Serverless used to mean something…maybe. Does it mean anything to the cloud community today?
Is a Google language model alive? One researcher certainly thinks so.
Twitter finally admits it’s working on an edit button. Why now?
Okta is responding to a public cybersecurity incident, what can we learn from how they handled communications?
CloudFlare launches a new API Gateway product, will is shake up the market?
Google Cloud makes some small pricing adjustments and reactions are mixed. Here are my thoughts.
Google Cloud recently cleaned up both the CLIs and SDKs for building in the Google Cloud.
The AWS Audit Manager can help organize all of your audit and compliance evidence. This solution helps streamline the collection of non-AWS resource …
The AWS Well-Architected Tool allows users to create their own Custom Lenses. I have thoughts…
Google Chrome OS Flex is going to help put Chrome OS on a lot more computers. That’s a good thing, right?
Optimism (an L2 Ethereum project) just paid out a two million dollar bug bounty.
Building a ticketing or registration system? AWS just released a solution to help queue demand.
Attackers can find your cloud misconfigurations with almost no effort, why can’t you?
Once you’ve aggregated all of your AWS Security Hub Findings, here’s one way to visualize and analyze them.
Once you’ve aggregated all of your AWS Security Hub Findings, here’s one way to visualize and analyze them.
Are NFTs, Web3, and Blockchains useful? Or just hype?
Too much hype and money make NFTs a risky bet right now.
Two minutes of work can stop hackers in cold in their tracks.
Bug bounties help bridge the gap between security researchers and companies.
The risks of smart contract bugs are quickly becoming apparently. They can cost millions.
Misconfigurations in Amazon S3 keep happening. Here’s why and how to stop them.
The NFT/Web3 world certain is the wild west…and some projects are way, way more wild.
If you can’t read the code in a Web3 contract, do you really know what it’s going to do?
If a smart contract works as coded and the code is wrong, is the contract valid?
Anytime there’s a security issue, someone gets labelled a hacker. Is that the right term?
Just because you can solve a problem, doesn’t mean you should.
Good enough sometimes is.
Digital privacy is critical in our communities. Why don’t we have it?
AWS Security Hub Findings are great, but they can be better. Here’s a simple pattern from the AWS team to enrich those findings automatically.
Here are the steps I use to break down technology topics for a wider audience.
“Um” is not a great call to action, but sometimes it’s all you’ve got.
Can you—as a user—understand an app or service’s security posture? If so, how?
What steps should we take to evaluate the privacy impact of a mobile app?
Data Privacy Day is January 28th, can we raise awareness about the issues around data privacy effectively? Will you take action?
5G mid-band is rolling out in the USA with a last minute please from airline industries for more safey precautions. Why the last minute appeal?
Should be able to encrypt your communications? The debate is on…again
A lot of risk decisions are made in the dark…why?
How do we respond to risk? Do we have the data we need to make an informed decision?
NFTs are digital assets. That means there are cybersecurity concerns with them too.
NFTs are all the rage right now. Make sure you understand what they are before diving in.
The hype around these terms is muddying the waters. What exactly are NFTs, blockchains, and Web3?
There are a ton of frameworks out there for building solutions but I think conceptually, it really boils down to goals and feedback loops
It’s exciting building solutions with the latest frameworks and technology. Is that the best route to meet our goals? What ARE our goals?
When we talk about privacy, what are we really talking about? The formal definition of privacy is definitely outdated. What would a good definition …
If the goal of cybersecurity is to make sure that the system you are building works as intended and only as intended, what about stopping hackers?
Security and privacy are inextricably linked. Why aren’t they at the core of all technology?
In late 2017, IDT did an AWS “This is My Architecture” video. The video talks about how they managed secret information in their AWS …
In late 2017, iRobot did an AWS “This is My Architecture” video. The video talks about how they deployed their microservices in AWS.
The leadership session at AWS re:Invent provide a deeper dive into a specific area of focus. Stephen Schmidt, CISO at AWS takes the stage to talk all …
AWS re:Invent is always THE event in cloud. Werner Voegls delivered the latest version of his hotly anticipated keynote on day four.
Amazon Inspector first launched in 2015. Now in 2021, it’s re-launching with a brand new architecture and a host of new features.
AWS re:Invent is always THE event in cloud. Petere DeSantis’ keynote provided a peek behind the curtain of the technology that drive AWS itself.
Corey Quinn interviews key AWS leaders in a casual settings. This time he sits down with Bill Vass, VP Technology & Engineering
AWS re:Invent is always THE event in cloud. Swami Sivasubramanian took the stage to deliver the machine learning focused keynote on day three.
AWS re:Invent is always THE event in cloud. Adam Selipsky gave his first keynote as the CEO of AWS. Here’s what he covered during this two hour …
Amazon Inspector first launched in 2015. Now in 2021, it’s re-launching with a brand new architecture and a host of new features.
AWS re-launches a dramatically improved Amazon Inspector, a software vulnerability discovery/management service.
Here are the top AWS announcements leading up to and during AWS re:Invent 2021.
AWS re:Invent is always THE event in cloud. This post is the ultimate guide to getting the most out of the show.
AWS re:Invent is always THE event in cloud. This year a lot of people can’t attend in person. This post tells you how to get the most out of the …
AWS re:Invent has over 500 sessions available remotely. Here’s a near complete list for easy searching.
An overview of the AWS Well-Architected Frameworks’ Performance Efficiency pillar.
Most security practices make the same set of mistakes when moving to the cloud. This talk looks at those mistakes and how to avoid them.
An overview of the AWS Well-Architected Frameworks’ Reliability pillar.
There are massive opportunities to advance your security practice as your business moves into the cloud. This talk provides a step-by-step approach …
An overview of the AWS Well-Architected Frameworks’ Cost Optimization pillar.
An overview of the AWS Well-Architected Frameworks’ Security pillar.
An overview of the AWS Well-Architected Frameworks’ Operational Excellence pillar.
In late 2017, Airbnb did an AWS “This is My Architecture” video. The video talks about how they built a system to test their Amazon RDS …
AWS Labs has a lot of open source code up on GitHub. This repo helps you visualize your AWS workloads and highlight areas of cost.
