Iran, Iraq and nuclear weapons. Sen. Lindsey Graham was harshly critical of Hagel for failing to sign letters in past years designating Hezbollah a terrorist organization and backing Israel.
February 01, 2013 -
Mr. McAleenan is responsible for overseeing CBP's antiterrorism, immigration, anti- smuggling, trade compliance, and agriculture protection operations at 20 major field offices. Kevin McAleenan Acting Assistant Commissioner U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations (OFO)
January 31, 2013 -
The top commander of U.S.-led forces in Afghanistan believes government security forces have improved faster than expected and will be ready to take the lead in the 11-year- old war against the Taliban when foreign combat forces take a back seat this spring. Marine Gen. John Allen told The Associated Press that the main job over the next two years for the International Assistance Force - as the NATO-led troops in Afghanistan are called - will be to advise, train and build the capabilities needed for Afghan forces to go it completely alone.
January 31, 2013 -
This week on AFGE's "Inside Government" AFGE Defense Conference Chair Don Hale discusses the possibility of furloughs for civilian DoD workers if sequestration occurs. Alliance for American Manufacturing President Scott Paul addresses China's impact on U.S. manufacturing while Robyn Kehoe of the Federal Employee Education and Assistance Fund details FEEA's work with AFGE to aid Superstorm Sandy victims. AFGE Council of Prison Locals President Dale Deshotel also appears.
January 30, 2013 -
The U.S. and Niger in recent days signed a "status of forces agreement" spelling out legal protections and obligations of U.S. forces that might operate in Niger in the future. According to the Associated Press Pentagon spokesman George Little acknowledged the agreement, but declined Tuesday to discuss U.S. plans for a military presence in Niger. "They expressed a willingness to engage more closely with us, and we are happy to engage with them," Little said, adding that the legal agreement was months in the making and is unrelated to the recent fighting in Mali.
January 30, 2013 -
The Pentagon says that Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has told France the United States will aid the French military with aerial refueling missions. U.S. aerial refueling planes would be a boost to air support for French ground forces as they enter vast areas of northern Mali, which is the size of Texas, that are controlled by al-Qaida-linked extremists.
January 29, 2013 -
Some of the 46,000 temporary and contract workers at the Pentagon are being laid off says, Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton Carter. According to Reuters, he says they're also delaying maintenance on aircraft and ships to slow spending due to fears about budget cuts. The Pentagon also plans to formally notify Congress in the next few weeks that it will furlough most of its 800,000 full-time civilian employees, if further budget cuts take place on March 1.
January 28, 2013