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Comment by chippy | Hacker News Reader

What's a "SCIF"?

Edits: my guess: (Secure Communications Internal Facility)

Sensitive Comparmented Information Facility: In United States security and intelligence parlance, a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF; pronounced "skiff") is an enclosed area within a building that is used to process Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) types of classified information.

https://duckduckgo.com/Sensitive_Compartmented_Information_F...

thank you!

Depending on the level, they often have TEMPEST shielding aka faraday cages to prevent leakage of electromagnetic signals from computers and whatnot. (google Van Eck Phreaking for some ideas on why heh)

Or you could read Cryptonimicon, which is a lot slower, but more fun:

http://www.amazon.com/Cryptonomicon-Neal-Stephenson/dp/00605...

Startups and science fiction... that book is a favorite of mine.

It's more historical fiction than science-fiction.

Yeah, but it still feels like science fiction for some reason.

Well, there is Enoch Root, who I have never been entirely clear on. I haven't read the other books set in that universe however.

I believe the name "Enoch" is a hint though. Enoch in the Book of Genesis is the father of Methuselah and importantly did not die (but was instead "taken up", which admittedly is not much more clear than Cryptonomicon...)

I think it's Enoch Root that really pushes it into sci-fi territory. He's also a major character in The Baroque Cycle, implying that he's several hundred (or more) years old.

And cryptocurrency, too! If you're reading this comment, get off HN and pick up a copy!

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