AWS Labs has a lot of open source code up on GitHub. AWS Data Wrangler is a bridge between python pandas DataFrames and AWS data services.
AWS Labs has a lot of open source code up on GitHub. This repo provides an easy way for developers to view your Amazon API Gateway APIs.
AWS Labs has a lot of open source code up on GitHub. This repo helps you visualize your AWS workloads and highlight areas of cost.
AWS Labs has a lot of open source code up on GitHub. This repo helps you visualize your AWS workloads and highlight areas of cost.
AWS Labs has a lot of open source code up on GitHub. The code in this repo lets your embed Amazon QuickSight dashboards in your HTML.
AWS Labs has a lot of open source code up on GitHub. This repo contains a solid set of AWS WAF rules for common web-based attacks.
AWS Labs has a lot of open source code up on GitHub. Gluon TS helps you create forecast models for time series data.
AWS re:Invent is always THE event in cloud. As 2021 draws to a close, what path will AWS set the cloud on. What new services, features, and tools will …
AWS Labs has a lot of open source code up on GitHub. This post looks at the AWS Lambda Powertools for Python.
In late 2017, Station X did an AWS “This is My Architecture” video. The video talks about how they built out a genomics processing …
AWS Labs has a lot of open source code up on GitHub. This post looks at the AWS Deployment Framework.
The Amazon Builder’s Library is a great set of deep dive papers into the challenges with modern systems. This post looks at how Amazon balances …
The Amazon Builder’s Library is a great set of deep dive papers into the challenges with modern systems. This post looks at how Amazon conducts …
DevSecOps is the latest in a long line of buzzwords. The core makes sense: work on security earlier. But why isn’t this everywhere? Here’s …
The Amazon Builder’s Library is a great set of deep dive papers into the challenges with modern systems. This post highlights some of the …
The Amazon Builder’s Library is a great set of deep dive papers into the challenges with modern systems. This post highlights some of the …
In late 2017, Capital One did an AWS “This is My Architecture” video. The video talks about how they built Cloud Custodian and how that …
The Amazon Builder’s Library is a great set of deep dive papers into the challenges with modern systems. This post highlights some of the …
AWS has a huge library of fantastic resources. This post highlights the recently released whitepaper walking public sector organizations through …
AWS has a huge library of fantastic resources. This post highlights the recently released whitepaper talking about serverless multi-tier …
AWS has a huge library of fantastic resources. This post highlights the recently updated whitepaper aligning the NIST Cybersecurity Framework to AWS.
AWS has a huge library of fantastic resources. This post highlights the recently released whitepaper about building reactive systems on AWS.
In late 2017, New Relic did an AWS “This is My Architecture” video. The video talks about how they setup their Terraform execution plans …
AWS has a huge library of fantastic resources. This post highlights the recently updated whitepaper on building out a CI/CD practice in the AWS Cloud.
Are you a security professional or a builder looking to learn more about security? This year, I wrote the official guide for security attendees to AWS …
Here’s what AWS announced leading up to and during AWS re:Invent 2021.
AWS re:Invent is always THE event in cloud. As 2021 draws to a close, what path will AWS set the cloud on. What new services, features, and tools will …
In late 2017, CorpInfo did an AWS “This is My Architecture” video. The video walks through how they handled a massive amount of events …
Facebook commits $10B per year to build the multiverse. Earnest attempt at progress or an attempt to divert attention?
Passwords suck. Why are we forced to follow these weird rules. Do they really keep us safe? Here is a solid way to safely handle all of your …
In late 2017, Civitas Learning did an AWS “This is My Architecture” video. It was one of the first. The video walks through how they …
In late 2017, the Finanical Times wanted to get developers to factor in cost to their designs. They created a gamified solution to help drive this …
We’re producing more audio and video than ever. But you can’t get the most out of that content until you transcribe it to text. In this …
Twitch has been hit by a major data breach. 165GB of critical information was leaked on 4chan. What will the impact be? Will this cause even more …
In late 2017, Netflix explained how they tackled the problem of failing over when disaster struck. Four years later, how well does that design hold …
Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp are deeply integrating into many aspects of daily life for many communities and business. One networking …
In late 2016, Lyft demonstrated the service discovery engine they built on AWS. Five years later, how well does that design hold up? What could we …
On my tech column with CBC Ottawa Morning, Dr. Tracy Valliancourt and I explain the challenges with Instagram Kids and the latest research from …
Live Text is now available in iOS and iPad OS but not macOS. I try to fix that with the help of Google Cloud in this tiny cloud project.
Misconfigurations are the number one security concern in the cloud. Guardrails can help you prevent misconfigurations from happening. This talk shows …
As a new user in the AWS Cloud, is AWS App Runner the service that’ll get your one container up and running quickly? This post explores that …
As a new user in the AWS Cloud, what does it take to get one container up and running? What service do you user? How many steps are there? This post …
The second installment of AWS re:Inforce was entirely virtual and gave a great view of the state of security in the AWS Cloud. Here’s what the …
The Microsoft Edge browser team is conducting an experiment in an attempt to increase the cybersecurity of the browser and how it handles javascript. …
A new report from a United States Senate Committee gave 24 US department and agencies an average grade of C- in cybersecurity. That’s not good.
The region of Lazio was hit by a ransomware attack and is struggling to recover from this attack on critical infrastructure. BlackMatter, a new …
EA got hacked and 780 GB of source code was stolen. The hackers attempted to extort EA and when they didn’t pay, the data was dumped online.
Twitter’s latest transparency report shows a low uptake for the multi-factor authentication feature. This is a great security control …
The Pegasus Project is a collaborative effort by a number of media and advocacy organizations around to the world. With their work, they are shining a …
There are now 5 seniors leaders in the US federal governments with cybersecurity as their primary mandate. Is this going to be a problem?
Two new resources launched to help people understand the challenges associated with ransomware; StopRansomware.gov and RansomWhe.re
REvil has been one of the top ransomware groups for the past few months but they’re suddenly offline. No note, no warning, just gone.
