Category: linkedin

Required Maintenance

Posted on by Peter Hesse

What is the misunderstood, unloved, and overly complicated security technology that underpins most modern digital solutions? #PKI. Public Key Infrastructure. It’s where my career in security began. Digital #certificates protect so many things we use. From this website you’re visiting (check the 🔒 icon on your address bar to be sure), to your ability to use your LinkedIn login to federate to other sites, to the authenticity of the patch just applied to update your browser… And it’s just scratching the surface. PKI has gone from #security technology to #infrastructure. And if you are a user of Microsoft Teams, today you may have seen a failure of that infrastructure. Microsoft Teams, like many modern solutions, has a separate front-end and back-end, connected through an #API. And[…]

Karachi

Posted on by Peter Hesse

Today, at a 10Pearls company event, I was asked a question: “What has been your biggest failure or mistake, and what did you learn from it?” Both Ghazanfar Ghori and I agreed that failure represents permanence. Anything that seemed like a failure at the time becomes a learning opportunity and a chance to do better next time. So instead, I shared a mistake. And my mistake was not coming to visit Karachi sooner! It has been an absolute pleasure getting to learn more about our team and the culture here. You can see my smile in this picture, as I’m hanging on to the front of a rickshaw as we traveled the city! #pakistan#tech

Faulty Perception

Posted on by Peter Hesse

Recently I read something that altered my #perception of time and age – appropriate to share today, the observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. day. What do Anne Frank, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Barbara Walters have in common? They were all born in the same year – 1929. We perceive Anne Frank as always being the child that kept the diary and was sent to the concentration camp. MLK will always be the 39 year old minister and activist who was assassinated in Memphis. And Barbara Walters, gracefully turning 90 this year while still making appearances in the public eye. This is just one example about how our perception of time is often faulty. This same weakness can lead to #security blindspots as[…]

Security Startups

Posted on by Peter Hesse

Cyber security is a hot area for #startups. Just in the greater DC metro, there are 3 incubators that focus on cyber security, many startups, and many more in the orbit – from funds to investors to advisors. A walk around the RSA or Black Hat expo floors will show you a lot of money is being spent to create some of the next big things. Some are new takes on existing products. Many are hyper-specialized solutions trying to fill a need that only exists for a few with *very* deep pockets. Very few are truly #innovative. As is typical with startups, #cybersecurity have a low success rate. This weekend Synopsys acquired Tinfoil Security. The dollar value was so low that Synopsys stated the[…]

Welcome Back

Posted on by Peter Hesse

In some ways, today feels like the first day of #spring. My inbox is filling with messages of Happy New Year, and my phone is ringing with its usual blend of solicitor calls and potential clients. Many are just getting up to speed after some time off spent with friends and family. With the re-connection comes a realization. What happened when you took your eye off the ball? Were you subject to a #phishingattack or #ransomware? What is the state of your #securityoperations? Many probably took the ostrich approach and buried their head in the sand. For those that didn’t, what enables you to truly #relax and enjoy your time?

Seeing 2020

Posted on by Peter Hesse

Tomorrow is the first day of 2020. Not just a new year, but a phrase we use to describe perfect vision. What are you going to do in #2020 so that when you look back on it, it will be as if you had 20/20 vision? My recommendation is to work toward being more #proactive. The best approach to health is to see your doctor regularly, get annual physicals, and have open and regular communication. Follow their advice to eat healthy and exercise more. You don’t want to end up in the emergency room with a serious illness or injury. The same is true for your #digital health. Consult your #security professional, have open and regular communication. Take the steps they recommend to make positive[…]