The New Wave

Vacation

2011-07-17T05:14:00.000-07:00

Hard to believe the Outer Banks kept me for a full week. Yes, beach and pool every day, golf with in-laws and daughters, compelling eats... delightful. But who does the uninterrupted vacation? Pressing commercial concerns always seem to intrude.

This year, the canceled talk and careful planning made it possible. A little luck too... one RFP hit four days after return, not at the beginning of vacation.

Admittedly, I'm happy to be back working the day to day issues, but quite grateful for last week's change in scenery.

Memorial Day

2011-05-30T09:34:00.000-07:00

This morning was humid enough as I slid the staff with American flag into the fitting on our front porch. I reflected on those we lost in Afghanistan and Iraq. The song I heard recently, "Let him win or bring him home," which reminded me of the Vietnam War. So many lost in WWII, WWI, our Civil War and the other "minor" squirmishes. Of course, there is no "minor" squirmish, if someone lost a sweetheart, a parent, a sibling or a limb.

I am thankful for those sacrifices... those who gave themselves, and those who gave loved ones. Often, we didn't intend to give... we thought we'd just visit, lend a hand, then come back to happy lives. But something happened. Today, we are helping people acheive Sharia law... something we don't fully endorse, but in the context of tribal justice, sure looks like rule of law and "fair" even without some sort of mandate from Allah.

Yes, something happened... for you and so many. Be thankful for our freedom of expression, of religion, a right to the pursuit of happiness. Something happened, not so nice, to so many... so that you may have something better. God bless them, and God bless you.

Informed

2011-05-21T05:11:00.001-07:00

Name your favorite blogs. Who do you follow on Twitter? What newspapers do you read? Weekly periodicals? Do you read them in electronic form, or (still) get them delivered to your doorstep or mailbox?

Admittedly, I'm electronic. Narrowly targeted, internet delivered, spot on my professional and personal interests... but how many major headlines do I miss? Certainly, I've become bored with network news, the "fashion" nature of what gets reported and the typically shallow fashion we hear about the world.

I can't afford to spend all day staying informed. The barrage of information can be exhausting. Guess I'll continue to read what I think makes sense. Suggestions, please!

Cyberspace

2011-05-20T13:29:00.001-07:00

Eighteen months ago I wrote a blog post about President Obama's "Cyber Czar" selection. Rumours I was tracking were wrong: Howard Schmidt accepted the role (not Frank Cramer). Earlier this week Howard Schmidt stood on stage with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Secretary of Commerce (and presumed soon-to-be Ambassador to China) Gary Locke, Attorney General Eric Holder, Secretary of Homeland Defense Janet Napolitano, DepSecDef Bill Lynn and Asst to the Pres John Brennan to announce the US "International Strategy for Cyberspace."

I haven't read the document yet (though I downloaded it from www.whitehouse.gov), but it looks like Howard Schmidt is getting some work done. Bravo, Howard! Congrats on getting all those people on stage and heralding US goals for promoting trust on the internet, around the world. A worthy cause, to be sure!

Good morning!

2011-05-19T02:46:00.000-07:00

How are dynamics in start-up America? Reports are there hasn't been a better time to start something new for quite some time... those reports seem off-base to me. Various laws apparently designed to protect investors provide limited protection on that front, while administrative requirements for the small business have become increasingly complicated and expensive. As if the challenges of finding and building a fresh, compelling offering weren't enough! A generation of college graduates face a terrible job market... even worse than the many troughs we've observed during the last twenty years. Let's move beyond it, America!

We can get beyond the spiderweb of protective laws with a drive to deliver exceptional value-- damn the risk, full speed ahead! Perhaps Congress can help us out along the way....

It's the economy...

2011-04-18T17:37:00.000-07:00

Budget cuts are impending. Without a compromise soon, the bond rating for the US government will fall. The markets are taking a dim view of these dynamics... and justifiably so! The real question: what happens to stocks, the housing markets and consumer spending moving forward? Defense firms that have been riding high for a decade ... will be impacted the most. Stay tuned... but it doesn't look bullish.

Maps and Routes

2011-01-29T10:26:00.000-08:00

This week we briefed our business plan to the Harvard Business School New Venture contest. We described a pad market that will grow to $60 billion in 2015 and target segments including outdoor leisure and military/Homeland Defense.

While envisioning an easy to use interface for off-road route planning (and selecting maps or map data) may not be trivial, the top-level interface can be captured on "story board" within a couple weeks. The true challenge is managing standards according to the Federal Geographic Data Committee and the Open Geospatial Consortium, while delivering the easy to use interface on a pad.

