Mediaboss Marketing

Yes, that would be the same Susan Rice who made herself famous fordelivering outright lies on national television about the Benghazi terrorist attack, the nature of which the Obama administration was eager to deliberately distort for political reasons in the thick of a campaign. It would also be the same Susan Rice described by Newsweek as President Obama's "right-hand woman" in 2014. As Isaid on air yesterday, this whole Russia meddling/wiretap saga has become so convoluted and bereft of verifiable facts that it's quite difficult to keep following the plot. Here's my stab at a succinct summation: Ourintelligence agencies and members of relevant committees onboth sides of the aisle all agree that Moscow tried to meddle in the 2016 election. Theirclearpreference was to help Donald Trump and damage Hillary Clinton, whom they assumed would win anyway. The Kremlin has also deployed their propaganda and subterfuge toundermine Republicans, too. Their overarching goal is to undercut faith in the American system. And while there isno factualbasis forPresident Trump's counter-claim that his predecessor ordered his phones to be tapped, there are real indications that some people within Trump's orbit were monitored in some way -- and the series of one-sided leaks on that front does look to many like a deliberate push within elements of the government to damage Trump's presidency. There is alsono evidence that the Trump campaign coordinated or colluded with the Russians.

One of the latest twists in all of this wasthe claim by House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes, a Republican, that Trump-tied officials whose communications had been incidentally intercepted (they themselves hadnot been targeted) as a part of foreign surveillance operations had their redacted identities "unmasked" last year. Who did this, and why -- especially since the intercepted communications in question allegedly had nothing to do with Russia? Late last week,Fox News' Adam Housley added some meat onto those suspicious bones, citing unnamed sources:

And nowEli Lake's reporting at Bloomberg appears to confirm what the rumor mill has been buzzing about for days --Rice was at the center of this:

Lake writes that given what is known about what happened, both the incidental collection and the unmasking were likely conducted within the confines of the law, but the episode raises new questions about (a) why a senior Obama official was so keen to identify the US citizens mentioned or involved in these conversations, (b) whether those conversations had any genuine investigative value beyond political curiosity (Housley's sources say no), and (c) how the existence of some of these conversations ended up gettingmore widely disseminated, eventually leaking into the press. The piecealso reminds readers that Ms. Rice claimed ignorance on the entire subject when she was asked about it a few weeks ago:

Perhaps there's an innocent explanation for all of this, and perhaps Rice believed she was answering that question accurately. But for previously-alluded-to reasons, it's hardly a stretch to imagine Rice flat-out lying on television. One of the indications that Chairman Nunes really had exposed something significant came last week camewhen the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, Adam Schiff-- who has beenloudly attacking his GOP counterpart and spreadingunfounded claims and conspiracies related to the Russia probe -- got a look at the same documents Nunes saw (which led to Nunes'subsequent briefing of both President Trump and the newsmedia). AsRed State points out, Schiff emerged from that session fixated on process, while remaining notably mumon anything pertaining to content. It's not unreasonable to hypothesize that he read the documents and realized that something damaging lies within. Maybe that something was Barack Obama's lightning-rod NSA repeatedly requesting the unmasking of Trump officials' communications for dubious reasons.

For months, Democrats have insisted that the Russian meddling side of this story is the only thing thatmatters. While I agree that probes into those disquieting issues are justified and important, I've also taken the national security leak element of the controversy quite seriously. These new developments demand further inquiry and real answers. And today's introduction of an untrustworthy partisan actor within the previous president's inner-most circle into the mix all but guarantees that this story is about to become more politically explosive. I'll leave you withthis column by the Wall Street Journal's Kim Strassel:

Nuke 'Em: On Judicial Nominations, GOP Must Punish Democrats for Decades of Unprecedented Escalation

Read more:
Oh My: Former Obama NSA Susan Rice Reportedly Directed Dubious 'Unmasking' of Trump Allies - Townhall

Over a 24-hour period, top U.S. cyber defenders engaged in a pitched battle with Russian hackers who had breached the unclassified State Department computer system and displayed an unprecedented level of aggression that experts warn is likely to be turned against the private sector.

