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RSAC 2025 Sets A Dangerous Precedent for Cybersecurity Leadership

(I posted this on LI, but I like to own my content, so am also posting here.)

The cybersecurity community deserves better than what we’re witnessing at RSAC 2025, today.

While Kristi Noem delivers today’s keynote, the absence of traditional cybersecurity leaders from agencies like NSA and CISA speaks volumes about shifting priorities in our field. This contrast becomes even more troubling when viewed alongside recent developments with Chris Krebs. The former CISA director — widely respected for his defense of election security — has faced unprecedented retaliation: security clearances revoked, his employer SentinelOne effectively blacklisted, and federal investigations directed into his tenure for simply upholding the integrity of our democratic systems.

Meanwhile, Secretary Noem — who has publicly committed to “reining in” CISA’s disinformation efforts and called its election integrity work “shocking” — receives our industry’s most prestigious speaking platform. Her tenure at DHS has featured more political theater than substantive cybersecurity leadership — or just leadership in general — prioritizing spectacle over the technical expertise and collaborative approach our field demands.

RSAC has always represented rigorous, forward-thinking discussion about defending critical infrastructure and fostering trust in technology. By elevating political figures who undermine the very principles our community stands for — while one of our most principled voices faces silencing — we’re accepting a dangerous new standard.

The cybersecurity field requires leaders who value expertise, accountability, and the defense of democratic norms. We must ask ourselves: what message are we sending about our professional values when we applaud those who work to dismantle the very protections we’ve built?

Every individual involved with RSAC who had a part to play in this decision should be deeply, deeply ashamed of themselves.

New geolocus-cli For ONYPHE’s Geolocus Database

ONYPHE has made available a free API and free MMDB download of their new Geolocus database. It provided IP address metadata in the form of:

{
    "abuse":
    [
        "amzn-noc-contact@amazon.com",
        "aws-routing-poc@amazon.com",
        "aws-rpki-routing-poc@amazon.com",
        "trustandsafety@support.aws.com"
    ],
    "asn": "AS14618",
    "continent": "NA",
    "continentname": "North America",
    "country": "US",
    "countryname": "United States",
    "domain":
    [
        "amazon.com",
        "amazonaws.com",
        "aws.com"
    ],
    "ip": "3.215.138.152",
    "isineu": 0,
    "latitude": "37.09024",
    "location": "37.09024,-95.712891",
    "longitude": "-95.712891",
    "netname": "AMAZON-IAD",
    "organization": "Amazon Data Services NoVa",
    "physical_asn": "AS14618",
    "physical_continent": "NA",
    "physical_continentname": "North America",
    "physical_country": "US",
    "physical_countryname": "United States",
    "physical_isineu": 0,
    "physical_latitude": "37.09024",
    "physical_location": "37.09024,-95.712891",
    "physical_longitude": "-95.712891",
    "physical_organization": "Amazon.com, Inc.",
    "physical_subnet": "3.208.0.0/12",
    "physical_timezone": "America/Chicago",
    "subnet": "3.208.0.0/12",
    "timezone": "America/Chicago"
}

Since it’s way more efficient to use the MMDB file than the API, I built a cross-platform CLI tool for it: https://codeberg.org/hrbrmstr/geolocus-cli.

also with binary releases: https://codeberg.org/hrbrmstr/geolocus-cli/releases

Code is also available via Tangled Knot: https://tangled.sh/@hrbrmstr.dev/geolocus-cli

Usage:

# Download the latest Geolocus database
geolocus-cli download

# Look up IPs from a file
geolocus-cli lookup -i ips.txt -o results.json

# Process IPs from stdin and output to stdout
cat ips.txt | geolocus-cli lookup

# Output in CSV format
geolocus-cli lookup -i ips.txt -f csv -o results.csv

# Output in JSONL format (one JSON object per line)
geolocus-cli lookup -i ips.txt -f jsonl -o results.jsonl

# Disable session caching
geolocus-cli lookup -i ips.txt --no-cache

CLI options:

