<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?><?xml-stylesheet href="http://www.blogger.com/styles/atom.css" type="text/css"?><feed xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom' xmlns:openSearch='http://a9.com/-/spec/opensearchrss/1.0/' xmlns:georss='http://www.georss.org/georss' xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8333501</id><updated>2011-07-29T19:37:28.658-07:00</updated><title type='text'>TOPSIGHT SENTRY</title><subtitle type='html'>enhanced strategic awareness through distributed analysis of open sources</subtitle><link rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#feed' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default?max-results=100'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/'/><link rel='hub' href='http://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com/'/><author><name>redline</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/14577678504819257477</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><generator version='7.00' uri='http://www.blogger.com'>Blogger</generator><openSearch:totalResults>48</openSearch:totalResults><openSearch:startIndex>1</openSearch:startIndex><openSearch:itemsPerPage>100</openSearch:itemsPerPage><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8333501.post-113406465730046817</id><published>2005-12-08T09:57:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2005-12-08T11:49:29.223-08:00</updated><title type='text'>Data Mining, Kevin Bacon, and Able Danger</title><summary type='text'>The National Journal's Shane Harris provides a remarkably complete account of ABLE DANGER and its predecessor programs.  (As I would guess most readers of this blog already know, ABLE DANGER was an Army intelligence program, based around data-mining methods, that reportedly identified Mohammed Atta as early as winter 2000.)As it happens, ABLE DANGER was not part of the "mainstream" IC, but was </summary><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/feeds/113406465730046817/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8333501&amp;postID=113406465730046817' title='5 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/113406465730046817'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/113406465730046817'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/2005/12/data-mining-kevin-bacon-and-able.html' title='Data Mining, Kevin Bacon, and Able Danger'/><author><name>redline</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/14577678504819257477</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>5</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8333501.post-113394423947561079</id><published>2005-12-07T00:18:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2005-12-07T00:32:57.456-08:00</updated><title type='text'>Short Attention Spans and the Public Safety</title><summary type='text'>Christopher Bellavita at the Naval Postgraduate School pens a short article (PDF link) on homeland security and the "issue attention cycle," a public policy phenomenon that will be instantly familiar to anyone engaged in long-term crisis management:  More than 30 years ago, Anthony Downs wrote about a cycle that affects many domestic public policy problems. Downs argued that certain issues follow</summary><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/feeds/113394423947561079/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8333501&amp;postID=113394423947561079' title='1 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/113394423947561079'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/113394423947561079'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/2005/12/short-attention-spans-and-public.html' title='Short Attention Spans and the Public Safety'/><author><name>redline</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/14577678504819257477</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>1</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8333501.post-113382112727056650</id><published>2005-12-05T14:08:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2005-12-05T14:24:18.776-08:00</updated><title type='text'>Hype, Crime, and Terror</title><summary type='text'>Security maven Bruce Schneier believes that an emphasis on "cyberterrorism" (presumably, cyber-based threats to critical infrastructure for the purpose of direct terrorism) is diverting resources from "ordinary" cybercrime:"I think that the terrorist threat is overhyped, and the criminal threat is underhyped," Schneier said Tuesday. "I hear people talk about the risks to critical infrastructure </summary><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/feeds/113382112727056650/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8333501&amp;postID=113382112727056650' title='1 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/113382112727056650'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/113382112727056650'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/2005/12/hype-crime-and-terror.html' title='Hype, Crime, and Terror'/><author><name>redline</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/14577678504819257477</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>1</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8333501.post-113379632873305346</id><published>2005-12-05T07:25:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2005-12-05T07:29:20.406-08:00</updated><title type='text'>Tinfoil and Counterterrorism</title><summary type='text'>Intrepid reader G notes that group of MIT researchers have released the results of their empirical study of the effects of aluminum foil headgear, long favored by the paranoid community as a protective mechanism against government mind-control rays.  Their conclusions are startling!The helmets amplify frequency bands that coincide with those allocated to the US government between 1.2 Ghz and 1.4 </summary><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/feeds/113379632873305346/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8333501&amp;postID=113379632873305346' title='1 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/113379632873305346'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/113379632873305346'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/2005/12/tinfoil-and-counterterrorism.html' title='Tinfoil and Counterterrorism'/><author><name>redline</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/14577678504819257477</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>1</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8333501.post-113336932816117946</id><published>2005-11-30T08:33:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2005-11-30T09:20:11.043-08:00</updated><title type='text'>Open Source Exploitation</title><summary type='text'>Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-MI), chairman of the House Select Committee on Intelligence, has proposed a novel approach to the translation backlog for the mountains of Saddam-era official documents seized in Iraq:  declassify the entire lot and make it available on the Internet for translation by non-government resources.Hoekstra said he would like to see the documents posted online, where people would </summary><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/feeds/113336932816117946/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8333501&amp;postID=113336932816117946' title='2 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/113336932816117946'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/113336932816117946'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/2005/11/open-source-exploitation.html' title='Open Source Exploitation'/><author><name>redline</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/14577678504819257477</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>2</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8333501.post-113328675568617990</id><published>2005-11-29T09:47:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2005-11-29T09:54:36.226-08:00</updated><title type='text'>al-Godfather</title><summary type='text'>USNews.com's David Kaplan reports on an emerging pattern for terrorist-financing, now that the state sponsorship of decades past is on the decline.  