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You Only Get 3 Metrics - Which Ones Would You Pick?
Just over a year ago I put out this blog post on the 10 fundamental (but really hard) security metrics. Since then I’ve discussed this...
May 20, 202310 min read
9,158 views
The Illusion of Choice : A Review
In the last post we talked about the challenges and opportunities of using individual and organizational incentives to ensure effective...
May 7, 202313 min read
3,689 views
People and Security Incentives
Force 6 : People, organizations and AI respond to incentives and inherent biases but not always the ones we think are rational. //...
Apr 22, 20238 min read
1,675 views
Handling Complexity
Force 5 : Complex Systems break in Unpredictable Ways // Central Idea: While component level simplicity is vital, seeking to eliminate...
Apr 7, 20238 min read
2,527 views
Fighting Security Entropy
Force 4 : Entropy is King // Central Idea: Adopting a control reliability engineering mindset by continuous control monitoring is...
Mar 25, 20237 min read
2,432 views
Attack Surface Management
Force 3 : Services want to be on // Central Idea: Take architectural steps to inherently reduce your attack surface - don’t just rely...
Mar 12, 20239 min read
3,437 views
Software Security is More than Vulnerabilities
Force 2 : Code wants to be wrong // Central Idea: Shift from a pure focus on only reducing security vulnerabilities towards increasing...
Feb 25, 20238 min read
2,121 views
Data Security and Data Governance
Force 1: Information wants to be free // Central Idea: Shift from perimeter based surveillance and tactical blocking to data governance...
Feb 11, 20238 min read
1,962 views
The 6 Fundamental Forces of Information Security Risk
I first posted this as a Twitter thread in 2019. These forces still seem very much current - perhaps even more so. It is interesting to...
Jan 28, 20232 min read
4,690 views
Ceremonial Security and Cargo Cults
There is a lot of conventional security that is based on established ceremonies and an unquestioning faith that if we keep doing these...
Jan 14, 202312 min read
18,821 views
Simple Ways to Communicate Successes
It’s that time of year when you’ve inevitably written notes to your organization and leadership about all your team’s achievements over...
Dec 31, 20227 min read
5,617 views
The Uncanny Valley of Security - Updated
Since I first wrote this post 2 years ago I keep seeing it reinforced. The basic premise is that, sometimes, advanced levels of security...
Dec 3, 20228 min read
5,312 views
A New Way to Think : Review
I typically don’t do book reviews, but this book was impressive and it resonated with many information security and risk management...
Nov 19, 202213 min read
2,710 views
Grand Challenges or Grind Challenges
How much of your work that you would like to describe as a “grand” challenge is really more of a “grind”? As an industry we like to talk...
Oct 22, 202210 min read
1,925 views
Crucial Questions from Governments and Regulators
In this, fourth and final post in the series of Crucial Questions I’m going to focus on those from governments and regulators. This...
Sep 10, 202213 min read
1,847 views
Crucial Questions from CISOs and Security Teams
In this, third in a series of Crucial Questions posts I’m going to focus on the questions from CISOs and security teams. This builds on...
Aug 27, 202223 min read
6,679 views
Crucial Questions from CEOs and Boards
Over the past few years I have done a lot of speaking at conferences, events and small group settings for Board directors and corporate...
Jul 31, 202211 min read
6,185 views
3 Year Review
I’ve been doing this blog for around 3 years, largely succeeding in posting every 2 weeks. I have learnt a lot in this process and I...
Jul 16, 20223 min read
3,275 views
The Reporting Line of Security Teams / CISOs - Updated
This can be an emotive topic for many people. It is one, I’ve found, colored more by dogma than nuance (as it seems with many things...
Jul 2, 20225 min read
5,974 views
Are Security Analogies Counterproductive?
Do analogies actually help us or do they set back our ability to drive change? On the face of it they are a useful explanatory tool, as...
Jun 18, 20226 min read
2,339 views
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