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This morning I would like to talk about the mystery seeds from China. I'm going to outline some thoughts on current theories and my own speculation as to the actual reason for these deliveries.
1/15
1/15
Let's start with other theories and the first being some sort of bioweapons, or way to insert an invasive species into the country. One reason I feel this is not the purpose is the variety of seeds. To do this would be a few factors or possibilities
2/15
2/15
One would be a chemical agent of some sort on the seeds, this seems unlikely as it likely would have been discovered by now during the investigations or even on entry.
3/15
3/15
The next is the possibility of a genetic modification or similar. With the number of varieties of seeds, it would need a separate DNA sequence for each making this an extremely complex and unlikely situation.
4/15
4/15
Next is the concept some are looking at of "Brushing" or sending shipments through fake accounts that then can post positive reviews and ratings on online sales sites.
5/15
5/15
This seems plausible and it is a real thing that occurs fairly often online. The seeds may be part of a scheme like this but a few things make this seem a bit unlikely.
6/15
6/15
First, the cost to benefit would be way off. It costs a significant amount to ship from China. So far it looks like there are over a thousand shipments. Even at a low weight, these add up and the benefit is not that great.
7/15
7/15
Next, most online sites would either detect the scam before, during, or now after since it becomes a high;y publicized story. Sites would identify the false accounts and remove any reviews they have posted rendering the entire operation fruitless.
8/15
8/15
Again the cost and risk of getting nothing out of the scam would make it very unlikely for anyone or organization to attempt to pull off a "Brushing" plot of this scale.
9/15
9/15
Now the good stuff. Let's get into my personal thoughts and reasoning behind it. Reminder I'm no expert and these are based on my own reading and understanding of the situation.
10/15
10/15
Begin with understanding the US Customs Inspection process. There is lots of detail and information at this link:
https://usacustomsclearance.com/process/understanding-customs-examinations/
11/15
https://usacustomsclearance.com/process/understanding-customs-examinations/
11/15
Cargo can be scanned, sniffed by K9, and pulled for random exams. This process is the way we protect from contraband entering the US via cargo. Customs is a complex network with multiple locations and entry points all having lots of parts involved.
12/15
12/15
So what if these seeds are a probing attack to figure out vulnerabilities in the border process? What if they sent to many locations to check a variety of entry points? What if this is pentest of the American Customs and Border Protection?
13/15
13/15
In this scenario, it's not the seeds at all that are the concern or threat. The frightening thing is something we don't have an answer for and that is WHY?
14/15
14/15
The real scary part though is now that the media has blown up this story the world knows our border control systems are filled with holes that can be exploited. Anyone in IT/CS knows once an exploit is public it absolutely will be taken advantage of.
15/Fin
15/Fin
