ruxcon – Stilgherrian

18 December 201619 December 2016

Weekly Wrap 342: The rush to the end of 2016 begins

My week of Monday 12 to Sunday 18 December 2016 was a funny beast. It started slow, but ended productively.

Podcasts

The new Corrupted Nerds podcast, Conversations 17: The Ruxcon 2016 Panel, was posted on Sunday. It’s also available on SoundCloud and Spreaker.Â The panel was Barry Anderson, a security solutions architect for Cisco Security Solutions, Asia Pacific; Prof Jill Slay, director of the Australian Centre for Cyber Security (ACCS) at the Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA); Meths Ferrer, a malware engineer at the Microsoft Malware Protection Center (MMPC); Richard Johnson, Manager of Vulnerability Development for Cisco Talos; and myself. Our moderator was Dr Suelette Dreyfus, journalist and research fellow at the University Of Melbourne.

Articles

Turnbull’s agile struggle is all glitz and no grunt, ZDNet Australia, 16 December 2016.

Media Appearances

On Thursday I spoke about the latest Yahoo data breach on ABC Radio’s The World Today.

Corporate Largesse

None.

The Week Ahead

On Monday morning I’m flying to Adelaide for a family funeral on Tuesday. On Monday evening I’ll be at the Exeter Hotel on Rundle Street from 1730 ACDT, and you’re welcome to join me. I return to Sydney on Wednesday evening, when I’ll migrate to Ashfield for a couple weeks of cat-sitting over the holiday season.

On Thursday and Friday I’ll be finishing some geekwork and writing, before Christmas Eve and Christmas Day on Saturday and Sunday.

Further Ahead

I plan to stream an episode of The 9pm Edict on the evening of Wednesday 28 December, but watch out for the formal announcement.

Next year’s calendar is staring to fill already. It seems I’ll be covering the APRICOT 2017 / APNIC43 conference in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, at the end of February. Stay tuned.

[Photo: Rain approaches Sydney. An aircraft on approach to Sydney Airport runway 16R on a gloomy afternoon just before the rain begins on 14 December 2016.]

04 December 2016

Weekly Wrap 340: Summer begins, and everyone’s cookin’

My week of Monday 28 November to Sunday 4 December 2016 started off being as unproductive as the previous week, but it became solidly productive at the end.

I won’t go into the details, because as you’ll see below there’s a lot happening.

Podcasts

The new Corrupted Nerds podcast, Conversations 16: Reflections on Ruxcon 2016, was posted on Sunday. It’s also available on SoundCloud and Spreaker.Â Just like theÂ look at Ruxcon 2015, I’m joined byÂ Michael McKinnon, now director of commercial services atÂ Sense of Security; andÂ Darren Pauli, security reporter forÂ The Register.

Articles

None published, but I’ve written something for ZDNet that’ll be posted on Monday.

Media Appearances, Corporate Largesse

None.

The Week Ahead

Oh boy is this going to be a busy one!

On Monday and Tuesday I have to do a ton of work on one of my geek-for-hire projects, as well as a SEKRIT editorial project I’ll be telling you about soon.

On Wednesday morning I’m taking the four-hour train journey to Canberra, doing some unknown work along the way and when I get there.

All of Thursday will be spent participating in the “360Â° Cyber Security Game” being convened by RAND Corporation and the National Security College (NSC) at The Australian National University (ANU). It’s an “analytic desktop exercise” that’ll run through two scenarios. The participants, from a range of backgrounds, will be divided into teams to consider one aspect or each scenario.

RAND has run a few of these before, and a write-up of the first event last year explains the concept.

I’ll be reporting on the event for ZDNet on Friday before catching the train back to Sydney on Friday evening, but as it’s being run under the Chatham House Rule, I won’t be able to reveal the identity nor the affiliation of the speakers, nor that of any other participant.

The second Ruxcon-related episode of Corrupted Nerds might be produced on the weekend, but it’ll probably slide into the following week.

[Photo: Backpackers on Campbell Street, photographed on 1 December 2016. At least I assume they’re backpackers, caught in the late afternoon sunlight on the official first day of summer.]

05 November 2016

Weekly Wrap 335: Being a busy media whore in Melbourne

My week of Monday 24 to Sunday 30 October 2016 was spent in Melbourne, being busy, and being a bit of a media whore.

Since this Weekly Wrap is late, just like last week’s, I’ll get straight into it.

Articles

International mobile data networks still a serious security problem, ZDNet Australia, 24 October 2016.
Censusfail: An omnishambles of fabulous proportions, ZDNet Australia, 26 October 2016.

