ShaneHarris.com » Magazine Stories

Killer App

admin — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 18:45:32 +0000

Have a bunch of Silicon Valley computer geeks figured out how to stop terrorists?

Out of the Loop: The Human-Free Future of Drone Aircraft

admin — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 18:42:58 +0000

As aircraft and weapons have become more precise, human beings have become less essential to the conduct of war. The rise of unmanned aerial vehicles, more commonly known as drones, promises to push human beings further out of the loop.

This essay is part of the Hoover Institution’s Koret-Taube Task Force on National Security and Law.

9/10: The Day Before

admin — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 23:25:36 +0000

No one asks, “Where were you on 9/10?” and most people don’t remember. It’s only in hindsight that the details of a thoroughly ordinary day seem so remarkable.

Bloomberg Government aims to rule Washington media

admin — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 15:35:58 +0000

What is the global news giant founded by New York’s billionaire mayor up to in DC? Find out, in my feature story for Washingtonian, which also takes a close look at the wild game of musical chairs being played in Washington media.

Own the Sky: The Air Force’s epic quest to buy an airplane

admin — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 17:48:12 +0000

My new feature in Washingtonian looks at the ten year saga to buy the Air Force’s new mid-air refueling tanker. I’ve been writing about government contracts for years, and this is easily the most fascinating, controversial, and personally ruinous contracting story I’ve ever encountered. Hopefully, by year’s end, the Air Force will put an end to this escapade, but I’ve got a feeling that this story is still far from over.

Plugging the Leaks

admin — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 14:48:30 +0000

“They already know who it is.” That’s how one former U.S. official responded the Justice Department’s years-long investigation of a suspected leaker of classified intelligence. So, why are prosecutors trying to force a well-known journalist to identify this suspect before a federal grand jury? And what does it mean for the future of a free press in the Obama administration? Read all about it in “Plugging the Leaks,” my latest feature for Washingtonian magazine. It’s on stands now and available online.

Hacking the Bad Guys

admin — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 18:43:54 +0000

The United States is fighting a new kind of war, but the first shots were fired a generation ago. Check out my feature story in Washingtonian about the rise of cyber security in the U.S. government, told through the tales of two key actors.

Cuffing Digital Detectives

admin — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 20:19:41 +0000

A judicial ruling on drug tests for athletes blossoms into a huge Fourth Amendment case.

Read the full story in National Journal.

The Cyberwar Plan

admin — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:03:56 +0000

A 2007 order by President Bush to launch a cyberattack on insurgents in Iraq played a more important role than is generally recognized in changing the course of the war. The order was a harbinger of things to come: Digital weapons are an increasingly important part of warfare.

Read the full story in National Journal.

Pentagon sharing classified cyber threat intelligence with companies

admin — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 14:46:00 +0000

In response to an unprecedented wave of attacks on the Defense Department’s computer networks, and possible theft of information about U.S. weapons systems by foreign governments, the Pentagon has quietly begun sharing classified intelligence about hackers and online threats with the country’s biggest defense contractors. The new intelligence partnership, which has not been previously reported, is known as the Defense Industrial Base initiative, or “the DIB.”

Tomorrow’s edition of National Journal will feature this story, which has already been posted to the Web site. (Free to non-subscribers.)

Also, in light of recent press reports about cyber spies penetrating the U.S. electrical grid, I’m enclosing a link to a story we ran last year on the cover of the magazine: “Computer hackers in China, including those working on behalf of the Chinese government and military, have penetrated deeply into the information systems of U.S. companies and government agencies, stolen proprietary information from American executives in advance of their business meetings in China, and, in a few cases, gained access to electric power plants in the United States.”