Commands:
  download    Download a fresh copy of the geolocus.mmdb database
  lookup      Lookup and enrich IP addresses from a file or stdin

Options:
  -h, --help              Show help information
  -i, --input <file>      Input file containing IP addresses (one per line)
  -o, --output <file>     Output file for results (defaults to stdout)
  -f, --format <format>   Output format: json, csv, or jsonl (default: json)
  --no-cache              Disable IP caching for the current session

Trump’s Retaliation Against Chris Krebs — and the Cybersecurity Industry’s Deafening Silence

Chris Krebs, the former director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), was fired by Donald Trump in 2020 for publicly affirming that the presidential election was secure and free from widespread fraud. Fast-forward to April 2025: Trump, now back in the White House, issued an executive order revoking Krebs’ security clearances and ordering a federal investigation into his conduct, specifically targeting both Krebs and his employer, SentinelOne. The order also suspended clearances for other SentinelOne employees and threatened the company’s ability to do business with the government.

Krebs responded by resigning from SentinelOne to fight the administration’s campaign against him, stating, “This is a fight for democracy, freedom of expression, and the rule of law. I’m ready to give it my all”. SentinelOne’s stock dropped, and the chilling effect on the broader cybersecurity sector was immediate and palpable.

The Industry’s Response: Silence, Not Solidarity

Despite Krebs’ reputation for professionalism and integrity, the cybersecurity industry has, with rare exceptions, responded with silence. Reuters reached out to 33 major cybersecurity firms and three industry groups—only one responded with a comment. Industry leaders, major vendors, and conference organizers have largely avoided public statements. Even companies with direct ties to Krebs, such as Microsoft and CrowdStrike, declined to comment.

This silence is not just disappointing—it’s dangerous. The executive order against Krebs is not merely a personal vendetta; it is a test of constitutional norms and the independence of the cybersecurity profession. By targeting Krebs for telling the truth, the administration is sending a message: dissent—especially when it contradicts the preferred political narrative—will be punished. The industry’s lack of response is, in effect, complicity.

Why This Matters

  • Chilling Effect: If a high-profile, well-respected figure like Krebs can be targeted for doing his job, no one in the industry is safe. The message is clear: toe the line or risk your career and your company’s future.
  • Erosion of Trust: Cybersecurity is built on trust and integrity. If practitioners cannot speak the truth without fear of retaliation, the entire profession is undermined.
  • Precedent for Authoritarianism: The use of executive power to punish private citizens and companies for protected speech is a hallmark of authoritarianism. The industry’s silence enables further overreach.

What Every RSA Attendee Should Do

RSA Conference 2025’s theme is “Many Voices. One Community.” But a community that stays silent in the face of injustice is not united—it is complicit. Every attendee, whether you’re a practitioner, vendor, or “A-lister,” has a responsibility to meet this moment.

When you visit vendor booths or encounter cybersecurity leaders and influencers at RSA, ask them:

  • What are you and your company doing to publicly support Chris Krebs and SentinelOne?
  • How are you defending the principles of free speech and professional integrity in cybersecurity?
  • Are you willing to risk contracts, revenue, or reputation to stand up for what’s right?
  • What concrete actions will you take to ensure that truth-telling cybersecurity professionals are protected, not punished?

Don’t let them dodge. Don’t accept platitudes.

If you’re a vendor or a leader: issue a public statement. Sign an open letter. Organize a session or a panel on defending professional independence. Use your platform—on stage, on social media, in the press—to call out this abuse of power.

If you’re an attendee: demand answers. Refuse to let silence be the industry’s answer to authoritarian overreach.

Remember: Silence is not safety. Silence is capitulation. If the cybersecurity community cannot defend its own when the truth is under attack, then what exactly are we protecting?

This is your moment. Don’t waste it.

