Cyber Security Simulation (Inspired Post 6)

After listening to Jim Lewis speak about Cyber Security on the first day of our trip to CSIS, I felt as if I had learned a lot about the topic, but still felt overwhelmed by the idea of doing a Cyber Security Simulation the following day. During lunch on Thursday, I reviewed the notes that I had taken during his presentation in preparation for the simulation. When the simulation finally began, it was awkward because we sat there and attempted to come up with three pillars for cyber security but didn't want to go too in depth knowing that any minute something new would be thrown our way.

When we initially found out the Chicago's power had gone down and it was an expected cyber attack, the first thing our group did was rule out pointing fingers.

We didn't want to blame anyone for this attack until we had hard, legitimate evidence to support such an accusation. This was a very interesting situation to be put in. We needed to find out who did it (Madame President was waiting) but we had no real evidence, let alone any real leads. We didn't know who we could trust so collaborating with other allies seemed like a poor choice. We also didn't even know if the attack had come internally, so we didn't even know if we could trust our own people.



Once China was thrown into the mix, the situation became much more complicated. We had to watch our every move to make sure we didn't piss of China, but we also had to look over our shoulder to make sure China wasn't planning another attack.

For me, this simulation was an extremely good look at the problems that government officials face. Although these may not be entirely indicative of every day problems, it must be true that they are often expected to find solutions when they don't really know where to look. It is also true that we never know who are our allies and who is working against us (be it a whole country or simply an individual within that country) so it is quite a difficult predicament. I think the intensity of this simulation, combined with the effort that the students put in to come up with well thought out plans, made for a really successful and meaningful experience. I think that this a course that all students who aim to be policymakers ought to take. Because of the Honors College, I have been afforded the opportunity to take classes that were so unique and such incredible experiences. I am extremely grateful to have had the chance to go to CSIS and I plan to find as many other Honors courses like this one to take before I graduate. And of course, getting a $15 Starbucks gift card for winning the simulation was a pretty big perk, too! :)

CSIS Experience (Required Post #12)

 
After spending a few days inside the Center for Strategic and International Studies, I feel as if I finally have a clear understanding of what a think tank is and what they really do. It is hard to only read about something as complex as a think tank...the experience of listening to speakers, sitting in on an event and doing a simulation we're so much more effective than reading in a book. 

One of the things that impressed me most about CSIS was how up to date all of their material is. In the Seven Revolutions presentation, it seemed as if Scott had updated his information the day before he gave the presentation. I saw the same trend throughout the other presentations. I think staying up-to-date is essential for a think tank because of how quickly the facts and information changes. Having the most recent data is likely part of what gives them legitimacy with policymakers.

I really appreciated all of the speakers' willingness to answer the questions we had to the best of their ability. They each arrived very prepared to speak with us and make sure that we got the most out of the short time we had together. I was even a little surprised that some of them (Arnaud, Jim Lewis) were able to spend a full hour with us, when I am sure they had a million other things they could have been doing. And I'm sure they do that kind of thing a lot as it sounded like many student groups come through CSIS.

I also found it interesting that a good handful of the speakers we listened to made sure to explain that CSIS was a nonpartisan or bipartisan (they all said both) company. This blog talks about why our government should look to nonpartisan committees rather than bipartisan ones. I completely agree with what he has to say. I also think that CSIS ought to aim to be nonpartisan rather than bipartisan. America's political parties are so extreme and so limiting, that if policy was created without taking them into consideration, it would likely be better legislation. But then again, the likelihood of it getting passed would probably be less.

 One of the things that I least liked about CSIS was what I learned in the student panel: there is essentially no room for advancement. Students come in, do the (pardon my french) bitch work for a few years and then move on to bigger and better opportunities. It is as if CSIS is only a spring board for these young professionals. With that in mind, where is the incentive to teach the younger people or on the other hand for the younger people to try their absolute best. It just seems kind of weird to take a job and spend at least two years of your life just looking for the next opportunity. But I guess that is sort of how Washington is...

