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The Failure of the Most Desirable Security Control Ever

The Twitter blue checkmark started as a security control and slowly turned into social status. What happened to the security part?

AWS re:Invent 2022 Attendee Guide: Security

Trying to come up to speed on cloud security at AWS re:Invent 2022? Here’s my session guide for attendees of all levels.

Accelerating innovation at AWS Security

CJ Moses, CISO of AWS, delivers a leadership session to highlight the state of security and what’s next.

The Five Most Interesting AWS (p)re:Invent Announcements for Cloud Security

Leading up to AWS re:Invent, these 5 great new features launched to help your cloud security practice.

Mastodon's Promising Federated Approach Will Frustrate You More Than Twitter

Mastodon is an open-source federated social media network. Twitter users are flocking to it only to find furstration.

My Toaster Works so Well It Almost Burnt Down My House

Toasters work so well that you forget they need maintenance. If we could get to taht level with cybersecurity controls we’d be lucky…until we weren’t

How your cloud security practice can support teams working at wildly different maturity levels

Your centralized security needs to support a variety of teams building in the cloud…and they all have differing levels of maturity.

The top challenge for your cloud security practice isn’t what you think

For stronger security, stop focusing on cybercriminals and pay attention to how your teams are building in the cloud.

The future of security means focusing on people

AWS re:Inforce brought the people side of security into sharp focus.

A short pause along the path to celebrate being on the Forbes Cloud 100

Lacework gets named to the Forbes Cloud 100 list for 2022.

Sleeping through AWS Cloud compliance meetings? You are not alone

Compliance is a snoozer of a topic. It shouldn’t be.

My hope for the AWS re:Inforce 2022 keynote

The keynote at AWS re:Inforce will send a strong message about security. Here’s what I want to hear from AWS.

The types of sessions at an AWS conference and why they matter

AWS uses a very specific session structure for their events. Here is the key to understand the differences.

What is visibility and why it’s important to cloud security

Visibility is often cited as the top requirement for any cloud security practice…but what is it exactly?

Security is one pillar of building in the cloud, not the only one

Too often security is a singular focus or area of responsibility. It doesn’t work like that. Security is part of a bigger whole.

Four tips for attending RSA Conference 2022

The RSA Conference is jam packed with great content. Here’s how you can get the most from your week in San Francisco.

Balancing small team demands with the need for cloud visibility

The Shared Responsibility Model provides the roadmap for cloud success. Here’s how to use the model to your advantage.

Using machine learning to solve your business problems

Machine Learning is a valuable and useful tool…when used correctly. Hear from one of the best how to do just that.

Okta Breach Highlight The Challenges of Incident Response Communications

Okta is responding to a public cybersecurity incident, what can we learn from how they handled communications?

Heightened cyber threats have everyone on edge, what do you need to know?

With cybercriminals becoming bolder, it’s not surprising that we’re seeing more big name breaches.

CloudFlare Launches an API Gateway

CloudFlare launches a new API Gateway product, will is shake up the market?

Why visibility and permissions are key to Kubernetes security

Kubernetes is challenging to configure and maintain on the best of days. Here’s where to focus your security efforts.

Preventing That “Whoops” Moment With Your Data In The Cloud

Attackers can find your cloud misconfigurations with almost no effort, why can’t you?

Making Sure Events Don't Drop In The AWS Cloud

Once you’ve aggregated all of your AWS Security Hub Findings, here’s one way to visualize and analyze them.

Visualizing A Lot of AWS Security Hub Findings

Once you’ve aggregated all of your AWS Security Hub Findings, here’s one way to visualize and analyze them.

NFTs, Web3, and The Blockchain Have Their Place
Maybe

Are NFTs, Web3, and Blockchains useful? Or just hype?

Hype & Money Are Testing The Idea of NFTs

Too much hype and money make NFTs a risky bet right now.

Why Multi-Factor Authentication Is Critical To Stopping Hackers From Getting Into Your Accounts

Two minutes of work can stop hackers in cold in their tracks.

What Is A Bug Bounty And Why Are They Important?

Bug bounties help bridge the gap between security researchers and companies.

A 326 Million Dollar Smart Contract Bug

The risks of smart contract bugs are quickly becoming apparently. They can cost millions.

Why Do Amazon S3 Data Breaches Keep Happening?

Misconfigurations in Amazon S3 keep happening. Here’s why and how to stop them.