The solution for a growing number of groups:  self-funding through organized crime.Back at home, U.S. officials are looking warily at the growing rackets of terrorist groups overseas and voice concern that the trend will grow here. "We see a lot of </summary><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/feeds/113328675568617990/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8333501&amp;postID=113328675568617990' title='1 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/113328675568617990'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/113328675568617990'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/2005/11/al-godfather.html' title='al-Godfather'/><author><name>redline</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/14577678504819257477</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>1</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8333501.post-113304132159377393</id><published>2005-11-26T13:41:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2005-11-26T13:45:52.510-08:00</updated><title type='text'>DNI Open Source Center Established</title><summary type='text'>In case you missed the press release from earlier this month, the IC has opened the doors of the new national OSINT center:Based at the CIA, the Center will advance the Intelligence Community’s exploitation of openly available information to include the Internet, databases, press, radio, television, video, geospatial data, photos and commercial imagery. The Center’s functions will include </summary><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/feeds/113304132159377393/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8333501&amp;postID=113304132159377393' title='3 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/113304132159377393'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/113304132159377393'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/2005/11/dni-open-source-center-established.html' title='DNI Open Source Center Established'/><author><name>redline</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/14577678504819257477</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>3</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8333501.post-112424766920992466</id><published>2005-08-16T19:53:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2005-08-16T20:09:47.826-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Folsom Prison Plot</title><summary type='text'>The local ABC affiliate is reporting on a foiled prison jihadist plot to conduct terror attacks in Southern California on the coming anniversary of 9/11. The targets, in Santa Monica, California, were to be a number of local synagogues in addition to a military recruitment center.The plot, which called for dozens of casualties as part of a holy war against the United States, was foiled after </summary><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/feeds/112424766920992466/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8333501&amp;postID=112424766920992466' title='1 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/112424766920992466'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/112424766920992466'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/2005/08/folsom-prison-plot.html' title='Folsom Prison Plot'/><author><name>redline</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/14577678504819257477</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>1</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8333501.post-112424473494263541</id><published>2005-08-16T18:53:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2005-08-16T19:19:55.233-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Chatter</title><summary type='text'>Yesterday's coordinated series of prison riots in Guatemala, which involved rival criminal gangs Mara Salvatrucha/MS-13 and Mara 18 and left thirty-one dead, apparently were orchestrated by cell phone.     "The gangs maintain constant communication," [Guatemalan Interior Minister Carlos Vielmann] said. "They have a Web page and not only synchronize in Guatemala, they synchronize with El Salvador,</summary><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/feeds/112424473494263541/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8333501&amp;postID=112424473494263541' title='1 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/112424473494263541'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/112424473494263541'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/2005/08/chatter.html' title='Chatter'/><author><name>redline</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/14577678504819257477</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>1</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8333501.post-112413461709485229</id><published>2005-08-15T12:27:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2005-08-15T12:46:32.916-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Camera-Shy Tourists</title><summary type='text'>The City of Santa Monica is enhancing security measures at the Santa Monica Pier after receiving a series of photographs taken over the July 4 weekend by an observant private citizen:     The photographs show three men videotaping around the pier, [Santa Monica Police Chief James] Butts said. The photographer snapped the pictures after noticing that the men -- who were of “Middle Eastern descent”</summary><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/feeds/112413461709485229/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8333501&amp;postID=112413461709485229' title='1 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/112413461709485229'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/112413461709485229'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/2005/08/camera-shy-tourists.html' title='Camera-Shy Tourists'/><author><name>redline</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/14577678504819257477</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>1</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8333501.post-112405760020965912</id><published>2005-08-14T15:03:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2005-08-15T00:11:44.353-07:00</updated><title type='text'>On Boxes, Thinking Outside of the</title><summary type='text'>The failure to prevent the 9/11 attacks was due not to their being unimaginable -- for they were imaginable and imagined -- but to the fact that the imaginable covers too broad a surface, which is one reason for focusing on things that have happened before; the set of bad things that have never happened but may happen in the future is well-nigh infinite. And the more information, including </summary><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/feeds/112405760020965912/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8333501&amp;postID=112405760020965912' title='1 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/112405760020965912'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/112405760020965912'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/2005/08/on-boxes-thinking-outside-of.html' title='On Boxes, Thinking Outside of the'/><author><name>redline</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/14577678504819257477</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>1</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8333501.post-112403586636285110</id><published>2005-08-14T08:58:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2005-08-14T09:20:55.716-07:00</updated><title type='text'>7/7 and 7/21 Operations Unrelated?