cso online – Page 2 – Stilgherrian

01 September 201301 September 2013

Weekly Wrap 169: Explaining all the things, in various ways

My week Monday 26 August to Sunday 1 September 2013 was a full one, and I survived.

Part of me wants to write more than that, particularly after last week’s false start, the thoughts generated by my university lectures on Monday, and the idiocy of being banned by Microsoft — and in that account I really should have emphasised more the defamatory nature of that action.

But it’s already well into Sunday evening, I’ve already written my counterpoint to gripes about the Sunday Telegraph, and it’s a busy week ahead (see below). So on with the facts.

Articles

Gartner’s vision of infosec 2019: four scenarios, all bad, CSO Online, 28 August 2013.
Look, we told you about these droids, ZDNet Australia, 29 August 2013.
Assad’s army: the future of hacking is here, with a new target, Crikey, 30 August 2013.
Melbourne IT breach highlights need for security culture, ZDNet Australia, 30 August 2013.

Podcasts

None, though I did more background work on Corrupted Nerds, and things will appear in the coming few days.

Media Appearances

On Monday, I gave my guest lecture at the University of Sydney, Algorithms and the Filter Bubble, Take 2A in the morning, and Take 2B in the afternoon. They’re slightly different.

Corporate Largesse

Also on Monday, I met up with Kim Carter, the PR Manager of the Australian Direct Marketing Association. Oddly enough, they know all about data mining. She paid for the coffee.
Also on Monday, I went to the program launch for the Sydney Opera House’s Festival of Dangerous Ideas, which is on 2 to 4 November. There was food and drink.
On Thursday night, I went to Text100’s (in)famous Christmas in August event, where they previewed their clients’ goodies for the holiday buying season. There was food and much, much drink.

The Week Ahead

It’ll be another busy one. Monday is dedicated to a spring clean of various projects, something I’m looking forward to.

Tuesday is a trip to Sydney for a 1000 interview recording in the CBD, and to cover a lunch event by the Trans-Tasman Business Circle featuring Westpac’s chief information officer Clive Whincup. I’m reporting on the latter for Technology Spectator.

Wednesday is a day of interview recordings, research and writing back up in the Blue Mountains.

On Thursday it’s back to Sydney for more interview recordings and a lunch briefing by AVG Technologies, and I’ll probably stay in Sydney over night because on Friday I have an 0800 interview recording in the CBD — after which it’s all a bit unplanned.

[Photo: Sydney Harbour from Potts Point, taken from a room at the DeVere Hotel on Friday 30 August 2013.]

11 July 2013

Weekly Wrap 161: The black dog and the prodigal umbrella

My week Monday 1 to Sunday 7 July 2013 was another complicated one, as already explained. That’s why this post is very late, of course.

Once I’d gotten the bigger chunks of work out of the way, I pulled the pace back a bit — which I think you’ll agree was sensible.

I was also pleased to see the return of the prodigal umbrella. The excellent umbrella I was given by Verizon Business in Singapore had been left at a noodle bar months ago — but the owners remembered it and me. We were reunited last Wednesday. Also, pho was served.

Podcasts

None.

Articles

UNSW helps close cloud computing’s can of (legal) worms, CSO Online, 3 July 2013.
The 10 Commandments of Data Sovereignty, CSO Online, 3 July 2013.
ATO’s clunky E-tax for Mac highlights cultural problems, ZDNet Australia, 5 July 2013.

Media Appearances

On Friday, I was interviewed for a segment on Channel TEN’s The Project. However it didn’t air until Monday 8 July, so it’ll get its own blog post shortly, and be included in next week’s wrap.
On Sunday I was a guest on Reckoner episode three, as already explained.

Corporate Largesse

On Tuesday I attended the launch of the University of New South Wales’ report Data Sovereignty and the Cloud — A Board and Executive Officers’ Guide at the Sydney offices of law firm Baker & McKenzie. Refreshments were served.

The Week Ahead

It’s almost over, so I’ll just mention that I’ll be writing for ZDNet Australia tomorrow, Friday, and I’ll be returning to the Blue Mountains on Sunday, probably.

[Photo: Sydney Harbour, viewed through a dirty window in the AMP Tower, photographed on 2 July 2013.]