Can You Own A Colour? Can You Try?

The NFT/Web3 world certain is the wild west…and some projects are way, way more wild.

The Number One Problem With Web3 Smart Contracts

If you can’t read the code in a Web3 contract, do you really know what it’s going to do?

Is A Bug In A Web3 Smart Contract Part of the Contract?

If a smart contract works as coded and the code is wrong, is the contract valid?

When Is a Hacker Not a Hacker?

Anytime there’s a security issue, someone gets labelled a hacker. Is that the right term?

Evaluate your cybersecurity posture for Data Privacy Day

Data Privacy Day is upon us once again, here’s an interesting discussion around key privacy topics and how they might impact you.

If Apple’s FaceID Works With Masks On, Will That Reduce Your Security?

đŸ˜·đŸ“Č …finally

Enriching AWS Security Hub Findings

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.

Risk Analysis (And Essays) Shouldn’t End in “Um”

“Um” is not a great call to action, but sometimes it’s all you’ve got.

How Can You Figure out How Likely an App Is to Have Security Problems?

Can you—as a user—understand an app or service’s security posture? If so, how?

What the Cloud? DevOps and DevSecOps Explained

DevOps and DevSecOps are terms that are thrown around a lot. What do they really mean?

Encryption Is Good For You and Your Community

Should be able to encrypt your communications? The debate is on…again

Would You Put Your Security in the Hands of a Guess?

A lot of risk decisions are made in the dark…why?

What Is Risk?

How do we respond to risk? Do we have the data we need to make an informed decision?

The Shared Responsibility Model

Everything in the cloud works on a shared responsibility model. Here’s how it works.

Your Goal In Building Something With Technology

It’s exciting building solutions with the latest frameworks and technology. Is that the best route to meet our goals? What ARE our goals?

Digital Privacy Is All About Choice

When we talk about privacy, what are we really talking about? The formal definition of privacy is definitely outdated. What would a good definition be?

Stop Focusing on Stopping Hackers and Cybercriminals

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?

Why Aren’t Security and Privacy Part of the Foundation of Technology?

Security and privacy are inextricably linked. Why aren’t they at the core of all technology?

How To Get a Handle on the Log4j Issue in Your Environment

Log4j is hiding in a number of your systems. Here’s help to plan out your response.

What Does 2022 Hold For Your Cloud Security Practice?

No one can predict the future. Here’s what the data shows will be trending in cloud security in 2022.

What AWS re:Invent 2021 Means For The Future of Cloud Computing

Every year AWS sets the tone for all of cloud at AWS re:Invent. Here’s what you can expect in cloud computing for 2022.

Stephen Schmidt's Security Leadership Session at AWS re:Invent 2021

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 things security.

How To Build Streaming Media Solutions In The AWS Cloud

Amazon Inspector first launched in 2015. Now in 2021, it’s re-launching with a brand new architecture and a host of new features.

A First Look At The Brand New Amazon Inspector

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 Amazon Inspector To Find Software Vulnerabilities

AWS re-launches a dramatically improved Amazon Inspector, a software vulnerability discovery/management service.

How (Not)? To Move A Security Practice To The Cloud

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.

Updating Your Security Practice for the Cloud, Step-by-Step

There are massive opportunities to advance your security practice as your business moves into the cloud. This talk provides a step-by-step approach that will help you maximize them.

This One Mistake Will Stop a DevSecOps Shift Left Strategy Dead in Its Tracks

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 biggest mistakes teams are making trying to “do” DevSecOps.

Stop Your Password From Opening The Door To Hackers

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 passwords.

Streaming Giant Twitch Hit by Major Data Breach

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 streamers to leave?

CNAPP, CSPM, CWPP, C
What’s the Difference and How Can They Improve My Cloud Security?

There are a lot of acronyms related to cloud security. What do they mean and can they help you?

AWS re:Inforce 2021 Key Takeaways

AWS re:Inforce returns in person and provides a deeper look into how AWS views security.

Microsoft Edge Experiment 'Super Duper Secure Mode' Aims To Reduce Openings for Hackers

The Microsoft Edge browser team is conducting an experiment in an attempt to increase the cybersecurity of the browser and how it handles javascript. At stake? One of the major performance features.

US Federal Government Cybersecurity is Lacking

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.

