Writing

Security Blog

  • Infosec – Failing or Succeeding?
    Infosec – Failing or Succeeding?

    Noam Eppel from Vivica contends that Information Security is a complete failure, citing alarming statistics on security breaches and cybercrime. While his article highlights the risks, many dissent from his conclusion, considering it a collection of gloomy statistics often seen in security vendor pitches.

  • False Positives
    False Positives

    During my morning commute, I encountered an interesting flaw in an alerting system. My car’s weight sensor triggers an alarm if it detects a possible passenger without a seatbelt. However, this car’s system escalates from a dinging sound to a rapid alarm. My immediate thought was to disable the alarm, highlighting a common security system…

  • Sledgehammers
    Sledgehammers

    Achieving perfect data security involves elaborate measures such as encryption, one-time passwords, asymmetric identifiers, and physical access controls. However, the ultimate level of security must align with the data’s value and potential threats, avoiding the extreme sledgehammer argument while striking a balance in risk management.

  • Pseudonymity
    Pseudonymity

    Pseudonymity refers to adopting a semi-permanent, yet incomplete or false identity, commonly observed in online communities. It allows individuals to use distinctive pseudonyms to establish their unique presence while avoiding full anonymity. This practice fosters better community engagement by promoting courteous interactions. However, the challenge lies in identifying instances where a single person assumes multiple…

  • Usenix Security Symposium
    Usenix Security Symposium

    The upcoming USENIX security symposium in Vancouver during the first week of August promises an impressive lineup of invited talks. While I may not attend, I highly recommend catching Matt Blaze’s presentation on wiretapping, previously acclaimed as one of the most exceptional research talks at ICNS 2006.

  • Disclosure Laws
    Disclosure Laws

    During a recent conference, a panelist expressed their belief that the California Disclosure Law (SB-1386) was an exceedingly inadequate information security regulation. However, I hold a different perspective. In my view, SB-1386 stands as the epitome of information security regulations, surpassing even the esteemed GLBA. While most regulations focus on prescribing specific controls for safeguarding…

Leadership Newsletter

  • Moving to Distributed Work

    So, you’re working from home …For a while.You’ve probably worked remotely before, and you’re thinking, “I’ve got this!”Odds are, you’re mistaken. You don’t have this. That’s OK; this is an opportunity to learn new skills.You can think of working from home much like someone moving into an entirely new environment. Your patterns of work might… Read this …

  • One company’s successful approach to gender balance

    In an industry where 10-15% of staff are women, the InfoSec team at Akamai—a cybersecurity, content-delivery network and cloud-service provider—is now 40% women. Driving that change—from 28% two years ago—took only a few, simple practices that might work in many other organizations. We drove those changes in partnership between the talent-acquisition team and the hiring managers;… Read this …

  • Unsolicited Advice on Self Improvement

    Some thoughts on advice about guiding others’ self-improvement.  Often, advice comes in the form of “If you do X, Y will happen.” It’s worth unpacking that. What “If you do X, Y will happen” often really means is, “For some group, which I think is large and I believe you are in, doing X will increase… Read this …

Fiction