Long after the headlines pass, victims of ransomware are left struggling to get back to “normal” operations. It’s a long, …
The out-of-band patch for PrinterNightmare on Microsoft Windows doesn’t completely fix the issue. What are IT and security teams to do?
The REvil gang attack Kaseya, an IT management platform, and that got them access to 800—1,500 more businesses without any additional effort setting …
Ransomware is absolutely everywhere. What is going on? Why is ransomware so effective? Is there anything we can do about it?
Criminals are using real apps they’ve made and a push to remove ads to harvest Facebook credentials in order to gain more personal information …
PrinterNightmare is a high severity vulnerability that affects all versions of Windows and is being actively exploited…on a long weekend 😬
Microsoft Windows 11 will require a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) on all PCs. Will this long-needed requirement help or hinder?
Some WD My Book Live users had a shock this week as hackers remotely wiped their data. What can they do about it?
Apple is under fire on a number of fronts. The biggest issue this week is several bills introduced in the US. A key issue? The ability to …
When your local electric utility offered a new smart thermostat a heavy discount, a lot of homeowners jumped at the chance. Unfortunately, a clause in …
Apples annual developer conference announced the latest version of all of Apples operating sytems and privacy was a key pillar across all of them.
Apple and Facebook have been battling very publicly around privacy issues. What’s really going on?
A discussion about the evolution of security in the cloud. Security is now becoming a critical piece of a developer’s pipeline, what does that …
Celebrating three years of the CISO/Security Vendore Relationship Podcast
A purely digital RSAC 2021 kicks off looking back at a challenging year and to the challenges ahead for the security community.
In software, developers often don’t have a choice. Speed becomes a business imperative for survival and to stay competitive.
An all virtual RSAC 2021 kicked off today. What are the themes? What do we expected to see? This discussion on theCube has you covered.
Colonial Pipeline is recovering from a ransomware cyberattack. There’s a ton of attention on them right now, what do you need to know about this …
AWS IAM has been going strong for 10 years! To celebrate the anniversay, this four part series by various AWS Heroes, highlights some key features of …
The AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) service turns 10 years old today. While it’s a fantastic service that keeps adding features, it …
I recently made a career move and it’s allowed me to re-double my efforts in the community. What do you want to learn about cloud and security?
Google continues to advocate for a ‘privacy-first’ web. The problem? Their definition of privacy and how it seems to be a Google-powered …
iOS 14.5 introduces App Tracking Transparency or ATT. Here’s what it means to you.
No other technology revolution has induced more fear, uncertainty, and doubt for so long than the cloud. This post explores the “why” of …
It’s hard to keep track of all of the amazing content on the web. To help, I’ve created a few “super feeds” for your favourite …
Ubiquiti suffered a data breach and makes it worse by not communication clearly with it’s customer base.
Google has had to disclose the amount of tracking its apps do in iOS. Shocking no one: it turns out it’s a lot.
iOS 14.4.2 fixes a critical cybersecurity issue. Make sure to update now.
Setting a new cloud account well is reasonably simple, but what about accounts that are already active? Here are some tips to add guardrails after the …
iOS 14.4.1 fixes a couple of critical cybersecurity issues. Make sure to update now.
Clubhouse is the hot new social network. It’s a promising audio-only network that now boasts over 2 millions active weekly users. During this …
Security and privacy are linked yet for some reason, you see privacy experts ignoring the impact of security and security experts who are unconcerned …
Emotet and NetWalker are both taken offline within days of each. A big wins for users, law enforcement, and international cooperation…at least …
Parler gets deplatformed and can’t find any organizations that want to work with it. It’s about time.
Week three of three (!) for AWS re:Invent 2020 kicks off and this post will be my “live blog” for the week. Check back often for …
There’s always more than one way to solve a problem. That’s a big advantage of AWS, but it can also be overwhelming to deal with. You will make …
Week two of three for AWS re:Invent 2020 kicks off and this post will be my “live blog” for the week. It will be neither …
Amazon EventBridge helps build loosely coupled applications that scale independently and makes it easier to integrate cloud-based applications and …
As you continually evolve your use of AWS products and services, it’s important to consider ways to improve your security posture and take advantage …
To operate services, Amazon relies on having high-fidelity visibility into how its systems behave and the user experience, whether that’s using AWS …
On my tech column with CBC Ottawa Morning, I explain how politicians are using the online game, Among Us, as a platform to reach younger audiences.
Coverage of the keynote of AWS re:Invent 2020 where Andy Jassy delivers new services, features, and more.
Week one of three for AWS re:Invent 2020 kicks off and this post will be my “live blog” for the week. Check back often for reactions, …
AWS re:Invent is always jam packed with new content. This post is a road map for my content during this three week virtual event.
Passwords are the worst. Trying to pick a “secure” one makes the whole thing worse. Every site and service has it’s own variation on …
AWS launches a mountain of new features leading up to and during AWS re:Invent. Here’s the list of announcements for 2020 and my perspective on …
MFA is one of the most powerful tools a user has to protect their accounts
Apple recently launched macOS Big Sur and a security researcher’s post vent viral highlighting a steady stream of communications that …
Apple has launched the first MacBooks and Mac Mini using custom Apple Silicon. What does this mean for the future of your computer?
AWS re:Invent is the best conference in cloud. This post lays out what you need to know to get the most out of the 2020 edition of this amazing event.