I found myself being very glad that I had decided not to major in Political Science, that I had decided not to do to Washington program (in which PSU students spend a semester in DC being taught by PSU professors while completing an internship). The environment and the culture seems to rushed and too intense for me. But then again, I am from California. I was inspired, though, to continue to pursue policy making outside of the capital. In my major, Education and Public Policy, there are opportunities for policy making all over the nation (and truly all over the world).

Overall, I had a great experience at CSIS. I learned a great deal, not only about the topics we discussed but also about the organization and Washington, DC as a whole.

Cybersecurity (Required Post #11)

This week in class we discussed a lot about cyber security. While this is a topic I am facing everyday when I log onto my computer, check my Facebook, sign into Gmail, or do a search on Google-- I had rarely considered the issue and knew little about its importance. My generation is so used to using the internet for just about every facet of our lives that we don't think about the implications it could have on our rights to privacy. After reading "The Significance of the Frontier: Why Privacy and Cybersecurity Clash" by James Lewis, I felt as if I got a much better understanding of the issue at hand. Cybersecurity is an extremely important, controversial and prevalent issue in today's world. The topics brought up in this article are essential for us to understand as we move forward. The article in its entirety can be found here.

Lewis states that "we are moving ineluctably into an era of decreased privacy." He believes that as we move into the 21st century and begin utilizing all the technology that surrounds us, it is inevitable that we will experience less and less privacy. Yet Lewis does not believe that less privacy necessarily means less civil liberties. While I was initially skeptical by this claim, his statement, "If free speech and freedom of assembly are protected, less privacy will not lead to decreased political freedom and civil liberties in democratic states" definitely got me thinking. After reading why he feels this way, I tend to agree with Lewis. If we are legally allowed to speak, assemble and protest freely, then our privacy may not seem as essential, as long as these rights are forever protected.

Lewis then discusses the issue of anonymity. I am in the position of which I believe that the ability to remain anonymous on the internet is essential. It is essential for the flow of information, as people will be less apt to share information if they feel as if they are being watched or tracked and if they feel as if the information can be directly linked to them. While this picture is somewhat extreme...

it is more or less our expectation when using the internet. The internet has developed in a way that remaining anonymous has been a part of its core--it is how we began using the internet and how we aim to continue. Some have argued the need for a personalized avatar of sorts in which an individual's actions on the internet could all be traced back to that being. I think this goes against everything that the internet stands for and everything it was intended for.

One quote about anonymity that really spoke to me in light of recent events was: "Anonymity can allow the expression of opinions without fear of retaliation, such as an employee revealing misdeeds by an employer." I find this to be a really good example of why anonymity is essential not only on the internet but also in real life in the real world.


In general, I think cybersecurity is an issue that requires our utmost concern because remaining anonymous on the internet while keeping our privacy AND our civil liberties is absolutely essential.

TEDxPSU (Bonus Blog)

This morning I attended session one of TEDxPSU. My best guess is that about 800 participants gathered in Alumni Hall to hear speakers on a variety of different topics discussing "ideas worth spreading".

The introduction was a video in which the founders of TED explained that they had very little to do with the day we were about to experience, but rather the local community defined our experience. That's what is so interesting about TED. It provides a few simple tools for localities to use to put together a TEDx event, and then lets them run with their ideas.

Ideas are spread at these individual events around the globe and then broadcasted online for all to see. A specific number of minutes at each TED event is required to be dedicated to sharing the ideas of past events. For example, this video was shared at TEDxPSU.

This particular video is from Edinburgh, Scotland but was seen not only at Penn State today, but also has over 450,000 views on YouTube. It is also available with subtitles in 43 different languages. TED is changing the way we share and spread information. It is allowing people from all over the world to have their voices be heard in a constructive, straight-forward manner. TED is inspiring us to think bigger than ourselves and learn from the world around us. TED is globalization and it is awesome!