Lazio & BlackMatter Bring Ransomware Into the Spotlight
Again

The region of Lazio was hit by a ransomware attack and is struggling to recover from this attack on critical infrastructure. BlackMatter, a new ransomware supergroup, just announced they wouldn’t conduct these types of attacks. What does it mean for the future of ransomware?

Hackers Attempt To Extort Electronic Arts (EA), Fail, Then Leak Source Code

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.

A New Hope for Critical Infrastructure

The US government takes steps to codify cybersecurity requirements for critical infrastructre.

Twitter Shows Slow MFA Adoption, Is Security Unusable?

Twitter’s latest transparency report shows a low uptake for the multi-factor authentication feature. This is a great security control that’s easy to use. What’s going on?

Pegasus Spyware Runs Roughshod over Human Rights

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 light on nation state use a specific malware tool: Pegasus spyware.

US Government Puts Cybersecurity Front and Center

There are now 5 seniors leaders in the US federal governments with cybersecurity as their primary mandate. Is this going to be a problem?

New Ransomware Resources For Defenders

Two new resources launched to help people understand the challenges associated with ransomware; StopRansomware.gov and RansomWhe.re

Agent vs Agentless Security: Which One Is Better?

Are security agent programs bad? Don’t even answer, that’s a ridiculous question.

REvil-ed Ransomware Group Goes Kaput?

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.

Ransomware Attack On Kaseya Still Very Real For Victims

Long after the headlines pass, victims of ransomware are left struggling to get back to “normal” operations. It’s a long, challenging road back.

Microsoft Windows PrinterNightmare Patch Highlight “Unperfect” Security Decisions

The out-of-band patch for PrinterNightmare on Microsoft Windows doesn’t completely fix the issue. What are IT and security teams to do?

REvil Ransomware Criminals Look To Maximize Q3 Profits With Kaseya Attack

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 the new normal.

What Makes Ransomware Successful and Why It Won't Ever Really Stop

Ransomware is absolutely everywhere. What is going on? Why is ransomware so effective? Is there anything we can do about it?

These Real Apps On Google Play Are Harvesting Facebook Logins

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 to sell.

Windows Is Having a PrinterNightmare and Can’t Wake Up

PrinterNightmare is a high severity vulnerability that affects all versions of Windows and is being actively exploited…on a long weekend 😬

Will Windows 11 Helps Advance PC Security?

Microsoft Windows 11 will require a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) on all PCs. Will this long-needed requirement help or hinder?

Hackers Delete Home Backups Remotely (WD My Book Live Flaw)

Some WD My Book Live users had a shock this week as hackers remotely wiped their data. What can they do about it?

Should Apple Allow 'Sideloading' Apps on My iPhone?

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 “sideload” apps on your iPhone.

TFiR: Does The Cloud Hold The Key To Security Nirvana?

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 actually mean?

Holy Crap! We’ve Been Doing This for Three Years!

Celebrating three years of the CISO/Security Vendore Relationship Podcast

RSAC 2021

A purely digital RSAC 2021 kicks off looking back at a challenging year and to the challenges ahead for the security community.

Software Development Security Challenges

In software, developers often don’t have a choice. Speed becomes a business imperative for survival and to stay competitive.

Mark Nunnikhoven | CUBE Conversation May 2021

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.

Top Recommendations for Working with IAM from Our AWS Heroes – Part 4: Available Permissions and User Identity

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 service

What Do You Want To Learn?

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?

Stop Apps From Tracking You in iOS 14.5...Mostly

iOS 14.5 introduces App Tracking Transparency or ATT. Here’s what it means to you.

Debunking 30 Enduring Myths of Cloud Security

No other technology revolution has induced more fear, uncertainty, and doubt for so long than the cloud. This post explores the “why” of it and more…

Ubiquiti Breach Is a Case Study in How NOT to Communicate After a Hack

Ubiquiti suffered a data breach and makes it worse by not communication clearly with it’s customer base.

Update Your iPhone Now...Again (iOS 14.4.2)

iOS 14.4.2 fixes a critical cybersecurity issue. Make sure to update now.

Adding Guardrails To A Cloud Account After The Fact

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 fact.

Update Your iPhone Now (iOS 14.4.1)

iOS 14.4.1 fixes a couple of critical cybersecurity issues. Make sure to update now.

Security and Privacy Are Linked

Security and privacy are linked yet for some reason, you see privacy experts ignoring the impact of security and security experts who are unconcerned with privacy. Why?