Is your day chalk full of video calls? Wondering why you’re exhausted at the end of the day? The two might be related 😉. In this column, Robyn …
Ad-tech, digital marketing, and the surveillance economy are worth billions and billions of dollars. It all hinges on the ability to target ads and …
Epic Games is current waging war on Apple and Google over the right to distribute apps to mobile users. There’s been a ton of excellent coverage …
The Canada Revenue Agency suffered a large breach exposing over 5,000 citizens to COVID-19 benefit fraud. This issue exposes some of the challenges of …
On July 15th, 2020, Twitter was hit with the most visible hack of a social network of all time. 130 of the top accounts tweeted out a bitcoin scam. A …
Outages are hard to handle. There’s pressure to get things back up and running, to avoid damage to your reputation, and to avoid getting yelled …
The President has promised to ban TikTok in the United States for national security reasons. Is that the case? Are there real security & privacy …
AWS re:Invent is the best conference in cloud. This year it’s an entirely virtual experience spread over 3 weeks. This post will help you get …
Is a social network focused on dancing, lip syncing, and fun a threat to national security just because of who owns it? Is TikTok a threat to national …
🗑🔥 doesn’t quite cut it anymore. Following a random thought, I dive into the process to create a new official emoji and why isn’t …
The Well-Architected Framework is a set of principles that can help you find the ideal build for the problem at hand…regardless of the size of …
#BlackLivesMatter has risen to prominence again in the past weeks as protests spread beyond the USA to the world. A positive shift is happening as …
Is working from home the new normal in tech? Is working from home as simple as ensuring a strong internet connection and access to the right tools? …
The Unicorn Project is the latest book from Gene Kim, one of the leaders of the DevOps movement. The book focuses on developer enablement and culture. …
We’re all stuck inside and it can quickly feel like you’re drowning in possibilities for technology that will help you work, learn, and …
The second series of my live streaming series for Trend Micro. In it,I speak to various cloud leaders about what’s happening in cloud.
Presenting on video and live streams is hard. Even though the goal is to connect to people, sitting alone(ish) presenting to a camera lens and …
Video conferencing platform Zoom has been in the news almost constantly over the past few weeks. At first it was hailed as a tool to help reduce this …
Security is often spoken of in absolutes. Is this secure? Is that insecure? The reality is that security is a spectrum. It is a series of implicit and …
Contact tracing during an outbreak is a massive undertaking. Google and Apple are collaborating in order to automate parts of this task. Will it work? …
A Cloud Guru is hosting Cloud Madness. Thirty two cloud services face-off over four rounds but only one will be crowned the champion. Here’s my …
Are you addicted to your smartphone? How would you know? Is there anything you can do about it? Over the course of an hour, Rita Celi and I asked …
CES 2020 brought out the big (and small) players in tech and one thing they all had in common was how much they used the word “privacy”. …
COPPA was passed in the US in 1998 but a recent ruling against YouTube for violating the decades old law means big changes for creators.
Canadian data privacy laws state that an organization is responsible for the life cycle of the data. Most orgs struggle with protecting it while …
In this live streaming series for Trend Micro, I speak to various cloud leaders about what’s happening in cloud.
AWS re:Invent is the biggest and most exciting conference in cloud. Follow AWS Community Hero @marknca for all of the latest leading up to and during …
Organizations struggle with extending their security practices to the cloud. Traditional approaches don’t work, and new cloud-only practices duplicate …
Black Friday and Cybermonday are two of the biggest shopping days of the year. Consumers rush to get the biggest deals on all sorts of items. Sadly, …
AWS has recently explored with great machine learning services. From the core building blocks to services design to teach you techniques to simple …
Canadian data privacy laws state that an organization is responsible for the life cycle of the data. Most orgs struggle with protecting it while …
AWS offers a number of services it labels as “compute”. What are they? How do you pick one that makes sense for your workload? How are …
Technology is omnipresent in our lives. From the time you wake up and check the weather to the time your head hits the pillow, you will have spent at …
Google really doesn’t like humans and they LOVE data. At the intersection of those two areas is a new A.I assistant that calls business to …
Amazon DynamoDB is an exciting database services. It’s a cloud-native, NoSQL offering that is lightning quick and scales seamlessly. However, if …
AWS offers a wide range of databases but making sense of these services can be tricky. In this live stream, we explore these data services and why you …
Getting users to accept new security controls is an uphill battle, any setback makes it harder for any solution to push out additional security …
Mistakes happen. Even after taking steps to restrict permissions and setup systems, builders will make misconfigurations and mistakes. This stream …
AWS re:Invent is absolutely massive. The only way to keep things somewhat organized is to use a reserved seating system for sessions. That system …
Serverless architectures help you and your team focus almost entirely on delivering business value. They also break almost every existing security …
Cybersecurity is topic that comes up regularly as something you have to do…or should do…or are forced to look at by your security team. But why? There …
Serverless is hot right now, but are we all talking about the same thing? In this live stream, we dive into what serverless is, why it’s a big …
Security is often misunderstood and addressed in the last stages of a build. Operationally, it’s ignored until there is an emergency. In this talk, we …
Amazon Athena lets you treat files in Amazon S3 like they were a database. That doesn’t sound too cool until you realize the possibilities: data …
Amazon S3 was one of the first AWS services and it continues to be the cornerstone of the AWS Cloud today. This stream covers the basics of the …
CBC’s Go Public pointed out the rising rates of e-transfer fraud and consumers are shocking. The expectation was that e-transfers were safe and …
Keeping a personal website up to date is always tricky. The technical pieces are simple, it’s be satisfied with the design and making the …
The Shared Responsibility Model governs how operations (which security is a part of) work in the cloud. In this live stream, we explore the realities …
Don’t be afraid of the command line (CLI), it’s insanely useful. This live stream explores those uses and shows you how to use the AWS CLI …
AWS Lambda is probably the most talked about service in the entire AWS Cloud. It lets you run your code based on various triggers with almost no …
AWS re:Invent 2019 is going to be HUGE. Mark will be conducting a series of live streams and publishing a ton of content leading up to the show in …
CBC News posted an article about how Canadian federal MPs are using digital tracking technologies on their personal websites. So what is retargeting? …
Letting customers know about a security vulnerability is never an easy thing. From the logistics of it to the reputation management issues. But this …
Cybercriminals don’t always use complicated technical attacks to get around your cybersecurity. Sometimes—probably more often than we care to …
Facebook was recently called out for listening to users audio messages on Facebook Messenger. They aren’t alone. Apple, Amazon, Google, and …
NULL is one of many special characters that has a long history in computing. What are the consequences of using NULL as a value provided via user …
Is application security (AppSec) dead? Did it every really work? Let’s discuss…
FaceApp (first released in 2017) is back in the news for the #AgeChallenge and a host of privacy concerns. There’s a lot of knee-jerk reactions …
Recently on Twitter a nerd fight started around the idea of a 10x engineer. VC Shekhar Kirani kicked things off by advocating that startups do …
Zoom.us had a pretty egregious security issue this week. Their response was poor despite the best efforts for responsible disclosure by the security …
Cybercriminals don’t always use complicated technical attacks to get around your cybersecurity. Sometimes—probably more often than we care to …
A quick update on why MwM has been missing the past couple of weeks and where this show is going in the future.
