Director of VA Robert McDonald Compares Lines at VA to Disneyland & Lies about His Military Service May 31, 2016
Posted by Chris Mark in Uncategorized.Tags: Affairs, bergdahl, Chris Mark, disneyland, lines, Robert McDonald, Secretary, Special Forces, Stolen Valor, VA, Veterans
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UPDATED POST- Last week VA Director Robert McDonald compared the lines at the VA to lines at Disneyland. While most people were generally appalled by this ignorant and insensitive comment, Robert McDonald refuses to apologize. Keep in mind this is the same idiot that has lied about his own military service and falsely claimed to be a Green Beret. In addition to being an insensitive, ignorant buffoon he is also a liar who claims military honors to which he is not entitled. The fact that President Obama still supports this clown in his role as Director of the VA simply further demonstrates the current administration’s disdain for those who actually serve with honor. Here is Obama’s National Security Advisor Susan Rice’s comments on traitor Bowe Bergdahl in 2014: “He served with honor and distinction.” Those who betray their own country and their brothers and sisters in arms are treated with greater respect by this administration than those who actually serve honorably.
Original POST
Adding to my latest post about Sniper Posers…we have a new addition to the Stolen Valor club. New Veterans Affairs Secretary (and former Proctor & Gamble CEO) Robert McDonald today admitted to lying about being a Special Forces Soldier (Green Beret). This is the same person who confronted Iraq War Veteran (both Iraq wars) and Republican Congressman Mike Coffman (R. Colorado) and pointedly asked “What have you done?” McDonald then talked about how he had “…run a major company..”
It is bad enough when a civilian who has never served lies about their service. It is more egregious when a military member who served honorably lies about their service. It is absolutely not acceptable when the Secretary of the VA lies about his service. Let’s be clear, the VA is one of the most incompetent, corrupt organizations in the entire US Government. Shame on him! He belongs on the Stolen Valor Wall of Shame!
Chris Mark Speaking at OpenEdge 2016 Partner Advisory Board May 27, 2016
Posted by Chris Mark in cyberespionage, cybersecurity, Uncategorized.Tags: Chris Mark, cybersecurity, dark web, data breach, Global Payments, KeyNote, OpenEdge
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I am honored to have been asked to present as the keynote speaker at the OpenEdge 2016 Partner Advisory Board on June 6th, in Chicago, Il. I will be speaking on the state of cybercrime today and provide a live demonstration of the Dark Web as well as a description of how cyber thieves steal and use payment card data. It should be a fun event for everyone! If you are an OpenEdge Partner please consider attending!
“The United States is Under Attack” – CyberWar Article May 23, 2016
Posted by Chris Mark in cyberespionage, cybersecurity, Uncategorized.Tags: Breach, china, cyber, espionage, hack, Intellectual Property, IP Theft
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The title was a comment made in 2011 by the US House of Representatives.
In cleaning out my house for an impending move I found a copy of The Counter Terorist Magazine for which I had written an article in 2013 titled “CyberWar”.While the article is 3 years old, it still provides some valuable information and valuable lessons on the current state of Cyber War. The US Congress has has several sessions and working groups to discuss “The Chinese Problem” related to cyber espionage and Cyber War. You can learn more by reading my article!
(Guest Post)- Own a Flamethrower Legally! May 20, 2016
Posted by Chris Mark in Uncategorized.Tags: California, flamethrower, flamethrowerplans, legal, Maryland, National Firearms Act, NFA
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Last week I was contacted by Flamethrower Rob who introduced himself and his company FlamethrowerPlans.com. Rob’s company provides instruction on how to build legal flamethrowers. Additionally, he supports St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. As many people are likely wondering (as I was) whether flamethrowers are legal, Rob has offered to write a post.
Flamethrowers have been a popular topic lately and in the recent years it’s become very easy to get your hands on your very own flamethrower. If you have the money for it you can buy a flamethrower through a couple of online suppliers or you can build your own for a fraction of the cost of buying one.
But before your arm yourself with a flamethrower like a WW1 soldier, you may be asking, “Are flamethrowers even legal?” It’s something that you might assume would be completely illegal all over the United States, however you may be surprised to learn that’s not the case.
