Tag Archive for: marine
Marine veteran turns side gig into security company
Casey Holliday used the GI Bill to earn a degree in computer network security. There was only one problem with that plan.
“I quickly realized I had no interest working in the IT field,” he said.
With his career plans in flux, Holliday opened a CrossFit gym and sold it after five years. While wondering what would come next, his mother asked him to work at a music festival as a bartender, an opportunity to make a little side cash.
Upon hearing about Holliday’s background in the Marine Corps, where Holliday served two combat tours in Iraq before leaving the military in 2009, the festival manager wanted to pick Holliday’s brain about — of all things — security. But of the boots-on-the-ground event kind.
“The owner of the property came up to me and said, ‘Hey, you’re a Marine, can you help us with this security plan?’” Holliday said. “I love looking at battlefields and how am I gonna plan out an operation. And I drove through the property kind of like a post-battle analysis, essentially, of this event space. And I realized there were some major flaws, and let the guy know there are some things you could do pretty quickly to drastically improve the experience of your guests.”
Apparently the owner was impressed with what he heard.
“He was like, dude, you’re the guy you’re in charge now,” Holliday said. “I’ll pay you X dollars to go ahead and run this. And I’m like, oh, crap, OK.”
Holliday called about 15 friends who he served with who still lived in the Washington, D.C., area to help with the job. The event led to a side gig for Holliday and his crew, who continued doing similar events for about four years before they realized this could be more.
“For three or four years we were developing the platform and didn’t realize what it was, a passion project,” he said.
Hence, the humble beginnings of Battle Tested Security, a veteran-owned and operated company that was created because the founder and CEO accepted a bartending opportunity to make a few extra bucks.
The company became Holliday’s full-time commitment in 2019 and was starting to ramp up operations early in 2020 when the world shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As…
Ransomware Attack Hits Marinette Marine Shipyard, Results in Short-Term Delay of Frigate, Freedom LCS Construction
Shipyard workers at Fincantieri Marinette Marine on April 12, 2023. USNI News Photo
The Wisconsin shipyard that builds the U.S. Navy’s Freedom-class Littoral Combat Ship and the Constellation-class guided-missile frigate suffered a ransomware attack last week that delayed production across the shipyard, USNI News has learned.
Fincantieri Marinette Marine experienced the attack in the early morning hours of April 12, when large chunks of data on the shipyard’s network servers were rendered unusable by an unknown professional group, two sources familiar with a Navy summary of the attack told USNI News on Thursday.
In a typical ransomware attack, attackers take the information on a server, encrypt it and set terms for a key that will unlock the data.
The attack on Marinette Marine targeted servers that held data used to feed instructions to the shipyard’s computer numerical control manufacturing machines, knocking them offline for several days. CNC-enabled machines are the backbone of modern manufacturing, taking specifications developed with design software and sending instructions to devices like welders, cutters, bending machines and other computer-controlled tools.
Based on information from the Navy, it’s unclear if the attackers stole any data.
In a statement to USNI News, Marinette Marine acknowledged there had been a cybersecurity incident at the shipyard.
“Fincantieri Marine Group experienced a cybersecurity incident last week that is causing a temporary disruption to certain computer systems on its network. The company’s network security officials immediately isolated systems and reported the incident to relevant agencies and partners. Fincantieri Marine Group brought in additional resources to investigate and to restore full functionality to the affected systems as quickly as possible, “ reads a statement from Fincantieri spokesman Eric Dent.
“Repair and construction operations continue at all three U.S. shipyards, however the company’s email and some networked operations remain off-line for now.”
Fincantieri would not elaborate beyond the statement. A Lockheed Martin spokesperson acknowledged a request for comment from USNI News but did not…
Six marine safety devices that could save a fisherman
My fisherman left at five this morning without a Garmin InReach because we couldn’t find it. Recent engine trouble makes me nervous, but what can I do? It’s the nature of the beast, boat stuff happens, and my husband, Chris Dabney, needs to pull traps “today.”
Commercial fishing is not the enemy, but rather anxiety, and over the years, Partners of Commercial Fishermen (POCFs) have learned to tame the worry. However, it is reassuring to have more than good vibes and a satellite phone to protect your fisherman, especially with stories like this from Jim Colomy, a forty-year spiny lobster commercial fisherman out of Santa Barbara, California:
“I’ve fished alone for years now. After a close call years ago when my seat broke, and I almost went over while my boat was doing 16 knots on autopilot, I bought a kill switch from Emerald Marine.”
*Gulp*
His wife, Jolene, offers excellent tips on raising a family with a fisherman here, and his daughter, Lauren, confirmed dad’s advice with an Instagram DM. (Hey, Lauren!)
Here’s a quick reference for marine safety devices to make this easier because it’s confusing AF:
MMSI: “Marine Mobility Service Identity Number.”
I relate an MMSI to a boat’s social security number plugged into the vessel’s VHF radio system to broadcast the boat’s position for travel and emergencies. I believe you need an MMSI number to connect with a few devices linked below.
VHF Radio: “Very High Frequency” Radio.
Or the walkie-talkie-looking thing that truck drivers also use. Channel 16 is the primary channel to contact the Coast Guard and communicate with other vessels. Vessels connect on channel 16, then move up or down to connect on a less public channel to share information (or shoot the sh*t).
MOB: “Man Overboard.”
When someone falls off the boat and into a body of water.
PFD: “Personal Flotation Device.”
PFDs are usually designed as vests with manual or automatic deployment.
PLB: “Personal Locator Beacon.”
A basic tool using satellite signals to locate a person anywhere in the world, both land and sea. Transmits signals for up to twenty-four hours. Generally not waterproof unless specified on the device.