rickf - a cynical professor

After a 20-yr gov/mil/corp career that included being CSO for the company once running global DNS, I'm now a senior cybersecurity professor overseeing a large grad program, co-coordinating a campus institute, and taking a critical eye towards risks, information-based conflict, natsec, tech policy, & more. Author, investor, AoIRista, C19 LongHauler & StanfordCIS affiliate. A geek rooted in the humanities & longtime metalhead who misses '90s internet. Posts deleted weekly.

Website: https://www.rickf.org
Geography: DC / MD / VA USA
Latest Book: 'Cybersecurity and Local Governments' (Wiley, 2022)
GPG Key: https://rickf.org/gpgkey-latest.txt

Public Key

npub1jsjkf7khyrsluvst8facgf25tf5lpsntu7qvscnf222pqcspgc6qxnsxvg

NIP-05 Address

rickf_at_indieweb.social@momostr.pink

Profile Code

nprofile1qqsfgftylttjpc07xg9n57uyy429560scf470qxgvf5499qsvgq5vdqpz3mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuerpd46hxtnfduqs6amnwvaz7tmwdaejumr0dsuv2zjj

Publishing to

relay.damus.io

nos.lol

Author Public Key

npub1jsjkf7khyrsluvst8facgf25tf5lpsntu7qvscnf222pqcspgc6qxnsxvg

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Last Notes

2026-10-10 22:36:45 UTC

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YES!

2026-10-10 20:06:21 UTC

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After 30 years of infosec, I look at the world and think ‘why the hell do we even bother anymore?’

2026-09-29 13:34:02 UTC

“I’m not sure we’re close to reopening the Strait of Hormuz. I mean, it’s been four months and Trump still can’t reopen the reflecting pool.” — JIMMY FALLON

2026-09-21 12:23:16 UTC

So....
AI was responsible for targeting a school in Iran and killing 100+ schoolgirls.
AI almost caused a conflict with China due to a hallucination about a ship carrying nuclear material.
... but they say AI is safe enough to help run air traffic control in the National Capital Region starting today ahead of a nationwide rollout.
https://www.newsnationnow.com/travel/air-traffic-control-artificial-intelligence-faa-dc-rollout/

2026-08-30 13:08:41 UTC

I called it the other day - Google has renamed Lake Ontario in Maps.
If they do this in Maps, can you imagine what they might do in Gemini if so inclined?
Corporate cowards.
https://cdn.masto.host/indiewebsocial/media_attachments/files/117/184/646/981/498/456/original/80b806bddbbc9af1.png

2026-07-17 16:51:34 UTC

Whoa. Grok is actually being honest and truthful about a MAGA topic.
https://www.rawstory.com/maga-pundit-grok-2020/

2026-07-16 22:10:28 UTC

You know what to do.
https://wtop.com/dc/2026/07/what-do-you-think-about-building-a-triumphal-arch-in-dc-nps-wants-to-hear/

2026-07-01 16:36:24 UTC

NO.
Any site implementing this will be blacklisted on my end. If it’s a government site or utility, I’ll go back to paper provided they still support it.
https://reclaimthenet.org/googles-new-recaptcha-wants-your-camera-access-and-21-points-of-your-hand

2026-05-21 11:39:25 UTC

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His regime is staffed by sycophants and opportunistic yes-people who enjoy their positions of power and will never say or do anything to cross the king who grants them their power and office.
When the king can fire you by tweet at anytime of the day or night for even the most minor of 'transgressions' in his mind they learn to toe the line and enjoy the ride.

2026-04-22 14:25:54 UTC

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... and then Demented Donnie offers to 'correct' it with his Sharpie during a televised WH press event.

2026-03-13 16:40:04 UTC

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huh? that's pretty cool ... wonder if it can put my oven clocks in sync

2026-02-04 19:27:23 UTC

Per POLITICO, some of the many WaPo folks let go today ...
https://cdn.masto.host/indiewebsocial/media_attachments/files/116/014/005/441/893/710/original/c54e56adf9a1e5af.png

2026-01-29 13:33:39 UTC

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Right up there with 'unsubscribe me' for mailing lists

2026-01-23 12:53:27 UTC

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Exactly.
He was shunned by the NY social and business elite, the NFL team owners' club, and the Nobel committee, so he's got to create 'fake' awards (FIFA Peace Prize) and organisations (Mar-a-Lardo, Board of Peace) for him to feel like a 'winner' and part of an elite crowd. In turn, his people craft a reality around him where he's always 'winning' no matter what actual reality might be.
This 80 year old manchild is such a fragile little snowflake it's beyond pathetic.