We're looking for GIS, GPS and map data gurus. Folks with a deep understanding of pad hardware implementation and futures would help. Outdoors-y folks aren't necessarily tech-y folks, so hitting this market well requires a dramatic improvement in approachability... visit geo-pad.com for more info.

Tragedy

2011-01-11T05:21:00.000-08:00

Such a shame. Crazy man shoots many in Arizona, including a U.S. Congresswoman. Children assault fellow students and teachers in schools-- with pistols and rifles. Random gang killings cut innocent lives short every day in our cities and around the world.

We blame "hate language," guns, and lifestyles that make gang membership preferable to bonding with family, teachers, churches and other constructive avenues. We miss key details about why a child or person isn't connecting... about a child that doesn't connect with curriculum and other troubling problems adults have, even here in the most prosperous nation in the world.

Perhaps it is too easy for an unstable person to get a gun. Perhaps certain words or graphic language alluding to violence do contribute to senseless violence. What about the illusion some people seem to have that they have been ostracized beyond hope? Can we fix that illusion? Is the condition more than an illusion, and if so, can we improve conditions?

Let's encourage our children and colleagues to be responsible when they choose words, but let's be careful before thinking a knee-jerk, heavy-handed response will resolve trends that really are much more complicated.

Values

2010-12-29T06:10:00.000-08:00

In HBR, Corkindale summarizes, "leadership speaks more of duty and privilege than recognition and reward." http://blogs.hbr.org/corkindale/2010/12/2010_when_leadership_hit_the_r.html

Performance metrics for public companies were intended to drive quarterly results. Leaders were selected based on an ability to deliver these quarterly results quarter after quarter, year after year. Certainly, anyone caught in an integrity shortfall became a corporate casualty, but organizations are challenged to find a way to identify and reward an ability to understand future needs and drive activity for that future.

Serving

2010-12-27T05:48:00.000-08:00

Raise your right hand and repeat after me: "I swear to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States of America...." Although Soldiers relinquish some rights to uphold your's, the traditions of military service the USA inherited from a long history gives significant authorities to commanding officers. Some due process accorded a US Citizen isn't efficient enough for the rough and tumble of combat.

These are a few expectations that you would consider a right, which become priviledges. At risk of life and limb, we sign on for a period of years, some until retirement. We do not always agree with policy and frequently have strong opinions because we live that policy on the front lines or around the world.

Integrity is our watchword, and that typically means obeying the orders, executing missions and communicating loyalty to our leadership from squad leader to President of the United States. Ask and we can do. In an increasingly complicated world, we evolve and respond. Although you can legitimately claim "there is nothing new under the sun," the words we say and way we approach problems do change.

Defense Policy

2010-12-21T05:24:00.000-08:00

The new START treaty with Russia inspires thinking about guiding foreign and defense policy. It will also inspire thoughts on what it is to live and serve in a Democracy, thoughts about clear thinking and integrity (but more on those later).

A raging debate in our legislature regards whether to approve new START (and allow the President to put that on his re-election resume). Evidently U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Rose Gottemueller has been working on this for several years and the three-star general responsible for missile defense says approval is a good idea... Presidents Obama and Medvedev signed the document in April.

Proposed ammendments address strategic ballistic missiles, number of nuclear warheads on both sides and evidently missile defense developments (although many, including President Obama, claim there are no restrictions on missile defense).

If the President signed it after extensive State Department work, Secretary Gates and the Joint Chiefs say it's a good idea, why wouldn't we sign it? Why weren't prominent legislators involved earlier in the process? We might also ask about the other nuclear capable countries (China, India, France, etc.): why just Russia? There are easy answers to these questions, but finding the right steps toward policy improvements aren't easy and finding consensus domestically is never easy... never mind forging consensus within an international community.

The Wikileaks developments, along with addressing cyber investigations, illustrate the importance of an international legal consensus where laws have long been outdated. The Administration absolutely MUST be able to fashion legislation, treaty language and consensus to be effective. In comparison to other challenges we face, new START should be easy...

Brand Loyalty

2010-12-15T06:00:00.000-08:00

Layoffs at Nokia and Yahoo are a commentary on brand loyalty today. An increasingly competitive global marketplace and lowering barriers to product substitution lead consumers to ask: "What have you done for me today?"

An era where we purchase the brand of car we always did (and our parents did) appears behind us ... while consumer electronics and web tools appear to have the half-life of a year or two. Facebook presents today's "Man of the Year," but we wonder... who's next?

