Adam L Silverman – Balloon Juice

BlogCon 1: Global Ransomware Attack in Progress

June 27, 2017 /70 Comments/in Cybersecurity, Open Thread, Silverman on Security /by Adam L Silverman

Time to batten down the cyber hatches! Firms around the globe are reporting a major cyber-attack https://t.co/lysGDBHwXd pic.twitter.com/LeXFYGOD0z — BBC Breaking News (@BBCBreaking) June 27, 2017 Companies across the globe are reporting that they have been struck by a major ransomware cyber-attack. British advertising agency WPP is among those to say its IT systems have […]

Breaking: White House Statement on Syrian Chemical Weapons

June 26, 2017 /105 Comments/in America, Domestic Affairs, Foreign Affairs, Not Normal, Open Thread, Silverman on Security, War /by Adam L Silverman

The White House has just released the following statement: It went up at 10:04 PM EDT on Sean Spicer’s official twitter feed, but is not yet up on the Office of the Press Secretary Statements and Releases page. Unless someone’s been reading the Mass Atrocity Prevention and Response Handbook*, which presents publicizing mass atrocities/potential mass […]

Last Minute NY City Meet Up: RedDirtGirl Invites You to Her Self Thrown Surprise Birthday Party

June 23, 2017 /92 Comments/in Open Thread /by Adam L Silverman

I’m elevating this from comments to front page on behalf of RedDirtGirl (whether she likes it or not!): New York City area Balloon Juicers: in observance of my birthday week I’m throwing myself a surprise party! It’s at Sunny’s Bar in Redhook (link below). The weekly bluegrass jam starts at 9pm and it’s beautiful space. […]

The Smoking Gun: Putin’s Specific Instructions for Active Measures Against the United States During the 2016 Presidential Election

June 23, 2017 /238 Comments/in America, Election 2016, Foreign Affairs, Military, Not Normal, Open Thread, Silverman on Security, War /by Adam L Silverman

The Washington Post reports (emphasis mine): The intelligence captured Putin’s specific instructions on the operation’s audacious objectives — defeat or at least damage the Democratic nominee, Hillary Clinton, and help elect her opponent, Donald Trump. Specifically: Early last August, an envelope with extraordinary handling restrictions arrived at the White House. Sent by courier from the […]

The Overarching Middle East Problem Set: Proxy War and Forced Realignment

June 19, 2017 /62 Comments/in America, Foreign Affairs, Military, Open Thread, Silverman on Security, War /by Adam L Silverman

Over the past several weeks the just below the surface proxy wars and attempts to forcefully realign Middle Eastern politics, power dynamics, and alliances have come into full view. Over the past two weeks the Saudis and Emiratis have attempted to isolate their erstwhile Qatari partner. Turkey and Iran have come to Qatar’s aid as […]

The Navy Hymn

June 18, 2017 /36 Comments/in America, Military, Open Thread, Silverman on Security /by Adam L Silverman

Horrible news — Bodies of missing sailors found pic.twitter.com/FdXMa5tTQF — Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) June 18, 2017

Some Thoughts on Today’s Shootings

June 14, 2017 /133 Comments/in America, Domestic Affairs, Open Thread, Politics, Popular Culture, Post-racial America, Silverman on Security /by Adam L Silverman

I’ve done a technical post on mass shootings before. Specifically what simulations and simulated recreations can tell us in terms of potential outcomes. And as the author of the US Army report on Soldiers who commit mass shootings (authorized by the Office of the Provost Marshall General and US Army Corrections Command via my office […]