American [Cyber] Sigh

A long, long time ago
I can still remember
How those CVEs would make me smile
And I knew if I had my chance
To patch a vuln or take a stance
Maybe we’d be secure for a while

But April ides made me shiver
With each leaked memo and press release delivered
Bad news on the doorstep
Couldn’t take one more step

I can’t remember if I sighed
When I read about the program’s demise
But something broke me deep inside
The day the CVE died

So bye, bye, MITRE’s CVE pie
Checked the vuln feed in my Feely
But the Feedly ran dry
And them good old nerds were drinking whiskey and rye
Singin’, “This’ll be the day that I sigh
This’ll be the day that I sigh”

Did you write the book of flaws
And do you have faith in CISA’s cause
As the budget fails you so?
Do you believe in NVD
Can it save our infosec sanity
Now that MITRE’s left out in the cold?

Well, I know you’re chasing vulns with me
Saw your commits in the CVE tree
We both diffed those exploit clues
Man, I miss those vuln ID blues

I was a lonely analyst on the hunt
With a zero-day and a coffee cup
But I knew I was out of luck
The day the CVE died

I started singing
Bye, bye, MITRE’s CVE pie
Checked the vuln feed in my Feely
But the Feedly ran dry
And them good old nerds were drinking whiskey and rye
Singin’, “This’ll be the day that I sigh
This’ll be the day that I sigh”

Now for twenty-five years we’ve been on our own
But the funding’s gone, the seeds are sown
That’s not how it used to be
When MITRE sang for DHS
And catalogued every software mess
In a voice that came from you and me

Oh, and while the vendors looked around
The hackers stole the thorny crown
No verdict was returned
And the vuln world, it just burned
And while defenders read advisories
The attackers practiced in the dark
And we sang dirges in the park
The day the CVE died

We were singing
Bye, bye, MITRE’s CVE pie
Checked the vuln feed in my Feely
But the Feedly ran dry
And them good old nerds were drinking whiskey and rye
Singin’, “This’ll be the day that I sigh
This’ll be the day that I sigh”

Helter skelter before the summer swelter
The KEV flew off with no shelter
Zero-days high and falling fast
It landed foul on the grass
The vendors tried for a forward pass
With MITRE on the sidelines in a cast

Now the half-time air was sweet perfume
While the Red Team played a marching tune
We all got up to dance
Oh, but we never got the chance
‘Cause the vendors tried to take the field
The bug bounty band refused to yield
Do you recall what was revealed
The day the CVE died?

We started singing
Bye, bye, MITRE’s CVE pie
Checked the vuln feed in my Feely
But the Feedly ran dry
And them good old nerds were drinking whiskey and rye
Singin’, “This’ll be the day that I sigh

Oh, and there we were all in one place
A generation lost in cyberspace
With no time left to start again
So come on: Jack be nimble, Jack be quick
Jack Flash sat on a candlestick
‘Cause fire is the hacker’s only friend

Oh, and as I watched it on the stage
My hands were clenched in fists of rage
No angel born in hell
Could break that budget spell
And as the flames climbed high into the night
To light the sacrificial rite
I saw Musk laughing with delight
The day the CVE died

He was singing
Bye, bye, MITRE’s CVE pie
Checked the vuln feed in my Feely
But the Feedly ran dry
And them good old nerds were drinking whiskey and rye
Singin’, “This’ll be the day that I sigh

I met a dev who sang the blues
And I asked her for some happy news
But she just smiled and turned away
I went down to the sacred store
Where I’d checked for CVEs before
But the sysadmin said the feeds wouldn’t play

And in the streets, the hackers screamed
The CISOs cried, and the devs all dreamed
But not a word was spoken
The patching chain was broken
And the three things I admire most:
The patch, the fix, and the vuln disclosure post
They caught the last train for the coast
The day the CVE died

And they were singing
Bye, bye, MITRE’s CVE pie
Drove my vuln feed to the levee
But the levee ran dry
And them good old nerds were drinking whiskey and rye
Singin’, “This’ll be the day that I sigh
This’ll be the day that I sigh”

I told you so…

Just putting a marker out there, that I’m either fundamentally wrong, or we all are f’d this week.