Security Best Practices the AWS Well Architected Way

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 of new security services and features. This session shares architectural patterns for meeting common challenges, service quotas, and tips and tricks for continually evaluating your architecture against 


Passwords Suck

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 the “rules” for making a strong password and it’s hard to remember what you’ve set your password to.

Are those rules really making our passwords stronger? Do we need so many 


Is Apple Tracking The Apps You Use?

Apple recently launched macOS Big Sur and a security researcher’s post vent viral highlighting a steady stream of communications that “phone home” detailing what apps you’re using on your system. What’s going on here?

Is privacy promoting Apple actually spying on every app running on every macOS system around the 


Advertising to & Tracking iOS 14 Users

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 you can’t target ads without tracking users and their devices.

A privacy-focused design decision by Apple for iOS 14 puts Facebook on edge and Google on notice. What is the IDFA? What happens in 


Do App Stores Help Your Privacy & Security?

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 of the issues, but it’s usually missing one key perspective; what do we as users get from the App Stores?

Legacy Authentication Risks

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 providing authentication services to millions of citizens. Why did this happen? And what can we do to protect ourselves?

One Month After the Twitter Hack

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 month after, have we learned anything? What’s the impact of continuing to use Twitter?

The Goal of Cybersecurity

To make sure that systems work as intended and only as intended. That’s the goal of cybersecurity.

Is TikTok a Threat?

The President has promised to ban TikTok in the United States for national security reasons. Is that the case? Are there real security & privacy concerns or is this purely a political move?

Should I Worry About TikTok?

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 security? Do you need to worry about it you or your family using it?

Zoom Us and Practical Cybersecurity

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 isolated feeling all of us are experiencing, then it was a pile on for security and privacy issues, and finally the last two weeks have started a redemption story.

Risk Decisions in an Imperfect World

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 explicit decisions made to meet the business needs within an acceptable risk tolerance.

What is an acceptable risk? How can you determine what threats pose a risk to your work? How likely are those 


When Cyber Attacks

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 least a quarter of your day interacting with technology. In this talk, Mark Nunnikhoven, vice president of Cloud Research of Trend Micro, will navigate you through your average 24 hours and uncover 


E-transfer Security

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 convenient…turns out, not so much.

Cybersecurity Patching in Context

Letting customers know about a security vulnerability is never an easy thing. From the logistics of it to the reputation management issues. But this is a critical aspect of delivery software and services. What’s the best way to tackle this problem?

AppSec Is Dead

Is application security (AppSec) dead? Did it every really work? Let’s discuss…

Zoom.us & The Real Cybersecurity Problem

Zoom.us had a pretty egregious security issue this week. Their response was poor despite the best efforts for responsible disclosure by the security research who discovered the issue. While this issue has dominated tech headlines, the real issue is much more significant and commonplace.

NBA Free Agency vs Security Policies

Cybercriminals don’t always use complicated technical attacks to get around your cybersecurity. Sometimes—probably more often than we care to admit—it’s the really simple stuff that works and what’s simpler than an email?

Huawei, Android, and Cybersecurity

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 from US companies…a license that is a default “no” and in this political climate, a definite “no”.

Politics aside, what does that mean for Huawei smartphone users?

James Harden & Cybersecurity Policy

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? Regardless of the answer, it pushes the rules to the limit. The same thing happens in cybersecurity. People just trying to get their job done will push the rules to the breaking point…and sometimes 


Cybersecurity & Technical Debt

A recent report from the Canadian Commission for Complaints for Telecom-television Services (CCTS) saw a dramatic increase in complaints with billing being one of the top reasons. That’s not especially noteworthy in an industry known for poor customer service…until you dig a little deeper.

Exposing Secrets In Code

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 near constant stream of secrets being exposed…why?!?

Stadia & Secure Access Design

Google recently announced a new, all-in-the-cloud gaming service called Stadia. For gaming fans, there’s a lot of potential that—fingers crossed—hopefully pans out.

But the design of the system is an implementation of a pattern we use in securing high sensitivity data as well.

Has this pattern’s time finally arrived?

Cloud Costs & Security

A recent survey from RightScale showed a lot of confusion around cloud computing costs. The common take away? Organizations are surprised at how high their cloud bills are. Similarly, the community was surprised at the size of Lyft’s commitment to AWS (around 8 million per month).

But the root of this problem isn’t what you think.

