Topic: Mandiant

A report from Mandiant identifies 72 fake news sites used by a Chinese PR firm to spread pro-China propaganda. FBI Director Christopher Wray warned the Senate that Chinese espionage remains the greatest long-term threat to U.S. intellectual property and information.

Equifax faced criticism for failing to disclose a March data breach until months later, despite hiring security firm Mandiant to investigate. In other news, filmmaker Mel Brooks stated that his classic comedy "Blazing Saddles" could never be made today due to modern political correctness.

A clip of a historian discussing Calvin Coolidge's success in lowering the federal budget serves as a contrast to modern fiscal policy. The hosts then critique the New York Times for its coverage of a cybersecurity report by Mandiant. They suggest the Times' relationship with Mandiant—hiring, firing, then reporting on them—resembles a marketing scam to promote cybersecurity services.

The Mandiant "APT1" report identifies a specific building in Shanghai as the headquarters for Chinese state-sponsored hacking. The hosts debunk the report's evidence, noting it relies on Google Earth photos and common "script kiddie" tools like HTRAN. They mock the report's use of hacker personas like "Ugly Gorilla" and "SuperHard," characterizing the document as a sales pitch for corporate security contracts.

The Pentagon is significantly expanding its cyber force from 500 to 4,000 personnel to combat sophisticated hacking attacks against banks and news organizations. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has warned of a critical shortage of experts. However, skepticism is expressed regarding the value of new university cybersecurity degrees, suggesting that government recruitment actually favors winners of independent coding challenges and contests.