Russ Beck is another aspiring blogger like myself who hopes to make an impact in the security and intelligence blogosphere. He is also a fellow undergraduate of mine at Penn State’s College of IST. Today was his official launch date, and he currently has one post. I am sure that he will soon get his blog running on a regular basis and explore some compelling topics.

GlobalSecurity.org is a company based out of Alexandria, VA that serves as a hub for security and intelligence news. They are considered one of the leading sources for developing news stories in the intelligence and military communities. The site attracts a large range of users all the way from retired military serviceman to AP reporters. Congressional members working in defense policy even use it as a research tool. A graph from the site shows that GlobalSecurity.org had an average of 15 million monthly page views in 2005. While the site may have a tacky appearance, the staff and senior fellows of GlobalSecurity.org are extremely qualified and credible subject matter experts.

GlobalSecurity.org organizes its content into six different categories: Military, Intelligence, Homeland Security, Space, and the Public Eye. Each section has recent articles about ongoing events, access to government documents, and links to various special interest areas within each category.

On top of providing these breaking news stories, GlobalSecuirty.org is rich in technical reference documents and reports. For example, you can find very reliable and accurate information about the different yields or delivery systems of the US Nuclear arsenal or find a complete overview of the military and intelligence operations throughout the world past or present.

I’ve really become an avid reader of this site over the past few months, and I highly reccommend it to anyone interested in security or intelligence news.

This is a cause and consequence paper that I did for my English class. I just thought that I would share.

“Tibet is Not Free! Tibet is Not Free!”

When China allowed the first foreign journalists back in Lhasa in a government-lead tour, on March 27, a sobering realization was reported to the rest of the free world. During the middle of an interview in the Jokhang Temple with the temple’s administrative head, a group of about thirty, young Tibetan monks surrounded the journalists and Chinese government officials. With tears streaming from their eyes, they shouted, “Tibet is not free! Tibet is not free!” Before the journalists could even question the monks, the Chinese officials who were sponsoring the tour ushered the journalists away and quarantined the Temple for “investigation”. The thirty young monks have since been missing (Shai, Lhasa). By strategically starting prior to the upcoming summer Olympics, the recent outbreak of Tibetan civil unrest has brought the decades of Chinese oppression to an emotional climax. China has quickly responded with a strict crackdown on the protests and cut internet and media sources that carry the Tibetan cries for independence. These unfolding events highlight the reasons that Tibet has remained such a politically, socially, and religiously charged issue and also sheds light on the consequences that it has incurred for the fight of Tibetan sovereignty.

The root of the Tibetan independence issue began in 1950 when the newly formed People’s Republic of China claimed Tibet to be an integral part of China. The Dali Lama, the religious leader of Tibetan Buddhism, had recently assumed political leadership of the Tibetan government. Through measures of force, China annexed Tibet shortly after a Tibetan delegation signed the Seventeen Article Agreement which essentially ensured the “peaceful transfer of power.” The credibility of the People’s Republic of China’s claim to the Tibetan region is still controversial and widely disputed today (Moh). In respect to the 2008 riots, 1950 serves as a starting point of Tibetan people and PRC‘s relationship. Even after fifty years, Tibet’s brief period of independence is still a very vivid memory to the several generations of Tibetans that have grown up under the PRC’s rule.

During the 1950s, the PRC and Tibetan government maintained a peaceful but apprehensive relationship. Finally, after a failed rebellion in 1959, the Dali Lama was forced to flee to India where he created a government-in-exile and appealed to the international community for Tibet’s independence. The PRC quickly denounced the Dali Lama and installed the Panchen Lama, another Buddhist religious leader, as a figurehead (Moh). In a society where the Tibetan Buddhist religion reaches beyond social and moral code and into the political realm, the removal of the Dali Lama and China’s interference with the religious authorities incensed the Tibetan people. For several decades, the Chinese government actively oppressed the Tibetan Buddhist religion and slowly cut out integral parts of Tibetan culture. The Chinese government called it “cultural revolution,” but the Tibetan Buddhists called it “cultural genocide.”(Moh) Fifty years of religious oppression and interference has bottled up a lot of anger and frustration. This bottle was just waiting to be uncorked. In March 2008, the conditions were just right.

March 14, 2008 marked the largest and most controversial wave of protests that occurred in China since the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre. Four days after Buddhist monks demonstrated the anniversary of the 1959 failed uprising against Chinese rule, violent riots ravaged the streets of Lhasa, the traditional capital of Tibet. The demonstration about the unsuccessful revolution transcended into a fierce and renewed call for Tibetan independence and sovereignty after decades of being under China’s oppressive rule. Within several days, the riots and civil unrest spread to Lhasa’s surrounding providences. The Tibetan protesters mostly targeted the ethic Han Chinese, the majority of all Chinese, with violence and vandalism. Many businesses owned by ethic Han Chinese or government friendly Tibetans where destroyed. In swift show of force, the People’s Republic of China deployed thousands of security personnel and paramilitary forces to disperse the rioters and deter potential outbreaks. The security forces quickly enacted a military state of emergency and tightened physical security in Lhasa and the surrounding providences (Oster, “In China”).

