 Yeah, you can just slack
off and say, "He pointed his gun at Derevko." But part of what makes
good fic good is the details. What type of gun? Is there some sort
of technology that enabled that intel? Grounding your technology in
reality and giving your spies the right toys — and telling us what
they are — are the little things that can make your story stand out.
You may also want to check the spy stuff
section, as some of the sites listed there contain
technology-related information. For biotechnology, try the
biology and medicine section.
guns, bombs and et cetera
NEW:
Sniper's Paradise: If you need someone to be a sniper, this is
the site to hit.
Airsoft: The
Definitive Guide: Site includes assault rifles, grenade
launchers, heavy machine guns, pistols, rifles, shotguns, sniper
rifles, sub-machine guns and others (Uzis, apparently, are
"others"). Also gun accessories, which include things like
ammunition, holsters, clips, etc.
Handgun
Types: A lengthy look at all sorts of handgun types. Includes
coverage of semi-automatics (probably most likely to be used by your
spies).
Technology of
War (howstuffworks): Contains understandable (always important)
explanations of how (deep breath) nuclear bombs, bunker busters,
cruise missiles, smart bombs, e-bombs, dirty bombs, massive
ordinance air burst bombs, sidewinder missiles, stinger missiles,
patriot missiles, C-4, M1 tanks, military camouflage, body armor,
machine guns, flamethrowers, grenades, landmines, night vision,
biological and chemical weapons, gas masks, apache helicopters,
F-15s, stealth bombers, spy planes, aircraft carriers and submarines
work. As I like to call it, "the mother lode."
cyberterrorism and information war
Cyberterrorism: Dorothy Denning's testimony before a House panel
on terrorism talks about previous cracker attacks, potential threat
of cyberterrorism and the effect a cyberterror attack would have.
Guide to Information Warfare:
Contains links to a number of resources on information warfare.
Cybercrime...Cybterterrorism...Cyberwarfare: This introduction
to a book by the same name gives a scary rundown on cybercrime and
things that have already happened, as well as those that could.
The Truth
About Cyberterrorism (CIO): Article that takes a slightly
different (less alarmist) look at the topic.
Study:
U.S. Vulnerable to Cyberterrorism (CNN): The headline pretty
much sums it up.
Cyberterrorism Resource Center: Portal full of links and other
information. Part of the
21st Century Disasters site, which might be useful in and of
itself (other major section seems to be nuclear/biological/chemical
attacks).
Information Security: Computer Attacks at Department of Defense Pose
Increasing Risks: Government report on DoD hacks.
How Internet Infrastructure Works (howstuffworks): A rundown of
just how the Internet actually...is the Internet.
hackers and crackers
2600: Web site for the
well-known hacker mag.
Hackers (PBS): An in-depth look at hackers and the
vulnerabilities of the Internet.
Hackers Glossary (Discovery.com): A brief glossary of hacker
terminology. Includes that all-important difference between hacker
and cracker.
Jargon File: A much more extensive list of hacker terminology,
from the printed The New Hacker's Dictionary.
cryptography and encryption
How
Encryption Works (howstuffworks): Just what it says — a
walkthrough of computer encryption.
Codes: This is
from a middle school library's site, but it's got quite a lot of
links, including different types of cryptography and Morse code.
One Time
Pad: Details one form of cyphering.
One-Time-Pad:
Frequently Asked Questions: Another site which details the most
"unbreakable" form of cyphering.
Perfect
Cryptography: The One-Time Pad: In addition to one-time pads,
discusses other forms of cryptography, including Caesar shift and
Beale.
David Hamer's Web Site:
Covers cryptology and cipher machines.
echelon
How
Carnivore Works (howstuffworks): Although Echelon hasn't been
officially recognized, you can read about the FBI's version here.
Echelon
Watch: The ACLU's site, which includes a good FAQ section.
Inside Echelon: Lengthy article on the history of Echelon,
appears to be well-researched.
Echelon:
America's Secret Global Surveillance Network: Another lengthy
article on Echelon.
miscellaneous tech
The
New Diamond Age (Wired): Oh boy. I love this article and it's
just great fodder for good fic. It's got everything, from diamond
cartels to hidden labs to a potential major technological
breakthrough.
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