Boots & Sabers

The blogging will continue until morale improves...

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Category: Technology

Role of Clinton Tech Unknown to Collegues

by | 1217, 25 Mar 16 | , | 0 Comments

Clinton’s actions were so deliberately subversive.

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Soon after Hillary Clinton’s arrival at the State Department in 2009, officials in the information technology office were baffled when told that a young technician would join them as a political appointee, newly disclosed emails show.

The technician, Bryan Pagliano, was running the off-grid email server that Clinton had him set up in her New York home for her work as secretary of state. But even as years passed, Pagliano’s supervisors never learned of his most sensitive task, according to the department and one of his former colleagues.

Pagliano’s immediate supervisors did not know the private server even existed until it was revealed in news reports last year, the colleague said, requesting anonymity because of a department ban on unauthorized interviews.

Clinton’s decision to side-step the official state.gov email system has since shrouded her campaign for the U.S. presidency this year in controversy and legal uncertainty. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is conducting one of several inquiries into the arrangement, which saw classified information passing through her unsecured clintonemail.com account.

Obama Makes Case for Government Access to Private Property

by | 1918, 12 Mar 16 | , | 0 Comments

Hmmm…

Speaking at the South by Southwest festival in Texas, Obama said he could not comment on the legal case in which the FBI is trying to force Apple Inc. to allow access to an iPhone linked to San Bernardino, California, shooter Rizwan Farook.

But he made clear that, despite his commitment to Americans’ privacy and civil liberties, a balance was needed to allow some intrusion when needed.

“The question we now have to ask is: If technologically it is possible to make an impenetrable device or system where the encryption is so strong that there is no key, there’s no door at all, then how do we apprehend the child pornographer, how do we solve or disrupt a terrorist plot?” he said.

“What mechanisms do we have available to even do simple things like tax enforcement because if in fact you can’t crack that at all, government can’t get in, then everybody is walking around with a Swiss bank account in their pocket.”

I agree with him that there needs to be a balance. And if due process is properly rendered, I don’t have a problem with the government accessing private property whether it be a safe, house, car, or computer. The problem that we all have with mandating a government back door to our technology is that we do not trust the government to follow the 4th Amendment before accessing it.

At least with our homes we have some reasonable ways to know whether or not a government agent has entered it. With our technology, however, they could enter our computers, phones, tablets, etc., take whatever they want, and we would never know unless they decided to tell us. And there have been too many instances of that happening for the American people to feel comfortable giving the government even more tools to access our technology.

Perhaps if the government had behaved more responsibly with our civil liberties to date, this wouldn’t be much of an issue.

 

US to Name Iran in Cyber Attack on Infrastructure

by | 1620, 10 Mar 16 | , , | 0 Comments

And yet… we’re still freeing billions of dollars for them to use to build their terror network and nuclear arsenal.

Washington (CNN)The Obama administration is preparing to publicly attribute a 2013 cyber attack against a New York dam to Iranian hackers, according to U.S. officials familiar with the investigation.

The Justice Department has prepared an indictment against people thought to be behind the attack, according to the officials. An announcement could come in the next week.

The intrusion at the Bowman Avenue Dam, around 30 miles north of New York City in suburban Rye, New York, isn’t considered sophisticated — the hackers managed only to get access to some back office systems, not the operational systems of the dam, U.S. officials say. U.S. investigators quickly determined the attack was carried out by hackers working for the Iranian government.

Judge Sides with Apple

by | 2133, 29 Feb 16 | , | 0 Comments

This has a long way to go in the courts.

NEW YORK (AP) — A federal judge ruled Monday that the U.S. Justice Department cannot use a 227-year-old law to force Apple to provide the FBI with access to locked iPhone data, dealing a blow to the government in its battle with the company over privacy and public safety.

The ruling, by U.S. Magistrate Judge James Orenstein, applied narrowly to one Brooklyn drug case, but it gives support to the company’s position in its fight against a California judge’s order that it create specialized software to help the FBI hack into an iPhone linked to the San Bernardino terrorism investigation.

Clinton’s Emails Highly Classified

by | 1648, 29 Jan 16 | , , | 1 Comment

Remember that the crime is not whether or not Clinton knew these documents were classified at the time of transmission. The crime is that she was sending and receiving them on an unsecured server. If she had been using the secured government system like she was supposed to, it wouldn’t have mattered if she knew they were classified or not.

