Thread: Does the situation in Ukraine worry you?

Originally Posted by DDD

Okay that you think that Russia's seizure of Ukraine is low. But why do you think Ukraine cannot look after themselves if left alone again?

They are a deeply divided country incapable of effectively projecting power even within their own borders, dependent upon outside aid that may or may not be coming to prop up a bankrupt government?

Originally Posted by MoSurveyor

Few governments initiate cyber attacks. It's bad news if they get caught at it. In fact, AFAIK we're the only government that's been caught doing it - with the exception of Russia and Georgia exchanging cyber blows during their "little war".

One of the beauties of Cyber Attacks is the relative ease with which you can make them either non-attributable, or impossible to prove attribution (the Russians are particularly good at that trick). Which is one reason why governments do, in fact, initiate Cyber Attacks. For other exceptions where this has gone public check out China (who seems to be quite busy in this realm) and Israel. Iran joins the club as a proud member, having outed herself (as did we). Even Hermit Kingdom North Korea has gotten into the game, although it seems they got at least an initial boost there from China.

So, either we're really, really stupid (which I have a hard time believing because we have the best hackers money can buy) or the others aren't doing it, or are doing it on a very, very small scale.

that. Or cyber defenses, capabilities, and weapons have extremely limited shelf-lives after they become public, and so are among the most tightly guarded secrets of any nation, and what has leaked is enough to make it clear that this is now a global cyber field of conflict, while what hasn't leaked is enough to make what has leaked look like the snowball on top of the tip of the iceberg.

Or, you know. Nations could be sitting on top of a perfect way to strike at opposing entities while risking very little in return and refusing to do so out of a sense of decency about the whole thing. That, too, I suppose, is a possibility .

Originally Posted by MoSurveyor

Hey, if we can do it and not get caught I'd be all for it. But we tried that once, already, and we did get caught. Good thing it was just Iran and not someone with a real army and nukes.

:raises eyebrow: we outed ourselves. The Administration wanted to have some good "Foreign Policy" chest-thumping before the election and so they leaked it to the New York Times, and outed our Israeli allies as well (who must have collectively hit the ceiling, thereby further eroding trust with a key ally in the region).

Originally Posted by SBu

I believe I heard on the news that recent hacker attacks against retailers originated from Russia. Any thoughts on whether that was gov't sponsored or simply Russian gangs (of which there are a lot)

What..... exactly.... makes you assume that those two things are mutually contradicting?

With Gates as secretary of defense, Kerry at state and Obama as president what could go wrong? They will all be on the golf coarse.

Just saw this, the situation is still heating up
http://voiceofrussia.com/news/2014_0...medium=twitter