China immediately ordered the expulsion of all foreigners from Lhasa and enforced a week-long media “blackout” of Tibet. News about the protests and the military crackdown slowly trickled out of China’s state-sponsored media (In China). While it has always been know for a heavily-censored media, China did not hesitate when it completely blocked video sharing sites such as YouTube to anyone in China. Video footage of the Tibetan riots and calls to action had surfaced on these video sharing sites. By blocking these Internet sites from China, the Chinese government effectively eliminated a vital link between Tibet and the rest of the world. The Western media reported this action as an infringement of free speech. The attempted control over what news goes in and out of Tibet has resulted in many conflicting reports of what exactly happened. The total extent of the riots and civil unrest is still not completely known. China’s official figures put the death toll at 22 in Lhasa, but the exiled Tibetan government puts the total death toll at 140 after taking into account of the riots in entire region of Tibet (Chinese). The battle between Chinese and international press over censorship and bias, has united various Western media conglomerates in an outcry. The ongoing Tibetan incident has consequently been widely publicized in the Western media.

Another one of the more interesting circumstances of this outbreak of civil unrest is the fact that China will host upcoming 2008 summer Olympic Games. The Olympics has always been synonymous with human rights, and the Tibetan protests couldn’t happen at a better time. China’s quick crackdown and clean-up of the situation is an attempt to alleviate and minimize the damage the Tibetan riots have caused China’s “unified” Olympic image. However, it might be possible that some countries will boycott the Olympics because of the protests and China’s mishandling of the situation.

A long-term effect of China’s strict crackdown could also be further oppression of Tibetan society and culture. Because Tibetan Buddhist monks were the originators of the protest, Tibetan Buddhism may face future repercussions from the Chinese government. China may end up fully suppressing the Buddhist religious culture and ultimately place stricter laws in response to Tibet’s civil unrest. Sadly, the only course of action that China will most likely take in response to the Tibetan protests will be to take away more individual freedoms. China’s decision to cut off various communication mediums between Tibet and the rest of the world is a precursor to this path of tyranny.

Tibet is a vivid illustration of a battle over religious, social, and political freedom. The sequence of events that paved the way to the 2008 Tibetan protests was set in motion nearly fifty years ago. The upcoming Olympics and the anniversary of a failed uprising provided the perfect opportunity to unleash the rage of over fifty years of oppression. The Chinese government has only responded to the recent Tibetan outcry with further oppression and cultural genocide. The March riots in Tibet, however, are proof, yet again, of what happens when a government oppresses a people, its religion, and its culture. Oppressors can’t expect the oppressed to endure in silence. While it is a crime against humanity to take away the right to practice a religion, take away the right of free speech, and forcefully take a “home” from an entire people, the real cost of Tibet’s campaign for independence and sovereignty is paid by the innocence people that have been swept away by the tide of the ongoing Tibetan revolution. This recent squall may not bring Tibet’s independence or even be the last storm of its kind, but when the waves finally settle and there is a free Tibet, the damage inflicted by the generations of oppression and resulting conflict will be able to heal.

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Yes it is true, a Russian based chat bot nicked named, “CyberLover,” is fooling chatroom goers into giving it there personal information in an attempt to steal their identities Note that this is just another reason not to mess with Russia, or they will send their CyberLover bots out in swarms to seduce you out of your social security card and bank PIN numbers.Security software company PC Tools warns that the bot can easily be used for malicious purposes. The company said that the program’s ability to mimic human behavior to dupe chatters is worrisome, and could readily be used to collect all manner of information. The creators of the bot are denying that it was intentionally created to do these evil acts.

I have decided to look at the three social network sites that our IST 110 class has been following. They also happen to be the three largest in terms of market share. Facebook, MySpace, and Bebo must be doing something to keep a grip on their share of users in the social networking market.

Although Facebook does not have nearly as large a base as MySpace, the format and functionality of their interface is gaining a lot of users and notice among the media. Facebook sorts users into different networks. These networks can be high schools, colleges, employers, cities, and countries. Users in the same network can usually see more information about other users, events, and groups in the same network. Users profiles on Facebook are designed to be easily modified. Sections can be dragged and dropped to suit aesthetics of the individual user. The profile displays information about the user’s tastes that includes but is not restricted to music, movies, books, TV shows, and quotes. Photos can be uploaded to be used as an avatar or put in photo albums to be displayed on the profile. Members can “tag” other members in the same photo. This tagged photo is then automatically loaded onto to the tagged user’s profile. Every user’s profile has a “Wall.” On the wall, friends of the users (depending on the level of privacy) can post comments. This is the method of public communication between members. Users can also message each other. Messages are private. Walls and Photo tagging are the main source of engagement between members.

Facebook users can also create and join groups and events. Events are planned activities by members that can be used to notify and inform people of parties, dinners, dances, or any other imaginable gathering that people can do together. Groups are made to bring users with similar interests together. Along with these basic functions of Facebook, there are others applications such as iLike (music interests), Video (video upload), etc. Third-parties continue to make this widgets and Facebook only becomes denser in data. Some users of Facebook have so many applications installed on their profiles to the point where one can become confused just by scrolling down their profile page.

