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rickf - a cynical professor

@rickf@indieweb.social
mastodon 4.7.3
  • Open on indieweb.social

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.

533 Followers
249 Following
50 Posts
Joined October 27, 2022
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
Open post
rickf - a cynical professor @rickf@indieweb.social
· 2w ago
Replying to
@DaveMWilburn@infosec.exchange @wendynather@infosec.exchange @newsguyusa@flipboard.social King Orange forgets that the military has been planning to secure DC since before the Civil War ... they know better than anyone wha'ts needed, and they can't all of a sudden have said "gee, a permanent Arch with ammo and sniper perches would be just perfect *right* here."
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rickf - a cynical professor @rickf@indieweb.social
· 2w ago

Thomas Dans, a venture capitalist and MAGA influencer with no background in public policy or science, is the Trump regime’s top arctic adviser.

  • ProPublica
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Open post
rickf - a cynical professor @rickf@indieweb.social
· 2mo ago
Capt. Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, who famously landed a passenger jet on the Hudson River in 2009, shared Tuesday he has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. https://wtop.com/health-fitness/2026/07/miracle-on-the-hudson-pilot-capt-sully-shares-alzheimers-diagnosis/
wtop.com
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rickf - a cynical professor @rickf@indieweb.social
· 2mo ago
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/
wtop.com
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Open post
rickf - a cynical professor @rickf@indieweb.social
· 2mo ago
LOL good riddance! WSJ: FIFA Scraps Controversial Plan to Sell Commercial Rights to Private Investors
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Open post
rickf - a cynical professor @rickf@indieweb.social
· 2mo ago
WHOA. https://techcrunch.com/2026/07/24/us-accuses-american-of-allegedly-wiping-his-phone-using-a-duress-password-during-border-search/
US accuses American of allegedly wiping his phone using a 'duress' password during border search | TechCrunch
TechCrunch

US accuses American of allegedly wiping his phone using a 'duress' password during border search | TechCrunch

A U.S. citizen has asked a court to throw out the government's claim that he gave over a passcode to border authorities that wiped his phone's data, opening up fresh questions about a person's constitutional rights at the U.S. border.

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Open post
rickf - a cynical professor @rickf@indieweb.social
· 2mo ago
I think this McConnell photo and statement will only generate more conspiracy theories and rumors There’s no reason why in 2026 he couldn’t do a phone call into Fox News …. Releasing a prepared statement doesn’t provide any serious reassurance. And who the hell wears a button-down shirt and bluejeans in a hospital bed? Somebody better count his fingers and make sure that wasn’t an AI photo.
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Open post
rickf - a cynical professor @rickf@indieweb.social
· 3mo ago
Boosted by @MaryAustinBooks@mstdn.social
Replying to
@trabern@mas.to Not quite the toppling of the Saddam statue, but it kinda feels that way.
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Open post
rickf - a cynical professor @rickf@indieweb.social
· 2mo ago
Replying to
@ai6yr@m.ai6yr.org To which I'm sure Kegbreath was like 'hurr hurrr it really works this is awesome kinetic woo hoo drink now!"
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Open post
rickf - a cynical professor @rickf@indieweb.social
· 3mo ago
To wit: "Passports.gov is now run from inside the White House, not from the state department. The state department operates US passport services through its existing site at travel.state.gov. The studio’s version collects identity information from people applying for passports. It carries no privacy notice. Developer test code was left running on the live page."
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Open post
rickf - a cynical professor @rickf@indieweb.social
· 3mo ago
Replying to
@chrisoliver@indieweb.social @pluralistic@mamot.fr And they wonder why piracy by average people is rampant in the world..... Y'arrrr!
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Open post
rickf - a cynical professor @rickf@indieweb.social
· 3mo ago
Boosted by @MaryAustinBooks@mstdn.social
Replying to
@MaryAustinBooks@mstdn.social @trabern@mas.to That 40-year-old scotch will finally get opened, and I will dance like everybody's watching. :)
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rickf - a cynical professor @rickf@indieweb.social
· 3mo ago
Replying to
@jensorensen@mastodon.social Accurate. :(((
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Open post
rickf - a cynical professor @rickf@indieweb.social
· 3mo ago
Replying to
@skykiss@sfba.social Be prepared to stop for chocolate on every street corner! (I speak from experience)
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Open post
rickf - a cynical professor @rickf@indieweb.social
· 2mo ago
Today is August 3. With the deadline to avoid holding a special election in Kentucky passing at midnight, does anyone else think will learn of Mitch McConnell’s ‘tragic’ and ‘sudden’ death sometime in the next 36 to 48 hours?
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Open post
rickf - a cynical professor @rickf@indieweb.social
· 3mo ago
Flight operations at DCA are expected to be temporarily paused from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on July 3 and from noon to 11:59 p.m. on July 4 to support Independence Day events. These times are subject to change. Travelers should check with their airline for the latest flight status.
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Open post
rickf - a cynical professor @rickf@indieweb.social
· 2mo ago
Replying to
@TindrasGrove@infosec.exchange For food. And skritches, of course.
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Open post
rickf - a cynical professor @rickf@indieweb.social
· 3mo ago