If the latter: I told you so.

A Critical Analysis of ICERAID

ICERAID (iceraid[.]us) presents itself as a “GovFi protocol” that purportedly delegates intelligence gathering tasks from law enforcement to citizens. According to their materials, it rewards users with cryptocurrency tokens for capturing and uploading images of alleged “criminal illegal alien activity” and other suspected criminal behavior to their platform.

The platform claims to operate on the Solana blockchain, with users receiving ICERAID tokens for submitting photos through their app. Their marketing positions this as helping “take the strain off law enforcement” by allowing citizens to provide real-time data. The project launched a token sale that allegedly sold over 65 million ICERAID tokens, with plans for a validator staking program using Raydium LP tokens.

In February 2025, ICERAID announced a bounty program specifically targeting New York City, offering 2,000 ICERAID tokens for each photograph of “suspicious activities related to illegal immigration”. Users must connect a Solana-compatible wallet like Phantom to receive rewards after uploading images to the ICERAID Explorer.

I did some spelunking and dropped a bunch of info/artifacts on the fairly pathetic crypto scam initiative over at Codeberg.

Call To Action: State Department Power Grab

(Re-posted from 47 Watch).

The State Department, under the stewardship of Secretary Marco Rubio, has just dropped a bombshell determination that’s about as subtle as a foghorn in a library.

You can/should review the Federal Register notice before continuing. There is a markdown formatted version of this on the 47 Watch knot.

In a nutshell, they’ve decided that pretty much everything involving borders, immigration, and international trade should now be considered a “foreign affairs function.”

Why does this matter?

Well, it’s because this administrative magic trick exempts these activities from the Administrative Procedure Act — a law that ensures the government can’t just make sweeping changes without telling anyone. It’s like democracy’s version of “no take-backsies.”

Let’s break down just some of the potential consequences:

  1. The “Surprise Border Policy” Scenario: Imagine waking up to find out the rules for entering or leaving the country have changed overnight. It’s like showing up to a potluck and finding out it’s now a formal dinner party — and you’re the only one in flip-flops.

  2. The “Your Phone is Our Phone” Situation: Border agents could potentially get more power to access your devices. Hope you’re ready to share your entire camera roll with strangers in uniform (who will all be employees of a private company, soon)!

  3. The “Economic Whiplash” Effect: The government could slap trade restrictions on countries faster than you can say “global supply chain disruption.” It’s like playing economic Jenga, but with real people’s livelihoods.

This determination could lead to policies being implemented without public input or oversight. It’s like the government putting on noise-canceling headphones while making decisions that affect millions of lives.

So, what can we do?

Well, it’s time (again) to make some noise.

Write to your representatives, call your senators, and make your voice heard.

Let’s shine a light on this issue before we wake up in a country where border policy is decided by whether the angrily-tossed plate with condiments on it hits the wall ketchup-side up or down.

If you’re looking for something to riff from when contacting your representative, this is what I’m emailing, printing-and-mailing, and calling (on Monday) my reps with:

——

As a [what you do + where you reside], I strongly oppose the determination to classify all efforts related to border control, immigration, and cross-border transfers as “foreign affairs functions” under the Administrative Procedure Act (APA).

This determination poses significant risks to transparency, accountability, and the fundamental principles of democratic governance. By exempting these critical areas from APA requirements, we risk implementing far-reaching policies without proper public scrutiny or input. This is particularly concerning given the complex, nuanced nature of immigration and border security issues.

The broad scope of this determination, encompassing “people, goods, services, data, technology, and other items,” is alarmingly vague and could lead to overreach in areas such as digital privacy and trade. As someone deeply involved in data science and security, I foresee potential abuses in data collection and surveillance that could infringe on civil liberties and hinder technological innovation.