The topics of this mornings talks ranged from understanding that the deaf are bilingual to giving plants mobility to global warming. Yet what I realized from attending today's event was that TED is so much bigger than the speeches given at each single event or the videos that come from those events. It is about the thousands upon thousands of stories and ideas that are shared with anyone who is willing listen. It doesn't matter where you grew up or where you come from, not only can you hear all the amazing ideas worth spreading, but if you have your own idea, you can spread it too.


If you log onto ted.com, the front page hosts an array of different videos that all have different topics. When you put your cursor over each different video, there is not only a description, but also a few labels that each video has been given. For example, a video could be frequently deemed informative, inspiring, unconvincing, persuasive, fascinating, beautiful or funny. But the only way to really tell, is to watch it yourself.


One of the most impressive parts about today's event was the use of technology. I often find PowerPoints to be fairly distracting and to take away from a presentation like this. Yet the PowerPoints today were crafted so carefully and so strategically, they did nothing more than supplement the material. Most of the slides were extremely simple, with about 5 words tops. There were pictures that said more words than the speaker could in their entire presentation. They were clean, well-prepared, and added to the presentation. That is how PowerPoints ought to always be used.


Overall, I was extremely impressed by the work that the TEDxPSU team did to bring this event together. Not only was the event live in Alumni Hall, there were also viewing rooms around the HUB and a live stream online here. Around 2pm when I logged on, there were 50 people currently watching the stream and there had been over 700 views throughout the day. I can't wait until TED becomes as popular as it deserves to be. Most people have seen a TED talk or two, but I think the possibilities are endless for the utilization of the information they provide. I have already had a professor use a TED talk in class and I hope that as I move forward in my education, I will only see more of these ideas spread through the classroom, through the community, and around the world.

Technology Coordinated Protest (Inspired Post 5)

Last night, around 8:00pm, I rode my bike by Old Main and had to get off and walk because there were so many people on the patio. There were "Joe Paterno" chants, "Fuck Sandusky" chants, and a lot of fight songs being sung. It looked more of less like this:

Then, when I got out of my THON committee, I overheard many people speaking about a riot going on downtown. Some friends and I decided we should check it out. We walked over to Old Main and it looked more like this...

Thousands of students were gathered around Old Main doing more or less the same chants. As I stood at the far side of Old Main, I was surrounded by a whole bunch of students that were just as confused as I was. No one really knew why we were there and what our being there was accomplishing. Within five minutes, a crowd of students started walking in my direction. "To the stadium!" they yelled as the marched off in that direction. Over the next few minutes, students slowly trickled away, some going home, but most heading to the stadium. Being the ever-curious student I am, I figured I might as well go up to the stadium as well.

When we got there, I was pretty surprised walking by Paternoville. While I expected the students there to be protests or rioting in some way, they all simply stood watching the crowds roll by in complete silence. I think it was sort of their way of saying--this isn't the correct response to such a situation.

When I finally arrived to the area that the protest/riot/rally/whatever-you-want-to-call-it was commencing, there were between one to two thousand students all standing in the street, screaming, cheering, and chanting. Soon after, a few members of the band (not sure if it was Blue Band or some other band...I couldn't see them in the middle of the crowd) started playing the Penn State fight songs. It was really powerful to all be there together in the middle of the street outside of the stadium, arms around eachother, singing loud and proud. For me, that's what last night was about. It was about being proud Penn Staters and coming together to share that pride. While for many, it was about protesting Spanier or supporting JoePa, I didn't really engage in that.

What was so incredible was the amount of students all in the same place all at the same time. There were oodles of Facebook events, text messages, picture messages, tweets and blog posts about it that made the word spread faster than one could imagine. The use of technology in these events have been absolutely essential. Facebook events have been created to "Blue Out" the stadium on Saturday in order to support the fight against child abuse. The event can be found here. There is also a candlelight vigil planned for Friday evening as a memorial for the victims of this tragedy. This article written by the Daily Collegian reports on many different events that have been created.

This is globalization at its peak. Students informing each other of their efforts so that they can all go into the streets together. Like I mentioned in a previous blog, that's the point of this new technology and these new social media resources in instances like this. It is to inform and educate, to coordinate and plan. And after last night, I can honestly say, it is working.