Wikileaks

2010-12-14T09:51:00.000-08:00

Julian Assange announced from Wandsworth Prison in London that he is "remaining true to the ideals" expressed. A couple weeks ago the "Operation Payback" hackers shifted from denial of service attacks on groups preventing illegal downloads of movies, music and games ... to attacks on Mastercard, Visa, PayPal and Assange's Swiss Bank, because these firms are refusing to process payments to Wikileaks, Assange's company.

"Operation Payback" presence on Facebook and Twitter are closed and cited firms have websites working again. The first battle in this cyberwar appears over, but this new world order is emerging... very real actions and significant consequences.

Summer 2010

2010-07-03T08:48:00.000-07:00

Off to the beach in spite of BIG turn-over in Afghanistan this week, business challenges overseas and continued fragility in the housing market here in the US.

I'm excited about prospects for improving US corporate, nonprofit and government infrastructure given many US organizations are sitting on cash and more executives realize the cyber threat is real. Stay tuned for details: we'd like to help!

Circle of Life

2010-05-16T07:16:00.000-07:00

Grandma Grace, my daughters' Great Grandmother, passed away earlier this week. Simple and fitting tributes included Wake in Falls Church, Mass at her long-time Church, delivery to final resting place, then gathering at her home with close friends and family.

Mary and I sat in our backyard reveling on the grass that has grown in, the playground that has become a hit with the girls and their friends and watched Cocoa frolic with a wooden disk. Robins were darting about, perching on branches or prancing for insects.

We will miss you, Grandma. Thanks for everything...

Open

2010-01-30T08:33:00.000-08:00

Andre Agassi, major tennis personality, one of the winningest players of my generation, delivered a great work. His autobiography, "OPEN" documents a roller coaster career that looks a bit like the US economy. Any body care for a challenge match?

Wow in MA

2010-01-24T08:24:00.000-08:00

Scott Brown drove his pick-up around Massachusetts and into the United States Senate, culminating with his election last week. Beyond his rustic personality and Western Massachusetts Republicanism (see Jane Swift), his statements regarding terrorism resonated with a broad public...

Happy New Year!

2010-01-02T14:50:00.000-08:00

After several back-to-back holidays and some wonderful family time, my sense of purpose around defending this way of life-- and living it-- is reinvigorated. We still certainly do hold these truths to be self evident, whether adding value to the search for bombers (before they bomb) or sparking small and large businesses to next level revenues.

Here's to more warmly received excitement this year for you and your's!

Goals

2009-12-13T18:02:00.000-08:00

Do you know people, as I do, who have detailed goals that they set about acheiving, every year? Life for them, seems compartmentalized, controlled and forward moving.

I'm reminded of my own younger days... and (believe it or not) large communist governments (the Soviet Union, for example). Everything was planned. Every detail was a component of an orchestrated mosaic. Neat. Clean. Wrote a good resume.

Of course, "neat" and "clean" don't seem to describe many successful lives, seems to me. Soviet Russia was incredibly inefficient because goals set sometimes weren't acheived, sometimes didn't make sense when the environment changed and didn't capitalize on smart people solving evolving problems every day.

I think there is no substitution for the energizing value of a good plan -- but somehow we need to be flexible (as individuals and organizations) to modify the plan to capitalize on exciting opportunities that evolve in front of us... and to drop a goal that no longer makes sense.

What's your New Year's Resolution?)

Credentials II

2009-12-01T07:17:00.000-08:00

About a week ago, the 2010 winners of the Rhodes Scholarship were announced. A very impressive lot. Presumptuous to say I'd have won, but my undergrad advisor encouraged me to apply for a Rhodes after my thesis took a prize. At the time, I was anxious to get on with life and certain I would win a prestigious MBA or JD either during my tenure in the Army or after I fulfilled my scholarship commitment. I went on to win admission to, and graduate from, the best business school in the world, but still wonder, "what if," when the list of Rhodes Scholars is published every year.

These days I'm considering other credentials. The CISSP. The PMP. The CFA Charter. Like the CPA, CISSP, PMP and CFA credentials add experience requirements to a challenging test (or several tests). People typically study rather extensively for the test component of the credential and find the designation positions them clearly in the job or advisory market. The CISSP is a Cyber Security credential, while PMP is focused around project management. The CFA Charter, on the other hand, is intended to provide a standard experience base around financial instruments and investment decisions.

CPA's didn't prevent Arthur Andersen from stumbling into a disastrous engagement with Enron that resulted in a wide scale sale of its practices to competitors and financial ruin for many employees who invested many years in audit or tax work with integrity. I'm sure you or I could dig up plenty examples to similarly tarnish the CFA and PMP, though the CISSP may be too recent an arrival for much negative press.