2026-01-16 00:02:11 UTC

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of course who knows by then that role may be replaced by a Senior or Principal Vibe Coder position. /shudder

2026-01-15 23:56:41 UTC

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by the time today’s vibe coders realize this it’ll be too late for them….

2026-01-14 14:29:58 UTC

FBI raids home of WaPo reporter Hannah Natanson as part of what officials said was an investigation into the possible sharing of government secrets ...
She spent the past year covering the Trump administration’s effort to fire federal workers and redirect much of the work force to enforcing his agenda. Many of those employees shared with her their anger, frustration and fear with the changes the administration was making.
https://archive.ph/nDEVz

2025-11-28 14:31:48 UTC

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Why do we even bother?
Is it any wonder us old timers are getting burned out in this industry? Banging our heads against the wall year after year fighting a constantly losing battle.
(Yes, I'm a cyber-cynic...)

2025-11-16 16:04:18 UTC

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Nominated! 👍

2025-10-10 12:29:48 UTC

WaPo: recordings of billionaire Peter Thiel’s private religious lectures suggest he's cuckoo as a Swiss clock...
https://archive.ph/HVWWu

2025-09-18 21:24:30 UTC

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But when Democrats do it next time, Republicans will be rushing to Fox ‘News’ to whine about how it “undermines Senate tradition and the democratic process and is unfair to the Senate minority.”
You can take this prediction to the bank, for sure.

2025-08-02 13:10:04 UTC

BREAKING -- “The memo is alarming, because it speaks to the intent to use the military within the United States at a level not seen since Japanese internment,”
https://newrepublic.com/article/198708/trump-military-anti-immigration-dhs-leaked-memo

2025-08-01 00:59:03 UTC

Tariff Toddler raising taxes on Americans at 12:01 ET tonight....
... but plans to spend $200M to build a chintzy ballroom at the White House and anywhere between 400M - 1 billion to retrofit the Qatari jet for his purported future presidential 'library.'
This is the most fucked up timeline, ever.

2025-07-24 12:33:56 UTC

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I wasn’t judging

2025-07-24 12:26:12 UTC

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In some ways, there are no different than Google but at least you get customizable features and useful search results and not AI slop or clickbait ads.

2025-07-24 01:56:16 UTC

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kagi search is awesome ... so worth the $10/mo

2025-07-22 18:47:22 UTC

Cowardly GQP will adjourn the House until September to avoid taking votes on Epstein....
... and by doing so, they become complicit with tolerating pedo activities instead of bringing truth to light. All to protect their Dear Leader, implicated in those documents.

2025-06-14 16:03:08 UTC

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Is that a flood of water or a flood of fascists? Or both….

2025-06-05 20:45:12 UTC

Dragon is what the US uses to resupply the ISS, for those that don't know...
https://cdn.masto.host/indiewebsocial/media_attachments/files/114/632/707/864/285/913/original/b71b5f7129040f98.png

2025-05-08 23:00:37 UTC

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But-but-but it robs us of our precious essence and tarnishes our precious bodily fluids!
Or so I've heard....

2025-04-26 19:13:05 UTC

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That is a lovely print!

2025-04-11 12:51:43 UTC

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Ya never know...
https://europassport.ca/countries/get-your-greek-citizenship-by-descent/

2025-04-11 12:20:50 UTC

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Having been a trader during the financial crisis / EU crisis, all I can say is THAT’S INSANE.

2025-04-11 01:08:42 UTC

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Now watch them miraculously find a way to bring him back after pleading there was 'no way to do it.' in recent days .... and then boast about how compassionate they are when they make mistakes.

2025-04-09 20:34:59 UTC

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Ick! I'm so sorry. :(

2025-04-08 18:35:22 UTC

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Is this carpal tunnel?

2025-04-08 11:57:48 UTC

Jakob Hanke Vela: "Brussels is watching amazed, as Trump destroys the US economy. "Nobody in the Commission thought that the US government would be this stupid and self-destructive," an EU official tells me. "That they would blow up their own country by letting ChatGPT make their trade policy."
He's hearingn that the EU is watching and waiting, ready to retaliate significantly -- but want to let Donnie twist in the wind so he can't blame them for him crashing the US economy. Smart move!

2025-04-05 21:25:54 UTC

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TBH I left at 16 and never looked back. Been there only a handful of times since, mostly for family matters w/aging parent who has since passed.
You can just pick me up from [checks map for closest port] Baltimore.