Whenever National Security Agency hackers cut the attackers' link between their command and control server and the malware in the U.S. system, the Russians set up a new one, current and former U.S. officials said.

The new details about the November 2014 incident emerged recently in the wake of a senior NSA official's warning that the heightened aggression has security implications for firms and organizations unable to fight back.

"It was hand-to-hand combat," said NSA Deputy Director Richard Ledgett, who described the incident at a recent cyber forum, but did not name the nation behind it. The culprit was identified by other current and former officials. Ledgett said the attackers' thrust-and-parry moves inside the network while defenders were trying to kick them out amounted to "a new level of interaction between a cyber attacker and a defender."

But Russia is not the only top-tier cyber power flexing its muscles in this way, said other current and former senior officials, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.

In recent years, China and to a lesser extent Iran have become more aggressive in their efforts to break into U.S. computer systems, giving fight to defenders from within the network and refusing to slink away when identified, the current and former officials said.

Ledgett, speaking at the Aspen Institute last month, placed the State Department incident in late 2015. But officials at the NSA, which defends the government's national security computer systems, clarified that it took place in 2014.

Fortunately, Ledgett said, the NSA, whose hackers penetrate foreign adversaries' systems to glean intelligence, was able to spy on the attackers' tools and tactics. "So we were able to see them teeing up new things to do," Ledgett said. "That's a really useful capability to have."

The State Department had to shut down its unclassified email system for a weekend, ostensibly for maintenance purposes. That was a "cover story," to avoid tipping off the Russians that the government was about to try to kick them out, said one former U.S. official.

The NSA defenders, aided by the FBI, prevailed over the intruders, who were working for a Russian spy agency. Private sector analysts have given the hacking group various names, including Cozy Bear, APT29 and The Dukes. That group also compromised unclassified systems at the White House and in Congress, current and former officials said.

The NSA was alerted to the compromises by a Western intelligence agency. The ally had managed to hack not only the Russians' computers, but also the surveillance cameras inside their workspace, according to the former officials. They monitored the hackers as they maneuvered inside the U.S. systems and as they walked in and out of the workspace, and were able to see faces, the officials said.

The Russians' heightened belligerence is aimed not just at collecting intelligence, but also confronting the United States, said one former senior administration official. "They're sending a message that we have capabilities and that you are not the only player in town," said the official.

The operation was also an attempt to probe U.S. capabilities, said a second former senior official. "If they can test you in an unclassified network, they can start to test you in a classified network," he said. "They want to see, is the U.S. government willing to escalate against us? It's all tactics and looking at responses - not just of an organization. It's what is the U.S. government willing to do?"

Ledgett said he is concerned that the private sector will not be able to defend itself without greater intelligence being shared from places like the NSA. "We need to figure out, how do we leverage the private sector in a way that equips them with information that we have to make that a fair fight between them and the attacker?" he said.

Michael Daniel, the former White House cybersecurity coordinator and now president of the Cyber Threat Alliance, a nonprofit group, said the issue also highlights how the government and private sector "are going to have to figure out some way to do triage, so that the federal government is focused on the highest threat actors against the highest threat assets."

Moscow's assertiveness in 2014 and 2015 reflected a general shift to become more aggressive in its use of cyber tools. In 2015 and 2016, Russian spy agencies hacked the Democratic National Committee's computers and launched an "active measures" campaign to disrupt the 2016 presidential election, according to U.S. intelligence officials.

China was also stepping up its hacking game in traditional espionage even as it was ratcheting back its operations in commercial cyber theft, the officials said. In September 2015, Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged at the White House that his government's hackers would not conduct hacking for commercial advantage. Senior U.S. officials have said Beijing appears to have diminished its activity in that realm.

