Bytes and Borscht
@bytesandborscht.bsky.social
Something something computers, conflict, crime. | https://bytesandborscht.com
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The Byzantine Heritage in Russian Security Culture
I would argue that Byzantium remains a key driver of Russian (strategic) security and intelligence culture. In this post I want to explore how I came to this conclusion and talk about how Byzantine "intelligence traditions" influenced Russian statecraft across the ages.
bytesandborscht.com
After a long hiatus I finally managed to sit down and write about a topic that I have been researching for a while - the (potential) impact of the Byzantine Empire on current Russian security / intelligence culture.
bytesandborscht.com/the-byzantin...
bytesandborscht.com/the-byzantin...
Reposted by Bytes and Borscht
I'm not sure it's in the self interest of America's tech bro billionaires to suggest that we bring back public executions to punish the most destructive people in our society.
A Palantir billionaire just called for public hangings.
“It's time to bring back masculine leadership to protect our most vulnerable,” writes Joe Lonsdale.
This is where Silicon Valley authoritarianism is heading:
www.thenerdreich.com/joe-lonsdale...
“It's time to bring back masculine leadership to protect our most vulnerable,” writes Joe Lonsdale.
This is where Silicon Valley authoritarianism is heading:
www.thenerdreich.com/joe-lonsdale...
Joe Lonsdale Calls For Public Hangings
Silicon Valley radicalization escalates
www.thenerdreich.com
December 6, 2025 at 9:38 PM
I'm not sure it's in the self interest of America's tech bro billionaires to suggest that we bring back public executions to punish the most destructive people in our society.
How it feels standing next to my partner while she introduces me to someone.
December 7, 2025 at 5:52 PM
How it feels standing next to my partner while she introduces me to someone.
Pentesters: *complex, technically sophisticated attacks*
Threat actors: haha http-request go brr
Threat actors: haha http-request go brr
A perfect CVSS 10 🧑🏻🍳💋
CVE-2025-55182: Unauthenticated remote code execution vulnerability in React Server Components
The vuln is in versions 19.0, 19.1.0, 19.1.1, and 19.2.0:
react-server-dom-webpack
react-server-dom-parcel
react-server-dom-turbopack
Upgrade immediately!
CVE-2025-55182: Unauthenticated remote code execution vulnerability in React Server Components
The vuln is in versions 19.0, 19.1.0, 19.1.1, and 19.2.0:
react-server-dom-webpack
react-server-dom-parcel
react-server-dom-turbopack
Upgrade immediately!
Critical Security Vulnerability in React Server Components – React
The library for web and native user interfaces
react.dev
December 3, 2025 at 6:09 PM
Pentesters: *complex, technically sophisticated attacks*
Threat actors: haha http-request go brr
Threat actors: haha http-request go brr
Be me.
Spend afternoon to write a script to translate "Разведчик" into English.
Realize *after* I'm finished that the SVR is releasing English versions.
mfw.
Spend afternoon to write a script to translate "Разведчик" into English.
Realize *after* I'm finished that the SVR is releasing English versions.
mfw.
November 25, 2025 at 12:16 AM
Be me.
Spend afternoon to write a script to translate "Разведчик" into English.
Realize *after* I'm finished that the SVR is releasing English versions.
mfw.
Spend afternoon to write a script to translate "Разведчик" into English.
Realize *after* I'm finished that the SVR is releasing English versions.
mfw.
Reposted by Bytes and Borscht
nostalgia is so weird because i used to loath microsoft office 2007 but now i have it installed on my computer and i'm like... yeahhhh. yeah this is the good shit. i miss this.
November 21, 2025 at 2:53 AM
nostalgia is so weird because i used to loath microsoft office 2007 but now i have it installed on my computer and i'm like... yeahhhh. yeah this is the good shit. i miss this.
A whole week off. I have three half-finished articles, a plethora of books and around two dozen miniatures that are in dire need of painting. Given these circumstances I don't like the tempting looks Battlefield 6 is throwing my way.
November 21, 2025 at 6:52 PM
A whole week off. I have three half-finished articles, a plethora of books and around two dozen miniatures that are in dire need of painting. Given these circumstances I don't like the tempting looks Battlefield 6 is throwing my way.
