This is bad.
(The Register) The enterprise software giant – which services businesses, the American military, and various US government agencies – said it was told by the FBI on Wednesday that miscreants had accessed Citrix’s IT systems and exfiltrated files.
One of the Minnesota companies using Citrix is a former employer of mine. It is a mental health provider. And it is quite large. Nystrom & Associates. Now, I am hoping that this statement from Citrix is true:
At this point, Citrix reckons the intrusion was limited to its corporate network, and thus believes customer records and data were not stolen nor touched.
My problem is that “reckons” is a mighty ambiguous word instilling little – if any – hope in me they have any knowledge as to the extent of this hack. But that appears to be an inference by the Register and not an actual quote by Citrix. However:
Resecurity also said it warned Citrix on December 28 that the software giant had been turned over by the hacker crew during the Christmas period. Citrix, meanwhile, said it took action – launching an internal probe and securing its networks – after hearing from the FBI earlier this week.
Waiting until they were told by the FBI on Wednesday despite a warning as far back as December 28 makes me wonder if they have any clue. For the sake of any prominent political and government workers in Minnesota I hope Citrix is right. However, I am not holding my breath while they investigate the width, breathe, and depth of this breach.
This story, by-the-way, is an example of the new warfare. It will not be just on real battlefields but on internet battlefields. The hacking of the 2016 election was an example of internet warfare. And as in real warfare there is always collateral damage. Welcome to the 21st Century.
All this considered, I am very happy with today’s run. I did the first mile in about 9:20 minutes. All while keeping my heart rate in the aerobic range. That is actually damn good.
So, yes, I’ve patted myself on the back – without breaking my arm; thank you very much. Now get off my lawn!
So, I split my running into two parts. This morning I ran for 20:06 minutes. After work I ran for 9:48 minutes. This morning’s run was 1.93 miles long. This afternoon’s was 1 mile on the nose. That’s 2.93 miles in 29.54 minutes! Not bad considering I’ve been unable to run consistently, what with my sciatica injury, the need to put running aside to clean the snow off the driveway, and then having days where I was just sick. Hopefully those are behind me and I can get back to consistent running.
Another run under my belt. This one even better than yesterday’s. Yesterday’s pace was 11.21 minutes per mile. Today’s was 10.52. Almost a 30 second improvement. Not bad. I am content.
Oh, and Tina is still sleeping as I type this, so I was not able to offer my usual sweaty hug. And that’s okay, because there’s only so much rejection I can take.
So, after taking two weeks off from running I finally motivated myself to step once again onto the treadmill. I did not achieve any fantastic pace. Yet, it was respectable considering the 14 day break. 2.65 miles in 30.04 minutes. I’m okay with that.
Of course, after 30 minutes of running I generated quiet the saturation of sweat on my tea-shirt. And, as always, I requested a hug from Tina. It’s a little act we’ve developed over the years. I request a hug, she adamantly refuses. It’s understandable considering my tea-shirt is dripping sweat like a torrential rain storm.
Today I added a new twist, chasing after her with my arms out as she walked away. She made a comment about being chased by a sweat zombie. So, I started moaning “huuuggggg!” repeatedly as I shuffled after her through the house. You’ll be relieved to hear she managed to escape to the basement to do laundry. Zombies don’t do stairs well.
Okay, I finally motivated myself to go for a run. 45 minutes. Outside. It was refreshing and hard work. Though they cleaned off the side walk, it was still covered with at least a half inch to an inch of snow. It’s like running on sand. Exhausting. But it gave me a good workout.
Damn, am I stiff this morning. I’ve been sitting at my desk, perusing Facebook after having read my horoscopes. I’m on my second cup of coffee while Smokey is working really hard at getting my attention so I can give her attention. Anyway, my lower back is not enjoying the sitting. I’m thinking it’s about time for a run. It usually helps in eliminating the aches and pains. But it takes mental energy to get motivated for running. And the last time I managed motivation was Friday morning before work.
I had to resort to the air spray to keep Smokey off my desk. In fact, I finally chased her out of the office she was so insistent on knocking anything and anything off my desk.
I’m not sure if it’s a sign, or what. But 34 years ago today I used for the last time. 34 years sober. 34 years of change. Some of that change was forward movement, some of it backwards. But through it all I did not return to drugs or alcohol to numb the feelings or hide from the stresses of life.
So, today also happens to be the coldest day in Minnesota for 2019. Like I said, I’m not sure if it’s a sign. I’m sure someone in my life once upon a time thought hell would freeze over before I sobered up. Delayed reaction?