We're the Military and Airpower Guys of Jonah Goldberg of National Review Online + a stray we found wandering around looking lost. All original material JHD, BHD, JR, WT, and KA 2003-2007 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/09/from_the_email.html Tue, 23 Sep 2008 17:14:04 Z Movable Type 4.12 en Copyright 2008 http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification First, the email: Gentlemen As you all know the US Armed Forces has worked hard to "OPSEC" us out of victory; not intentionally in my view, but rather because they have trouble understanding the information war battlefield. Towards that end MNC-I has a screen saver installed on all SIPR and NIPR computers ( I did not see it in my first year as the Marines we worked for did a whole different thing.) Anyway several of the screensaver shots discuss taking care in blogging. The Blackfive, Mudville Gazette, and Arggh!! mastheads are the blogs used on all the screen... http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/09/from_the_email.html http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/09/from_the_email.html Sat, 22 Sep 2007 07:06:02 -0600 distance learning for raw CYOP Auxiliaries. It wouldn't pay for the Auxiliaries to become lock-step shills for the Regulars. In independence there is credibility. A lot of the Regulars will be against us anyway for breaking their rice bowls and bringing heat on them from the new regime. John, is Tim Thomas still at Leavenworth?]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/09/from_the_email.html#comment-64848 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/09/from_the_email.html#comment-64848 Mon, 24 Sep 2007 12:22:19 -0600 I think scanning the blogs is focusing too much energy on the wrong thing. If the DOD put this much energy into patching their IT security infrastructure, the Chinese would not have made it in. I'm wondering how many of the DOD web sites found with OPSEC violations are setup/run by contractors instead of DOD personnel? http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/09/from_the_email.html#comment-64781 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/09/from_the_email.html#comment-64781 Sat, 22 Sep 2007 23:10:09 -0600 The fact that we are policing ourselves better than DOD doesn't surprise me. A while back I was surfing and found a pic having to do with NCW and posted it. The favorite Naval Consort saw it and had me pull it down. I got the pic from an official Navy website. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/09/from_the_email.html#comment-64768 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/09/from_the_email.html#comment-64768 Sat, 22 Sep 2007 18:31:02 -0600 Doctrine... doctrine... doctrine... http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/09/from_the_email.html#comment-64767 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/09/from_the_email.html#comment-64767 Sat, 22 Sep 2007 18:24:17 -0600 Don't tangle me up in yer nasty Army sojer OXSPEC web. I'm on the admin side of things these days. Read: Nobody tells me anything. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/09/from_the_email.html#comment-64764 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/09/from_the_email.html#comment-64764 Sat, 22 Sep 2007 18:08:52 -0600 Shipmates, And yet the one area where the mil-types could be doing some active cyber-war stuff is where they are conspicuously(sp?) absent. I'm talking about taking down Jihadi & associated websites. The Jawa Report has been monitoring many of these, and passing along the url's and associated hosting data to us rank and file. We then contact the hosting services and inform them of the violation(s) of their hosting argeements with the perpetrators, as well as the fact that hosting terrorist websites is illegal. We also forward the data to the AG offices in the state(s) where the websites are located, as well as the AG's of the areas where the hosts are. Additionally, if the ISP can be obtained and tracked down, it can be matched to not only an address, but usually images from Google-Earth, and that data forwarded to LEO-types as well. If we citizens can be doing all this data part time, and being a VERY royal pain-in-the-arse to the Jihadis, (and we are.. you ought to see the complaints on their chatroom sites) then why isn't the military working this angle? If nothing else, you'd think that the PsyOps boys would be creating some ficticious websites and luring in the jihadis as well, passing along false info, etc. Regardless, sorry i haven't commented in awhile. my health has been less than good, so I'll be in and out for the next little while. Congrats, John, on the whole Dubya & DC trip. That was excellent. Respects, http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/09/from_the_email.html#comment-64751 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/09/from_the_email.html#comment-64751 Sat, 22 Sep 2007 12:39:24 -0600 I agree with Bill on what most officers use their computers for. They are unaware, even as they begin cyberspace units, exactly what the nature of cyber warfare looks like beyond the traditional view of hacking into sites and depositing viruses or stealing information. Information war on the web is extremely powerful. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/09/from_the_email.html#comment-64750 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/09/from_the_email.html#comment-64750 Sat, 22 Sep 2007 12:36:58 -0600 The MSM is clearly working for the enemy, and the PAO community needs to align themselves with those who are working on "our" side. Ahhhh, but they're caught between the proverbial rawk and the hard case. If the PAOs align with the new media, they'll have to take the MSM to task for their sins of omission and commission, which will earn them squeaks of editorial opprobrium for attempting to stomp all over the Freedom of the Press and will *not* earn them any E-wing brownie points. If, on the other hand, they keep the friendlies on a tight leash -- because they *can* -- they will at least earn attaboys from on high for doing something positive and "effectively managing the Risk." Finally, on the *other* other hand, my observation has been that most military managers / decision-makers use their computers solely for e-mail correspondence and reviewing the latest PowerPoint briefings...]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/09/from_the_email.html#comment-64746 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/09/from_the_email.html#comment-64746 Sat, 22 Sep 2007 11:58:24 -0600 Their chart lacks two important data points: (a) OPSEC violations by the NY Times and WAPO; (b) OPSEC violations by members of Congress The PAO/OPSEC fairies view "new media" as an enemy, and clearly do not understand that they can help prep the battlespace if they can get off their lazy, tradition bound butts and at least drop a few words on target. The MSM is clearly working for the enemy, and the PAO community needs to align themselves with those who are working on "our" side. While OPSEC violations need to be avoided, there must be acceptance of occasional inadvertant errors. Although friendly fire sometimes (and very regretably) causes friendly casualties, a 100% "no-fire, zero defects" policy only ensures that none of the enemy gets hurt either. We are in a war and need to win it by defeating the enemy and their ideology and propaganda. DOD needs to get proactive in "information warfare" and take advantage of the talent and dedication and patriotism which exists in the milblog community, instead of looking for excuses to poop on the few people who are actually working to help our side. Has the DOD community said "boo" about the Pvt Beauchamp lies? His BS undermined every positive PAO effort for the last year, but it was milbloggers who discovered and publicized his lying crap for what it was. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/09/from_the_email.html#comment-64738 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/09/from_the_email.html#comment-64738 Sat, 22 Sep 2007 08:20:14 -0600