Recently a video of mine was flagged by YouTube’s automated ContentID system which may or may not have been justified. Regardless, it got me …
At Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC), Apple made several announcements that focus on user privacy. In this episode, we’ll …
On Kara Swisher’s show, Recode Decode, she recently hosted Gabe Weinberg from DuckDuckGo. Their conversation revolved around some core concepts …
Bad Robot Transcript Good morning on this episode of the show. We’re going to take a look at the recent moves by nest and how they impact your …
Huawei was recently put on the US Entity List from the US Department of Commerce. That essentially means that it needs a license to receive technology …
The Digital Economy Act of 2017 in the UK is trying to put up enforceable age gates to pornography. That might be a good idea but it’s extremely …
A recent CBC News article highlighted both the powers of border agents to search digital devices and the general lack of awareness of your rights at …
Facebook held its annual F8 developer conference this week and—in addition to the usual product updates—they repeatedly talked about creating and …
The NBA playoffs are in full swing and there’s a huge rules controversy around one superstar’s—James Harden—jump shot. Is it a foul? …
AWS re:Invent is the best conference in cloud. This post lays out what you need to know to get the most out of the 2019 edition of this amazing event.
The Fortnite developer teams at Epic Games are working in a perpetual “crunch time” situation. That’s not sustainable by any …
Facial recognition is becoming more and more common. In some cases, it’s used to make existing procedures more efficient or to connect existing …
Since May of 2016 Facebook has been prompting some new users for their email passwords. Yes, their email passwords. WTF?
Thomas Brewster, writing for Forbes, highlighted a recent case by the DEA. The case itself isn’t out of the ordinary. What is interesting is the …
It’s tempting to search for the perfect solution to a problem. The challenge? That “perfection” rarely exists. But time after time, …
Serverless architectures are a fantastic solution to a lot—not all—design challenge. The benefits they bring are substantial and they can reduce the …
A recent report from the Canadian Commission for Complaints for Telecom-television Services (CCTS) saw a dramatic increase in complaints with billing …
A recent study by NCSU found that there are way more API keys and tokens uploaded to GitHub than previously thought. In fact, there’s almost a …
Google recently announced a new, all-in-the-cloud gaming service called Stadia. For gaming fans, there’s a lot of potential that—fingers …
An interesting op-ed from Dr. Egginton at John Hopkins University highlights some efforts underway in the US to declare learning to code the …
A recent survey from RightScale showed a lot of confusion around cloud computing costs. The common take away? Organizations are surprised at how high …
A recent tweet called out a user’s perception about Grammarly, a SaaS-based grammar and writing tool. They accused the service of being …
I you were just starting to try and understand the cybersecurity problem space, a CEO or CIO working to better grasp the challenges facing your …
We rely on some digital services for critical functions around security and privacy. Trusting those services is paramount to their success and ours. …
Websites, apps, and even your desktop applications may be tracking a how lot more of your behaviour than you think. The reason in most cases is simply …
You’re building out a digital identity for you kids almost from the day they are born. But it’s not just you, the clubs they belong to, …
There has been a significant increase in DNS hijacking attacks over the past couple of months…and why not? It’s a simple, direct way for …
You agree to new contracts all the time but you probably don’t think of them as contracts, they are simply the “Terms of Service”. A …
Cybersecurity is a major topic when it comes to modern elections. With Canada probably going to the polls in the fall, discussion is heating up about …
Security research can be a tricky thing. Depending on where you are and what jurisdiction you fall under, the research you conduct may be illegal. …
Cryptocurrencies have dropped in popularity and value but cybercriminals continue undeterred. The latest on cybercrime and cryptocurrency…
Facebook continues to do anything they can to build data profiles on users. This week it was revealed that they shifted their Onavo efforts to a new …
GDPR has been in effect for a few months and we’re starting to see the first major rulings. Google was just hit with a 50m Euro fine for not …
The 10 Year Challenge is sweeping social media right now. It’s a harmless way of looking back at yourself—and everyone else—a decade …
Network security is struggling to keep up with the reality of how organizations are build and connect today. From hybrid network (on-premises and in …
It’s not uncommon for cybercriminals to combine multiple data sets in order to increase their chances of finding valid user credentials. …
Data is extremely valuable. We’ve seen that with data brokers, social media giants, and almost every company out there. The current attitude is …
Three articles this week each touching on smartphone data highlight a much bigger issue. Each of these articles remind us how much data our phones …
2019 is in full effect and I’m stumbling?!?
Planning for a new year is exciting but can also be challenging. When I sat down to plan out 2019 …
150th episode! As I wind down for the year, I always try to look back at what has worked and what hasn’t. This show has evolved from a simple …
Names matter. They help a community come together around a singular concepts. But what happens when definitions and usage differ?
Sometimes things don’t go as expected. That can be frustrating and unfortunate…but also an opportunity to learn.
