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Anonymous: The next evolution in security attacks

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Anonymous has been described as a loose confederation of hacktivists. So what is Anonymous trying to prove? Any of a number of things. The common Anonymous thread is the thrill of hacking and “getting the goods” on someone or some group, or taking over a website. Thus far, it does not appear there is a central core of operation. What is interesting is the evolution of cyberattacks, from denial of service, to the release of classified documents, to the focus on persons within government responsible for securing the nation’s interests. Continue Reading →

Can diplomacy be conducted online?

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Through the Virtual Student Foreign Service program, one initiative within an expanded approach to diplomacy, I have the unique experience of contributing to an innovative form of diplomatic engagement. As a “virtual” intern for the U.S. embassy in Baku, Azerbaijan, I coordinate an online lecture series for university students in Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia without having to leave Rice’s campus. My work is part of the greater goal of 21st century statecraft: to find new ways of reaching out to, and engaging with, communities abroad.

As a “virtual” intern for the U.S. embassy in Baku, Azerbaijan, I coordinate an online lecture series for university students in Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia without having to leave Rice’s campus.
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Can Paula Deen have her chicken-fried steak and eat it too?

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Earlier this week, Paula Deen, the doyenne of southern cooking and comfort, announced what many had been suspecting — that she has Type 2 diabetes. When asked why she waited three years after her original diagnosis to announce that she had the disease, she responded that she “… had to figure things out in [her] own head.” (Here’s my translation: “Cough-wait-for-a-pharmaceutical-endorsement-contract-cough.”)

What she did not comment on was the elephant in the room: the role that her hunk-o-butter, cheese-lovin’, comfort food recipes, and subsequent lifestyle choices, played in her prognosis. Genetics is a factor in Type 2 diabetes, but diet and exercise can significantly influence when, if at all, the disease manifests and how far it progresses. Who knows how often Paula Deen eats the food she preaches on her show, but she is certainly overweight and no doubt this, at least in part, was responsible for her diabetes. Continue Reading →

What does it take to get Washington’s attention on the border?

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Across the country, citizens now scratch their heads and wring their hands wondering what it takes to get Washington’s attention focused on the U.S.-Mexico border. During this election cycle, border security has received some attention, but not what it deserves.

The violence continues, the middle class is fleeing Mexico, and evidence mounts that criminal organizations are increasingly active and influential in the United States. Time has proved that boots on the ground provide a powerful deterrent, and, similar to the surge of troops in Iraq, it can change the dynamics of the situation markedly. Continue Reading →

Bills will not end intellectual property theft

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In a recent Houston Chronicle op-ed, information technology fellow Christopher Bronk explains why two new bills in Congress, aimed at reducing vulnerability in the nation’s cyber infrastructure, are not a viable solution for increasing digital security. According to Bronk, the Preventing Online Threats to Economic Creativity and Theft of Intellectual Property (PROTECT IP) Act and the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) attempt to enact legislation on digital crime without a complete understanding of how the Internet and computing technology works. Continue Reading →

Yes, there is a homegrown terrorism threat

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Earlier this year U.S. Rep. Peter T. King, R-N.Y., chaired three hearings on Islamic radicalization in the United States. One challenge was the lack of data in the public debate, which made it easy for critics to dismiss the hearings or the need to investigate this issue.

The Baker Institute Homeland Security and Terrorism Program recognized this deficiency, so I began the task of gathering the data on persons associated with Islamic extremist activities in the United States and on U.S. persons associated with Islamic extremist activities abroad from 2009 to the spring of 2011. After nine months of research on 104 individuals, questions posed by the hearings on radicalization can be answered in my paper, “Analyzing the Islamic Extremist Phenomenon in the United States: A Study of Recent Activity.” Continue Reading →

Lessons from Lebanon

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Before I left for my summer study program at the American University of Beirut (AUB), my American friends had a lot of questions for me: “Are you worried?” “Isn’t it dangerous?” “Where exactly is Lebanon?”

The concern was valid, since Lebanon, which shares borders with Syria and Israel, continues to be in a volatile region. Even as I boarded the plane for Lebanon in June, the tensions next door in Syria were boiling over. Continue Reading →