Author Archives: pmbarry

One thing I like about Wikipedia are the little “citation needed” inserts reminding the reader, in effect, “Here we have a statement of fact which has been made without supporting evidence.” For instance, this is from the Raytheon article[1]: Raytheon … Continue reading →

“Most of my chess growth came from studying my losses very deeply…” –Josh Waitzkin This Authors@Google interview with Josh Waitzkin lasts about an hour. He talks about chess, martial arts, learning. It is a little abstract, with a sprinkling of … Continue reading →

Glance over this quote from a (useful) Symantec blog dissection of Stuxnet. Or, if it seems too dense, just look back as I refer to it below: To access a PLC, specific software needs to be installed; Stuxnet specifically targets … Continue reading →

There’s a popular theory that Stuxnet was intended to cripple Iran’s nuclear power program. Other theories could fit the facts, but for the sake of argument, let’s say that theory is credible. How would it work? Here’s what I think … Continue reading →

A headline from the front page of Saturday’s Wall Street Journal: “CIA Escalates in Pakistan”. Sub head: “Pentagon Diverts Drones From Afghanistan to Bolster Campaign Next Door”.[1] Somehow we need to re-label this war, but it’s awkward to take the … Continue reading →

If you’ve followed reports of the Stuxnet internet worm over the last month or so, you probably have in your mind an image. I am about to guess the image in your mind. I’ll use the word “research” in my … Continue reading →

Symantec’s W32.Stuxnet Dossier is the most useful info I’ve seen about stuxnet. Early in the paper, explaining context: Industrial control systems (ICS) are operated by a specialized assembly like code on programmable logic controllers (PLCs). The PLCs are often programmed … Continue reading →