Don't help the CSO out. Build him up!

950 words, 4 1/2 minutes. One of the reasons why organisations ultimately fail at Cyber Security, is because the office of the CSO lacks power. In this post I’ll explain why that is and what we can do about it. Why The CSO Lacks Power The Cyber Security industry constantly strives to produce better products and services. Engineers work tirelessly to improve deployment practices. There are dozens of courses and certifications designed to improve skills. »

Avoiding The Infosec Extinction Part 1.

800 words, 3 1/2 minutes. Making Your 1st Decision This is the first of a short series of posts about the Cyber Security market. This market is interesting now because I believe it’s at a juncture where we can choose one of two possible futures. We being the product builders, investors, and customers. The choice being whether to align ourselves with reality or fantasy. Plenty of markets perpetuate a degree of fantasy. »

Breach Handling & The High Ground

1600 words, 8 minutes. You’ve suffered a breach. Your security was circumvented. Data was lost and the public, shareholders, media, and perhaps regulator must soon be informed. A chain of events has begun. What you do next will determine in large part where that chain leads. In this post I’m going to talk about a tactic I’ve seen used to successfully re-frame a bad situation and nudge the narrative in your favour. »

An Idea Whose Time Has Come

950 words, 4 1/2 minutes. Hugo by Étienne Carjat, 1876 “Nothing is as powerful as an idea whose time has come." - Victor Hugo. This is the second of two posts on strategic software. The first explained what it is, what it does, and where to find it. Now I’ll tell you why it’s an idea whose time has come. I’ll tell you why it will be more powerful in some respects than traditional politics and how it will come to shape the world. »

The Age Of Strategic Software

1300 words, 5 minutes. Belloc by E. O. Hoppé, 1915. “Whatever happens, we have got the Maxim gun, they have not." - Hilaire Belloc. Once upon a time software was just for counting beans. It counted more beans faster and cheaper than anything else. Then computers became personal, then portable, then pocketable. All sorts of different kinds of software were created to serve the people and help them do their jobs better. »