cybersecurity – Page 25

04 September 201611 September 2016

Weekly Wrap 327: Spring is far more painful than planned

My week of Monday 29 August to Sunday 4 September 2016 was full of pain. I didn’t realise how seriously I’d been injured last weekend. Somehow, however, there’s plenty of things to report.

The injury I mentioned last week turned out to be a severe contusion — that’s bruising — of the ribs. It was just short of a fracture, but oddly enough the bruising is usually more painful, and that pain will be with me for several weeks. It’s strong painkillers, anti-inflammatories, and rest for me.

I strongly recommend never getting severe rib contusions.

All last week’s planned events were cancelled. It’s a good thing, therefore, that things emerged from the pipeline.

Articles

Four Corners points to critical gap in our cybersecurity, Crikey, 30 August 2016.
Why Dropbox’s data breach response is still wrong, ZDNet Australia, 31 August 2016.

Media Appearances

The highlight of my week was the start of series two of ABC TV’s award-winning drama series The Code, because I was the technology consultant for this series. That meant I was part of the scripting process, something I’ll write about another time. The six-part series is currently screening on ABC1 on Thursday nights at 2030, and is on ABC iView.
Also on Thursday, ZDNet posted two short videos in their Security TV series, The impending cybersecurity disaster of industrial control systems and The Internet of Insecure Things, and why we’re still in denial. They’re part of a feature on Cyberwar and the Future of Cybersecurity.

Podcasts

None, but next episode of The 9pm Edict podcast will be recorded and streamed live on Tuesday 6 September at 2100 AEST.

Corporate Largesse

None.

The Week Ahead

Monday is a relatively quiet day. I’m being interviewed about The Code at 1430, but apart from that it’s production planning and administrivia, I think.

On Tuesday, it’s an episode of The 9pm Edict podcast.

Past that, well, it depends on the pain levels and the mood. This much pain doesn’t exactly cheer one up. But I’d like to get down to Sydney for at least one day. Stay tuned.

Further Ahead

I’m going to the Palo Alto Networks Cyber Security Summit in Sydney on 22 September, the AISA National Conference in Sydney on 18-20 October, the Ruxcon Security Conference in Melbourne on 22-23 October, and an event in Melbourne I can’t tell you about yet on 17 November.

[Photo: Almond Blossom at Bunjaree Cottages, Day Four, one in a series of daily photos taken of an almond tree at Bunjaree Cottages near Wentworth Falls, 100km west of Sydney — although the images are of different parts of the tree. This one was taken on 2 September 2016.]

21 August 201624 August 2016

Weekly Wrap 325: Crossing a canal as winter ends

My week of Monday 15 to Sunday 21 August 2016 was an interesting one. While the severe back pain continued, it’s slowly declining, and so is the stress. We’ll see how that all turns out.

Anyway, on with the details…

Articles

Cyber Civil Corps proposed to protect Australia’s economy, ZDNet Australia, 17 August 2016.
My Health Record ‘dumb and useless’: Australian Privacy Foundation, ZDNet Australia, 19 August 2016.

Podcasts

None. I’m planning to produce the next episode of The 9pm Edict in the first week of September.

Media Appearances

On Wednesday I spoke about Facebook’s Project Aquila solar-powered internet drones and related matters on ABC Radio National Afternoon.

Corporate Largesse

On Wednesday I popped in to visit PR company Espresso Communications for a coffee. They paid.
On Thursday evening I went to Text100’s infamous Xmas in August event, where there was plenty of food and drink. SanDisk gave me a 16GB SanDisk Connect Wireless Stick and a 16GB SanDisk iXpand Flash Drive for iPhone and iPad. And goCatch gave us all a $20 voucher.

The Week Ahead

Yet another week in Sydney will make it 13 weeks in a row. I wonder when I should start considering Sydney as my home again? Sydney doesn’t feel like home again yet, but then nowhere does. That’s probably a topic for another time, however.

On Monday and Tuesday I’m covering the Gartner Security & Risk Management Summit in Sydney, an event that always seems to be good value for me. On Tuesday night I’m recording some more short videos about security for ZDNet.

The rest of the week is the usual jumble of geek project work, writing for ZDNet, and a few other things, which I’ll juggle as I go along.

On ~~Saturday~~ Sunday I’m bumping out of the Ashfield apartment, leaving a well-fed cat in my wake, and migrating up to Wentworth Falls in the Blue Mountains, where I’ll be for a few weeks. ~~Sunday is unplanned.~~

Further Ahead

I’m going to CLOUDSEC Australia 2016 in Sydney on 1 September, the Palo Alto Networks Cyber Security Summit in Sydney on 22 September, the AISA National Conference in Sydney on 18-20 October, and the Ruxcon Security Conference in Melbourne on 22-23 October.

Update 24 August: Edited to reflect changes to the weekend plans.

[Photo: Glebe Park Canal. Crossing the canal at the western side of Centennial Park, Glebe, in Sydney at the end of a late winter day, 17 August 2016.]

19 June 2016

Weekly Wrap 315: Mooning at the future, or something

My week Monday 6 to Sunday 12 June 2016 ended a week ago, for reasons that will become clear in the next Weekly Wrap.

Podcasts

“The 9pm Edict Public House Forum 3”, being The 9pm Edict episode 59, 8 June 2016. The podcast is also available on SoundCloud and Spreaker.

Articles

None. Stand by.

