Cyber Privateer

Wednesday, March 11, 2026

One of my most successful early efforts got written up in the WSJ, Business Week, and got a ceast-and-desist from Star Wars.

My client had a file conversion business, and I created a passport. Science Fiction author and computer geek Jerry Pournelle (who later became a friend and endorsed my first novel) wrote it up in a Business Week story. And the WSJ picked up my "soul-catcher clause". Oh, and Lucas Films took issue with my not recognizing their intellectual rights from the first Star Wars film.

Success is like a drug. You keep trying for the next hit.

Sincerely yours,
Rick Bennett
Ad Hit Man

Tuesday, March 10, 2026

Early on in my advertising career, I understood Larry Ellison's fascination with the Japanese culture.

Long before Google, Facebook, or LinkedIn, I was intrigued with Dialog's online knowledgebase. My wife is an artist, and she did this wonderful illustration.

Sincerely yours,
Rick Bennett
Ad Hit Man

Monday, March 9, 2026

Jon Samsel did an AI coloration of a cartoon I posted a couple weeks ago.

I'd found a doodle I'd done at some Data General meeting, framed years later and in one of the HR people's office. Jon read my post and sent me this AI-coloration of that doodle. He suggested I might make posters and sell them. Alas, Jon, I've got enough on my plate. But thanks for the doodleization.

Sincerely yours,
Rick Bennett
Ad Hit Man

Saturday, March 7, 2026

I'm looking for beta readers four my 4th sci-fi novel: DADDY'S LITTLE VIGILANTE. How would you like your name as one of my characters?

My first three novels got great reviews, but (alas) never made it into NYT best-sellers. I have high hopes for DADDY'S LITTLE VIGILANTE, but I could use some diligent proof readers. As a quid pro quo, take the time to spot typos along with plot holes, and I'll give five of you cameo billing as one of my characters.

The science fiction story? An alien family is exiled from their home and sentenced to life on earth. The precocious daughter sets out to stop sex trafficking on this armpit of a planet, thereby initiating a galactic string of falling dominos. Interested in being a beta reader?

If you like sci-fi and have some editing chops, send me a request: rick@rickbennett.com.

Sincerely yours,
Rick Bennett
Ad Hit Man and closet novelist

Thursday, March 5, 2026

My work for Margaret Hamilton, the woman who led the Apollo 11 computer programming team. Yep, she's one of the two smartest women I've ever met.

Margaret's vision, 001: AN INDESTRUCTIBLE, PRESCIENT, SELF-GENERATING AND FULLY OPERATIONAL MONOLITH. I believe Margaret Hamilton is still alive, and I wish she could have met the other smart woman with whom I've worked: Nancy Harvey, who was the president of TenFold (I sat on her board of directors). TenFold actually delivered in quantity Hamilton's vision.

I celebrate both of you and your accomplishments.

Sincerely yours,
Rick Bennett
Ad Hit Man

Background: Welcome black hats, white hats and cyber swashbucklers

The Revolutionary War was fought, financed, and pretty well WON by bonded privateers, legalized pirates who were given Letters of Marque and Reprisal by the Continental Congress and authorized to attack, capture and monetize British ships. The purpose of this site is to explore the possibility of a modern-day doctrine much like the Monroe Doctrine, by means of which the U.S. government could legally and, more importantly, effectively stop international hackers. Current cybercrime law is not only ineffective, but downright stupid. My Linux servers are attacked hundreds of times a day (mostly from China and former USSR domains), yet if I retaliate against those servers with some creative technology at my disposal (I know some VERY smart guys), then I am in violation of federal law and subject to some onerous penalties. We need more than a new law. We need a new international doctrine. I call it The Morgan Doctrine, named after Morgan Rapier, a fictional character I've created (hey, this is my way of establishing ownership of the concept, should it ever see the light of day).

Why a new international doctrine? Simply, nothing else will work. Introduced on December 2, 1823, the Monroe Doctrine told the world to keep their hands off the Americas. Combine this with current legal thinking on "hot pursuit" of fugitives. In 1917 the US Army went into Mexico after Pancho Villa. More recently, in 1960 Israeli Mossad agents abducted Adolf Eichmann from Argentina. Granted, much of the world regards the Eichmann adventure as a violation of international law. I don't share that opinion and therefore use it as the third leg of my Monroe-Pancho-Aldof platform for The Morgan Doctrine.

If someone comes into your home and attacks or attempts to rob you, you may shoot them dead. You may do so as long as they expire on your property. But what about cyber criminals? They attack you in your home from their homes. Retaliate in kind, and you go to jail. The Morgan Doctrine states simply that if you attack my computers (or my banking assets held in US-based computers), then under a certain set of well-defined conditions, a licensed and bonded "cyber privateer" may attack you in your home country and split the proceeds with the U.S. government. For the sake of argument, let's call it a 50-50 split (heh heh).

Right now, American law enforcement is completely unequipped to deal with the sheer number international cyber hackers. Sure, I could report each of the thousand daily attacks to the FBI, as could the millions of other attackees in the USA. But the volume of such reports would make any meaningful resolution laughable. Not to mention that the FBI has no jurisdiction outside the USA. Yet to make such "enforcement" profitable to recognized (ie, "bonded" "deputized") privateers, as Heath Ledger's Joker said in his last role, "Now you're talking!" You raid our bank accounts, we raid yours. You make money from off-shore child pornography, we're going to loot your bank accounts and, with some REALLY creative black hat operations, you will be taken off the grid worldwide to the extent that you'll not even complete a cell phone conversation for the remainder of your miserable depraved life. Okay, that last part probably won't fly, but you get my drift.

The purpose of this site is to explore the mechanics, legalities and practicality of The Morgan Doctrine.

And I will be the sole arbiter of whether or not your comments get posted. As Mel Brooks wrote, "It's good to be king."