Short Takes – 5-7-24

Why Your VPN May Not Be as Secure As It Claims. KrebsOnSecurity.com article. Pull quote: ““However, and I think this is a key point to emphasize, an untrusted network is an untrusted network, which is why you’re usually employing the VPN in the first place,” Kristoff said. “If [the] local network is inherently hostile and has no qualms about operating a rogue DHCP server, then this is a sneaky technique that could be used to de-cloak some traffic – and if done carefully, I’m sure a user might never notice.””

Statement on Ukraine from the OPCW Spokesperson. TWITTER.com post. Pull quote: “It is against the Convention to use riot control agents at war on the battlefield. If used as a method of warfare, these agents are considered chemical weapons and, hence, are prohibited under the Convention.”

New details emerge of Russia’s potential nuclear space weapon. BreakingDefense.com article. Are really vague details really details? Pull quote: ““However, the orbit is in a region not used by any other spacecraft — that in itself was somewhat unusual. And the orbit is in a region of higher radiation than normal lower Earth orbits, but not high enough of a radiation environment to allow accelerated testing of electronics as Russia has described the purpose to be,” Stewart elaborated.”

Understand Forecast Information. NOAA.gov article. Pre-hurricane season reminder of storm threat information terms. Pull quote: “The National Hurricane Center Forecast Cone shows the probable forecast track of the center of the storm. This means that the storm’s center will probably travel somewhere within the cone’s boundaries. (Historically, the storm’s center has remained within the forecasted cone roughly two-thirds of the time.) The cone does NOT represent the size of the storm in any way.”

The Revolution in Military Media Affairs. ButtonDown.email (The Grugq's Newsletter) post.  Pull quote: “The distance from the frontline to the home front has collapsed, active participants can livestream events in real time directly to a global audience. Once again, the military has lost control over the information environment. Indeed, this loss of control is more pronounced than ever before because anyone who witnesses military activity can publish globally.”