30 June 201311 July 2013

Weekly Wrap 160: Black dog, black sky and more NSA

My week Monday 24 to Sunday 30 June 2013 was rather complicated, at least emotionally.

As will be explained ~~tomorrow~~ on ~~Tuesday~~ Thursday.

Nevertheless, I managed to create some media objects along the way. And here they are.

Podcasts

I’m very pleased to have launched my new podcast and website, Corrupted Nerds.

Corrupted Nerds: Conversations 1, a conversation with Eugene Kaspersky, founder and CEO of Kaspersky Lab. If we’re going to be accurate, then this was really published in the previous week. But I forgot. So sue me.
Corrupted Nerds: Extra 1, being Senator Brett Mason’s “corrupted nerds” speech in the Australian Senate from 21 August 2012, which inspired the title. This was published last week too.
Corrupted Nerds: Conversations 2, a chat with Sean Richmond, senior technology consultant from Sophos Australia and New Zealand, about personalised malware, defense in depth, and why advanced persistent threats (APTs) and cyberwar are over-hyped.

I have yet to arrange any funding for this podcast, so I’ll be seeking that soon — and I’d be more than happy to hear your suggestions.

Articles

Remember the NSA? Snooping is the real story, Crikey, 25 June 2013, in which I point out that the global hunt for Edward Snowden is in fact a distracting narrative.
Beyond Conroy: Australia’s future internet politics, ZDNet Australia, 28 June 2013, in which I look at the issues that will need to be tackled by any future Australian communications minister.
Schneier joins EFF board in wake of NSA scandal, CSO Online, 28 June 2013. Bruce Schneier’s EFF move sends a powerful message.

Media Appearances

None.

Corporate Largesse

Since Saturday 8 June I’ve been using Vodafone’s new 4G network while in Sydney, and their existing 3G network while in the Blue Mountains, with a Samsung Galaxy S4 handset that they’ve loaned me. ~~I’ll be writing about my experiences on Monday.~~ [Update 2 July 2013: I’ve just posted my write-up of my experiences. Yeah, it’s Tuesday.

The Week Ahead

The new financial year starts on Monday, so I daresay the morning will be full of administrivia. I’ll then be heading down to Sydney, because…

On Tuesday morning I’m attending a discussion on data sovereignty and the cloud, hosted by data centre firm NEXTDC, along with financial services company Aon and law firm Baker & McKenzie. That will be followed at the same event by the launch of the University of New South Wales’ report Data Sovereignty and the Cloud — A Board and Executive Officers’ Guide. I’ll be reporting this for someone, but as yet I don’t know who that will be.

I’ll be in Sydney again later in the week, probably Thursday, for a medical appointment, but that’s not confirmed yet. When it is, I’ll arrange my writing and media production schedule around that. There’s definitely stories to write for ZDNet Australia and CSO Online, plus an episode of Corrupted Nerds, and there’ll certainly be things that pop up along the way.

And then the weekend is unplanned.

[Photo: Sydney under the clouds, photographed from the Rydges Camperdown hotel in Sydney on 25 June 2013.]

05 May 201305 May 2013

Choosing my next media directions: you’re doing it, OK?

Look, I’ve been thinking about this stuff all week and I can’t decide. So over to you. Scroll down for a Proper Scientific Poll on the Internet! What media stuff would you like me to do?

I last wrote about this in January, in Five questions and no answers about my media work. Read that before proceeding if you like, but it’s not absolutely necessary.

My regular media commitments currently stand at: a weekly column for ZDNet; a twice-a-month column for CSO Online; around one column a month for Technology Spectator; and a variable number for Crikey. Add in the occasional piece elsewhere, and it looks a little like this.

The main problem is that the base level of material isn’t high enough, and in recent months it’s started getting a little wobbly. So, how can I build on what I’ve got? And how can I have a bit more fun?

Continue reading “Choosing my next media directions: you’re doing it, OK?”

05 May 201307 February 2024

Weekly Wrap 152: LulzSec, Optus, radio and thinking stuff

My week Monday 29 April to Sunday 5 May 2013 began gently, with planning and washing and other chores, and just two articles to write. But by Wednesday night I’d also done four radio spots, washed an infinite number of towels, and eaten most of a sheep.

