Happy B-Day Marines (Both USMC and Royal Marines)… November 10, 2011
Posted by Chris Mark in Uncategorized.Tags: Chris Mark, Commandos, Royal Marines, Stolen Valor, Tun Tavern, USMC
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On November 10th, the US Marine Corps will celebrate its 236th birthday. Founded in Philadelphia, PA at Tun Tavern on November 10th, 1775 the Continental Marines are the forefathers of our modern USMC. Every year US Marines recognize the birthday with remembrance of our fallen brothers and the history of our beloved corps.
Since we have a number of Royal Marines in the industry, I thought it appropriate to wish our elder brethren a Happy B-Day, as well. Although the Corps of Royal Marines can trace its lineage back to 1755, the origins of the RM go back to 26 October, 1664 making the RM 345 years old in 2011. (hopefully, my Marine math is right)
Both sets of Marines have distinguished themselves in battle. The US Marines started life during the Barbary Wars against the pirates of the Barbary Coast in the early 1800s. This was the first time that the US Flag was ever planted on foreign soil. The USMC count the Battle of Belleau Wood (WWI) as a defining moment and where they earned the title of Devil Dog from the Germans. In WWII was the “Island Hopping” Campaign with Tarawa, Midway, and of course, Iwo Jima. The USMC has continued to distinguish itself in all major and minor conflicts to include Vietnam, Grenada, Somalia, Iraq (twice), Afghanistan and others.
Our Royal Marine brothers have also distinguished themselves in battle on numerous fronts. In 1704 the British Royal Marines fought in the battle of Gibraltar. For their bravery and achievments they are commemorated by “Gibraltar” and it is the only battle honor worn on the Royal Marines badge and colors. The 1800’s were busy for the RMs as they fought from Ashanti, to Navarino and the Crimean War in 1854. WWI saw the RM fight in Gallipoli, win honors in Zeebrugge and fight in the trenches on the Western Front. In 1942 the Royal Marine Commandos were formed and took part in the D Day landings. In 1982 the RM fought in the Falklands, and of course have been active and served with distinction in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as other conflicts.
To to all the Marines- Happy Birthday. Lets not forget our brothers who have been wounded and killed in the line of duty. Lets drink a beer, have a toast but not forget the sacrifices of our fellow Marines.
With that being said, one of the more troubling aspects of countries in wartime is that of people claiming valor that they have not achieved. I recently learned of a former friend who has stated for years that he was a Silver Star recipient from Afghanistan. He has posted on his bio and in various other forums. A quick call to the USMC Awards Division in DC confirmed my suspicions. The person had fabricated his bravery. and his award If you come across someone who has ‘stolen valor’ by claiming awards they did not earn or being a POW or otherwise..I encourage you to visit the following website: www.stolenvalor.com. I have already reported this person and they are taking action. If any of our UK or other readers have resources for other nations, please comment and I will include. On that note, all US service members’ military records are available to the general public (in redacted format) under the Freedom of Information Act. If you have a question about a service member’s service, please visit the following website. It takes some time but the Archives will send you the record minus personal data. www.foia.va.gov
Don’t be “pwned”- InfoSec 101 November 7, 2011
Posted by Chris Mark in Uncategorized.Tags: Chris Mark, InfoSec, risk management
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pwned is a term that originated in online gaming and has been adopted by hackers. It is pronounced ‘owned’ and the origin of the misspelling is not important but you can read about it here. At a high level to be pwned means to be controlled. If your 15 inch MacBook Pro laptop is infected with a backdoor program it is fair to say you have been pwned. Back Orifice (a play on MS’s Back Office) is one of the original backdoor programs. Whey is this important?
Companies and people are often under the mistaken belief that cyber criminals are only interested in servers that contain sensitive data. In truth, user systems often contain information which is valuable. Users often store usernames and passwords on their desktops and laptops. Additionally, users often use their email to freely discuss information that can provide significant value to an adversary. Consider a situation where an executive is discussing new product plans for an upcoming iteration. Competitors (unethical competitors) would value this information. It is estimated that intellectual property theft costs the UK 27 billion Pounds annually.