On the social networking site, MySpace, many of the same features in Facebook are present. The same profile of information about users is posted along with an avatar and pictures. There is no method of “tagging” users in photos on MySpace. A big social attraction on MySpace is the popular music artists, celebrities, athletes, and other people of interest. Regular MySpace users can become friends with these famous members and follow their lives more intimately. Music artists can also post some of their songs for promotion. MySpace services also include a blogging pages, were members can post blog entries. MySpace users can subscribe to these blogs. MySpace also does its own version of groups and events.

Bebo is the third largest social network site in terms of traffic. It also the very same basic functions as Facebook and MySpace. Bebo’s profile page for its users allows them to add their own widgets, add videos, pictures, quizzes, and polls. Similar to MySpace’s blogging portion, Bebo incorporates blogging right on their members profile pages. Bebo also includes a white board where users can draw images using paint. Members can do searches for each other pretty easily. Bebo has music artist’s profiles, but most of them are small and unheard of.

Facebook Receives New York Subpoena Over Safety, Security

This article concerning mostly Facebook covers a recent development in security and privacy in the Facebook community. The New York Attorney General has subpoenaed documents related to Facebook’s sercurity and privacy over complaints of sexual solicitations.

Facebook spokeswoman Brandee Barker said the company will work closely with all the state attorneys general to “maintain a trusted environment for Facebook users and to demonstrate the efficacy of these efforts.”
“We strive to uphold our high standards for privacy on Facebook and are constantly working on processes and technologies that will further improve safety and user control on the site,” she said.

After setting up fake accounts of young females, the NY Attorney General’s office found that appropriate action from Facebook is slow if not non-existent. The subpoena also requires Facebook to submit their policies on user safety and claims made to consumers about the safety of the site.

Social network traffic up 11.5 percent; MySpace still dominates
A report from Hitwise, the US market share of internet traffic to social networking websites is on the rise (11.5% from last yea). Facebook is still the “Heavyweght” with 80% market share. Facebook has only 10%. While it may seem that MySpace has no chance of losing its crown, don’t forget Friendster a social site that was very dominate before MySpace came out. The market can change very rapidly over a quick period of time.

These two articles show the comparison between user growth and the activity of the US legal system. In the WSJ article we can see the American legal system in action as they gain traction in the grey-shaded area of information security law. MySpace has been in the spotlight because of online predator cases and been the main focus in the media. Now that other social networking sites has grown, such as Facebook (doubled in users in the past year), they are coming under closer scrutiny.

It is certain that the law and social network policy will surely meet many times in the future. The spike in user growth of these sites only increases the amount of attention that they will receive.

After doing a little bit of searching, I found IBM, Yahoo, and Microsoft’s employee blogging policy. All three of the companies had similar guidelines. Employee’s are required to identify themselves and their position in their company. They cannot break the news on any events or release confidential information about partners, suppliers, or third-party entities. IBM, Yahoo, and Microsoft require employees to respect others and most importantly speak for yourself. Yahoo and IBM enforce disclaimer rules. Employees must include a disclaimer in all of their posts stating that their individual views do not represent the companies.

Yahoo specifically has a portion in their blogging guidelines about the press and media.

Press Inquiries
1. Blog postings may generate media coverage. If a member of the media contacts you about a Yahoo!-related blog posting or requests Yahoo! information of any kind, contact PR (pr-corp@yahoo-inc.com or 415-318-4120) You should also reach out for PR for clarification on whether specific information has been publicly disclosed before you blog about it.

IBM doesn’t want their employee’s bickering with other bloggers.

Don’t pick fights. When you see misrepresentations made about IBM in the media, by analysts or by other bloggers, you may certainly use your blog — or join someone else’s — to point that out. Always do so with respect and with the facts. Also, if you speak about a competitor, you must make sure that what you say is factual and that it does not disparage the competitor. You should avoid arguments. Brawls may earn traffic, but nobody wins in the end. Don’t try to settle scores or goad competitors or others into inflammatory debates. Here and in other areas of public discussion, make sure that what you are saying is factually correct.

I found all three of these guidelines were posted on employee blogs. After digging more into the Microsoft blogging policy, I found out that for quite awhile Microsoft didn’t really have any set rules or guidelines for blogging. It wasn’t until 2005 that Microsoft created a semi-informal policy. On the blog that I found the IBM policy, some other bloggers commented and made some recommendations to make the policy better. Blogger security was one of the reoccurring issues.

One thing I might suggest improving is the emphasis on avoiding personal, especially family, details. Identity theft, phishing, stalking, pervert predators, etc. make the revelation of private data more risky than it’s portrayed here.

Posted by vasper on May 17 2005, 06:55:00 PM EDT

From what I have gathered, here is my own version of blogging policies for the corporate world.

1. Identity your name and your position in the company.
2. Pay dues to discloser agreements.
3. Protect the interests of your suppliers, customers, partners and most importantly employer.
4. Don’t put any personal information on blogs.
5. Use company disclaimers to avoid misrepresentation and PR issues.
6. Don’t allow blogging to interfere with commitments at work.