A Breakdown: Unbeknownst to the vast majority, Ross Ulbricht became the mastermind of a Dark Web drug ring by the name of the Silk Road. His three year legal battle came to an abrupt end in late May at the hands of the Second Circuit Appellate Court.
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Operating through the Dark Web, Ulbricht constructed a massive drug market. It is here; the depths of the web, parts no internet browser will reach, that such occurrences
happen each day. No underground market matched the size, complexity, and secretive nature of the Silk Road. For that, Ulbricht was handed a life sentence without the possibility of parole in February of 2015
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The defense team argued exhaustively on the grounds of illegally conducted searches and the handling of the case by two, now proven corrupt, federal agents. The punishment for these non-violent crimes may seem a bit extreme, but the extensive operation included crimes from money laundering and computer hacking to conspiracy to distribute narcotics.
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In the end, the three-judge panel chose to uphold the decision of the lower courts, thus terminating the chances for Ross Ulbricht to live a life outside prison. Striking down the claims of unconstitutional searches and seizures, the panel deemed all searches legal under current interpretations of the 4th Amendment. From the Dark Web to a Dark Cell, Ross Ulbricht will no longer walk the Silk Road.
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My Hot Take: OK so, here's a guy. A normal looking guy turned Internet Drug Kingpin. Now this could surprise anybody, but especially people who don't know the entities of which compose the dark web. Yet here I am, finding myself dumbfounded. Not only to risk his own life, but the lives of so many others, nothing seems more fit than a life sentence.
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You can't ignore the fact that this man operated behind a computer screen, collecting millions and millions off of scheming, manipulating computer nerds with the same agenda. The age of crime is changing. Now you don't have to be peddling through South America. You can just sit at home in your lonely apartment in New York and make money off ruining the lives of those you've never met.
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What makes someone do this? Greed? The greed we see so prevalent in Modern society? Whatever it is, whatever caused him to wake up one morning and so carefully plan the operation, I hope he can sleep with in those 50 some remaining years he gets to sleep in a prison cell.
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I do not pursue such a career path to use it against people. I pursue cybersecurity to help protect what should be protected. Exploiting those who may not have the skills which many in the industry possess is not a reason to follow this field.
Taking the Silk Road Leads to Life Sentence for Creator, Ross Ulbricht
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November 02, 2017 - Jarod Zeckowski
My Response to the following Verge article:
A Breakdown: Earlier this week, Bloomberg journalists Max Chafkin and Dune Lawrence, put together an article which shows that the next major hack could blackout the American Mainland. Noting sources, security experts have found evidence that Russian hackers have infiltrated US utilities and nuclear power plants. It eludes to the fact that this type of failure will most likely come from the hands of the Russians as it refers to an attack in Ukraine several years ago that left hundreds of thousands without power.
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With only a handful of countries with the sufficient knowledge of pulling off such a threat, many experts say the time for this is coming. The duo of writers say that many infrastructure companies are unprepared. The Russian hackers' continuous innovation of new attacks have made this unrealistic threat into a near inevitability. From the spread of viruses to rewriting the codes for power grids, a blackout in America may be close. But it is coming.
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My Hot Take: Aside from all the Russian-American politics in the news today, I believe this attack is coming. Not only is it around the corner, the possibility for companies to begin trying to beef up their security is too late. With a complex web of interconnected systems, some reaching back decades, these utility companies do not have sufficient time or knowledge of how to protect themselves. Not only are they protecting themselves, but hours of no electricity could lead to more catastrophic events such as car accidents, train derailments, fires, etc.
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I agree with the ideas of Chafkin and Lawrence that this type of threat will be executed by the Russians before any other country. With it already being executed in Ukraine and evidence of infiltration in the US, it can only be left up for interpretation that these hackers are planning a large-scale takedown.
In agreement with their ideas; respectfully, I have some of my own. If Russian hackers had already penetrated American systems, why are they not executing this malicious code? I believe, with governmental regulations in the utility and nuclear sectors, that governmental contractors can quickly assess, construct, and prevent such failures. If it is indeed too late to fully secure all of the mainland, I suggest these companies focus on the most crucial geographical locations. A major concept in risk analysis is to mitigate loss. Cities with economic hubs must be protected foremost.
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If the Russian government were to try and attack the US, our focus must not be in the plains of Iowa, but should focus on areas such as NYC, San Francisco, Boston, DC, etc. The repercussions of a midday blackout in NYC could cause an economic failure in the stock exchange. Areas with more importance must be protected immediately, followed by lower population, lower risk areas.
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Without protection, the US is left wide open. Assets must be located, reallocated, and protected as the future of modern infrastructure may depend on it.
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https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-11-02/the-next-big-hack-could-turn-america-s-lights-off
My Response to the following Bloomberg article:
Could the Next Cyber-Attack Cause a Blackout in America?
November 07, 2017 - Jarod Zeckowski
My Hot Take: The world's dependency on technology is frightening. This being said, I am in agreement with the author, Jacob Morgan, who argues that it is too early to tell. Not only does each person's definition of what is good differ, but for one person to decide that all technology is bad or good with no in-between is unfathomable. In the modern day, tech is becoming more of a necessity than a leisure. Without it, many persons' daily lives would be greatly affected.
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Morgan points out several pros and cons of the situation, as I believe it is necessary to also look at both sides. Certainly there are drawbacks, but at the rate of progression with modern technological advancements, can people really be to blame? If someone does not have a smartphone,it can be said that they are "out of touch". But, are these people out of touch? Or is the rest of society out of touch?
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I do believe the modern communication is not as effective as it was in the past. With so many of these younger generations learning to communicate via texts instead of face-to-face conversations, it can be worrisome that we will lose our social skills.
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Overall, the J Morgan article is well though out and well-written. I believe the conclusion of technolgies' impact on the well-being of humans will differ from person-to-person. Not only do I believe this now, but I do not expect this to ever change.
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