Reposted by Bytes and Borscht
my two ADHD states are:
1. slacking off, playing video games, complaining that society makes me work and wear pants sometimes
2. doing anxiety-fuelled pomodoros under deadline pressure; you should Fear what I can output in 4x25 + 3x5 minutes
1. slacking off, playing video games, complaining that society makes me work and wear pants sometimes
2. doing anxiety-fuelled pomodoros under deadline pressure; you should Fear what I can output in 4x25 + 3x5 minutes
November 15, 2025 at 4:04 PM
my two ADHD states are:
1. slacking off, playing video games, complaining that society makes me work and wear pants sometimes
2. doing anxiety-fuelled pomodoros under deadline pressure; you should Fear what I can output in 4x25 + 3x5 minutes
1. slacking off, playing video games, complaining that society makes me work and wear pants sometimes
2. doing anxiety-fuelled pomodoros under deadline pressure; you should Fear what I can output in 4x25 + 3x5 minutes
Listening to an audiobook about Alexei Navalny, and the more I learn about his (hi)story, the more I am surprised he survived for that long. Guy was basically talking shit about / to the entire Russian establishment for a decade straight.
I respect the shit out of that, but still .. woah.
I respect the shit out of that, but still .. woah.
November 15, 2025 at 8:52 PM
Listening to an audiobook about Alexei Navalny, and the more I learn about his (hi)story, the more I am surprised he survived for that long. Guy was basically talking shit about / to the entire Russian establishment for a decade straight.
I respect the shit out of that, but still .. woah.
I respect the shit out of that, but still .. woah.
Reposted by Bytes and Borscht
As I was looking for malware (like you do on a quiet Friday afternoon 😂) I found a classic fake “your system is infected” page. After the fake scan, the Renew Now button goes straight to Avast through an affiliate link🤣🤣
TAs doing a 180, selling AV to get their commission LOL
TAs doing a 180, selling AV to get their commission LOL
November 14, 2025 at 8:40 PM
As I was looking for malware (like you do on a quiet Friday afternoon 😂) I found a classic fake “your system is infected” page. After the fake scan, the Renew Now button goes straight to Avast through an affiliate link🤣🤣
TAs doing a 180, selling AV to get their commission LOL
TAs doing a 180, selling AV to get their commission LOL
Reposted by Bytes and Borscht
All in all a terrible day to be literate
November 14, 2025 at 6:24 PM
All in all a terrible day to be literate
Just installed a printer on a little table next to my desk. My boomer-ification continues.
November 13, 2025 at 5:32 PM
Just installed a printer on a little table next to my desk. My boomer-ification continues.
Reposted by Bytes and Borscht
Reposted by Bytes and Borscht
For Economist subscribers: a new episode of Inside Defence. I spoke to John Foreman, UK defence attaché in Moscow at the time of the invasion. We looked at the culture, strengths & weaknesses of Russia's armed forces, challenge of working in Moscow & much else www.economist.com/insider/insi...
How strong is the Russian army? | The Economist Insider
Shashank Joshi, The Economist’s defence editor, returns for the second edition of Inside Defence. This month he interviews a former navy captain who has been Britain’s military man in both Moscow and ...
share.google
November 11, 2025 at 9:10 PM
For Economist subscribers: a new episode of Inside Defence. I spoke to John Foreman, UK defence attaché in Moscow at the time of the invasion. We looked at the culture, strengths & weaknesses of Russia's armed forces, challenge of working in Moscow & much else www.economist.com/insider/insi...
Having outgoing traffic on port 25 blocked for new customers: Okay. I understand the rationale, although it is annoying for me. But having to *call* customer support to get it unlocked .. come on.
November 11, 2025 at 10:09 AM
Having outgoing traffic on port 25 blocked for new customers: Okay. I understand the rationale, although it is annoying for me. But having to *call* customer support to get it unlocked .. come on.
Reposted by Bytes and Borscht
This summer I obtained an internal document of Germany‘s domestic #intelligence service #BfV, written by the counter-espionage unit, dated August 1993. It is pretty interesting, dealing with the question: Will the new #Russia continue the KGB‘s „Illegals“ spy program? 🧵 ⬇️ #history #Verfassungsschutz
two men in trench coats are reading newspapers one of which has a headline which starts with the word ' berg '
ALT: two men in trench coats are reading newspapers one of which has a headline which starts with the word ' berg '
media.tenor.com
November 11, 2025 at 7:32 AM
This summer I obtained an internal document of Germany‘s domestic #intelligence service #BfV, written by the counter-espionage unit, dated August 1993. It is pretty interesting, dealing with the question: Will the new #Russia continue the KGB‘s „Illegals“ spy program? 🧵 ⬇️ #history #Verfassungsschutz
Reposted by Bytes and Borscht
The entire point of social media is being able to surround yourself with people who start posts with sentences like "Hi, shipwreck autist here!"