The Cybersecurity Industry

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 organization, how would the industry look? Would you be able to spend wisely? To make decisions taht would actually improve the security of your organization? My view from RSA 2019 in San Francisco

Warrant Canaries

We rely on some digital services for critical functions around security and privacy. Trusting those services is paramount to their success and ours. But it can be difficult to trust when you don’t know what’s going on behind the scenes. Gag orders from the courts can amplify those trust issues. The idea of a warrant canary can help to 


DNS Hijacking

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 cybercriminals to take over an organizations identity or to intercept critical communications.

Canadian Election Cybersecurity

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 the potential impact of cybersecurity this election cycle. The good news? Canada’s election infrastructure is well protected. The challenge will be with various political parties and their 


Cybersecurity Research Consequences

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. That can give companies who are resistant to outside researchers the ammo they need to strong arm research teams. What’s the best way forward?

GDPR Intentions

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 being clear enough in their intentions with user data. Is this a turning point? While regulation and legislation is typically followed to the letter, there are a lot of areas of GDPR that have specific 


Zero vs. Lean Trust

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 the cloud) to large mobile user bases, traditional network security—push everything through a choke point—is well past it’s best before date. What’s next?

Security Metrics đŸ—‘đŸ”„

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 down a path where efforts are being spent in areas that aren’t driving to their bigger goals.

Politics & Attack Attribution

Cyberattack attribution is HARD. But time and time again, we’re seeing attributions—who carried out the attack—made publicly with little to no evidence presented. Worse, these attributions are having real world impacts…

Building On Trust

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 technology you’re using? How far? With what data? So many questions, here a few more to help you find some answers…

The War Room

During a large incident response, bringing everyone together to a “war room” can be the difference in a speedy recovery, but there are downsides as well. The biggest? Fatigue & burnout. How do you monitor and handle that?

Google+ & Infrastructure Monitoring

Google recently conducted a complete security & privacy review of various APIs associated with Google+. The result? The service is shutting down and they found a vulnerability. Did they take the proper steps in disclosing the issue?

Evidence, Accusations, and Motivation

With the Bloomberg report on hardware hacking looking more in doubt, more and more politics are coming into play. Anytime you evaluate news, it’s important to look at things objectively. Here are a few tips around evaluating cybersecurity news.

Bloomberg, Supermicro, and Hardware Supply Chain Attacks

Bloomberg has an absolutely earth shattering report citing a hardware supply chain attack that—they say—impacted several big names. Here’s why this type of attack is so difficult to defend against but also near impossible to execute.

Are We Setup to Fail?

Criminals are winning the battle against security practitioners. Need proof? Look no further than the new headlines in any given week.

Billions of dollars are being spent on the latest and “greatest” tools, and millions of people hours are being exhausted in the defence of our data. Yet with all this effort, it remains trivially easy for most 


National Cybersecurity Awareness Month

October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month (#NCSAM). Look for tons of great content online as the community comes together—globally, not just nationally—to try and raise awareness of cybersecurity and privacy issues.

Security Is A Quality Issue

Security is a quality issue. Except we don’t treat it that way and that’s costing us dearly.

The Basic Basics

With the initial set of cybersecurity basics segments done, I’m think it’s worth moving to a “basics” basics series. The goal would be to help everyone understand how the internet works, how email is structure, etc. Thoughts?

Cybersecurity Basics #12 - Bolt-on vs Built-in

Built-in security is always best. That’s “security by design” but when that fails (due to mistakes, oversight, humans), built-in security steps up…or, um, in.

Cybersecurity Basics #11a - Risk Assessments Redux

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 don’t have the required context to make an informed decision.

Cybersecurity Basics #11 - Risk Assessments & Pen Tests

Risk assessments are useful when kept in context and continually updated. A penetration test (or pen test) is when your system undergoes a “friendly” attack with the idea of find issues before cybercriminals do. Together they are a strong set of practices to help you defences.

Cybersecurity Basics #10 - Personally Identifiable Information

Personally identifiable information (PII) and Personal Health Information (PHI) are critical concepts. They help identify information that needs additional safeguards and care.

Cybersecurity Basics #9 - Attack Attribution

Who did it? It’s a powerful question and the answer to “What is attack attribution?”

Cybersecurity Basics #8 - Authentication, Authorization, & Need To Know

Authentication and authorization are two critical concepts that are intertwined. Understanding the difference and their purpose is key to understanding cybersecurity.