EXCLUSIVE: The intelligence community has deemed some of Hillary Clinton’s emails “too damaging” to national security to release under any circumstances, according to a U.S. government official close to the ongoing review. A second source, who was not authorized to speak on the record, backed up the finding.

The determination was first reported by Fox News, hours before the State Department formally announced Friday that seven email chains, found in 22 documents, will be withheld “in full” because they, in fact, contain “Top Secret” information.

Clinton belongs in prison – not the White House.

Court: It’s OK for Parents to Take Their Kids’ Phone

by | 1418, 27 Jan 16 | , | 12 Comments

Well, I’m glad that’s settled.

DALLAS – A Dallas County jury found a father not guilty Tuesday of theft for taking away his daughter’s cell phone as punishment.

Ronald Jackson, 36, was charged with theft of property of at least $50 but under $500, a Class B misdemeanor.

Dallas County Criminal Court Judge Lisa Green ordered the jury to find Jackson not guilty after ruling the state failed to present sufficient evidence to continue the case.

Jackson said he took his 12-year-old daughter’s cell phone as punishment after finding inappropriate texts in September 2013. A few hours later, officers from the Grand Prairie Police Department showed up at his front door, asking for the iPhone 4 back.

“At that point, I decided the police don’t interfere with my ability to parent my daughter,” Jackson said.

Michelle Steppe, the child’s mother, sees it differently.

“As a mom, I’m upset because — number one — the property belongs to me,” she said.

Steppe told jurors on Monday she called police the day her daughter lost the use of her phone for disciplinary reasons.

“You can’t take someone’s property, regardless if you’re a parent or not,” Steppe said.

Oshkosh JLTV

by | 1356, 24 Jan 16 | , | 0 Comments

Click through this to this nice dynamic illustration of the Hummer’s replacement built right here in Wisconsin.

It’s no small sum, but the Oshkosh JLTV is a thoroughly modern war machine, one that outperforms the Humvee in every way. Design requirements called for a new vehicle that was tougher, more capable, more versatile, easier to transport, easier to fix and above all, more protective of the soldiers and Marines who will operate it.

 

Clinton’s Server Full of Classified Information

by | 1929, 19 Jan 16 | , | 1 Comment

Someone tell me why she isn’t in prison? Or at least an international fugitive like Snowden.

The Intelligence Community Inspector General I. Charles McCullough III sent a letter to leaders on congressional intelligence committees last week detailing the findings from a review of Clinton’s emails, Fox News reported Wednesday.

A spokeswoman for the inspector general confirmed to CNN the report was accurate.

Two government agencies flagged emails on Clinton’s server as containing classified information, the inspector general said, including some on “special access programs,” which are above “top secret” in classification level.

There were “several dozen” emails in question, according to Fox News, beyond the two previously reported emails containing top secret information.

Federal Plan to Bring Self-Driving Cars to America’s Road

by | 2048, 14 Jan 16 | , | 11 Comments

This ought to be interesting. It also looks like a federal power grab from the states.

A 10-year, $4bn (£2.8bn) proposal to bring self-driving cars to roads across the US has been announced by the Department of Transport.

The plan’s stated aim is to implement consistent laws across all states and eventually to eliminate human error.

“That is a possibility worth pursuing,” said DoT head Anthony Foxx at the Detroit Motor Show on Thursday.

The plans are backed by carmakers and technology companies including Google, Tesla, Ford, General Motors and Volvo.

The move by the Obama administration comes after several firms complained that differing rules across the US were creating unnecessary headaches for those developing autonomous technology.

Athelete Suspended 5 Games by School After WIAA Tweet

by | 2012, 9 Jan 16 | , | 9 Comments

The WIAA is a seriously dysfunctional organization with some idiotic rules and procedures.

Hilbert High School athlete April Gehl has been suspended for five girls basketball games by the school for a tweet Gehl posted on Twitter earlier this week critical of the WIAA,according to the Appleton Post-Crescent.

“I couldn’t believe it,” Gehl told the Post-Crescent. “I was like, ‘Really? For tweeting my opinion?’ I thought it was ridiculous.”

