Microsoft Shifting
B20– The leadership at Microsoft is shuffling its change agents around to adapt to an increasingly open source and perpetual beta world –
One of [Steven] Sinofsky’s main tasks in his new role will be to revamp the way that software is developed and pushed out the door. And it won’t be enough to just crack the whip on deadlines. He’ll also have to get Microsoft (Research) to embrace a new model of programming born on the Web — the “perpetual beta” — in which programmers continuously improve software with new features rather than wait to roll them up into a big release every few years.
It will be interesting to see how this plays out. Most structural innovations occur in the business world first because it is a more fluid/flexible environment than government – although that will hopefully be changing in the future.
Russian Spies in Iraq
AP – emphasis mine –
Russia had a military intelligence unit operating in Iraq up through the 2003 U.S. invasion and fall of Baghdad, a Russian analyst said Friday. A Pentagon report said Russia provided Saddam Hussein with intelligence on U.S. military movements and plans.
The unclassified report does not assess the value of the information or provide details beyond citing two captured Iraqi documents that say the Russians collected information from sources “inside the American Central Command” and that battlefield intelligence was provided to Saddam through the Russian ambassador in Baghdad.
We already knew Russia and China did not appreciate our “big banging” Iraq. Active covert opposition was also a given. Now we have proof.
Overreaction
Schneier- This article portends the inability for the state to effectively handle a non state actor, specifically in terms of on scene intelligence-
A worker at a Downtown building who was using a pellet gun with a scope to scare pigeons prompted a massive police response that led to the shutdown of several blocks this afternoon.
Which in turn led to – dozens of first responders being called on scene, local tunnels being shut down, buses being rerouted, some buildings evacuated while others were told to tell their populations to stay inside, several schools were closed, one closed, and…
…Before the all-clear was given and roads were reopened, police searched buildings floor-by-floor looking for the gunman and stationed snipers in surrounding buildings.
Classic. This is what a terrorist will exploit to his advantage. Tie up resources in one (or multiple locations) and attack from another direction entirely.
Reorganization or Reform?
Lind – Points out the flaws in the Army’s transition plan and discusses the difference between reorganization and reform – specifically discussing decentralization and the supposed generational shift we’re undergoing:
Here we come to the central question, not only about the Army`s move from divisions to brigades, but about its whole ‘transformation’ program: is it reform, or is it just reorganization? To count as real reform, it needs to move the Army out of the Second Generation and into the Third. If all it amounts to is reorganization within a Second Generation framework, then, frankly, it`s not worth the umpteen-thousand Power Point slides it`s printed on.
…Why is this a problem? Because more headquarters and larger headquarters inevitably mean more centralization. Centralization is one of the key characteristics of Second Generation militaries, just as decentralization is a defining quality of the Third Generation. Decentralization permits outward focus and encourages initiative, which in turn together speed up Boyd`s OODA Loop and improve accuracy of orientation. Centralization, in contrast, slows the OODA Loop down and blurs orientation because the picture that is the basis for decisions is many layers removed from the actual observation.
Sadly if this ever happens, the maxim of “too little too late” will apply. No amount of brigades will prevent another attack on American soil, the battlespace has expanded.
Organic School Security
This article touches on how a Representative and the schools in his district are reacting to inadequate federal funding for school security – emphasis mine –
“You’ve told me that federal efforts in school preparedness are uncoordinated and create confusion,” Etheridge said. “The survey found that your schools are feeling the squeeze of federal budget cuts in emergency preparedness.”
Etheridge said he plans to use the results to lobby for more funding from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. But he said the outlook is bleak.
“For the 2007 fiscal year, the president has requested no funding for (school preparedness grants under) the Safe and Drug-Free Schools program,” he said.
There is hope however, in the last quote of the article –
“We’ve got to get with our communities, churches and parents to prevent things like that beforehand,” he said. “We’re not going to stand for violence in schools.”
If this situation rings true across the board, most school districts in the country, maybe the above mentioned contraints will spark innovation and the result will be some form of organic security. These will be the the building blocks of definitive organic security structures (which will rise after a critical level of terror attacks has been achieved).
We began to see the basic steps in this direction after the various school shootings but with limited follow through (critical level of attacks has not been reached).