It’s looking like the Class of ’62 isn’t much for blogging or we just haven’t found a sufficiently controversial topic.  But thanks, Joe, for trying on the GMO.

Thought I’d shift gears to another topic that’s been keeping me busy in my “retirement”--data security.  I don’t know what other classmates have encountered since we’re pretty well spread around the U.S.--but it seems like my credit cards are constantly being replaced (at least annually) due to either fraudulent charges hitting my accounts or mass grabs of card account numbers (e.g. Target, et al).

But the real issue is so much bigger--while these widely published data break-ins occur much more frequently than the public is told, these are just skirmishes.  It is the full out cyber-warfare that we have to defend against.  Networked data connections control our power grids, our manufacturing capability, food supply chains,  our flood control--even our money supply.  So the most effective warfare going forward may not be about boots on the ground or even drones and other robotics--it may be in darkening the cities, shutting down its offices and plants, and starving its citizens while its criminal elements burn and pillage from inside.

But I am neither a defeatist or conspiracist--because there is technology available that can stop these attacks whether from North Korean government agencies, intellectual Russian thugs, or the misguided enterprising kid next door.  We know that data encryption is not good enough--especially as code-breaking algorithms love the increase in processing speed coming from INTEL and IBM, and the keys used for protection are becoming larger than the data to be secured (like lugging around a key bigger than the padlock).

The software startup with which I have been consulting (https://www.securityfirstcorp.com/ -watch the John Sculley interview ) is now shipping product through IBM and other distribution channels.  This is technology that even NSA (National Security Agency) and DOD (Department of Defense) experts can’t crack (the only externally produced algorithm ever to achieve such security). 

Now the challenge is to gain commercial acceptance--to have it embedded in every system that moves or stores sensitive data.  And the hurdle to overcome is the arrogance of IT (Information Technology) managers and corporate financial officers who continue to say that what they are using now is “good enough.” 

The headlines say differently!   (and the 60”s were a much simpler place to be )