Media Appearances

On Monday, ZDNet posted the video Avoiding ransomware is not that hard, which is part of the series Security TV.
On Wednesday afternoon, I recorded a spot for ABC 720 Perth about hacking smart cars, which was broadcast on the digital channels on Saturday afternoon.
On Wednesday night, I spoke about hacking smart cars on ABC 774 Melbourne.
On Friday, ZDNet posted the second video in the Security TV series Which CMS should be used for your next website?

Corporate Largesse

None.

[Photo: Office with Moon, being the Moon as seen between office buildings in Haymarket, Sydney, on 8 June 2016.]

29 May 201629 May 2016

Weekly Wrap 313: Cybering on the Gold Coast, and a podcast

Most of my week Monday 23 to Sunday 29 May 2016 was spent on the Gold Coast, although it began in the Blue Mountains and ended in Sydney, all as planned.

Podcasts

“The 9pm Detachable Foreskin Monologue”, being The 9pm Edict episode 58, 23 May 2016. The podcast is also available on SoundCloud and Spreaker.

Articles

No stars for Internet of Things security, ZDNet Australia, 27 May 2016. This is the first article of several that will be based on material gathered at the AusCERT 2016 conference.

Media Appearances

On Thursday, I spoke about various AusCERT-related infosec topics on ABC Gold Coast.
I’ve only just discovered it, but on 16 May one of my photographs was used to illustrate a story at The Conversation, How ‘gamification’ can make transport systems and choices work better for us.

Corporate Largesse

My journey to the Gold Coast was covered by AusCERT, who provided return flights SYD-OOL; airport transfers; three nights accommodation at Marriott Surfers Paradise; and an ample sufficiency of food and drink. I didn’t gather much swag, just some essentials. Avecto: Wednesday morning Berocca. Palo Alto Networks: a copy of Cybersecurity for Dummies.

The Week Ahead

I should be in Sydney for the whole week. With no specific appointments at this stage, apart from a medical appointment on Wednesday, I’ll work through some writing for ZDNet, the several geek-for-hire projects, and the neverending tax bookkeeping.

That said, on one day I’ll need to collect my audio gear from Wentworth Falls. On another, I want to do an audio test at Hurstville, to see if it’ll be possible to live-stream the podcast recording session.

On Saturday afternoon, I’m recording The 9pm Edict Public House Forum 3 at the Hurstville Ritz Hotel. On Sunday morning, I’ll edit and post that podcast.

[Photo: Approaching the Gold Coast, photographed on 24 May 2016.]

28 May 2016

Talking AusCERT 2016 infosec on ABC Gold Coast

ERT 2016: part of the stage for AusCERT 2016

ABC logo As careful readers will know, I’ve spent most of the week on Australia’s Gold Coast at the AusCERT 2016 Conference. That piqued the interest of ABC Gold Coast.

On Thursday morning I recorded a chat about various security and cybercrime topics of interest, which was edited down to this 16-minute conversation.

The presenter is Nicole Dyer.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (9.0MB)

[Photo: Part of the stage for AusCERT 2016, photographed on 25 May 2016.]

08 May 201609 May 2016

Weekly Wrap 310: Repaired computer, repaired(-ish) human

Malcolm Turnbull announces the federal election My week of Monday 2 to Sunday 8 May 2016 was essentially a continuation of the previous week, although the illnesses both physical and digital have ended.

Well, the short-term medical conditions anyway. The long-term conditions are both being addressed more or less according to plan. Ish.

I’ll tell you about the key events another time, however. For now, just the essentials.

Podcasts

“The 9pm Victory over the Adult Hedgehog Onesie Bomber”, being The 9pm Edict episode 57, posted Monday night.

I’m quite pleased with this episode, and what little feedback I’ve had about the potential future of this podcast suggests that this magazine format is the way to go — although the Public House Forum episodes also seem popular.

Meanwhile…

Jobs and growth, jobs and growth, jobs and growth. Australia’s federal election has finally been confirmed for Saturday 2 July. We have an eight-week campaign, which means there should be at least two episodes of the Edict.

The mediascape will be filled with the usual commentary and mainstream punditry based on each day’s action. So for my own efforts, in podcasts or elsewhere, I intend to slow down and get outside that bubble.

What will this mean in practice? I don’t know yet. Watch this space.

Articles

Watch out for the cyber charlatans, Australia, ZDNet Australia, 4 May 2016.

Media Appearances

Mark Newton decided to preserve my rant about Senator James Paterson from Thursday night. I was angry that he’d asked a question in Senate Estimates about the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) spending $50,000 on a custom typeface, the answer to which he could have found by reading any news story on the topic. I’ll have more to say about that another time.
On Sunday, I was quoted in an article, My innovation is bigger than your innovation, by Ken Wolff at The Political Sword. It’s an interesting read, in which I play a tiny, tiny part.

Corporate Largesse

None.

The Week Ahead

I’ll be based at Wentworth Falls for most of the week, I believe, and it begins with a day off on Monday.

Remarkably, the rest of the week has no fixed appointments, but I’ve got plenty to do. There’s the usual writing for ZDNet and perhaps Crikey, the geek-for-hire work, and the neverending work to bring my tax affairs up to date. I’ll also have to lock in my podcast and election campaign plans. But I’ll be able to work on these things in the most comfortable order. This pleases me.

The weekend is similarly unplanned. Joy.

Further Ahead

On 24-27 May, I’m covering the AusCERT Cyber Security Conference on the Gold Coast. Apart from my usual conference coverage, once more I’ll be on the panel for the event’s closing Speed Debate.

[Photo: Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull announces the federal election on 8 May 2016. Screenshot from ABC News24.]