2025-04-05 11:04:21 UTC

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Arrr, count me in! Ayyye grew up in South Florida so Ayyyye know them waters…

2025-03-26 00:20:03 UTC

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omg i do miss LJ … before it went Russian.

2025-03-25 22:19:35 UTC

"No, it's okay. We can use Yahoo Groups for the Greenland invasion discussion. Not that we would unless we were in a hurry, but it's there if we need it."

2025-03-24 18:34:44 UTC

WHOA....
NYT: "The U.N. has advised all of its employees who work at its New York headquarters, as well as their family members, to carry U.N. identification cards and a copy of their passport page that contains their visa, because they are at risk of being stopped by immigration officials, according to a copy of an email seen by The New York Times."

2025-03-22 20:53:29 UTC

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Indeed. And offering online options is a great equalizer and allows those who are sick, invalid, or economically disadvantaged to participate.
The best & most socially connected international conference I attended actually was one that was rapidly transformed into a 4-day online event during the shutdown in late 2020.

2025-02-09 15:44:52 UTC

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Funny how it is totally fine when corporations appropriate from others for *their* own purposes … but when researchers, activists, or the underprivileged, do it they’re treated as criminals and fully prosecuted.

2025-02-07 12:34:28 UTC

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What did the CEO do *this * time? Did he issue another pro Trump statement somewhere?

2025-01-21 03:23:11 UTC

For ProtonMail users who were planning to switch to FastMail due to the Proton CEO's remarks the other day, remember that FastMail's data centers are in the US and will be subject to shifting US 'laws'.
It's been a very solid service for me for over 10 years, despite not being E2EE.

2025-01-20 22:55:16 UTC

ReproductiveRights.gov has gone dark....

2024-11-14 21:56:21 UTC

Making measles, mumps, rubella, smallpox, and polio great again.
(WSJ: RFK Jr nom'd for HHS secretary)

2024-11-13 12:16:34 UTC

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Good move. I totally agree with their decision … very well said.
They/their reporters should come to mastodon, but most likely nooooo….

2024-11-10 17:45:26 UTC

From the Guardian --- once again, fantasy & fiction often predict the future.
https://cdn.masto.host/indiewebsocial/media_attachments/files/113/459/902/800/730/768/original/17503180c5dd9fde.png

2024-11-09 16:34:25 UTC

Sinclair Lewis was a visionary, as were so many others back then.
AKA, "Why the Humanities Are Important."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It_Can%27t_Happen_Here

2024-11-06 05:06:52 UTC

Even if Harris wins, the fact that Trump made notable gains in many districts compared to 2020 - especially after Jan 6 - is staggering, stunning, and depressing.
WTF have we become?

2024-10-20 11:55:32 UTC

READ. Elon has made it even easier to stalk and abuse people on Twitter by allowing blocked accounts to still read posts by the blocker. https://infosec.exchange/@mttaggart/113329938956838560

2024-10-16 22:50:58 UTC

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What do you think helped train the algorithms that led to the Cylons becoming self-aware? Humans doing CAPTCHAS!

2024-09-26 13:53:19 UTC

Anyone else notice that whenever Elmo gets publicly snubbed he often invokes pedophilia? That word/idea never seems far from his mind, which is kind of interesting.
https://cdn.masto.host/indiewebsocial/media_attachments/files/113/204/180/407/669/029/original/77ce148a8c5a1a92.png

2024-09-23 13:54:53 UTC

Bloomberg: "[Ozempic and Wegovy] have sold nearly $50 billion as of the second quarter and are on track to make $65 billion by the end of this year, according to a Bloomberg News analysis .... After adjusting for inflation, that would eclipse the $68 billion that Novo will have spent on all research and development since the mid-1990s..."
Even if the current $1000/mo dropped to $100 in the US this would still be a screaming profit center for them.

2024-09-04 11:37:20 UTC

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Couldn't happen to a more deserving company.
I daresay going after and/or reforming Ticketmaster could make Democrats and Republicans, left and right, Sunni and Shia, Greeks and Turks, North and South, fascists and antifa, progressives and conservatives, bitter national rivals, and all genders ever declared by humanss come together for a worthy common purpose as a first step toward world peace.

2024-08-21 22:43:28 UTC

Dafuq why??? (I'm sure it will die quickly, though)
https://www.theverge.com/2024/8/21/24225507/chick-fil-a-streaming-service

2024-08-15 13:02:00 UTC

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Nah, he's just being pensive and lost in thought at the surfline.

2024-07-30 19:51:48 UTC

Oh look, Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts (that nutcase) will take over Project 2025’s operations now that the person who oversaw it has stepped down.