Gehl’s tweet was in response to an email the WIAA sent to schools in December about in-game conduct from high school student sections. Specifically, the WIAA wanted to crack down on any chants or “action directed at opposing teams or their spectators with the intent to taunt, disrespect, distract or entice an unsporting behavior in a response.” Among the chants cited by the WIAA were: “You can’t do that,” “Fundamentals,” “Airball,” “We can’t hear you,” and “Scoreboard.”

Here is the tweet:

tweet

Offensive? Maybe.

Justification for a 5 game suspension? No.

Lake Delton Establishes Internet Purchase Exchange Point

by | 0850, 6 Jan 16 | , | 0 Comments

This is a good idea. At virtually no cost to the taxpayers, it helps protect citizens from predators trolling Craigslist and other sites for victims.

Lake Delton— The community of Lake Delton has set up a place for in-person purchases of items found on Craigslist or other Internet sales sites.

Village leaders say the fire station is a safe zone for the transactions. A sign posted in the parking lot says “Internet Purchase Exchange Location.” Video cameras record activity.

 

North Korea Tests Hydrogen Bomb

by | 0843, 6 Jan 16 | , , | 2 Comments

They are claiming so, anyway. In any case, they blew up something big.

(CNN)Sticking it to its foes, North Korea on Wednesday celebrated what it called a successful hydrogen bomb test — a milestone that, if true, marks a colossal advancement for the reclusive regime and a big test for leaders worldwide on what to do about it.

“Make the world … look up to our strong nuclear country and labor party by opening the year with exciting noise of the first hydrogen bomb!” read a document signed by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on state television.

Pyongyang has been very vocal about its nuclear ambitions, pressing on despite widespread condemnation, sanctions and other punishments. Having a hydrogen bomb — a device far more powerful than the plutonium weapons that North Korea has used in three earlier underground nuclear tests — ups the ante even more.

More than 1,200 Classified Clinton Emails

by | 0943, 1 Jan 16 | , | 12 Comments

Ah, the New Year’s Eve document dump…

More than 1,200 emails from Hillary Clinton’s private server during her time at the State Department have now been deemed classified, after the agency publicly released its eighth batch of the messages late Thursday.

The agency released roughly 5,500 more pages of emails from the private email account that Clinton exclusively used during her four years at Foggy Bottom, with an additional 275 messages now upgraded to classified, bringing the total number of retroactively classified emails that moved through Clinton’s unsecured server to 1,274.

While most of those were elevated to the “confidential” level, according to a State Department official, two in the most recent batch were upgraded to the “Secret” level, a more sensitive classification for issues that affect national security.

Clinton, after the scandal about her use of private email broke in March, initially said that there was no classified material on her email account. She has since stressed that she did not send any classified information and that no messages she sent or received were marked classified at the time.

Hillary Clinton is a hardcore liar who endangered national security with her lies. And you Democrats want her to be our next president… let that sink in.

Drone Invades Prison

by | 0902, 30 Dec 15 | , | 2 Comments

Hmmm…

On Monday, Earl Jackson, 32, contacted the Waupun Police Department to report he had lost communication with the drone he was flying from the yard of a home on East Jefferson Street.

He told police he was worried it was headed toward Waupun Correctional Institution (WCI), home to about 1,240 male inmates.

“He was right. It did land behind the prison walls,” said Waupun Police Chief Dale Heeringa.

[…]

The drone owner had registered the device with the Federal Aviation Administration. Its rules governing drones state that they must be flown in sight of the pilot/operator and only during daylight hours.

Heeringa said they can’t find any wrongdoing by Jackson, but the incident could result in talking with Waupun’s city attorney and council about creating possible ordinances against flying drones near correctional institutions. If a drone flies into a secure area, it could lead to a referral as a criminal charge to the district attorney’s office, he said.

Bill to Allow Access to Official Documents More Easily

by | 1119, 28 Dec 15 | , | 1 Comment

This seems pretty sensible.

A bill circulating in the state Legislature would allow residents to pick up vital records, including birth, marriage, death and divorce certificates, at any register of deeds office in the state, provided those events occurred in Wisconsin.

In the current system, people have to travel to the county in which the event occurred or send a request by mail.