On another note, law enforcement may also have an interest in what is on a personal computer. While laws vary, under the right circumstances, law enforcement can also track activity on personal computers. While EU laws are much more strict in this regard, some US companies also track user behavior. Installing tracking software that can record screenshots, key strokes, and email is a relatively simple process. While being lawfully monitored and pwned are not the same, the technologies used are similar.
How do you know if you have been pwned? Well…most of the time you won’t unless the other side wants you to know to send a message. Often, anomalous activity on your system can be an indication that your system is infected with some form of malware. BlueCoat estimated in 2010 that 48% of systems were infected with malware. Recent estimates have put the estimates as high as 80%.
So what to do? Ensure that you use your work system for work and are careful about emailing sensitive info on an ‘untrusted’ system. Ensure that you keep your system updated with malicious software protection. Ensure you use a firewall with appropriate rules. Use complex password. It is important to remember that once your system is ‘owned’ it is very difficult to repair and have confidence in the system’s security.
Piracy Delaying Food Aid November 4, 2011
Posted by Chris Mark in Piracy & Maritime Security, Uncategorized.Tags: Chris Mark, InfoSec, maritime piracy, Piracy & Maritime Security, Somalia
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It is well known that some, if not many, Somali pirates, when hijacking vessels, have claimed to represent the “Somali Coast Guard” and other “Somali Interests”. At the recent Combating Piracy event in London the attendees were told numerous tales about Europeans, Asians, and other who illegally fished the Somali waters and were therefore the cause of the piracy (at least a major cause). While there is little debate that economic issues are the root cause of many Somalis joining the ranks of pirates, piracy is now beginning to adversely affect the very Somalis that many pirates claim to represent. According to an article on CNN, piracy is delaying needed food aid to the Horn of Africa. Over 12 million people in the Horn of Africa require some form of food aid. According to Professor Mthuli Ncube, who fulfills a dual role as the bank’s chief economist and vice president the African Development Bank:
“[Piracy] affects the transit of food quickly, where it’s needed by refugees. It also brings up the costs of transporting the food and it goes beyond that into tourism, into the exploitation of hydro-carbons … the issue around fishing and so forth. But more urgently it is about delivery of food that is being affected.”
Cyber Piracy- Clear and Present Danger (in Maritime Executive) November 2, 2011
Posted by Chris Mark in Piracy & Maritime Security, Uncategorized.Tags: Chris Mark, hanson wade, Maritime Security, Piracy & Maritime Security, somali pirates
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Maritime Executive’s Jack O’Connell published a very good article on cybercrime and its impact on the shipping industry. Recently, Lloyds list also published an article on the same topic. With the shipping industry taking steps to prevent piracy, pirates are turning to technology to gain advantage over the shipping companies. Read the article here.
Somali Pirates Suspected Kidnapping Aid Workers October 26, 2011
Posted by Chris Mark in Uncategorized.Tags: Anti Piracy, Chris Mark, kidnapping, Maritime Security, Piracy & Maritime Security, somali pirates
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Somali pirates are suspected in the recent abduction of 3 aid workers who were working in Somali for a Danish aid group. The group issued a statement that said: “Today, at 3 pm (1200 GMT) in Somalia, three staff members from the Danish Demining Group have been kidnapped. One is a Somali man, two are international staff members, an American woman and a Danish man.” Earlier this month Somali gunmen kidnapped two Spanish staff working for Medicins Sans Frontieres (MSF) from the Dadaab refugee camp in northern Kenya on October 13 and took them across the border into the anarchic Horn of Africa nation. A Somali pirate who gave his name as Abdi told Reuters from Galkayo that a group of pirates was behind the abduction and the captives were being taken to a coastal haven.Previously, three people had been kidnapped from Kenya by Somali pirates and one killed. As more vessels employ BMP and armed guards it is clear that pirates will simply look for new avenues to replace he revenue they are losing.
Global Security, Privacy, & Risk Management 