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Black Hat, BSidesLV, DEF CON Anxiety Leads to Stress Dreams
I typically don’t remember my dreams, but Tuesday night I had a doozy of a stress dream. You could say my brain was smacking me for making light of other people’s anxieties in the run up to Black Hat,...
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That Restless Feeling When You’re Waiting to Travel
This time next week I’ll be traveling to Las Vegas for three security conferences, and I’m finding myself in a restless state of mind. It’s that point where the planning and logistics have been worked...
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The Women at RSA Conference 2015
Renowned writer Violet Blue recently noted that the speaking agenda at RSA Conference 2015 includes only five women and only one of which is a security practitioner: 25 RSA keynotes. Of the 5 women, 1...
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On Skipping Security Cons
On Twitter last month, friend and fellow infosec professional Marcus Carey suggested industry peers place too much importance on conferences: There is no way these people that speak & appear at...
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Cut Mary Ann Davidson Some Slack
These last two days the infosec community has been consumed by a blog post Oracle CSO Mary Ann Davidson wrote. In that post she railed against security researchers who reverse-engineer Oracle’s code...
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This #BSidesLV 2015 Panel Captures How I Feel
While I was away on vacation last week, some of my good friends in the InfoSec community did this panel at BSidesLV 2015. They discussed the importance of doing over talking, and captured the problem...
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Schooled By a 14-Year-Old on Good (and Bad) Passwords
This is about an information security practitioner getting schooled by a 14-year-old about something as basic as an iPhone PIN number. Mood music: Since I work in information security, family expects...
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These Squabbles Make Us Small
Some of you asked why I don’t write as much as I used to. Partial answer: My real job and a lot of family business leave me with less time and motivation to do so. But there’s something else, and it’s...
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4 Problems with Krypt3ia’s Krampus List
I like Scot “Krypt3ia” Terban. The security researcher has a crotchety communication method I enjoy, and I read his posts a lot. I especially enjoy when he goes after security vendors for FUD (fear,...
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Potential Positive of “CSI: Cyber” at RSA Conference 2016
The information security community is losing its collective mind because actors from the much-maligned CSI: Cyber TV series are on the keynote schedule for RSA Conference 2016. Dave Lewis, writing as...
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4 Tips to Beat Fear and Anxiety at #RSAC2016
The first time I attended RSA in 2005, fear and anxiety threatened to consume me. I feared the flights, the crowds and the prospect of failing professionally. Fast-forward to 2016: I’m a veteran...
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Where I’m Going and What I’m Leaving Behind
Last week I announced my impending move from Akamai to encryption company PKWARE, where I’ll be senior content strategist. This post is for those who have asked why. It’s also a tribute to the company...
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That Restless Feeling When You’re Waiting to Travel
This time next week I’ll be traveling to Las Vegas for three security conferences, and I’m finding myself in a restless state of mind. It’s that point where the planning and logistics have been worked...
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Zoom: Security Problem or Social Lifeline?
One thing I’ve learned from a career in the information security industry is that any big global event has security implications — elections, hurricanes, earthquakes, matters of war and peace, you...
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3 Chilling Books to Help Us Face COVID-19
In my cybersecurity career, I’ve learned it’s best to prepare for any scenario, no matter how scary or improbable. The current pandemic is certainly the former and was considered the latter by many...
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Van Halen: Hacker Guitarist
I’ve always been a big Van Halen fan. The music is, among other things, a remedy when my depression is running hot, especially during the winter darkness. The songs capture all the feelings of summer,...
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