Cybersecurity Basics #7 - Hackers & Cybercriminals

Hackers and cybercriminals are all “malicious actors”. While you may not know who is attacking a system, having a better understanding of common motivations is important.

Cybersecurity Basics #6 - Malware

Malicious software (malware) is an umbrella term that covers a number of different types of software designed to do bad things…but those specific categories don’t mean to much day-to-day when it comes to defence…

Cybersecurity Basics #5 - Encryption

Encryption: what is it? why does it work?

Cybersecurity Basics #4 - Perspective

Perspective is a tricky thing….maybe the hardest aspect of cybersecurity

Cybersecurity Basics #3 - Passwords

What is a password? Why do we use them? Why are they so frustrating? …some answers

Cybersecurity Basics #2 - Vulnerabilities, Exploits, and Threats

Continuing the “basics” series, here’s an easy way to understand the terms: vulnerability, exploit, threat, and risk

Cybersecurity Basics #1 - The Goal

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 intend…and only as you intend!

The Basics

A friend highlighted a real issue: there isn’t enough material about basic cybersecurity that’s easily relatable.

Operational Security

Connecting with others is critical but it can also pose a risk. It’s important not to “leak” information needlessly. This is a practice know as operational security. It’s critically important…and often ignored.

Toxicity & Security's Responsibility

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 system and users can continue to work safely…there’s a LOT of work to do.

HR Challenges & Getting Your First Security Role

Getting your first cybersecurity role can be difficult. Is part of the problem how organizations are hiring talent?

Security Keys, UX, & Reasonable Choices

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 verification significantly increases the security of the system. But how can you add that factor without sacrificing usability?

Constant Negative Pressure

You cannot stand at “Red Alert” 24/7 but that’s exactly what we do in cybersecurity…often without realizing it. What impact does that have an our approach? Our attitude? Our mental health?

Getting Started In Security: Post Certification

A common step when you’re trying to get started in a career in cybersecurity is getting a basic certification. What comes after?

Document, Automate, Repeat

If you’re working by hand, you’re failing. In today’s world of security, rapid delivery, and new technologies, automation is critical.

Cybersecurity: Getting Past HR

Getting your first job in cybersecurity can be super frustrating. How can we work through traditional HR processes to get started?

Working Together To Improve Security

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?!?

Security Thinking Is Service Design Thinking

We’ve spoken a lot of maintaining and expanding perspective when it comes to cybersecurity. In this episode, we dive in highlight a methodology called “service design thinking”.

Don't Trust The Network

We trust the networks we connect to everyday but should we?

Tanacon, Security, and Lack of a Threat Model

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 analyze risk properly (or at all).

Culture Change Is Hard

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 pace of technology. We (the security community) are even worse off…

Ethics In Technology And Cybersecurity

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 & use of these tools with your teams and larger community.

Getting Started In Cybersecurity & Perspective

Getting started in cybersecurity can be hard. Sticking to core principles is critical as technology will change. But one of the hardest aspects to cultivate is perspective. How can you tackle that challenge?

Cryptocurrency & High Value Targets

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 as exchanges, apps, and other players in the cryptocurrency market aren’t aligning their security to the threats they face.

Security in Devops

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 can be achieved with systems and automation: why not fully integrate security at the same time for a win-win?

What's In A Name?

We know that cybersecurity isn’t the best name to describe what is ostensibly, “information security” but it’s the name we’re stuck with.

Why Can't Security Place Nice With Others?

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? What’s keeping things so negative. Some thoughts…

Information Security vs. Cybersecurity

At some point in the past few years, the term “information security” took a back seat to “cybersecurity”. Does it matter? Why?

OpSec, Soft Skills, And People

Most of the focus around cybersecurity education is on the technical aspects. Is that the right approach?

University for Cybersecurity

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 options but ironically, one I’m not a fan of is an undergraduate focused purely on cybersecurity!

Data Management & GDPR

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 least personally identifiable information.

đŸ‡ȘđŸ‡ș GDPR Day!

GDPR is now of the law of the land in the EU. Did everything change overnight?

Encryption Law Enforcement And Transparency

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 clerical error and a lack of actual statistics rather than malicious intent.

3, 2, 1, GDPR

GDPR comes into effect on Friday, 25-May. What does it mean globally? Um…we’re not really sure.

Listening To Customers

Listening to customers is built into the DNA of a lot of organizations…why aren’t security teams doing the same?