At the time of this writing, flamethrowers are Federally legal in the US. That’s right there are no federal laws preventing the ownership of a flamethrower. Ironically enough, a flamethrower is not considered a “firearm” under the National Firearms Act and there are no Federal regulations restricting the ownership or use of a flamethrower.
There are however 2 States that have placed regulations on flamethrowers. If you live in California or Maryland then you’re one of those unlucky few who will have to curb your flamethrower appetite.
California has restricted the use and ownership of a flamethrower and in the Health and Safety Codes 12750-12751 defines a flamethrower as a device designed to propel a flammable liquid more than 10 feet. California’s State Fire Marshall however may issue a flamethrower permit to certain people as outlined in Health and Safety code 12755-12759 which would allow an exception to the restriction. Health and Safety 12760-12761 outlines the potential penalties of violating California’s law, stating that a violator may be subject to up to 1 year in county jail or state prison and/or be fined up to $10,000. Do as you wish in California but don’t say I didn’t warn you!
Maryland is a little less fortunate for us flamethrower enthusiasts. This State’s fire code completely prohibits the use and possession of a flamethrower; no ifs, ands or buts. A flamethrower isn’t as specifically defined in Maryland’s fire code as it is in California’s, but my suggestion is to not push the envelope with this one and just play by the rules.
If you live outside of these States you can launch flames until your heart is content! You can buy a flamethrower online if you’re willing to spend $1200-$1800 for one, or you can learn how to build one yourself using many of the tools you already have in your garage and spend only $450.
I started Flamethrowerplans.com and published the very first how-to guide for building your own military quality flamethrower back in 2009 and I have been building flamethrowers since 2007. My very detailed ebook and video series will teach you everything you need to know to make your own flamethrower from buying your parts and tools, an over-the-shoulder step-by-step tutorial with both photos and videos, and safe demonstration and operation. My ebook has clickable links so you buy all the same parts and tools I use, mostly purchased through Amazon. It’s very easy if you have a little bit of mechanical know-how and you really can complete your flamethrower without even leaving the comfort of your home.
By following my ebook, you’ll build the same high quality flamethrower that you would expect from the others for sale out there with a range of 45+ feet and a total burn time of about 60 seconds.
So what’s the cost? You can buy all your flamethrower parts for only about $450 plus the cost of some of the tools that are needed if you don’t already have them. Head over to Flamethrowerplans.com to learn more and download my free parts and tools guide so you know what tools and parts you need and how much you’ll spend before investing in my ebook or video series. I’m even available by email if you have any questions along the way.
Check out my website at Flamethrowerplans.com to learn more about my company and flamethrower tutorial.
Rob@Flamethrowerplans.com
1,000,000 InfoSec Job Openings in 2016! May 10, 2016
Posted by Chris Mark in cybersecurity, Industry News, InfoSec & Privacy.Tags: assurance, Breach, careers, Chris Mark, hack, information, job market, PCI, security
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A recent article in Forbes Magazine outlines the current and projected information security job market. According to the article the current job market is valued at $75 billion and is expected to grow to $170 Billion by 220. More profoundly, CISCO estimates that there are currently 1 million InfoSec job openings in the US with, according to Peninsula Press, 209,000 currently unfilled! According to Virginia Lehmkuhl-Dakhwe, director of the Jay Pinson STEM Education Center at San Jose State University “The number of jobs in information security is going to grow tenfold in the next 10 years,”
I have been fortunate to have had a great career in information security over the past 15 years. While my experience is unique, I have had opportunity to travel the World and work with some of the largest, and most complex companies around. I have spoken at scores of events and have published dozens of articles and white papers.
Last year I wrote a blog post about how to get into the InfoSec career field. Two things that many people may want to know off the bat. 1) a College Degree is NOT required (although often very helpful) and 2) The pay is VERY good. (basic supply and demand). In my experience most people could probably get into the field with anywhere from 9-18 months of self-study. You can get in quicker if you attend course. For more information, please read my blog post: Getting Info Information Assurance Careers.
Global Security, Privacy, & Risk Management 