Key to building knowledge is finding synergy with past experience and existing talents. Standard tests and programs validate we actually learn something from the pages we read and the work we do. I'd be interested in hearing comments on these credentials....

The environment

2009-11-30T14:53:00.000-08:00

During my first visit to Iraq, I spent some time thinking about a framework for helping a country in a situation like Iraq's-- winning hearts and minds isn't always about selling the American Way... sometimes we must find "common denominator" goals that everyone can understand. Safe, moral and productive were consensus principles. We hold "free" as a key principle as well, but other countries do not place the same weight on this one.

I chose "moral" to define one of the tenets, because parents in a Christian community might disagree with certain legal requirements common in Muslim communities. We shouldn't dictate nuances of one religion, but rather foster a secure environment where morality can be upheld. More on this later... essentially, building an environment where businesses, organizations and individuals can thrive is key... "e" for environment, "e" for eWISEinc(TM)....

Credentials

2009-11-23T09:08:00.000-08:00

Cyber Czar

2009-11-17T07:38:00.000-08:00

Word on the street is: President Obama will appoint the new Cyber Coordinator ("Czar") next week. Inside scoop is that Frank Kramer will win the job. Kramer was an assistant Secretary of Defense under Bill Clinton and evidently did well during his interview with Obama's Chief Technology Officer, Aneesh Chopra.

Melissa Hathaway resigned from her Cyber post in the Obama administration, ostensibly because next week's appointment was too long coming. Hathaway's Cyberspace Policy Review (completed this past summer) provided "near-term" and "mid-term" action plans, which Hathaway presumably would have prefered to implement.

Another contender for the job, Howard Schmidt (President and CEO of something called the International Security Forum), is published on the net observing the US operates under of framework of '60's era security laws in a dramatically modified landscape of data storage and retrieval. There is a Cyber Security Act of 2009 in the works... perhaps you've heard about that... but law enforcement would like more leeway, the intelligence community is occasionally stymied under existing law... and of course, private citizens like you or I worry about "Big Brother" checking our email or chatroom activity.

Government, corporations and tech-saavy individuals increasingly have the ability to be all-knowing. There are laws against some of the damage tech-saavy people can do to your credit and identity but we need to do more to guide large organizations and public servants to keep us safe while occasionally allowing us to rant and rave in private.

Good luck Frank!!

Healthcare Reform

2009-11-15T02:32:00.000-08:00

The last time the US examined massive government reform of the health care system, I was being paid to help improve claims processing. We had a solution that helped automate reception and processing of claims, which improved process efficiency pretty significantly. The effect of the national debate on the health care system, however, was to freeze all privately funded improvements until the dust settled.

Debate back then seemed to center on the role of the physician in health care decisions... who could possibly advocate blocking the physician's authority to help patients choose optimal care? Of course, debates about unhealthy influences on physician decisions (such as risk of malpractice litigation) were also prevalent.

I'm not a doctor and admittedly haven't read the two-thousand page bill. I'm enthusiastic about the effect of modern medicine on longevity and survival rates at all ages but am concerned with both the rising cost of health care as a percentage of National GNP and the unnatural pressures on physician/patient decisions.

Finding a system that informs good decisions and eliminates care deemed gratuitous from public funding seems appropriate, but drawing the line between urgent, wellness and gratuitous treatment will be tricky to legislate!

Today's Commentary

2009-11-14T14:35:00.000-08:00

SUNW changes name to JAVA, China becomes most significant issue for USA, Afghanistan casualties continue to rise. Lots of threads to consider, none of them related to Cyber Defense, really. Or maybe they all do.

I'm not going to attempt to tie them all together over the next few lines, but ... over a week's worth of blog entries??? Tune in later to find out.

Hello!

2009-11-14T09:22:00.001-08:00

A week after installing our new French Drain, we've had a chance to watch Mother Nature's review. Like any project, begun as a novice, but executed none-the-less, I'm pretty proud of the effort. Water is making its way to the front yard and puddling seems to be reduced to a minimum. We'll be better off when there is a new covering of grass on the backyard, but all that will take time.

Here is my "Hello World!" to the Blogosphere. After nearly five years of dormancy, eWISEinc(TM) is officially reborn. I've had a chance to visit Iraq not once, but twice... once as a contractor, once as a mobilized Reserve officer leading a team. Reunited with family and well versed in the satellite communications industry, eWISEinc(TM) is giving me a second (third? fourth?) chance.

I'm sure my third "go" at a French Drain will be fantastic... let's hope the same for eWISEinc(TM)!!!