[…]

Software upgrades to the state vital records system in recent years make it possible for register of deeds offices to issue records no matter where the documents originate, Deeds said. The bill would not have a fiscal impact since the technology upgrades have already been made, he said.

Fettes added it may take a few years for all records to be available at any county as state officials scan copies of certificates and implement them into the computer database.

Regulations Start for Self-Driving Cars

by | 1648, 16 Dec 15 | , , | 3 Comments

Huh.

Regulators in California have published draft proposals designed to pave the way for the public to start using self-driving cars on the roads.

However, the cautious recommendations from the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) will, initially at least, insist on a fully licensed driver being behind the wheel, ready to take over in an emergency or if the technology fails.

California has been the testing ground for most of the development, and so regulations in the state are considered to be precedent-setting.

Prospective users of self-driving cars will need to undergo special training, and manufacturers would be required to monitor the cars’ use.

Answering a common query, regulators said any traffic violations or accidents would remain the responsibility of the human driver.

I agree with requiring a driver be in the car, but stop short of requiring manufacturers to monitor the car’s use.

Online Deer Registration System Bogs Down

by | 1959, 23 Nov 15 | , | 0 Comments

One would have thought that they would have been able to predict the volume and prepare for it better. That being said, I registered a deer from Saturday on my mobile device and it worked like a charm. I loved the ease and convenience of it.

Nearly 116,000 deer were registered on the opening weekend of the 2015 Wisconsin gun deer hunting season, according to the Department of Natural Resources.

The volume of registrations caused a hiccup in the state’s new deer registration and reporting system.

The electronic system, used statewide for the first time this season, was unable to generate updates to the deer kill from Sunday evening to noon Monday.

A note posted Monday to the Department of Natural Resources website stated the reporting summary was “experiencing significant data gaps and delays. We are working to remedy the situation.”

The agency reported 115,971 deer were registered at noon Monday. But no details were available, such as the number of bucks and does registered, or county of kill. The DNR said it would post detailed registration data later.

The new “e-reg” system requires hunters to use a phone or computer to register their deer kills.

It was touted by the department as more convenient for hunters. It would also, the agency said, allow “the 9-day firearm season data to be updated in real time” and permit the public to track the number of deer registered.

Putin Eases Nuclear Cooperation with Iran

by | 0645, 23 Nov 15 | , , | 0 Comments

Why not?

Moscow (AFP) – President Vladimir Putin on Monday eased restrictions on Russian companies working on Iranian enrichment sites as he travelled to Tehran for his first visit since 2007.

A decree Putin signed on Monday enables Russian firms to help modify centrifuges at the Fordo enrichment site and help Tehran redesign its Arak heavy water reactor.

Russian companies can now also carry out activities linked to Iranian exports of enriched uranium of more than 300 kilograms in exchange for the supplies of natural uranium to Iran, the Kremlin decree said.

Maryland Scraps Gun “Fingerprint” System

by | 1803, 8 Nov 15 | , , | 7 Comments

Not a single case…

Millions of dollars later, Maryland has officially decided that its 15-year effort to store and catalog the “fingerprints” of thousands of handguns was a failure.

Since 2000, the state required that gun manufacturers fire every handgun to be sold here and send the spent bullet casing to authorities. The idea was to build a database of “ballistic fingerprints” to help solve future crimes.

But the system — plagued by technological problems — never solved a single case. Now the hundreds of thousands of accumulated casings could be sold for scrap.

Good for Maryland to recognize the failure after 15 years and stop it. There are plenty of failed government programs that have gone on for much longer.

OK to Shoot Down Drone

by | 0655, 29 Oct 15 | , , | 0 Comments

As the legal issues continue to work themselves out in the courts, this is a good outcome.

“He had a right to shoot at this drone, and I’m gonna dismiss this charge.” With that, Judge Rebecca Ward gaveled the case against William Meredith to a close. Meredith’s the Kentucky man whoshotgunned a drone out of the sky that he suspected was ogling his teenage daughter as she sunned herself. He faced charges of criminal mischief and wanton endangerment. “’The next time something like this happens, they’re gonna refer to it,’ Merideth said about future cases involving drones. ‘Now I don’t encourage people to just go out and start blasting stuff for no reason – but three times in one day, three times over the course of a year, six times total, over one property? That’s not right, that’s harassment.’”

Hat tip Dad29.

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