Or so it felt.

Then Thursday was full of the Optus Vision 2013 conference, followed by a late train journey back to the Blue Mountains. It was tough to get into work mode on Friday, but I did, and wrote my second article. And washed more towels. And then on Saturday I did the full sloth.

But the most important part of the week, at least in the long term, was all the time I spent from Friday onwards thinking about the unexpected good news I mentioned last week. It means that I’ll soon be able to work on some projects that have been sitting on the back burner, and you’ll start to see them emerging over the next few weeks.

Articles

Both of these articles resulted from this week’s Privacy Awareness Week activities.

Australia’s Privacy Commissioner gets serious about infosec, CSO Online, 30 April 2013.
The fuzzy logic of Australia’s data breach draft, ZDNet Australia, 3 May 2013.

Media Appearances

On Monday I spoke about Facebook’s possible decline, maybe, on ABC 774 Melbourne.
On Tuesday I spoke about LulzSec and hacktivism generally in an interview for Triple J’s Hack, and I was frustrated by the result.
On Wednesday morning I spoke about the dark web (ugh!) and the attacks on Silk Road on ABC Gold Coast.
On Wednesday I spoke about LulzSec and more on ABC Radio National’s Download This Show.

Corporate Largesse

On Thursday I attended Optus Vision 2013, which meant I was fed food and drink through the day at their expense.

The Week Ahead

I plan to write a story each for Technology Spectator, CSO Online and ZDNet, at the very least, as well as kick off one or more of these new projects. Stay tuned.

It’s my birthday on Thursday, but I’ll just have a quiet drink that night. I’ll head to Sydney on Friday instead and have a proper birthday dinner then, thanks to the Snarky Platypus. I’ll then stay overnight before catching United Airlines flight UA870 to San Francisco on Saturday afternoon, arriving there on Saturday morning.

Saturday night and Sunday day should be free time in San Francisco before, I’m guessing, a social function on Sunday evening serves as prelude to NetSuite’s SuiteWorld. The event proper starts on Monday in San Jose.

[Photo: Changing alphabets, a photograph taken at Optus Vision 2013 once the staffing level of the registration desk had been reduced during the afternoon, and then the desks themselves removed.]

30 April 2013

Weekly Wrap 151: Anzac, alcohol and little yellow birds

My week Monday 22 to Sunday 28 April 2013 was interesting, to say the least. And psychologically exhausting.

That’s part of the reason I’m only getting around to posting this today. Another part is that I simply couldn’t be arsed. But here it is.

I didn’t write anything about Anzac Day, because I’ve written it all before in Anzac Day Rememberings and Anzac Day 2009: Sacrifice. Instead, I had a relaxing holiday — that turned out to be a tad too indulgent, but then I do have a working liver. For now.

The next day, Friday, I received some unexpected good news that has the potential to Change Everything. Well, maybe not everything, but it certainly changes one of the fundamental assumptions that had framed my thinking about my life for the next year. All the thoughts this stirred caused the psychological exhaustion — and there’s still plenty more to think through. No, I can’t tell you what it is.

Articles

Verizon DBIR confirms we’re rubbish, so let’s do something about it, CSO Online, 23 April 2013.
LulzSec? Bah, cybercrime ain’t no joke, ZDNet Australia, 26 April 2013.

Media Appearances

On Tuesday I spoke about YouTube’s eighth birthday on ABC Radio 105.7 Darwin.
On Wednesday afternoon I spoke about the allegedly-LulzSec arrest on ABC TV News24, but I don’t have a recording.
On Wednesday night I spoke about that arrest and Twitter’s new advertising deal on ABC Local Radio in NSW.

Corporate Largesse

None.

The Week Ahead

Well, Monday and Tuesday have already happened. Ho hum. Tomorrow, Wednesday, I’m taking an early train to Sydney to record Marc Fennell’s Download This Show at 1000, and then there’s a lunchtime briefing. On Thursday there’s the Optus Vision 2013 event. Whether I stay in Sydney overnight between the two remains to be seen. Friday onwards is unplanned.

[Photo: Eastern Yellow Robin, again, one of the fast-moving Eopsaltria australis photographed at Bunjaree Cottages near Wentworth Falls, 100km west of Sydney.]