The MANIC Mirror: Minimal Integration, Streamlined Function

The Days Of Yore

In the days of yore, there was a lot that went into creating an integrated system which can mimic the multi-functionality of today’s smart phones. In this brief article, I will discuss how and why utilizing even a very inexpensive model of smart phone can be applied for incredible results while committing to fieldcraft and security excellence.

But first, a little history. The Universal Serial Bus or USB evolution of system architecture created a massive expansion for computing capabilities, especially in terms of multimedia applications. Evolving from the OG Industry Standard Architecture of motherboard design, the miniaturization and multithreading capability of computer machines was sure to reach an exponential increase. This meant that increasingly shorter periods of time would yield resulting smaller and more capable circuits. ISA moved on to become PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) allowing for higher data-streams within the architecture especially reflected in video processing definition. And now in regular implementation is the SCSI (Small Computer Systems Interface) which allows for such communications between internal motherboards and external devices such as tape and disk drives.

Back to USB. The Universal Serial Bus allowed for many, meaning up to 144 daisychained external devices to be connected to the system. Now our computers had eyes, ears, and mouths with which we could interface directly and begin to envision what would come in the future.

The MANIC (magic) Mirror

Minimal Architecture Necessary For Intelligent Cognition is a concept outlined in the white papers by adroit cybersecurity researcher for Pentagon and Department Of Defense, Michael Gagnon. It entails utilizing the very least amount of physical hardware to enable the highest digital functionality of a computer system. As technical as this sounds, it can easily be broken down and translated into intelligence fieldcraft and other business applications.

The smart phone, as I have labeled the MANIC Mirror was most likely introduced to pop-culture in 1935 with the production of Walt Disney’s Snow White. That was a long time ago, way before computers had any chance of being perceived in the way they are presently manifest. Here we see a flat or two-dimensional object which seemingly or magically projects the ability to remote view across great distances and perhaps even time. It also allows for remote communication with an advanced and/or artifical intelliegnce. The magic mirror of old is now a reality, you most likely have one in your hands with which you are reading this article, or perhaps on your desk charging next to your larger computer.

In Security Terms

The MANIC Mirror is an excellent tool, far too often unrealized for it’s full capabilities especially in deployment for security and intelligence applications. Depending on what capabilities your mission specific operation entails, there is most likely “an app for that.”

There are far too numerous applications and implementations in which cheaply purchased and freely configured Android smart phones may be utilized to drastically increase intelligence capabilities while afield. The tiny integrated camera and microphone are much more than just a video intercommunication device, but they are useful in terms of electronic surveillance. A pairing of smart phones can be synchronized to each other for wireless signals transference and spying deployment. The list goes on ad nauseum ad infinitum.

Special use of smart phones must also be considered in terms of systems integration. For example, your $500 surveillance drone will also come with an application which can be freely downloaded to the phone to allow an extended, aerial eye to take flight and expand your operational range up to 1.5 km. That’s without going too far into the budget. These things are truly incredible and are being underutilized and under-realized in the field.

There is a lot more to this, but I don’t want to give away all my secrets. If you are interested in accessing our expertise in operational smart phone deployment, please do not hesitate to contact Briq Haus Ltd. Security & Intelligence. Thank you for reviewing this article.

Parallel Computing VS Cloud In Security Deployment

This article is written by our lead technical consultant, Brian Taylor of Always In Tao.

Imagine for a moment you keying up a serious computer with real muscle. One of those fancy $40,000 Puget Systems jobs. You login to a server and see a distributed network waiting for a command, everything is pristine, a controller GUI – no even better a CLI list in front of you shows which resources on which machine are just waiting for your command. Now of course the question becomes, “Which process on which machine do you actually need to do what?” If what you needed was to solve a massive resource issue, you might need to break it into components and let the machine solve it in Parallels.

Clustered Nodes

Parallel computing is mostly this kind of computing, 200 machines being controlled from one terminal. You don’t need a $40,000 computer to do anything like that. You just need an interface that has the ability to issue commands across the networks of clustered machines and spit out solutions in assembly ready chunks. Not much practical purpose to that sort of thing at home, but maybe at work.

Clustered Nodes As A Cloud

Similar scenario, except a different problem altogether. You key into your $40,000 Puget, login and are faced with a readout of available resources slipping into and out of a variety of systems already in use. You notice that a central storage area has access to hundreds of Petabytes of space which isn’t filling up very rapidly. You decide to try to solve the same resource issue and the machine files it in the cue for the next go around with processing.

What Differences Do You Spot?

The number of users may seem obvious, but multiple users can make use of Parallels on distributed networks. The resource allotment cue is different, the process of getting at storage is perhaps somewhat different, and most certainly the functionality is different. You can use a cloud system as though it were a massive computer, multiple users can access the same files, generally at the same time. That means that is someone in Bolivia is watching the Matrix in their native language, you can still watch it in yours at the same time. What parallel computing does is more akin to staying on task with as much power as possible, where clouds generally distribute power in calculated shares on a per user basis.

Can The Same Hardware Do Both?

Yes – at a cost. There are configurations of cluster systems possible that make use of virtualization in ways that enable a wider assortment of user experiences and in some cases can perhaps integrate them well enough on a user basis somewhat smaller than a system dedicated to just one configuration or another. VDI’s on distributed networks is a system as a service and in fact can be utilized for cloud desktop systems. Some systems exist which offer a degree of security that can be incorporated into your infrastructure without the same hassle as some of the other VDI’s on offer.

What Can This Do For Your Business

It can enable your business to make use of security technology in more compliant ways. A dog groomer might not need this technology, but a successful one who has a franchise under their management almost certainly does. It may be possible to individually secure a network for everyone who has a professional IT team at their disposal, but even then it’s rare. Compliance with security protocols across large systems is akin to locking the backdoor at night. A smart business does it, and a foolish business never does. If you are interested in discussing this technology I can recommend you contact BriqHausLtd. Tell them “Always In Tao” sent you, to get a free consultation and ask how it could help your organization.