Hi, shipwreck autist here! It was in fact true at the time. The Edmund Fitzgerald also had a sister ship, the Arthur B. Homer, which had the same structural defect the Edmund Fitzgerald did and was quietly retired shortly after Fitz sank. She remains the largest ship ever scrapped on the Great Lakes
November 10, 2025 at 4:21 PM
The entire point of social media is being able to surround yourself with people who start posts with sentences like "Hi, shipwreck autist here!"
I wake up and this is the first thing I see. I want to go back to sleep.
Bad news for human rights and national security, no matter how you spin it
NSO Group has a new executive chairman, David Friedman, who's a former U.S. ambassador to Israel and onetime bankruptcy lawyer for President Trump.
www.wsj.com/tech/israeli... via @WSJ
NSO Group has a new executive chairman, David Friedman, who's a former U.S. ambassador to Israel and onetime bankruptcy lawyer for President Trump.
www.wsj.com/tech/israeli... via @WSJ
Israeli Spyware Maker NSO Gets New Owners, Leadership and Seeks to Mend Reputation
Investors led by Hollywood producer Robert Simonds have taken a controlling stake in the company behind Pegasus, and former Trump official David Friedman has been named executive chairman.
www.wsj.com
November 10, 2025 at 6:52 AM
I wake up and this is the first thing I see. I want to go back to sleep.
Reposted by Bytes and Borscht
German ISP Aurologic GmbH has Become a Central Nexus for Hosting Malicious Infrastructure
German ISP Aurologic GmbH has Become a Central Nexus for Hosting Malicious Infrastructure
cybersecuritynews.com
November 8, 2025 at 12:41 AM
German ISP Aurologic GmbH has Become a Central Nexus for Hosting Malicious Infrastructure
Reposted by Bytes and Borscht
Great read from @lawrencesec.bsky.social & @whoisnt.bsky.social !
1/ New report from myself and @whoisnt.bsky.social: “Malicious Infrastructure Finds Stability with aurologic GmbH.”
We uncover how German ISP aurologic GmbH has become a central nexus for high-risk hosting networks, sustaining large concentrations of malicious infrastructure.
We uncover how German ISP aurologic GmbH has become a central nexus for high-risk hosting networks, sustaining large concentrations of malicious infrastructure.
November 6, 2025 at 11:53 AM
Great read from @lawrencesec.bsky.social & @whoisnt.bsky.social !
Reposted by Bytes and Borscht
i owe so many video game designers an apology
November 3, 2025 at 6:49 PM
i owe so many video game designers an apology
.. that is definitely not something I had on my infosec-bingo for 2025. Or any year for that matter.
November 3, 2025 at 5:35 PM
.. that is definitely not something I had on my infosec-bingo for 2025. Or any year for that matter.
When you are doing *highly* questionable (if not outright illegal) stuff, but are incompetent.
November 3, 2025 at 3:48 PM
When you are doing *highly* questionable (if not outright illegal) stuff, but are incompetent.
I get what they are saying, but ..
October 28, 2025 at 8:55 PM
I get what they are saying, but ..
Reposted by Bytes and Borscht
Recorded Future just published Dark Covenant 3.0, revealing how global crackdowns and shifting Russian enforcement are reshaping the cybercriminal underground, exposing ties to state actors and turning cybercrime into a geopolitical tool: www.recordedfuture.com/research/dar...
Dark Covenant 3.0: Controlled Impunity and Russia’s Cybercriminals
Explore how Russia’s cybercriminal ecosystem evolved under Operation Endgame—where state control, selective enforcement, and criminal alliances collide.
www.recordedfuture.com
October 22, 2025 at 2:26 PM
Recorded Future just published Dark Covenant 3.0, revealing how global crackdowns and shifting Russian enforcement are reshaping the cybercriminal underground, exposing ties to state actors and turning cybercrime into a geopolitical tool: www.recordedfuture.com/research/dar...
Spirit animal.
guy who brought the trans flag we iwo jima’d described himself as “yeah i was pretty neutral about trans people, think i still am honestly, but these people are being so goddamn weird about it that i gotta get off the fence”
October 20, 2025 at 8:58 AM
Spirit animal.