Cipher Issue 139, July 18, 2017, Editor's Letter

Dear Readers,

We have a short newsletter this month, due to the summer doldrums and summer travel, all of which seems to hit hackers as hard as researchers.

It is difficult to know what to say about computer security in these "interesting times". In the brilliant words of Don Goode, "We need some". Beyond that poignant observation, we find our attention shifting from understanding the lastest exploit against an OS weakness to shock at the extent to which we are under attack from nation states, and a feeling that the US government is ambivalent about its role in cybersecurity. But maybe that's just the doldrums speaking.

I hope your summer travels include at least one of the security and privacy conferences, and I hope that your interest in computer security is steadfast.

Elections officials, fly away home. Your precinct's on fire, your voters alone.
      Hilarie Orman