Icon by Frederick Forsyth
In Frederick Forsyth’s Icon, a political thriller set in a chaotic 1999 Russia, a group of Western powerbrokers stumbles upon a dangerous plot.
Books
Blog
Monthly update #0232 • August 2009
Monthly update 232 • August 2009 • 2009-08-01 - 2009-08-31
Monthly Updates
Privacy Roundup #0037 • August 2009
August 2009 turned location, tracking and old-fashioned card theft into front-page worries, as a record breach indictment, a Twitter blackout and quiet browser snooping all landed in the same month.
Privacy
The Lazarus Vendetta by Robert Ludlum
In Robert Ludlum’s The Lazarus Vendetta, co-authored with Patrick Larkin, Covert-One's Jon Smith investigates a deadly attack on a nanotech laboratory linked to the shadowy Lazarus Movement.
Books
What is ODSAgent?
If you see ODSAgent running on your Mac, here is what this Open Directory process does.
Mac
What is gssd?
If you see gssd running on your Mac, here is what this authentication process does.
Mac
What is GSSCred?
If you see GSSCred running on your Mac, here is what this Kerberos credentials process does.
Mac
Privacy Roundup #0036 • July 2009
July 2009 turned on cascading account takeovers, remote control of devices we thought we owned, and a wave of state and corporate surveillance that pushed regulators and privacy advocates into action.
Privacy
What is pfd?
If you see pfd running on your Mac, here is what this packet filter logging process does.
Mac
Monthly update #0231 • July 2009
Monthly update 231 • July 2009 • 2009-07-01 - 2009-07-31
Monthly Updates
The Altman Code by Robert Ludlum
In Robert Ludlum’s The Altman Code, co-authored with Gayle Lynds, Covert-One's Jon Smith tracks a Chinese cargo ship suspected of carrying chemical weapons material before a major treaty signing.
Books
The Fist of God by Frederick Forsyth
In Frederick Forsyth’s thrilling Gulf War movie, The Fist of God, things get intense when British and American spies find out about Saddam Hussein’s secret weapon, a super powerful device that could change the whole war.
Books
Monthly update #0230 • June 2009
Monthly update 230 • June 2009 • 2009-06-01 - 2009-06-30
Monthly Updates
Privacy Roundup #0035 • June 2009
June 2009 turned the spotlight on state surveillance, as Iran throttled the net during its election and China ordered censoring software onto every new PC, while Western firms tracked, leaked and reassured in equal measure.
Privacy
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009), directed by Carlos Saldanha, takes the herd underground into a hidden world where dinosaurs still live. Ray Romano voices Manny, who is about to become a father and worries about everything.
Movies
What is security.agent.login?
If you see security.agent.login on your Mac, here is what this login process does.
Mac
The Bancroft Strategy by Robert Ludlum
In Robert Ludlum’s The Bancroft Strategy, agent Todd Belknap seeks kidnapped friend Jared Rinehart, intersecting with Andrea Bancroft's probe into her family's foundation and enigmatic Genesis, unveiling a utilitarian cabal.
Books
Monthly update #0229 • May 2009
Monthly update 229 • May 2009 • 2009-05-01 - 2009-05-31
Monthly Updates
Privacy Roundup #0034 • May 2009
May 2009 paired a run of painful breaches with hard questions about location tracking, deep packet inspection and who gets to watch the wires.
Privacy
Pentecost
I appreciate the full story of Pentecost more each year. The Spirit came like wind and fire to the disciples.
Christianity
The Deceiver by Frederick Forsyth
In Frederick Forsyth’s epic espionage novel, “The Deceiver,” seasoned British SIS officer Sam McCready, known for his cunning, is forced to retire as the Cold War ends in 1989.
Books
Ascension Day
I appreciate the full story of Ascension Day more each year. Christ went up to heaven to prepare a place for us.
Christianity
What is bluetoothd?
If you see bluetoothd, BTServer, BlueTool, or bluetoothuiservice running on your Mac, here is what these Bluetooth processes do.
Mac
What is pfctl?
If you see pfctl on your Mac, here is what this firewall tool does.
Mac
The Ambler Warning by Robert Ludlum
In Robert Ludlum’s The Ambler Warning, agent Hal Ambler escapes a psychiatric facility, discovering his identity erased.
Books