Furthermore, this determination may exceed executive authority and violate the separation of powers. The Constitution grants Congress, not the executive branch, the power to establish a “uniform Rule of Naturalization” (Article I, Section 8, Clause 4). This sweeping reclassification appears to usurp congressional authority over immigration law.

From a national security perspective, while rapid response capabilities are important, the lack of public input and oversight could lead to poorly conceived policies that actually harm our security interests. Hastily implemented changes could disrupt critical international relationships, intelligence sharing, and cooperative law enforcement efforts.

I urge you to reconsider this determination. Instead, focus on improving existing processes within the current legal framework, ensuring that changes to immigration and border policies remain subject to proper public scrutiny and democratic checks and balances.

Xitter Hit by Major Cyberattack

On March 10, 2025, Xitter experienced major service disruptions throughout the day. Users couldn’t access the platform on both mobile apps and the website. Here’s what happened and why it matters.

What Happened?

X suffered multiple waves of outages starting early Monday morning:

  • First wave: Around 6:00 AM Eastern Time, affecting about 20,000 users
  • Second wave: Around 10:00 AM ET, with over 40,000 users reporting problems
  • Third wave: Between 11:00 AM and noon, affecting nearly 30,000 users

People trying to use Xitter saw loading symbols, error messages saying “Something went wrong. Try reloading,” or couldn’t access the service at all.

Who Was Behind It?

A pro-Palestinian hacking group called Dark Storm Team claimed responsibility for the attack. They posted on their Telegram channel: “Twitter has been taken offline by Dark Storm Team,” along with screenshots showing connection failures from different global locations.

Dark Storm Team has been active since around 2023 and is known for targeting organizations in Israel, Europe, and the United States. According to security experts, the group specializes in DDoS attacks and has a pro-Palestinian orientation.

What Did Elon Musk Say?

Elon Musk, Xitter’s owner, acknowledged the attack several hours after it began: “There was (still is) a massive cyberattack against Xitter. We get attacked every day, but this was done with a lot of resources. Either a large, coordinated group and/or a country is involved.”

Later, in an interview with Fox Business, Musk made a controversial claim connecting the attack to Ukraine: “We’re not sure exactly what happened but there was a massive cyberattack to try and bring down the Xitter system with IP addresses originating in the Ukraine area.” He provided no evidence to support this claim.

What Was the Reaction?

Cybersecurity experts expressed significant skepticism about Musk’s Ukraine claim:

  • They pointed out that attack origin IP addresses can be easily masked or manipulated
  • Attackers routinely route activities through compromised systems in other countries

Ukrainian officials firmly denied any involvement. Oleksii Merezhko, chairman of Ukraine’s parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee, stated that the Ukrainian government had “absolutely” no part in the alleged cyberattack on Xitter.

Ed Krassenstein, who claimed to have communicated with Dark Storm’s leader, contradicted Musk’s assertion. According to screenshots shared online, the group responded to the Ukraine claim by saying: “Elon Musk must provide evidence for his claim, and we will provide evidence for ours.” They allegedly threatened further attacks, warning “We can attack again. A stronger attack this time, not only on Xitter but Tesla and others.”

What Type of Attack Was It?

The incident was a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack. These attacks work by:
– Overwhelming a platform’s servers with excessive traffic
– Causing slowdowns or complete outages by exhausting available resources
– Using compromised devices (forming a “botnet”) to send overwhelming amounts of data

Cybersecurity experts described this attack as “far beyond simple DoS attempts,” involving “full-scale DDoS assaults, combined with sophisticated botnet activity, credential stuffing, API abuse, and targeted application-layer attacks designed to cripple operations.”

How Did Xitter Respond?

Xitter implemented Cloudflare’s DDoS protection services to mitigate the impact. This defensive measure introduced captcha verification for suspicious IP addresses generating too many requests. By evening, the platform had largely recovered, though some users continued to experience intermittent issues.

I’m not surprised Cloudflare helps protect Nazis, but it’d be nice to live in a universe where they all crawled back under their rocks for good.