</title><summary type='text'>Via the Counterterrorism Blog, the (London) Independent is reporting that British counterterrorism authorities have so far concluded that there is no common operational link between the terrorist cells that executed the 7/7 and 7/21 bombings, respectively.The alleged plotters behind the July 21 bomb incidents in London are thought to have been "copycats", targeting Tube trains and a bus. A "</summary><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/feeds/112403586636285110/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8333501&amp;postID=112403586636285110' title='1 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/112403586636285110'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/112403586636285110'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/2005/08/77-and-721-operations-unrelated.html' title='7/7 and 7/21 Operations Unrelated?'/><author><name>redline</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/14577678504819257477</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>1</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8333501.post-112400928327100022</id><published>2005-08-14T01:39:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2005-08-14T01:52:57.856-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Think Globally, Act Locally: Variations on a Theme</title><summary type='text'>An article by Jose Docobo in the inaugural issue of the Naval Postgraduate School's Homeland Security Affairs examines the application of "community policing" principles to homeland security. The argument is interesting -- typically, when it comes to counterterrorism at the state and local level, one thinks of "response" rather than "prevention."  But it's not clear that it has to be that way.</summary><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/feeds/112400928327100022/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8333501&amp;postID=112400928327100022' title='1 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/112400928327100022'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/112400928327100022'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/2005/08/think-globally-act-locally-variations.html' title='Think Globally, Act Locally: Variations on a Theme'/><author><name>redline</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/14577678504819257477</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>1</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8333501.post-112396754824791662</id><published>2005-08-13T13:54:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2005-08-13T14:51:42.890-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Trifle Not With a Litigator</title><summary type='text'>The home of what a "senior counter-terrorism official at the FBI" described as "the best database on Islamic terrorism in the world" is not in a government intelligence fusion center or a federally-funded thinktank. It's in the offices of an American plaintiff's lawyer.The database is the pivotal tool in what those involved say will be the biggest class action in history: a $1 trillion lawsuit on</summary><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/feeds/112396754824791662/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8333501&amp;postID=112396754824791662' title='2 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/112396754824791662'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/112396754824791662'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/2005/08/trifle-not-with-litigator.html' title='Trifle Not With a Litigator'/><author><name>redline</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/14577678504819257477</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>2</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8333501.post-112396459016454495</id><published>2005-08-13T13:09:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2005-08-13T13:37:07.886-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Electric Security</title><summary type='text'>The federal government will begin enforcing security standards against electric utilities and independent service operators, under a new bill signed into law at the beginning of the month.Under the new law, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has the authority to establish a national electric reliability organization with the power to oversee and audit reliability standards. Instead </summary><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/feeds/112396459016454495/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8333501&amp;postID=112396459016454495' title='1 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/112396459016454495'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/112396459016454495'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/2005/08/electric-security.html' title='Electric Security'/><author><name>redline</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/14577678504819257477</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>1</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8333501.post-112386473351879448</id><published>2005-08-12T09:20:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2005-08-13T13:27:48.300-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Seven Steps to a Caliphate</title><summary type='text'>Reader "blueland" sends along an article published        in this morning's Der Spiegel, describing Jordanian journalist Fouad Hussein's new book on al Qaeda. Hussein has the unique distinction of having served time in prison with al-Zarqawi and has interviewed several individuals described as being in "al Qaeda's inner circle."Hussein's book outlines a seven-phase plan that allegedly forms the </summary><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/feeds/112386473351879448/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8333501&amp;postID=112386473351879448' title='54 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/112386473351879448'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/112386473351879448'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/2005/08/seven-steps-to-caliphate.html' title='Seven Steps to a Caliphate'/><author><name>redline</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/14577678504819257477</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>54</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8333501.post-112370366872944403</id><published>2005-08-10T12:48:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2005-08-10T12:55:32.883-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Suicide Bomber in China</title><summary type='text'>Internet Haganah has a report of (and images from) a suicide bombing on a bus in Fujian province, China, two days ago.  More here from China Daily.</summary><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/feeds/112370366872944403/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8333501&amp;postID=112370366872944403' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/112370366872944403'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/112370366872944403'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/2005/08/suicide-bomber-in-china.html' title='Suicide Bomber in China'/><author><name>redline</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/14577678504819257477</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8333501.post-112368486532357787</id><published>2005-08-10T07:00:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2005-08-10T07:43:00.006-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Of Cats and Bags</title><summary type='text'>The Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation recently became concerned about overhead imagery of the Lucas Heights HIFAR reactor on Google Earth, and on Sunday called upon Google to censor the imagery. (This is something that Google has already done for certain sensitive sites, such as the White House.) Curiously, a few days later, presumably after consultations with Australian </summary><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/feeds/112368486532357787/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8333501&amp;postID=112368486532357787' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/112368486532357787'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/112368486532357787'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/2005/08/of-cats-and-bags.html' title='Of Cats and Bags'/><author><name>redline</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/14577678504819257477</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8333501.post-112360409361960115</id><published>2005-08-09T08:54:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2005-08-09T09:14:53.663-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Watchflags for August 9</title><summary type='text'>This morning's items:   A Washington Post article on cyber-jihad.  [Hat tip:  Winds of Change]   And a followup:  "The Web as Weapon."  [Hat tip:  the Counterterrorism Blog]     A copy of the unsealed criminal complaint against Aswat Haroon Rashid, with the investigating special agent's affidavit.  [Hat tip:  the Counterterrorism Blog]     More proliferating security intelligence initiatives, </summary><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/feeds/112360409361960115/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8333501&amp;postID=112360409361960115' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/112360409361960115'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/112360409361960115'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/2005/08/watchflags-for-august-9.html' title='Watchflags for August 9'/><author><name>redline</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/14577678504819257477</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8333501.post-112322743554480713</id><published>2005-08-05T00:36:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2005-08-05T00:39:27.746-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Watchflags for August 5</title><summary type='text'>Only have time to post a grab-bag of links this morning, rather than a more fully-formed post.    More bumps in the information-sharing road, this time involving local police chiefs expressing frustration with what they're getting from the federal agencies and vowing to form their own parallel network for real-time, raw intelligence. This is consistent with the trend of intelligence consumers </summary><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/feeds/112322743554480713/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8333501&amp;postID=112322743554480713' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/112322743554480713'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/112322743554480713'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/2005/08/watchflags-for-august-5.html' title='Watchflags for August 5'/><author><name>redline</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/14577678504819257477</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8333501.post-112317562081763283</id><published>2005-08-04T09:53:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2005-08-04T21:00:17.933-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Watchflags for August 4</title><summary type='text'>An assortment of interesting items this morning:   Mike Cutler at the Counterterrorism Blog discusses what he sees as a major vulnerability in U.S. border security -- the visa waiver program, which allows aliens from 28 countries to enter the United States on a temporary basis without a visa.   Apparently there are a lot of stolen/forged passports from those 28 countries circulating out there, as</summary><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/feeds/112317562081763283/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8333501&amp;postID=112317562081763283' title='1 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/112317562081763283'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/112317562081763283'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/2005/08/watchflags-for-august-4.html' title='Watchflags for August 4'/><author><name>redline</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/14577678504819257477</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>1</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8333501.post-112308971735293479</id><published>2005-08-03T09:39:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2005-08-03T10:25:00.340-07:00</updated><title type='text'>The Case for OSINT, Revisited</title><summary type='text'>The latest unclassified edition of Studies in Intelligence contains another thoughtful article by Stephen Mercado on the subject of open-source intelligence (OSINT), which is worth a read.  OSINT, put simply, is "non-secret intelligence" drawn from open or "gray" sources, such as media reports, conference proceedings, commercial literature, press releases, and the like.  Although "secrets" remain</summary><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/feeds/112308971735293479/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8333501&amp;postID=112308971735293479' title='2 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/112308971735293479'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/112308971735293479'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/2005/08/case-for-osint-revisited.html' title='The Case for OSINT, Revisited'/><author><name>redline</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/14577678504819257477</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>2</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8333501.post-112308676523976140</id><published>2005-08-03T09:17:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2005-08-03T09:32:45.246-07:00</updated><title type='text'>DoD Looks Outside</title><summary type='text'>The Defense Department's Information Assurance Technology Analysis Center (IATAC) is the DoD's "central authoritative source for Information Assurance vulnerability data, information, methodologies, models, and analyses of emerging technologies relating to the survivability, authenticity, and continuity of information systems critical to the nation's defense." IATAC publishes a valuable quarterly</summary><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/feeds/112308676523976140/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8333501&amp;postID=112308676523976140' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/112308676523976140'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/112308676523976140'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/2005/08/dod-looks-outside.html' title='DoD Looks Outside'/><author><name>redline</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/14577678504819257477</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8333501.post-112300084424387944</id><published>2005-08-02T09:31:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2005-08-02T09:44:06.110-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Cyber-Jihad</title><summary type='text'>Two short items this morning:    English translation of an item apparently circulating on jihadist websites, providing advice for Salafist fighters seeking to cross the Syrian-Iraqi frontier.  [via the Counterterrorism Blog]   The Sun (of all sources) reports that MI5 has refocused on jihadist websites in the wake of the 7/7 bombings.  [via the Computer Crime Research Center]    As always, </summary><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/feeds/112300084424387944/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8333501&amp;postID=112300084424387944' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/112300084424387944'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/112300084424387944'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/2005/08/cyber-jihad.html' title='Cyber-Jihad'/><author><name>redline</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/14577678504819257477</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8333501.post-110067044706105119</id><published>2005-08-01T14:10:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2005-08-01T14:27:10.436-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Public Information Signatures for Critical Targets</title><summary type='text'>"Geospatial intelligence" is the security neologism for satellite imagery, topographical surveys, environmental data, and other similar geographical information that traditionally has been of critical military value. Today, much of this information (including private-sector high-resolution satellite imagery) is conveniently available to the public through the web.RAND, under contract with the </summary><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/feeds/110067044706105119/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8333501&amp;postID=110067044706105119' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/110067044706105119'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/110067044706105119'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/2005/08/public-information-signatures-for.html' title='Public Information Signatures for Critical Targets'/><author><name>redline</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/14577678504819257477</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8333501.post-112292749863154547</id><published>2005-08-01T13:05:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2005-08-01T14:13:24.266-07:00</updated><title type='text'>An Observation at the National Level</title><summary type='text'>American intelligence as it emerged from the Cold War defined its business as secrets where collection, primarily with regard to the Soviet Union, was the supreme task. In the world looking to 2010 and beyond, its business will be information defined as a high-quality understanding of the world using all sources, where secrets matter much less and where selection is the critical challenge. -</summary><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/feeds/112292749863154547/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8333501&amp;postID=112292749863154547' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/112292749863154547'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/112292749863154547'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/2005/08/observation-at-national-level.html' title='An Observation at the National Level'/><author><name>redline</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/14577678504819257477</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8333501.post-112292628095833047</id><published>2005-08-01T12:55:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2005-08-01T12:59:08.066-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Reactivation</title><summary type='text'>Back online.  Expect regular updates to commence over the next 48 hours.</summary><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/feeds/112292628095833047/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8333501&amp;postID=112292628095833047' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/112292628095833047'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/112292628095833047'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/2005/08/reactivation.html' title='Reactivation'/><author><name>redline</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/14577678504819257477</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8333501.post-110060214123235273</id><published>2004-11-16T02:11:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2004-11-17T10:32:57.920-08:00</updated><title type='text'>The C3 War</title><summary type='text'>DARPA's Information Exploitation Office announced an interesting RFI last week, seeking input from the general public on "Tools to Identify an Enemy's Command Organization and Manage Its Disruption." The targeted command organizations "range from the more structured command systems of a conventional military to the less structured and fluid leadership of guerillas and other irregular combatant </summary><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/feeds/110060214123235273/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8333501&amp;postID=110060214123235273' title='2 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/110060214123235273'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/110060214123235273'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/2004/11/c3-war.html' title='The C3 War'/><author><name>redline</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/14577678504819257477</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>2</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8333501.post-110050122551189387</id><published>2004-11-14T22:45:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2004-11-15T13:12:15.530-08:00</updated><title type='text'>Back Online</title><summary type='text'>Apologies for the lack of activity over the last month or so. Regular posting resumes tomorrow morning.Update:  Make that "tomorrow evening."</summary><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/feeds/110050122551189387/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8333501&amp;postID=110050122551189387' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/110050122551189387'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/110050122551189387'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/2004/11/back-online.html' title='Back Online'/><author><name>redline</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/14577678504819257477</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8333501.post-109707834412215871</id><published>2004-10-06T08:39:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2004-10-07T08:19:05.810-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Deep Interdiction</title><summary type='text'>A global terrorist network's logistical center-of-gravity subsists not in the traditional military form of munitions stockpiles and POL depots, but rather in its financial infrastructure. Financial investigators have been at the forefront of interdiction operations in the global war on terrorism, tracking the covert money flows upon which incubating terror cells rely for nourishment.This task </summary><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/feeds/109707834412215871/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8333501&amp;postID=109707834412215871' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/109707834412215871'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/109707834412215871'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/2004/10/deep-interdiction.html' title='Deep Interdiction'/><author><name>redline</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/14577678504819257477</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8333501.post-109696098379406503</id><published>2004-10-04T23:59:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2004-10-05T00:39:29.616-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Private Technologies and the Public Menace</title><summary type='text'>Been having a string of very long days (and nights) at the office, and so between grabbing snatches of sleep here and there it's been hard to post very regularly. I did get to shut down a bit early tonight, however, and thought that I'd share a few links on counterterrorism technologies: Making the Nation Safer: The Role of Science and Technology in Countering Terrorism, from the National </summary><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/feeds/109696098379406503/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8333501&amp;postID=109696098379406503' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/109696098379406503'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/109696098379406503'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/2004/10/private-technologies-and-public-menace.html' title='Private Technologies and the Public Menace'/><author><name>redline</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/14577678504819257477</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8333501.post-109662906059971935</id><published>2004-10-01T04:03:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2004-10-01T04:12:49.436-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Alive, But a Little Distracted</title><summary type='text'>Still stuck in high-frequency crisis mode (hence my presence in the office at ~4am), so I apologize for the low frequency of posting this week. In the meantime, read this piece on bioterrorism and the food supply.  [Hat tip: DHS/IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Reports]</summary><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/feeds/109662906059971935/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8333501&amp;postID=109662906059971935' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/109662906059971935'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/109662906059971935'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/2004/10/alive-but-little-distracted.html' title='Alive, But a Little Distracted'/><author><name>redline</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/14577678504819257477</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8333501.post-109634988516588828</id><published>2004-09-27T22:05:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2004-09-27T22:39:08.473-07:00</updated><title type='text'>The OSAC Before ISACs</title><summary type='text'>In 1985, at the height of the decade's terror attacks on Americans, the U.S. State Department sponsored the formation of the Overseas Security Advisory Council, a public-private partnership for the sharing of information related to security abroad. Among OSAC's many useful information products is a running two-week calendar of dates of potential terrorist significance, which is user-searchable.</summary><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/feeds/109634988516588828/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8333501&amp;postID=109634988516588828' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/109634988516588828'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/109634988516588828'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/2004/09/osac-before-isacs.html' title='The OSAC Before ISACs'/><author><name>redline</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/14577678504819257477</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8333501.post-109621654452448544</id><published>2004-09-26T09:22:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2004-09-26T16:05:57.153-07:00</updated><title type='text'>A Terrorist Targeting Model</title><summary type='text'>The Journal of Homeland Security has an article by George Stungis and Thomas Schori entitled "A Terrorist Selection and Prioritization Model," wherein they hypothesize the following al-Qaeda decision model for identifying targets:Qaeda al Egyptian Jihad’s inner circle selects mission objectives As ideas for targets (plus some intelligence) flow in from the field groups, the filtration process </summary><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/feeds/109621654452448544/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8333501&amp;postID=109621654452448544' title='2 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/109621654452448544'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/109621654452448544'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/2004/09/terrorist-targeting-model.html' title='A Terrorist Targeting Model'/><author><name>redline</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/14577678504819257477</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>2</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8333501.post-109610514058090420</id><published>2004-09-25T02:20:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2004-09-25T02:42:24.856-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Catch of the Day</title><summary type='text'>Just a handful of interesting reference links to share before the weekend begins:MIPT Terrorism Knowledge Base. "[T]he one-stop resource for comprehensive research and information on domestic and international terrorism, terrorist incidents, terrorism-related legal documents, and terrorist groups. In addition to content and raw data, the Terrorism Knowledge Base offers several analytical tools, </summary><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/feeds/109610514058090420/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8333501&amp;postID=109610514058090420' title='2 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/109610514058090420'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/109610514058090420'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/2004/09/catch-of-day.html' title='Catch of the Day'/><author><name>redline</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/14577678504819257477</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>2</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8333501.post-109601650208611548</id><published>2004-09-24T01:37:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2004-09-24T02:34:17.270-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Cops, Spies, and the Neighborhood Watch</title><summary type='text'>In crisis posture at work, so not much time to post, but I thought I'd point out another useful piece from the folks at RAND, this time addressing the natural tension in the counterterrorism mission between "law enforcement" on the one hand, and "intelligence" on the other. Some have argued that the two approaches are fundamentally incompatible, and should not be combined into a single agency (as</summary><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/feeds/109601650208611548/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8333501&amp;postID=109601650208611548' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/109601650208611548'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/109601650208611548'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/2004/09/cops-spies-and-neighborhood-watch.html' title='Cops, Spies, and the Neighborhood Watch'/><author><name>redline</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/14577678504819257477</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8333501.post-109593301403931408</id><published>2004-09-23T01:40:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2004-09-23T04:03:25.090-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Terror-Centric Networking</title><summary type='text'>Wretchard at Belmont Club (whose erudite, almost lyrical politicomilitary analysis represents the gold standard in the growing field of "blogint") has a spectacular set of recent offerings. First is this post, which vividly describes the most effective counterinsurgency weapon drafted into service by U.S. forces in Iraq:For the insurgents, the real enemy, the brain that pulls the trigger, is an </summary><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/feeds/109593301403931408/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8333501&amp;postID=109593301403931408' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/109593301403931408'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/109593301403931408'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/2004/09/terror-centric-networking.html' title='Terror-Centric Networking'/><author><name>redline</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/14577678504819257477</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8333501.post-109575610542809094</id><published>2004-09-20T22:59:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2004-09-23T04:57:03.670-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Civil Defense for Modern Times</title><summary type='text'>It is difficult to think very rationally about exactly what one would do in the event of a chemical, biological, or nuclear terrorist attack. While one may have strong, even visceral intuitions about the horrific likely effects of such an attack, there is a certain air of unreality that hangs loosely about all of this. The natural response is a sort of fearful resignation, a conviction that there</summary><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/feeds/109575610542809094/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8333501&amp;postID=109575610542809094' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/109575610542809094'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/109575610542809094'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/2004/09/civil-defense-for-modern-times.html' title='Civil Defense for Modern Times'/><author><name>redline</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/14577678504819257477</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8333501.post-109566317376254454</id><published>2004-09-19T23:44:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2004-09-20T13:52:15.660-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Collective Wisdom, Revisited</title><summary type='text'>Earlier, I mentioned DARPA's aborted Policy Analysis Market and dumb agent theory. As it happens, StrategyPage has experimentally implemented a similar concept on a smaller scale in its Prediction Market. At the moment, it has an accuracy rating of about 85% over a total of fifty "settled" events, which by itself does not allow us to draw too many conclusions, but is interesting anyway.</summary><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/feeds/109566317376254454/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8333501&amp;postID=109566317376254454' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/109566317376254454'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/109566317376254454'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/2004/09/collective-wisdom-revisited.html' title='Collective Wisdom, Revisited'/><author><name>redline</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/14577678504819257477</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8333501.post-109557096192853401</id><published>2004-09-18T22:10:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2004-09-19T08:58:09.440-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Getting Settled In</title><summary type='text'>I spent some time tonight renovating the front-end of the site by customizing one of Blogger's standard templates, which hopefully will make things a little easier to browse. Please let me know if you have suggestions.</summary><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/feeds/109557096192853401/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8333501&amp;postID=109557096192853401' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/109557096192853401'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/109557096192853401'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/2004/09/getting-settled-in.html' title='Getting Settled In'/><author><name>redline</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/14577678504819257477</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8333501.post-109552680043960397</id><published>2004-09-18T09:41:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2005-08-14T14:32:07.823-07:00</updated><title type='text'>The Green Trail</title><summary type='text'>The U.S. Treasury Department's financial intelligence office runs an awareness and reporting program aimed at suspicious transactions that may be related to terrorism financing. Like the Commerce Department's "know-your-customer" guidance for export control compliance, Treasury identifies certain examples of "red flags" that should prompt further investigation. These include: Account transactions</summary><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/feeds/109552680043960397/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8333501&amp;postID=109552680043960397' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/109552680043960397'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/109552680043960397'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/2004/09/green-trail.html' title='The Green Trail'/><author><name>redline</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/14577678504819257477</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8333501.post-109545629274193374</id><published>2004-09-17T14:04:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2004-09-19T09:40:57.536-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Beware of Mailman</title><summary type='text'>More suspicious substances in the mailroom, this time in San Mateo, California. These sorts of attacks have been in the headlines a lot lately, coming on the heels of an (apparently unrelated) series of incidents over the last two weeks in which booby-trapped letters were mailed to the governors of Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Massachusetts, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, </summary><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/feeds/109545629274193374/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8333501&amp;postID=109545629274193374' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/109545629274193374'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/109545629274193374'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/2004/09/beware-of-mailman.html' title='Beware of Mailman'/><author><name>redline</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/14577678504819257477</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8333501.post-109540702615874170</id><published>2004-09-17T01:58:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2005-08-14T14:33:05.350-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Dumb Agents and Collective Wisdom</title><summary type='text'>You may recall that last year the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) proposed an unusual intelligence experiment in the form of a market in "terror futures." After the announcement of the "Policy Analysis Market" (PAM) caused a public furor, DARPA (already embattled over its failed TIA initiative) quickly cancelled the program.The Naval Postgraduate School published a detailed </summary><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/feeds/109540702615874170/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8333501&amp;postID=109540702615874170' title='1 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/109540702615874170'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/109540702615874170'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/2004/09/dumb-agents-and-collective-wisdom.html' title='Dumb Agents and Collective Wisdom'/><author><name>redline</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/14577678504819257477</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>1</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8333501.post-109539321816626057</id><published>2004-09-16T20:26:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2004-09-19T02:17:15.376-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Googling Above the 38th Parallel</title><summary type='text'>Conventional wisdom holds that despots fear the Internet, which cannot be effectively controlled and serves as an enabler for anti-regime activity. An article by Stephen Mercado in the latest issue of Studies in Intelligence reveals that in North Korea, this may not be entirely true:The Internet has greatly enhanced the ease with which North Korea can acquire foreign data. . . . The </summary><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/feeds/109539321816626057/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8333501&amp;postID=109539321816626057' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/109539321816626057'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/109539321816626057'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/2004/09/googling-above-38th-parallel.html' title='Googling Above the 38th Parallel'/><author><name>redline</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/14577678504819257477</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8333501.post-109534595576366496</id><published>2004-09-16T07:25:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2004-09-18T22:06:59.550-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Progress Overseas</title><summary type='text'>Colt observes in this week's Thursday "Winds of War" briefing that it's been a fairly full week for European counterterrorism:Ten suspected terrorists of Pakistani origin were arrested by Spanish authorities in Catalonia;Five picked up in Alsace by French investigators (working for antiterrorism magistrate Jean-Louis Bruguiere); andThe Dutch press broke the story that at least four Saudis were </summary><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/feeds/109534595576366496/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8333501&amp;postID=109534595576366496' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/109534595576366496'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/109534595576366496'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/2004/09/progress-overseas.html' title='Progress Overseas'/><author><name>redline</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/14577678504819257477</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8333501.post-109531563463895697</id><published>2004-09-16T01:00:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2004-09-18T21:44:55.776-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Bedtime Reading</title><summary type='text'>Despite its rather prosaic title, Understanding Terror Networks is a uniquely engaging empirical study of the global Salafist jihad. Marc Sageman, forensic psychiatrist and former foreign service officer, studied the backgrounds of 172 jihadis, from the senior leaders of bin Laden's central staff to the foot soldiers in the Maghreb Arab and Southeast Asian cells. Worth a look for its thorough </summary><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/feeds/109531563463895697/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8333501&amp;postID=109531563463895697' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/109531563463895697'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/109531563463895697'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/2004/09/bedtime-reading.html' title='Bedtime Reading'/><author><name>redline</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/14577678504819257477</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8333501.post-109527830864087992</id><published>2004-09-15T13:52:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2005-08-14T14:34:26.733-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Beyond Criticality?</title><summary type='text'>Last week, a group of officials with emergency-planning responsibilities for the Pacific Northwest gathered in King County, Washington, for Exercise Blue Cascades II, a tabletop exercise designed to simulate the results of a massive cyber-attack. Of special interest to exercise planners were potential cascading failures that could arise due to complex interdependencies between different parts of </summary><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/feeds/109527830864087992/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8333501&amp;postID=109527830864087992' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/109527830864087992'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/109527830864087992'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/2004/09/beyond-criticality.html' title='Beyond Criticality?'/><author><name>redline</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/14577678504819257477</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8333501.post-109522522961843863</id><published>2004-09-15T01:48:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2005-08-14T14:29:56.296-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Beginnings</title><summary type='text'>A familiar aphorism that has emerged to explain the intelligence breakdown that preceded the attacks of September 11, 2001, is that there was a "failure to connect the dots." This is a useful and vivid metaphor, but much of the accompanying commentary tends to leave one with the impression that the solution is simply to remove a number of bureaucratic obstacles that have long hobbled the U.S. </summary><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/feeds/109522522961843863/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8333501&amp;postID=109522522961843863' title='1 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/109522522961843863'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8333501/posts/default/109522522961843863'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://topsightsentry.blogspot.com/2004/09/beginnings.html' title='Beginnings'/><author><name>redline</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/14577678504819257477</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>1</thr:total></entry></feed>