How much can one jurisdiction affect the internet? Turns out, a lot. Recent actions by the US and Australia are having and could have a …
Security metrics are hard. But that doesn’t mean you should ignore them. In fact, a lot of teams are measuring the WRONG things which leads them …
Fortnite is an international sensation. Despite being truly free-to-play, they are making a lot of money by continually improving the game experience, …
Data privacy is a critical area of concern around the world. Look no further than four distinct events today: Australia passing a new law, an arrest …
After a jam packed AWS re:Invent 2018, I’ve been thinking about how to deliver information to an audience. One of the challenges is delivering …
When you are trying to get a message out to a lot of people, it’s not realistic to try and get them all back to you digital properties. So what …
The “secret” to most success is being prepared. Taking a few minutes or hours to map out what you want to happen is far better than trying …
Before any big shifts there are always small signals that hint at what’s coming. We’re seeing more and more companies start to make a play …
We build services and solutions using parts provided by other companies. That’s the only way to move forward effectively. When a security or …
You know you have to master your tools but are you selecting or building the right tools? A lot of teams over or under engineer their tools. This …
You can’t really remove something from the internet. Not is the owner/operator really wants it out there. That’s a huge advantage and …
Cyberattack attribution is HARD. But time and time again, we’re seeing attributions—who carried out the attack—made publicly with little to no …
Knowing what the tools in your kit are capable of is critical to success. But can you actually use those features? Do you really understand the …
Your product/solution/service has a goal and you’ve probably gotten good at articulating that goal…but is that message resonating with …
“Don’t do work you don’t have to.” It’s a solid rule and one that you can leverage more often than you think. There are …
Working deeply on any one problem for too long narrows your perspective. That’s just human nature. Are you taking steps to refresh that …
Trust is a tricky thing. Dotto Tech posed a number of great questions about trust in business and online that got me thinking. Do you trust the …
Nothing is built in isolation. Each technology builds on layers and layers of technology before it. But are those layers worth building on? Can they …
Decisions are hard enough that you don’t want to have to revisit them constantly. But that’s exactly what is required in the realm of …
User experience is often overlooked when it comes to security and privacy. This leads to some confusing, dangerous, and challenging situations that …
During a large incident response, bringing everyone together to a “war room” can be the difference in a speedy recovery, but there are …
There is a ton of news and information on social networks. There’s also a mountain of garbage. How do you sort through it all? Can you? Do we …
Many questions come along with the federal legalization of cannabis in Canada. It’s a massive example of trickle down risk as various controls …
Virtual events can be a great way to connect with your audience. They are not only less expensive to run but they are much easier to access for most …
When you’re trying to teach, pass along a message, or just generally reach anyone, the key is to understand how THEY want to consume …
Facebook removes 800+ accounts this week, some with massive followings, for political content. The twist? They were US-based, not foreign. What does …
Google recently conducted a complete security & privacy review of various APIs associated with Google+. The result? The service is shutting down …
With the Bloomberg report on hardware hacking looking more in doubt, more and more politics are coming into play. Anytime you evaluate news, …
Bloomberg has an absolutely earth shattering report citing a hardware supply chain attack that—they say—impacted several big names. Here’s why …
Reflecting back on my keynote at SecTor in Toronto where I delivered some tough new to a roomful of security professionals. Here’s what worked …
Criminals are winning the battle against security practitioners. Need proof? Look no further than the new headlines in any given week.
Billions of …
Sometimes you have to deliver really bad news. It’s not your fault, but you’re the one on the hook. How do you deliver it? How do you …
October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month (#NCSAM). Look for tons of great content online as the community comes together—globally, not just …
50 million Facebook accounts were hacked. Facebook responded quickly to the issue but could’ve done better communicating throughout. …
A recent study proved that Facebook uses more information about you than you realize. Behind the scenes, Facebook compiles “shadow …
In the recent dust up with the founders of WhatsApp, you might have heard the term “end-to-end encryption”. What is it? What does it means …
Amazon announced a host of new “Alexa enabled” devices last week. What are the implications for your privacy at home?
Conferences are usually jam packed with great content. So much so that it can be hard to prepare for them and get the most out of them. What do you …
Security is a quality issue. Except we don’t treat it that way and that’s costing us dearly.
With the initial set of cybersecurity basics segments done, I’m think it’s worth moving to a “basics” basics series. The goal …
Built-in security is always best. That’s “security by design” but when that fails (due to mistakes, oversight, humans), built-in …
In your personal life you’re assessing risk constantly whether you know it or not. In the digital world the same thing happens BUT you probably …
Risk assessments are useful when kept in context and continually updated. A penetration test (or pen test) is when your system undergoes a …
Personally identifiable information (PII) and Personal Health Information (PHI) are critical concepts. They help identify information that needs …
Should you track your children’s every move? Your partners? Family locator apps promise safety and convenience but are they really just an …
Who did it? It’s a powerful question and the answer to “What is attack attribution?”
Authentication and authorization are two critical concepts that are intertwined. Understanding the difference and their purpose is key to …
Hackers and cybercriminals are all “malicious actors”. While you may not know who is attacking a system, having a better understanding of …
Malicious software (malware) is an umbrella term that covers a number of different types of software designed to do bad things…but those …
Encryption: what is it? why does it work?
Perspective is a tricky thing….maybe the hardest aspect of cybersecurity
VPNs can help secure your internet traffic when you’re travelling. They can help you route around geographic restrictions. But is using a VPN …
What is a password? Why do we use them? Why are they so frustrating? …some answers
Continuing the “basics” series, here’s an easy way to understand the terms: vulnerability, exploit, threat, and risk
The basics starts with understanding the goal of security. It sounds simple but the goal is to make sure whatever you build works as you …
Back from vacation, I recap the show’s structure and new channels as well as the plan around “the basics”
GMail in the classroom just like on your phone. The promise of G Suite for Education is enticing. A low-cost way for schools to provide collaboration …
A friend highlighted a real issue: there isn’t enough material about basic cybersecurity that’s easily relatable.
Connecting with others is critical but it can also pose a risk. It’s important not to “leak” information needlessly. This is a …
3d printing holds a mountain of promise. While the technology is taking longer than generally expected to make an impact, the areas where it is having …
We’re creating more and more data but despite advancements in data processing, we’re still lacking easy to use tools to understand …
No one wins all the time. Don’t seek out failure but we shouldn’t be afraid of sharing our failures so that others may learn.
Security is there to ensure that the systems you build work only as intended. Part of that is realizing the potential for abuse and ensuring that the …
A lot of the issues facing our communities and sub communities today (deep fakes, encryption, privacy, DevOps, etc.) need active discussions. By their …
Is that video real? Are you sure? A new technique makes it easier than ever to create passable fake videos of prominent people. You cannot trust your …
Getting your first cybersecurity role can be difficult. Is part of the problem how organizations are hiring talent?
Passwords are a horrible way to verifying identities but they are the best thing we currently have that works at scale. Adding a 2nd factor to that …
You cannot stand at “Red Alert” 24/7 but that’s exactly what we do in cybersecurity…often without realizing it. What impact …
Unchecked assumptions are a major risk in any field…but in cybersecurity they take on a whole new level
A common step when you’re trying to get started in a career in cybersecurity is getting a basic certification. What comes after?