Excellent idea! Speaking as a former trader during the GFC, AI-gone-wild will make the periodic first-gen algorithmic trading chaos during 2006-09 look tranquil.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2026/06/30/bank-of-england-considers-ai-kill-switch-to-stop-market-mel/

telegraph.co.uk
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Open post
rickf - a cynical professor @rickf@indieweb.social
· 3mo ago
The American Film Institute today named 1974’s “Blazing Saddles” as the funniest film of all time. Perfect timing as Mel Brooks heads towards 100 on Sunday. Mel is the new Betty White. 👍 https://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwtv/article/AFI-Names-Mel-Brooks-BLAZING-SADDLES-as-the-Funniest-Film-of-All-Time-20260626
broadwayworld.com
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Open post
rickf - a cynical professor @rickf@indieweb.social
· 4mo ago
Replying to
@volpeon@icy.wyvern.rip @akamran@indieweb.social “ pardon me, is this the way to the outdoor food court?”
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Open post
rickf - a cynical professor @rickf@indieweb.social
· 5mo ago
Replying to
@MissConstrue@mefi.social @nazokiyoubinbou@mastodon.social Yup. And IIRC he's still diligently sitting on some tapes/outtakes from Apprentice that would embarass the hell out of Donnie.
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rickf - a cynical professor @rickf@indieweb.social
· 5mo ago
Replying to
@nazokiyoubinbou@mastodon.social @MissConstrue@mefi.social Yes, but at least we have AI, TikTok, and reality television. /sarcasm
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rickf - a cynical professor @rickf@indieweb.social
· 5mo ago
Replying to
@APBBlue@thepit.social May the Booze Be With You
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rickf - a cynical professor @rickf@indieweb.social
· 5mo ago
Replying to
@ZenHeathen@beige.party @MissConstrue@mefi.social Exactly. I’m with Cap on this.
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rickf - a cynical professor @rickf@indieweb.social
· 5mo ago
Replying to
@dramypsyd@ohai.social HAPPY NON-PRIME CAKE DAY!
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Open post
rickf - a cynical professor @rickf@indieweb.social
· 5mo ago
Replying to
@GertrudeZane@c.im I love it!!!
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rickf - a cynical professor @rickf@indieweb.social
· 5mo ago
Replying to
@pseudonymsupreme@pnw.zone I feel that way as well. Or rather, I don't mind "coming and going on my schedule" to get things done. :)
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Open post
rickf - a cynical professor @rickf@indieweb.social
· 5mo ago
Replying to
@maxleibman@beige.party @MissConstrue@mefi.social Cue Heath Ledger ‘Joker’ cackle….lol
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rickf - a cynical professor @rickf@indieweb.social
· 5mo ago
Replying to
@aram@aoir.social and professors, too. Yup we are enemies of the people for sure.
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Open post
rickf - a cynical professor @rickf@indieweb.social
· 5mo ago
Replying to
@syntaxseed@phpc.social Yup. As a professor in a graduate program, I expect to be long since retired before these folks reach my level…. While my university is doing a good job at embracing/teaching ‘responsible’ AI, I shudder to think what kids are being taught (or not taught) at the lower levels of education and what bodes for the future workforce and future adults.
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Open post
rickf - a cynical professor @rickf@indieweb.social
· 5mo ago
Replying to
@joebeone@techpolicy.social no. They just used mouse robots to exchange information and announcements.
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Open post
rickf - a cynical professor @rickf@indieweb.social
· 5mo ago
Replying to
@sb @a2_4am @a2_qkumba I *was* hooked on this in my childhood. Afraid if I start to play it's gonna suck me right back in despite being in my early 50s now!
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Open post
rickf - a cynical professor @rickf@indieweb.social
· 2mo ago
Replying to
@TindrasGrove@infosec.exchange True that.
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Open post
rickf - a cynical professor @rickf@indieweb.social
· 3mo ago

Maybe the string of DSA wins will wake the national Democratic Party up from its never-rock-the-boat stupor and force it to modernize.

