Full Spectrum Training.....does it matter?

 So I know the question is out there....why is this website supposedly devoted to the study of warfare always talking about computer security and cryptocurrency? Shouldn't I just be posting articles about "improving your shot group" or the latest in "tactical accoutrements"? It essentially boils down to this:

1. As anyone who has attended my courses knows, I believe in what I call "The Heinlein Doctrine" (or the Competent Man principal). In essence, a warrior (or just a human being for that matter) must be good at everything...not just shooting, or grappling, or navigating.

2. Right now, technology is at the forefront of not just battle, but our everyday lives....like it or not.

3. Many believe that war lies in the not too far future of the western world. I believe that this war has already begun. Perhaps not the shooting part, but the IPB (Intelligence Preparation of the Battlespace) has begun in earnest in the technical space. We ignore this aspect of the battlefield at our greatest peril.

4. And finally, there are hundreds of sources these days for sound tactical training, but very few sources for full spectrum training exist.

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  "A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects."

-- Robert Heinlein (From Time Enough For Love)

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I should point out that I do in fact have some "hard skill" courses coming up:

- Gunfight Concepts Carbine  -  AUG 19-20   CDA, ID

- Low-Pro Tactical Vehicle Operations  -  SEP  tba

- Home Defense CQB (force on force)  -  OCT  tba


I also have the GroundRod cyber defense series of courses in:

- GR 1 & 2  -  Scranton, PA  AUG 10-13

- GR 1 & 2  -  Eugene, OR  AUG 24-27

- GR 1 & 2  -  San Francisco, CA  SEP tba

- GR 1 & 2  -  Atlanta, GA  OCT  12-15 


Which brings me to my point -


   One of the subjects that I cover in the GroundRod training series is that of crypto-currency (Bitcoin, etc). Simon Black from SovereignMan sent me an excellent piece recently on Crypto 101...


    "Commerce on the Internet has come to rely almost exclusively on financial institutions serving as trusted third parties to process electronic payments. While the system works well enough for most transactions, it still suffers from the inherent weaknesses of the trust based model. Completely non-reversible transactions are not really possible, since financial institutions cannot avoid mediating disputes.

    The cost of mediation increases transaction costs, limiting the minimum practical transaction size and cutting off the possibility for small casual transactions, and there is a broader cost in the loss of ability to make non-reversible payments for nonreversible services. With the possibility of reversal, the need for trust spreads.

    Merchants must be wary of their customers, hassling them for more information than they would otherwise need. A certain percentage of fraud is accepted as unavoidable. These costs and payment uncertainties can be avoided in person by using physical currency, but no mechanism exists to make payments over a communications channel without a trusted party.

    What is needed is an electronic payment system based on cryptographic proof instead of trust, allowing any two willing parties to transact directly with each other without the need for a trusted third party. Transactions that are computationally impractical to reverse would protect sellers from fraud, and routine escrow mechanisms could easily be implemented to protect buyers."

-- Satoshi Nakamoto


   I strongly encourage you to READ the full article by Ben Yu as it gives an exceptionally thorough breakdown of what crypto is and why it matters. As the saying goes....there will be a test...