I have been an avid fan and member of stratfor.com for many years and I have found their articles and insights to be, if not wholly accurate, far and above the typical nonsense that comes out of mainstream media. The Stratfor team has consistently put together analysis that have challenged my views and made me think of global events in a much wider sense. In short, they have given me a new take on what happens in the world, and the role the U.S. plays in it.
After the recent hack of the stratfor website, and subsequent release of member information to the web (mine included), I thought long and hard about continuing my membership. The guys at Stratfor made some pretty rookie mistakes by not encryping member information and not using a secure third party for their credit card processing, but the bottom line is this – They are a group of intelligent individuals who’s personal and corporate reputations are critical to their success. I have to believe that they have learned from their mistakes, and reviewing the changes they have made to their website, it seems they have done everything they can do to ensure that a similar incident does not happen again.
Ultimately, the protection of my identity and credit is my responsibility. Discover was quick to respond to my request for a new credit card and assured me that, even if my leaked data was taken and used, I was protected. The analysis that I get from Stratfor is too important to me – I will remain a member for as long as they continue to produce such excellent analysis.