Or as happened with the ‘tea party’ and the Republicans, the party will implode.

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Open post
rickf - a cynical professor @rickf@indieweb.social
· 3mo ago

Give Kali her usual bit of love this morning, and both her owner and I believe I’ve been upgraded from ‘uncle’ to ‘daddy’ based on how she now acts around me.

Loki wandered over and I could barely give him two minutes of attention before I was like “screw it, it’s too hot” and went back inside.

At least they’re small enough that they can hide under the concrete railing and be safe from the direct morning sunlight. Us humans are not so lucky. ;(

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Open post
rickf - a cynical professor @rickf@indieweb.social
· 5mo ago
Replying to
@foone@digipres.club PERFECT
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rickf - a cynical professor @rickf@indieweb.social
· 3w ago
Replying to
@mattsheffield@mastodon.social ... and yet it's always the far right who wail about how *they* are being 'censored' and 'cancelled' right? What a bunch of whiny little hypocritical snowflakes.
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Open post
rickf - a cynical professor @rickf@indieweb.social
· 5mo ago
Replying to
@mikro2nd@indieweb.social @0xabad1dea@infosec.exchange OMG this. Yeah, *rage*
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Open post
rickf - a cynical professor @rickf@indieweb.social
· 3mo ago
Replying to
@mustapipa@scicomm.xyz “… in a related story, academic publishers Elsevier and Taylor and Francis released a joint study showing that the current academic publishing model works just fine and that changes are not required. They note that the ongoing volume of contributed free labor by scholars from around the world is a healthy thing and necessary to produce vibrant and long-standing scientific publications as shown by the size of their profitable knowledge archives.”
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rickf - a cynical professor @rickf@indieweb.social
· 3mo ago
Maybe if you're scared of oversight or prison, don't do bad things. https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/mike-johnson-trump-republicans-investigation-b3004011.html
the-independent.com
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Open post
rickf - a cynical professor @rickf@indieweb.social
· 5mo ago
Replying to
@feliks@chaos.social Accurate
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rickf - a cynical professor @rickf@indieweb.social
· 3mo ago

More pardons (for sale) may be coming soon…

https://www.rawstory.com/trump-mass-pardons/

rawstory.com
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Open post
rickf - a cynical professor @rickf@indieweb.social
· 2mo ago
Yes, they are. Because they’re afraid. https://www.caitlinjohnst.one/p/theyre-launching-a-new-cointelpro
caitlinjohnst.one
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Open post
rickf - a cynical professor @rickf@indieweb.social
· 5mo ago
Replying to
@SeanCasten@mastodon.social Johnny is like Biden, mentally living in a nostalgic version of DC that no longer exists.
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rickf - a cynical professor @rickf@indieweb.social
· 3mo ago

Herr Stephen Miller floats the idea of denying entry to the US to pregnant women on Fox 'News' hit.

He is beneath contempt, like so many others in his MAGA Christofascist regime and cult.

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rickf - a cynical professor @rickf@indieweb.social
· 1mo ago
Replying to
@TindrasGrove@infosec.exchange @cyberpunklibrarian@masto.hackers.town Progress is also measured by if you’re able to do things you previously couldn’t or wouldn’t — ie, walk long distances, park in distant places, be more active with less inflammation, etc. Plus if your clothes start fitting better or you need smaller sizes, that’s a tangible indication, too. Weight and BMI alone are horrible metrics imho.
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Open post
rickf - a cynical professor @rickf@indieweb.social
· 2mo ago
Replying to
@metacurity@infosec.exchange Gotta grift while the grifting is good, ya know. Anything involving DOGE-bros or MAGA investors is immediately suspect in my view, both on motivations and competence.
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rickf - a cynical professor @rickf@indieweb.social
· 5mo ago
Replying to
@0xabad1dea@infosec.exchange Because wet signatures can't be faked, right? *rolls eyes* I cringe whenever someone asks for one. It's like, "get with the 21st century, folks".
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rickf - a cynical professor @rickf@indieweb.social
· 2mo ago
Yup, they’re hitting desalinization plants. https://www.rawstory.com/iran-war-2677243108/
rawstory.com
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rickf - a cynical professor @rickf@indieweb.social
· 3mo ago

Interesting…

https://thereallo.dev/blog/claude-code-prompt-steganography

thereallo.dev
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