Podcasts

None, but I recorded material for another Ruxcon-related episode of Corrupted Nerds, and The 9pm Edict Public House Forum 4. Both will appear during the week of 7 November.

Media Appearances

On Monday, some of my comments about the late Leslie Nassar were included in the Crikey obit, Razer: vale Leslie Nassar, engineering genius and champion shit-stirrer.
Also on Monday, one of my silly tweets was included in a Junkee story, People Are Roasting George Brandis Over His Incredibly Weird Signature.
On Tuesday, my comments on medical technology hacks were feature on ABC Radio’s The World Today. The ABC also ran a news item, Cyber security experts claim St Jude cardiac implants vulnerable to life-threatening hacks.
On Tuesday night, I spoke about various technology matters in ABC 774 Melbourne. I hope to have a recording available by 10 November.
The Register ran an item on my tweeted observation, Aussie trams equivalent to 30 skateboarding rhinos.
On Wednesday, I was MC for the La Trobe University event, “Big Data and Cybersecurity: Are We Ready?”. I’m told that a recording will become available eventually.
On Friday, my comments on Twitter closing Vine were featured on ABC Radio’s AM. The ABC also ran a news story, Vine video sharing app killed off in latest sign of troubled times for Twitter.

Corporate Largesse

None.

[Photo: Melbourne is doomed, photographed on 30 October 2016. A cold front was approaching Melbourne, accompanied by a severe weather warning about strong winds. This is what it looked like from St Kilda Beach.]

05 November 2016

Weekly Wrap 334: Cybers in both Sydney and Melbourne

My week of Monday 17 to Sunday 23 October 2016 was both busy and productive. But this Weekly Wrap is rather late.

I’ll just get on with the facts.

Articles

Who’s afraid of WhatsApp?, ZDNet Australia, 18 October 2016.
There isn’t a cybersecurity skills gap: Rik Ferguson, ZDNet Australia, 20 October 2016.
GCHQ tech leader’s plan to secure an entire country, ZDNet Australia, 21 October 2016.

Podcasts

None, but see the next item.

Media Appearances

On Sunday, I was part of the panel discussion that closed the Ruxcon information security conference. I recorded it, and it will soon appear as a Corrupted Nerds podcast.

Corporate Largesse

Tuesday through Thursday I was covering the Australian Information Security Association (AISA) national conference. There was food and drink.

[Photo: Bus Stop Skink, photographed at a bus stop in Lilyfield in Sydney’s inner west on 19 October 2016.]

17 October 2016

Weekly Wrap 333: The sniffly calm before the cyber storm

My week of Monday 10 to Sunday 16 October 2016 was another one full of snuffles, but that’s not all. I’m not telling you the rest, though.

Articles

ACSC Threat Report: The real messages, ZDNet Australia, 13 October 2016.

Media Appearances

My pathetic joke tweet about Samsung was included in a News Corporation story that they used globally, including in The Sun.

Podcasts, Corporate Largesse

None. But in the coming week…

The Week Ahead

Monday and Tuesday are about planning, research, and errands. Monday’s errand is to Parramatta, Tuesday’s to Hornsby. There’s a slight chance I’ll get that episode of The 9pm Edict podcast recorded, but don’t hold your breath.

And then it’s all the cybers…

On Wednesday and Thursday I’m covering the AISA National Conference in Sydney. On Friday it’s a medical appointment before flying to Melbourne. Then on Saturday and Sunday I’m covering the Ruxcon Security Conference, where I’m also on the closing panel.

Further Ahead

I’ll be in Melbourne through to 30 October. One important event is on the evening of Wednesday 29 October, when I’m MCing a panel for La Trobe University, Big Data and Cybersecurity: Are We Ready?.

And the rest? I’ve created a new calendar page, Stilgherrian in Public, updated automatically from the calendar on my laptop.

[Photo: Sydney Harbour Bridge and its southern approaches , photographed on 30 October 2012.]

27 September 201608 October 2016

Launching “Stilgherrian > Melbourne 2016”

I need your help so I can Go To Melbourne To Make Things. Yes, Melbourne. In October.

I’ve just launched my fifth Pozible crowdfunding campaign to fund a trip with two purposes.

Cover Ruxcon 2016, one of Australia’s key information security conferences, on 22-23 October. I’ll make a Corrupted Nerds podcast like last time, and write stuff for ZDNet and maybe others.
Record an episode of The 9pm Edict Public House Forum, but in Melbourne.

The info is on the Pozible campaign page.

If there’s something you think should be explained better, if there’s Reward you’d like to see added, or if you have a suggestion, let me know.