Security Planner

I saw a security planner in the latest release by Citizen Lab and it is pretty good for people who are not security professionals.  For one thing, it is specific to certain types of operating systems;  for another, it is full of little tidbits that I found interesting and informative.  So, even if you are a security professional, point your friends to it.  It is pretty up-to-date right now and the way the Lab works, I imagine it will be updated pretty regularly.  They are a good group up there.  It is worth a look, and they are very responsive if you find something wrong.  Just drop them a note.

Mattis and Xi Talk About The Sea

The Secretary of Defense and the head of a large nation like China usually do not meet.  The protocol is for Defense Secretaries to meet with Defense Secretaries and leave politics to the diplomatic side of things.  The meeting was unusual in that respect and even more so when the lack of discussion was noted in the aftermath.  China does not want to negotiate on the South China Sea with the Defense Secretary anymore than he wanted to with the President.  There was a message there that was passed and we can only speculate what it was.  For sure, it said, “We are not backing down” and both of them probably had that same message.  Our Defense Secretary has a way of saying that is more believable than most.  Mattis is a Marine with a no-nonsense reputation.  He isn’t a diplomat because he doesn’t have to be one to convey that message.  It probably conveyed better coming from him.

China’s Way of Negotiation

So, when the US wanted to talk to China about their rediculous demand on making Taiwan listings in US air carriers Taiwan, China, the Chinese said no.  This is the way they have negotiated things they want to establish as “non-negotiable” so we should expect this kind of behavior.  The problem with this, of course, is that China has too many things that are put into that category.  Those fighters on one of their man-made islands (just self-defense) those claims in fishing rights that have gone astray, and a host of other things that are dwarfed by the South China Sea where a piece of water half the size of China is at stake.  That piece of water includes a lot of territory in Taiwan and probably South Korea, though few have asked the question, not wanting to hear the response.  When there is no negotiations, you can bet there will be actions on both sides that do not allow for backing down.  Taiwan is not going to be Taiwan, China on very many US carriers.  If it is listed that way when you purchase your ticket, I would prompt you to just say no.  Try another carrier until they get this right.