Is your phone trying to trick you into never putting it down? Smartphone addiction has become such a massive problem that the two major operating …
Where–physically–do you work? Does it matter?
It’s all too easy to burnout in IT in general…more so in security. Why? What’s the cost?
Some perceptions override the logic behind risk decisions. How do you fight through to make a sound decision?
Facial recognition is a technology that exemplifies the underlying neutrality of most technology. When used with positive intentions it makes out …
If you’re working by hand, you’re failing. In today’s world of security, rapid delivery, and new technologies, automation is …
Getting your first job in cybersecurity can be super frustrating. How can we work through traditional HR processes to get started?
The popular perception of A.I. does not line up with it’s current capabilities. A look at what’s real and what’s not.
Over the few years, mobile has become the dominant platform for gaming. As a result, smaller, simple games have come to prominence. In order to make …
Design has a massive impact on user behaviour. Sadly, it’s often ignored when it comes to security and privacy.
Google really doesn’t like humans and they LOVE data. At the intersection of those two areas is a new A.I assistant that calls business to …
There’s only upside to collaborating more deeply with other teams in the org. So why doesn’t the security get out there and do it?!?
We’ve spoken a lot of maintaining and expanding perspective when it comes to cybersecurity. In this episode, we dive in highlight a methodology …
We trust the networks we connect to everyday but should we?
Tanacon 1.0 was an unmitigated disaster. Not only is this a reminder that physical security is critical but it’s an example of a failure to …
We (the IT community) don’t push for cultural change because it requires persistent and dedicated long term work. That runs counter to the usual …
Ethical questions and quandaries are tough enough to work though when they are theoretical. But when you’re confronted with them in the real …
How new technologies are used and built is really up to us. Regardless of your moral compass, it’s important that you discuss the creation & …
Getting started in cybersecurity can be hard. Sticking to core principles is critical as technology will change. But one of the hardest aspects to …
With iOS 12, Apple will reduce the time an iOS device responds to the USB port when locked down to an hour. Having a hard time understanding why that …
G Suite for Education is making waves in the Canadian education market. And why not? It looks like a win-win-win. Too good to be true?
Cryptocurrency is a digital asset. As such, it’s a major target for cybercriminals. We’ve seen attack after attack in the past few months …
Net Neutrality is a simple dictate that states all network packets must be treated equally. This–of course–tanks a few business models for …
As usual there was a host of announcements at WWDC this year. No major spotlight stealers, what does that mean for security?
The push to move to a “DevOps” culture is a great opportunity to improve security. But first, we need to understand the general …
The DevOps movement is the single biggest opportunity security teams have had in a long time. The goal of DevOps is speed and innovation. That goal …
Security and privacy center on trust. You can’t have that without a high level of transparency. In this day and age, everything comes to light …
Is it just attitude that keeps security teams from working well with the rest of the organization? And if so, can that attitude be changed? …
We know that cybersecurity isn’t the best name to describe what is ostensibly, “information security” but it’s the name …
At some point in the past few years, the term “information security” took a back seat to “cybersecurity”. Does it matter? Why?
I am often asked what a good undergraduate program is to take if someone is aiming for a career in cybersecurity. There are plenty of fantastic …
Most of the focus around cybersecurity education is on the technical aspects. Is that the right approach?
GDPR comes into effect tomorrow and one of it’s biggest advantages is how it will force companies to actually manage their data…well at …
GDPR is now of the law of the land in the EU. Did everything change overnight?
Apparently the FBI misrepresented the number of devices they can’t access due to encryption by up to a factor of 6x. This is most likely due to …
GDPR comes into effect on Friday, 25-May. What does it mean globally? Um…we’re not really sure.
Listening to customers is built into the DNA of a lot of organizations…why aren’t security teams doing the same?
How do you handle data collection from your users? Is it hidden and suspect like the current rash of mobile provider exposures? With no opt-out like …
Deep thoughts in this episode around ethics in technology and their use. Sparked by the latest issues around mobile phone tracking, this episode …
How can you create a break for yourself to get started on a cybersecurity career path? A few thoughts…
Getting started in cybersecurity isn’t as hard as you think. There’s no “ONE” path but there are a few key attributes …
Google announced several new AI advancements at the I/O 2018 event. On the surface, there’s a lot of really usable features. The downside is …
There have been a lot of advancements in AI research and use lately, but are we moving in the right direction? Are we having the right conversations …
AWS re:Invent is the best conference in cloud. This post lays out what you need to know to get the most out of the 2018 edition of this amazing event.
In this episode, I speak to the challenges around today’s cybersecurity and what that means for those just starting down the cybersecurity path.
Passwords are the worst. Just the worst.
Facebook wrapped up it’s F8 conference this week with a series of new product announcements. In this episode, we’ll take a look and see …
Passwords are the best of a mountain of bad solutions. Picking a strong password lies at the intersection of math (yay!) and …
Facebook is hosting it’s annual F8 conference and it appears that this will be a reserved year. Understandable given the scandals of …
When you’re at a conference, one of the biggest perks is the “hallway track”. The serendipitous run-ins with people you follow …
The solution for the cybersecurity skills gap? Educate those around you!
Gmail just launched a nice, new redesigned UI. It’s slick and has some great new features. One feature, “Confidential Mode”, is …
This deep techincal dive in the cybersecurity of operational technologies (OT) focuses on the dramatic timing disconnect. Physical technology is often …
Streaming. It shouldn’t be this hard…
Where does the Canadian criminal code stand on hacking? Given how fast technology moves, can the law keep up?
Can new technology solve everything? We in the security community need to spend more time investing in people and process.
Is IP blocking still effective? Is it a sledge hammer when you really need a scalpel?
Cybersecurity is often positioned from the negative. There are bad things coming to get you! What a waste of energy…
Encryption on mobile devices is a challenge for law enforcement. 3rd party companies often use hacks in their products to address this need. Is it …
The FBI and other federal law enforcement in the US (and elsewhere) continue to push back against “going dark”. Thankfully Apple is …
Facebook was called to the carpet and showed well…because they weren’t asked the right questions
It’s often stated that you have to trade usability for security. I call 💩
Streaming is increasing in popularity but how easy is it to go beyond the basics?