However, as Ledgett noted in an interview at the NSA last month, the agreement applied only to cyber economic espionage. Hacking for political espionage continues. That is "legitimate foreign intelligence," said Ledgett - something that all countries do, including the United States.

See the original post here:
Details emerge about 2014 Russian hack of State Department: It was 'hand-to-hand combat' - Chicago Tribune

President Trumps long national nightmare the ongoing scandal over Russias meddling into the campaign for the White House may have grown worse last night with the revelation that former National Security Adviser and Gen. Mike Flynn has a story he very much wants to tell, according to his lawyer.

Trump has been facing incoming from all sides ever since the now seemingly ancient high point of his presidency, his speech to a joint session of Congress.

His approval ratings have dipped to an all-time low for first-year presidents, 35 percent, according to Gallup. He was dealt a major legislative blow last week when Republicans failed to pass a replacement plan for Obamacare.

Yesterday, Trump engaged in a Twitter battle against some of his most loyal Republican supporters during the campaign, the House Freedom Caucus members.

And now Flynn, another one of his key campaign backers, has come forward seeking immunity in exchange for his story, though neither Flynn nor his attorney are revealing whether his story will help or hurt the president.

But for Trump, the black cloud of the Russia probe continues to hang over the White House with no signs of breaking anytime soon. There have been no smoking guns, but a lot of unanswered questions that have provided a steady drip of bad news and unwelcome distractions from Trumps agenda for his first 100 days seen as a defining period in any presidency.

The prospect of a once-loyal Trump foot soldier turned rogue if indeed Flynn has information that could damage Trump will dominate 24-hour cable news coverage and overtake everything else happening in Washington.

But Flynns testimony could also turn out to be more bust than bombshell, just like Trumps tax returns unearthed on MSNBC by Rachel Maddow earlier this month. It may simply be a bid by Flynn to save himself.

Trump also has the proven track record of being able to somehow emerge from shocking scandals, including his Access Hollywood tape and controversial comments and tweets during the campaign.

But for now, Flynns eagerness to step forward only ensures there will be more media attention, public intrigue and Washington drama for a president who campaigned on cleaning up Beltway corruption.

View post:
Ex-NSA aide's tale a headache for Donald Trump - Boston Herald

NSA seeks to always advance professional speakers skill sets in four core areas:

Eloquence The art of speaking and the use of powerful and persuasive presentations. This means creating the proper setting for an effective presentation as well as the concrete skills related to presenting, performing, and theatrical methods.

Expertise The knowledge, skills, and experience in a specific area. Speakers should know which body of expertise is ideal for them and be able to effectively research and develop their content.

Enterprise The purposeful undertaking of a successful speaking business venture. This includes business management, sales and marketing knowledge, as well as the skills necessary to generate income through speaking engagements and other revenue streams.

Ethics The principles or standards governing the conduct of those in the speaking profession. Ethics is the foundation and summation of the three other competencies. It is about who you are as a person both personally and professionally and encompasses your reputation, character, and integrity.

See the article here:
About | National Speakers Association (NSA)

Mission: NSA is the leading source for community, education and entrepreneurial business knowledge needed to be successful in the speaking profession.

Vision: Every expert who uses the spoken word to present content to an audience for a fee belongs to NSA.

Our Members: NSAs thousands of members include experts in a variety of industries and disciplines, who reach audiences as speakers, trainers, educators, humorists, motivators, consultants, authors and more. NSA is a member of the Global Speakers Federation (GSF), a global network dedicated to advancing the speaking profession worldwide.

Our Chapters: NSA has independently run state and regional Chapters throughout the United States in most major markets. View the NSA Chapter directory.

Our Key Competencies: NSA seeks to always advance professional speakers skill sets in four core areas:

Code of Professional Ethics: The principles or standards governing the conduct of those in the speaking profession. Ethics is the foundation and summation of the three other competencies. It is about who you are as a person both personally and professionally and encompasses your reputation, character and integrity.

Bylaws: Read the NSA Bylaws.

See the original post:
Members | National Speakers Association (NSA)