After reading the IEEE incident report, I couldn’t resist…
The Most Vulnerable Man in the World
Data Proves Local Support for Bike Lane
A major political concern in campaigns for change is who is backing what side of the debate. Bike Nopa has posted survey results from the SF Planning Department on a recent proposal for Masonic — to remove parking and replace it with a bike lane — that supposedly shows locals were informed and supportive.
That’s a familiar-looking map to anyone who watched my RSA presentation last February on network attack source attribution using Smith’s 1860s Ghost-Map. It makes me wonder if anyone has calculated the distance to safe zones for non-vehicular travel for NOPA residents.
Despite 1400 notices sent by the city it appears only a handful of responses were recorded. Bike Nopa points out that those who did participate the most in meetings (86% in favor) were local rather than from advocacy groups or other neighborhoods.
It makes a lot of sense when you think about who would support bike and pedestrian improvements — people who are close enough to the area to bike or walk through it. Nonetheless, it’s an interesting use of data relative to safety studies.
Here’s the new design, reminiscent of urban plans common to Europe and Asia, which adds a buffer for pedestrians, many new trees and a raised bicycle lane:
Active Defense: “We are the Government; We are here to help.†Well, not so much
Over the last year I have been writing and speaking on hacking back in self-defense, and every time I poll an audience as to whether hacking back is legal I get a resounding NO!Â
Then I walk the group through a theory of self-defense in cyberspace and re-ask the question with a slightly different spin. At that moment most agree that based on the manner in which the scenario and theory were presented it does not sound illegal; a ray of hope suddenly appears in their eyes.Â
Is this a play on words? Am I mincing words and definitions with questions like “what is the definition of is?â€Â No, it is a real and workable theory; a new way of looking at the problem.
Let’s face it, if the government was going to and could help you they would. But like most companies they too are overwhelmed defending against a daily barrage of cyber-attacks. So, what‘s the answer? Continue to absorb escalating costs of operation caused by unrelenting hackers? Accept the loss of proprietary data, intellectual property or trade secrets and consequently millions of dollars and reputation? At what point should the good guys declare enough is enough?Â
We are currently in a “cyber-cold war†and the targets are anyone online with something to steal or disrupt. Three options exist:
- Continue with business as usual
- Do as some have and take matters into your own hands but try to stay below the radar and not get caught
- Or, plan an active defense similar to a military operation to defend your company and justify each and every decision made
At RSA Europe in London we will present a legal and workable framework for commercial companies to practice active defense.
Ithaka
by Constantine Cavafy
Ithaka is a poem about enjoying the journey as much as the destination, as recited in Greek and English: