Michael Kaiser's weblog

Google Library Project on Arts and Letters

Tue, 04 Dec 2007 11:53:39 -0500

Today on Arts and Letters was an article about the Google Library Project , which has been a topic of class discussion. The article, called Google and Its Enemies: The much-hyped project to digitize 32 million books sounds like a good idea. Why are so many people taking shots at it? , gives an excellent break down/ summary of the major issues involved in the project. Behind this entry are a few of my favorite quotes…

Another Presentation

Sun, 02 Dec 2007 15:47:47 -0500

I found another presentation online, this time on the website of the National Defense Industrial Association . It was given by the commander of the 8th Air Force, which is one of the units most heavily involved in AF Cyber Command. The briefing can be found here. He keeps the new mantra of the Air Force: “To deliver sovereign options for the defense of the United States of America and its global interests –to fly and fight in air, space, and cyberspace.”

Amazing what you can find on the internet

Fri, 30 Nov 2007 15:19:00 -0500

Last week, I found a PowerPoint presentation given by Dr. Lani Kass, director of the AF Cyber Task Force in the Pentagon in September 2006, just after the creation of AFCYBER was announced. Unfortunately, I lost the location of the file and inexplicably was unable to find it again after some searching through my history.

Patriot-Hackers Needed

Fri, 23 Nov 2007 15:49:32 -0500

Wanted: Independently wealthy, top tier computer science graduate with hacking experience. Must be able to receive a high-level security clearance (no bitTorrent, folks), be comfortable interacting with military personnel, sign a long-term commitment and work long hours for little pay.

Air Force Cyber Command Revisited

Fri, 23 Nov 2007 13:23:41 -0500

In late 2006, Secretary of the Air Force Michael Wynne announced the creation of Air force Cyberspace Command (AFCYBER) to be stood up in the summer of 2007. There were a number of articles on the announcement. Here’s a quote from one on Federal Computer Week’s website:

The Estonia Cyberwar

Fri, 16 Nov 2007 12:31:00 -0500

I was watching Live Free or Die Hard, the newest Die Hard movie, the other night. In it, an unnamed, unexplained group of French speaking Americans (apparently) engage in a cyberattack on Washington DC and the infrastructure of the North East. The details aren’t important, but there are a few items that are. First, cyberpower and cybersecurity like what I have been talking about over the course of this semester’s blog posts has made its way into popular culture. Second, it made me think of Estonia.

Air Force Cyber Command - Offensive Branch of US Cyberpower?

Thu, 01 Nov 2007 15:05:43 -0500

Earlier this year, the Air Force made a move to take over responsibility for military operations in cyberspace, in a bold move in the typical game of inter-service rivalry. In a press release , General Mike Moseley, AFCC, announced the creation of Air Force Cyber Command.

Quick Note - Russia's "Soft" Cyberpower

Mon, 29 Oct 2007 09:51:10 -0500

An article in the Washington Post today about the Russian government bolstering the influence of state-sponsored websites got me thinking about whether or not I am going to include this sort of thing in my paper on Cyberpower.

Deutsche Telekom und Net Neutrality

Thu, 25 Oct 2007 08:44:42 -0500

Here’s an interesting post from the NY Times “Bits” blog about net neutrality. Apparently, the future is now. The text of the entry (its not very long), is pasted below.

DHS and Cyberpower

Sun, 21 Oct 2007 18:57:40 -0500

Over the next few entries, I am going to examine how various US government agencies address the issue of cyberpower, starting with DHS. In Eric Lausten’s blog, he breaks down the National Strategy for Homeland Security which was issued earlier this month. This topic is closely reverent to my paper as well as Eric’s.

Cyberpower: Breaking Down the Threat

Wed, 17 Oct 2007 14:49:57 -0500

Last week, I wrote about the reasons cyberpower is needed as an instrument of national strategy. As part of that analysis, I briefly touched on vulnerabilities and asymmetric threats posed by actors in cyberspace. This week, I focus on the threats, breaking them down into a few different categories and providing further structure for the question that I will be answering in my paper.

Why Cyberpower?

Wed, 10 Oct 2007 17:52:00 -0500

A paper about power in cyberspace must start by answering two fundamental questions. I wrote about the first was answered last week, that is, the boundaries of cyberspace. This week, I will answer the next – why is cyberpower needed? The answer to this question is threefold, with key lessons easily drawn from the other kinds of national power projection whether it be by land, sea, air or space. Cyberpower is a necessary requirement of the United States because of the importance of the Internet to US economic, social and political life, the vulnerabilities inherent in the US system, and the asymmetric capabilities of US adversaries when it comes to cyberspace operations.

Boundaries of Cyberpower

Wed, 03 Oct 2007 12:56:09 -0500

Any fully developed concept of cyberpower requires a firm definition of the boundaries of cyberspace. While this issue might seem simple on first glance, it is actually a lot deeper than one might expect…

Net neutrality and national interest

Thu, 27 Sep 2007 10:21:09 -0500

Flag follows trade – the concept that the state will extend its reach into any environment in which commerce is taking place. The debate about net neutrality has direct relevance to this idea and some interesting implications for the future of cyberspace. Will the arms of national power pursue American corporations as they extend their reach, through cyberspace, into other counties? What forms of national power will they (or can they) use?

Interesting Article About Gatekeeping

Tue, 25 Sep 2007 12:35:41 -0500

I was connected to this article from Arts and Letters Daily. It has some relevance to our gatekeeping topic for this week, related to social networking sites and societal norms. The article is “Virtual Friendship and the New Narcissism” by Christine Rosen.

Below is an excerpt:

Also, in the offline world, communities typically are responsible for enforcing norms of privacy and general etiquette. In the online world, which is unfettered by the boundaries of real-world communities, new etiquette challenges abound. For example, what do you do with a “friend” who posts inappropriate comments on your Wall? What recourse do you have if someone posts an embarrassing picture of you on his MySpace page? What happens when a friend breaks up with someone—do you defriend the ex? If someone “friends” you and you don’t accept the overture, how serious a rejection is it? Some of these scenarios can be resolved with split-second snap judgments; others can provoke days of agonizing.