Ethics In Technology & Security

Deep thoughts in this episode around ethics in technology and their use. Sparked by the latest issues around mobile phone tracking, this episode tackles the lack of ethics discussions around security and technology.

Making A Break To Start Your Cybersecurity Career

How can you create a break for yourself to get started on a cybersecurity career path? A few thoughts…

What You Need To Get Started In Cybersecurity

Getting started in cybersecurity isn’t as hard as you think. There’s no “ONE” path but there are a few key attributes that’ll make it easier.

AI's Security & Privacy Impact

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 around AIs impact?

Getting Started In Cybersecurity In A Positive Direction

In this episode, I speak to the challenges around today’s cybersecurity and what that means for those just starting down the cybersecurity path.

F**king Passwords

Passwords are the worst. Just the worst.

Password Health

Passwords are the best of a mountain of bad solutions. Picking a strong password lies at the intersection of math (yay!) and psychology…that’s a tough place to be. Here are a few tips on creating a useful, strong password.

Poor Naming Choice For Gmail Redesign

Gmail just launched a nice, new redesigned UI. It’s slick and has some great new features. One feature, “Confidential Mode”, is particularly interesting and poorly named/positioned.

The Security Team's Role In Your Org

Can new technology solve everything? We in the security community need to spend more time investing in people and process.

Blocking IP Addresses

Is IP blocking still effective? Is it a sledge hammer when you really need a scalpel?

Fear Uncertainty And Doubt

Cybersecurity is often positioned from the negative. There are bad things coming to get you! What a waste of energy…

iOS Graykey And Going Dark

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 right? Is it sustainable?

Privacy And Security vs. Usability

It’s often stated that you have to trade usability for security. I call đŸ’©

Rizenfall And Needless Hype

CPU Vulnerabilities Seem Like A Massive Problem. Are they deserving of the hype?

Secure Systems Thinking

One of the biggest challenges in cybersecurity today is the tendency to secure components instead of the larger system. It’s understandable but also leaves a lot of gaps. How can we change this approach?

Apple iOS 11 Security

SXSW, Canadian budget, Apple, and more

Cybersecurity In & Of Canada

Rumours swirl ahead of a new Canadian federal budget. Will they address cybersecurity?

Passwords, Educatiing Users, and the Communal Good

Security awareness is next to useless. Educate users instead

Risk Assessments & The Risk Of No Data

Good data drives good decisions. This is a major problem in cybersecurity where the data simply isn’t available or accurate.

3 Simple Steps to Disrupt Ransomware

Ransomware is the scourge of the digital world. Cybercriminals are making money hand over fist. What can you do to protect yourself?

What is Steganography?

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 colourful history and it is still used today by cybercriminals.

Cloud Security: Shared Responsibility in Action

Great content from @marknca

Another Day, Another Data Breach

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?

What You Need to Know About Shellshock, aka the 'Bash Bug'

Shellshock is a surprising bug. Hidden for decades, what do you need to know to help your organization respond?

D.C. Metro Cyber Security Summit

A summary of the D.C. Metro Cyber Security Summit 2014.

A Pragmatic Approach to Scaling Security in the Cloud

Cloud computing is more than just fast self-service of virtual infrastructure. Developers and admins are looking for ways to provision and manage at scale.

Continuous Monitoring for Situational Awareness

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, let’s call that “situational awareness”

Heartbleed – One Week In

Great content from @marknca

AWS Summit San Francisco 2014

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 updating security operations for the cloud.

Security Operations: The Big Picture

What does a modern security practice look like in the cloud? How do each of the area change?

Updating Forensics for the Cloud

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 resolved. Can we make forensics easier in the cloud?

Updating Network Security Monitoring for the Cloud

Network security monitoring is changing dramatically in the cloud as more and more responsibilities are shifted to the Cloud Service Provider. How should your team adjust?

Updating Incident Response for the Cloud

Incident response is often overlooked by everyone outside of the security team. In the cloud, automation and cooperation reign supreme.

Updating Security Operations for the Cloud

The cloud is a fantastic opportunity to improve your security posture…but only if you update how you handle operations.

Changes in the Cloud Discussion

The cloud security discussion has changed from ‘should we’ to ‘how do we’. Here are the top issues you should be tackling.

Remember the Audience

When speaking to security issues in the media, what’s the right level of technical depth?

Whaling

This post provides information that is designed to help you defend against phishing, spear phishing, and whaling attacks. Exploring the reasons for phishing, spear phishing, and whaling success