Selil Blog

A quick point to define some ideas looking at Web 2.0 and the possibility that somebody could win an election based on a complete Web 2.0 effort. Hat tip to HOTS for bringing up the topic. My opinion is that the answer is no. Basically the population make up of America with the baby-boomer generation results in a large amount of the voting public unable, unwilling to use technology as a method for determining a viable candidate. Also, the best bang for the buck for candidates is shaking somebody’s hand.  [Read more →]

The following is a partial bibliography of topics related to computer or cyber forensics. 

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Some of the cases we discussed tonight can be found at the following links.

Steve Jackson Games (Wikipedia)

Kumho Tire Decision (about expert testimony)

Daubert Decision (current expert testimony expectation)

For some stories on forensics you can search on forensics, or click the daily news link and about every other story is about forensics. I quit posting these as nobody seemed to be interested. I have a bibliography I will be posting separately that has many articles that you can peruse. You might like to notice that in the blog roll (that list of sites on the left of the screen) there is several great resources for cyber forensics.

Where in the hierarchy of information operations does cyber warfare belong? What is the definition of information warfare, information operations, and such? In my research into cyber warfare I have found a variety of definitions and almost all of them under the heading of information operations. This suggests that cyber warfare, psychological operations, public affairs, and such are subsets of information operations. Cyber warfare often is referred to as computer network attack or similar, but that is much to limiting to what cyber warfare actually entails. Information operations usually is considered part of the physical, cognitive, and data realms with each of the sub-categories have elements of the three realms. 

We have some possibilities for our working definition of information operations when trying to figure out where cyber warfare belongs. Option “A” is that information operation is the primary container for all things that are related to information. Within this concept all information is part of information operations that seem to make sense, but could cause some issues [Read more →]

Welcome students to the fall semester. You will find all of this information on the WebCT course. If you do not have your new career account login get to CTIS and get it quick.

This class looks at several aspects of high performance systems and distributed systems.

The text book for this class:

Taenbaum, Andrew & Van Steen, Maarten “Distributed Systems Principles and Paradigms, Second Edition”, 2007, ISBN 0132392275

For this class you are going to have a semester project and presentation on that project. The class is primarily lecture and hybrid so half of your work is distance learning/virtual.  The semester project though will be a thread throughout the semester and we will define that project in the first week . There are threaded discussions. There is a personal semester paper and a pre-paper process. There are three exams including a comprehensive final exam.  The first two exams are open note, open book, and take at home. We will do a review on those weeks in the class session after covering that weeks chapter. [Read more →]

Welcome students to the fall semester. You will find all of this information on the WebCT course. If you do not have your new career account login get to CTIS and get it quick.

The text for this class is:

Nelson, Bill; Phillips, Ameilat & et.al. “Guide to computer forensics and investigation”, Third Edition, Thomson Course Technology, ISBN 10: 1-4180-6733-4

There is also a requirement that you have or purchase at least a 100GB external hard drive, and a 1GB or larger thumb drive. From day 1 you should have these as you will be working with a lot of different things that could be harmful to your machine. [Read more →]

Welcome students to the fall semester. You will find all of this information on the WebCT course site too. If you do not have your new career account login get to CTIS and get it quick. All of the articles for each weeks readings will be found there. This semester you will have between 4 and 11 readings per week. Each week a student will be required to present the topic and there will be a moderated discussion by me after words. We will be assigning readings the first night of classes and yes I will be leading the first nights discussion. [Read more →]

Long over due this excellently written blog is added for the substantive analysis and original content. I keep sending links out to professional sailors and navy types and I realized they weren’t on my blogroll and that was remedied tonight. 

Examples: 

Russia’s Divide and Conquer Strategy an excellent analysis of the Georgian conflict

The coverage of the DDG-1000 is first rate

There are constantly flowing first rate articles. Sorry it took me so long to add them. 

Welcome Information Dissemination

The changes of media and communication theory inherent in the adoption of new technologies is not without some risk. Whether considering the technologically disenfranchised or the possible empowered individual technology has it’s impacts. Perlmutter quickly lays out a case for the differing aspects of blogging and considers the differing aspects of how blogging impacts society.
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Reported today at NextGov.Com

The Air Force on Monday suspended all efforts related to development of a program to become the dominant service in cyberspace, according to knowledgeable sources. Top Air Force officials put a halt to all activities related to the establishment of the Cyber Command, a provisional unit that is currently part of the 8th Air Force at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana, sources told Nextgov.

An internal Air Force e-mail obtained by Nextgov said, “Transfers of manpower and resources, including activation and reassignment of units, shall be halted.” Establishment of the Cyber Command will be delayed until new senior Air Force leaders, including Chief of Staff Norton Schwartz, sworn in today, have time to make a final decision on the scope and mission of the command.

I’m not sure what this will exactly mean, if it means that cyber is falling away as a tactical and strategic consideration, or whether it is just an operational pause in the implementation. As a researcher and scientist I am beginning to be glad I do not have a lot of money in a research project right now. [Read more →]