All the news and notes from the 2018 AWS Summit in San Francisco
Had enough of the Facebook / Cambridge Analytica scandal yet? Yeah, me too. Thankfully, it’s rolling up to address the bigger issue of digital …
After the long weekend, this episode is a bit of a round up. Nothing big jumping out but a few minor issues to address.
We’re tracked everywhere online. Should we be? Is there an upside to this practice?
There’s a lack of easy-to-use tools for “average” users to analyze their data. In today’s world, that means something.
You upload a ton of data to Facebook and in turn, Facebook generates a ton of data about you. I built a tool to take a look at Facebook’s view …
Accurate data for cybersecurity threats is hard to come by. That doesn’t mean you can just make it up…
As the Facebook / Cambridge Analytica scandal continues to snowball, we take a look at the larger issues. How does privacy scale? Can it scale under …
Terms of Service agreements hide all manner of tricks and cede all of the power to the issuing corporation. Should they?
Sometimes the digital world has an impact on the real world…and it’s not always a positive one.
Ugh. Facebook Has Allowed A 3rd Party To Harvest Millions of Credentials
Lots of hype around CPU flaws, ICOs failing, and blockchain. This episode looks to cut through some of it!
CPU Vulnerabilities Seem Like A Massive Problem. Are they deserving of the hype?
My impressions of my first SXSW and the challenges of getting back on stage after a bit of a break
Cybersecurity and privacy are a core part of the fabric of all technology. So why are they missing at most non-security conferences?
“Smart” object are all the rage in our home lives. In the industrial world, operational technologies (OT) has becoming increasingly more …
DDoS attacks are scaling to new heights using record numbers of compromised machines. What are your responsibilities to the rest of internet …
One of the biggest challenges in cybersecurity today is the tendency to secure components instead of the larger system. It’s understandable but …
In this episode we do a quick recap of the Canadian federal budget announcements around cybersecurity, talk about SXW, and the upcoming launch of the …
SXSW, Canadian budget, Apple, and more
Rumours swirl ahead of a new Canadian federal budget. Will they address cybersecurity?
Security awareness is next to useless. Educate users instead
AWS Lambda is a fantastic way to connect various distinct pieces in the cloud. Python is an easily accessible language that makes that work simple. …
Passwords are a horrible solution to the challenge of authentication. But they’re the “best” we have for now…right?
DevOps is the “new hotness” but what does it really mean to development, operations, and security?
Voice is going to play a huge role in the future. What are the security and privacy challenges?
One character can crash your iPhone. It’s a bit of problem.
Does blockchain finally bring the transparency and accountability needed for an internet scale identity provider?
Good data drives good decisions. This is a major problem in cybersecurity where the data simply isn’t available or accurate.
Cyberattacks happen all of the time. The critical angle to evaluate is their impact. Did the attack breach critical systems? Access personal …
There is always new threat to worry about in cybersecurity. Keeping perspective about the likelihood of that threat being an actual issue is critical.
Keeping a personal website up to date is always tricky. The technical pieces are simple, it’s be satisfied with the design and making the …
AWS re:Invent is the best conference in cloud. This post lays out what you need to know to get the most out of your first time at this amazing show.
Four principles to help you navigate a cloud migration and the realities of hybrid cloud.
Ransomware is the scourge of the digital world. Cybercriminals are making money hand over fist. What can you do to protect yourself?
AWS re:Invent is the best conference in cloud. This post gives you the top five things to focus on to get the most out of the 2016 edition.
AWS re:Invent is the best conference in cloud. This post gives you the top five things to focus on to get the most out of the 2015 edition.
When you hide a message inside of another message, it’s called steganography. While you might not have known it’s name, this technique has a long and …
Great content from @marknca
The shared responsibility model defines how the cloud works. This post examines how Shellshock impacts that model.
Recent vulnerability “POODLE” demonstrates how the shared responsibility model helps reduce your security workload.
The shared responsibility model is simple to explain but challenging to implement. This post examines how the models works for the latest Xen …
AWS continues to expand it’s global network with the opening of a new region in Frankfurt, Germany.
Great content from @marknca
Why do all incident response communications from customers feel the same? Why do they all miss the mark? How hard is it to do better?
Shellshock is a surprising bug. Hidden for decades, what do you need to know to help your organization respond?
Microsoft hosted it’s annual Worldwide Partner Conference and the focus on was Microsoft Azure. I delivered a talk focused on how to automate …
Code Spaces is the worst case scenario. A simple misconfiguration in the cloud cost them their business.
A summary of the D.C. Metro Cyber Security Summit 2014.
Cloud computing is more than just fast self-service of virtual infrastructure. Developers and admins are looking for ways to provision and manage at …
If you strip away a lot of security terminology, it’s really about understanding what’s going on. If you want slap a fancy term back on, …
How does security work in the Azure cloud? This post lays out the basics.
Microsoft Build 2014 kicks off a new era for Microsoft. One that will (hopefully) transform the company and focus on building out their cloud; Azure.
Great content from @marknca
As AWS opened their summit series for 2014, 5000+ people packed into the Moscone Center. There was a ton of energy in the air and I got to talk about …
What does a modern security practice look like in the cloud? How do each of the area change?
Forensics is an area that’s often lacking in corporate environments. Few people have time to truly dig into an incident after it’s been …
Network security monitoring is changing dramatically in the cloud as more and more responsibilities are shifted to the Cloud Service Provider. How …
Incident response is often overlooked by everyone outside of the security team. In the cloud, automation and cooperation reign supreme.
The cloud is a fantastic opportunity to improve your security posture…but only if you update how you handle operations.
The cloud security discussion has changed from ‘should we’ to ‘how do we’. Here are the top issues you should be tackling.
When speaking to security issues in the media, what’s the right level of technical depth?
This post provides information that is designed to help you defend against phishing, spear phishing, and whaling attacks. Exploring the reasons for …