Let's be Cautious, but Let's do this (Required Post #10)

One of the biggest takeaways I got from this week's discussion was that diplomats in the 21st century not only have to be really good at working with technology, but also they must be very controlled about their actions. This is because everywhere a diplomat goes, everything a diplomat says and everything a diplomat does can be so easily recorded and then shared all over the world. With new technology like YouTube having such a prevalence in todays' world, it is so easy for the actions of an American diplomat to be seen within minutes in just about any country.

If we think back to when Osama bin Laden was found and murdered, the speed with which this information was shared was extraordinary. Not only was it all over the traditional news sources (TV and newspaper) but it was also shared immediately on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, blogs, and just about any other source you can think of. And it doesn't have to be a big event Osama bin Laden or a big scandal like the Jerry Sandusky case for the news to go global. If we consider the absolutely ridiculous amount of attention that this video got...

This isn't actually the real video, because it only has about 5 million views, as opposed to the original one that had well over 80 million. This whole craze occurred while I was studying abroad in Spain and one of my friends there was trying to do her homework while someone in the apartment below her was blasting this song on repeat for hours on end. Nope--certainly (and perhaps shamefully) not just an American thing.

Today, information flows faster than ever before. If the American government wants to enter into the age of Digital Diplomacy, we will need to be incredibly informed and completely understand the frequency and speed of information sharing. We must be prepared for the implications of this new technological world. One of the articles from this week's readings called Digital Diplomacy by Sam Dupant states: "The hope in all of this is that the U.S. State Department can be a cut above other governments in becoming a technologically adept diplomatic machine." I think this is absolutely essential for America and if achieved, will be a hugely monumental step in the right direction.

As I discussed last week, this is not exactly the easiest problem to solve. When you enter a world where the technology is so new and so controversial, knowing when to step in is hard to do. But I strongly believe that we are going to have to carefully and cautiously step in and attempt to utilize all that the technology has to offer for the diplomacy of today's world.

21st Century Statecraft...Dun dun dun dun....(Required Post #9)

While 21st Century Statecraft sounds like a futuristic, high-tech, overwhelming and scary, Star Trek-type idea, it is not quite as daunting. Rather it is a super fancy way to say: the art of running a country. And the technology isn't even that fancy, considering the US Government is pretty far behind the rest of the world in terms of social media usage. "The Gov" is now officially using Twitter and Facebook and working with all the big players like Google, Twitter, Facebook, etc. to make sure that they are staying up-to-date on the latest and greatest technologies.


But when the US Government is buddy buddy with Google, Facebook and Twitter, the implications are not always positive. This is because Google, Facebook and Twitter are therefore seen by the rest of the world as an extension of the US Government. Nowadays, big brother is not only watching us....

............he's friending us too!


While this is a bit of an exaggeration, it is true that the US Government is being rooted into our social media. And other countries are not going to respond positively to this. Just like last year when Jared Cohen told Twitter that they better not do their scheduled maintenance during the Iranian protests (and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said nothing nor did nothing to stop him), other countries are getting suspicious and worried about the US trying to infiltrate their countries. When we suggest to other countries that they should use Facebook or Twitter, our suggestions are not going to be thought of as simply a matter of bettering their communication.


But honestly, this isn't exactly a new idea. The US government has been tightly integrated within Facebook and Twitter and Google since the beginning. These big three (FB, Twitter and Google) are constantly working with The Gov to help them develop better technology. Youtube and Flickr are definitely being used by the government too. 


In 2009, the US Government got a YouTube channel. This article details the ways that YouTube worked with the government in order to create this. For example: "One of the steps that YouTube took was creating a goverment version of its embeddable video player that does not deposit a cookie on the viewer's computer until the video play button has been clicked." I strongly believe that coordination like this will be the only way that the US government can really understand the technology they are using. This ability to work together has been and will continue to be absolutely essential for the advancement of our nation into the world of...dun dun dun dun...digital diplomacy.