Missing in action...

Yes this is still an active site although you might not be able to tell it.  I have been extremely busy throughout the summer and have not had time to do much writing.  Not really any less busy now, I have the CISSP exam coming up in early October and many projects.

All of us know (or should know) that Cyber Space is a dangerous place.  Hopefully our readers here take precautions by using Anti Virus software, not following links in email but instead searching the link independently in your browser, and guarding your privacy by being careful of what and when you post in the social media space.  Less frequently thought of is the term Cyber War.  I recently read a book by Richard A. Clarke called Cyber War: The Next Threat to National Security and What To Do About It.  This book is likely available in your local library and also at Amazon. 

The primary theme in this book is the vulnerability of more developed countries to Offensive Cyber Attack and to analyze the offensive capabilities of a handful of Nations including the United States, Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea.  As an active Cyber Security practitioner I can say I didn't read anything truly new or startling. I follow any number of security oriented blogs and news sites so I see daily examples of individual incidents. Worms, virus outbreaks, the latest vulnerabilites, etc.  No the power of this book is the concentration of the accounts in a laser-beam focused analysis of our total vulnerability even in the face of daunting offensive capability.  Several worst case scenarios Clarke presents are in my estimation very plausible and should make the reader think hard about how we prepare (or lack of) for emergencies in life.   It should also give us reason to think about what is important.  So many of the defensive counter-measures that the U.S. could employ are (or could be by some) considered to restrictive of individual freedoms. It's worth thinking about and that is exactly what this book so excels at - shaking us from our everyday concerns of life long enough to consider a wider issue that has really only been considered seriously by Cyber guys, Think Tanks, and National Security Policy gurus. 
This book will scare you.  And it should.  But only long enough to take stock of how you would react, plan, and execute in the emergencies he describes as well as only long enough to pick up pen and paper, or fire up email and write your elected officials.  Real defensive security is possible and where it's not, a sensible separation from the risk is in order.
Cyber War is more than the sum of it parts, it is one of those things in life you come across that you know are important, and you want to share but find it difficult to express easily why.

Take my advice, read it today.