My week of Monday 3 to Sunday 9 August 2020 was podcast-heavy. I produced one of my own, and appeared on three others. I also went down the rabbit-hole of Australia’s new but somewhat disappointing Cyber Security Strategy.
Continue reading “Weekly Wrap 532: Many cyber, much podcast, and some proper winter weather”Weekly Wrap 474: Cold War, warm winter, and pubs
The week of Monday 24 to Sunday 30 June 2019 ended the financial year. I took the opportunity to have a proper weekend off. I was also moderately productive.
Continue reading “Weekly Wrap 474: Cold War, warm winter, and pubs”Weekly Wrap 430: Winter illnesses, but interesting words
What an “interesting” fortnight. I was ill for most of Monday 13 to Sunday 26 August 2018, though some articles did emerge before the lurgi struck. At least I had an excuse for taking the week off to watch the downfall of prime minister Malcolm Turnbull.
Articles
- How brand new science will manage the fourth industrial revolution, ZDNet Australia, 13 August 2018. Some fascinating stuff on the work of Distinguished Professor Genevieve Bell.
- Flaws in ACT election systems could reveal voters’ votes, ZDNet Australia, 13 August 2018.
- No backdoors for Australian encryption, just a riddling of ratholes, ZDNet Australia, 14 August 2018. This column was translated for ZDNet France as Chiffrement : pas de backdoor, mais des égratignures tout de même.
- Cyber defence goes missing in Australian Cabinet reshuffle, ZDNet Australia, 26 August 2018.
Media Appearances
- I was cited in a journal article, Virtual Neighbors: Russia and the EU in Cyberspace by André Barrinha in Insight Turkey. The article cited was my Blaming Russia for NotPetya was coordinated diplomatic action of 12 April.
Podcasts, Media Appearances, Corporate Largesse
None, but I will finally have the next podcast done in the next ten days. Promise.
The Week Ahead
The first half of the week will be spent in Sydney. Monday is about writing, with one or possibly even two columns emerging for ZDNet. On Tuesday I’m covering CLOUDSEC Australia 2018. And on Wednesday I’ve got a mix of writing and meetings.
Thursday is a take-it-easy day. Friday should be about writing again, though I want to spend a day in Cronulla for podcast-related reasons.
Further Ahead
I’ve pencilled in:
- D61+ LIVE, Brisbane, 18–19 September. (TBC, but looking unlikely at this stage)
- Australian Cyber Conference, formerly the Australian Information Security Association (AISA) National Conference, Melbourne, 9–11 October.
- International Association of Privacy Professionals ANZ (iappANZ) Annual Summit, Privacy: Handling the Seismic Shift, Melbourne, 1 November. (TBC)
Update 2120 AEST: Edited to add tonight’s article on Australia’s cabinet reshuffle.
[Photo: Sydney Central station, as seen from the Veriu Sydney Central Hotel on 6 August 2018.]
Weekly Wrap 422: Struggling through a winter week
My week of Monday 25 June to Sunday 1 July 2018 was less productive than hoped, thanks to being a computer down. It looks even less productive than it actually was, because the main work products haven’t been published yet.
Winter has finally arrived in the Blue Mountains too, so the colder weather has reduced my productivity. Yes, I am whinging and having a big sook. But on with the show…
Articles
I wrote three more stories for the Crikey project. The total is now four, and the first is scheduled to appear on Monday, as I understand it. Watch my Twitter stream for the details.
Podcasts
None, but there will definitely be at least one episode of The 9pm Edict in the coming week. Whether it’s the interview I recorded recently with John Birmingham, or a magazine-style series of rants, remains to be seen.
Media Appearances
- On Monday, I spoke about Facebook’s new Subscription Groups on ABC Darwin. As you may have surmised by now, I’ve pretty much given up posting the audio here.
Corporate Largesse
None.
The Week Ahead
Monday and Tuesday are writing days, primarily, producing a fifth story for the Crikey series.
Wednesday is full of travelling. I’ll take the train down to Sydney to return a loaner computer and deal with a couple of medical appointments, a bus to Castle Hill to collect my repaired computer, a bus to Parramatta for an early dinner, probably, and a train back to Wentworth Falls.
There’s no clear plans yet for Thursday onwards, but it’s likely to include an afternoon off in Katoomba, and some preparation for the weeks ahead. I’ll also knock off some podcast editing.
Further Ahead
For a few weeks in July and August, I’ll be writing more than usual for ZDNet, covering for staff who will be taking leave. That’ll keep me busy.
Things I’ve pencilled in, none of which have been confirmed yet:
- SINET 61, Melbourne, 31 July – 1 August. (TBC)
- D61+ LIVE, Brisbane, 18–19 September. (TBC)
- Australian Cyber Conference, formerly the Australian Information Security Association (AISA) National Conference, Melbourne, 9–11 October.
- International Association of Privacy Professionals ANZ (iappANZ) Annual Summit, Privacy: Handling the Seismic Shift, Melbourne, 1 November. (TBC)
Update 2 July 2018: Edited to reflect schedule changes.
[Photo: A NSW TrainLink V-Set train at Sydney Central station, photographed on 27 June 2018.]
Weekly Wrap 379: Six weeks at winter’s end
This Weekly Wrap covers six weeks, Monday 24 July to Sunday 3 September 2017, because it was a Bad Time. Quite a bad time, clearly. But let’s focus on the good bits.
Articles
- Australia’s inside-out digital health strategy, ZDNet Australia, 7 August 2017.
- Cybercrime in China is the same, but different, ZDNet Australia, 10 August 2017.
- Australia to try taming unruly cyber words, ZDNet Australia, 14 August 2017.
- Australian businesses targeted in Cisco switch and router attacks: ACSC, ZDNet Australia, 17 August 2017.
- Gartner sets fire to all the cyber things, ZDNet Australia, 21 August 2017.
- The IoT-based threat of Cyber Chocolatocalypse, and worse, ZDNet Australia, 22 August 2017.
Podcasts
None, but I’ll announce my latest alleged plans in the next few days. Heh. Yeah, right.
Media Appearances
- On Monday 24 July, I spoke about exploding batteries on ABC Melbourne.
- On Wednesday 16 August, I speculated about Australia’s new cyberwar unit on ABC Adelaide.
- On Tuesday 22 August, I spoke about a bunch of things on ABC Melbourne.
I probably won’t get around to posting the audio from these, but we’ll see.
Corporate Largesse
- My flights from Sydney to Canberra and return on 11–12 August were provided by Australian consulting firm IBRS.
- There was plenty of free food and drink at the Gartner Security & Risk Management Summit on 21–22 August, as well as vendor swag. Crowdstrike: Branded webcam privacy covers. Cylance: Branded USB-to-various recharge cable. Thales: A branded lens kit for mobile devices, with macro and fisheye lenses; another of the excellent Thales pens. Trustwave: One of those credit card sized multi-purpose tools.
The Week Ahead
All I’ll say for now is that I’ll definitely be down in Sydney on Thursday for a couple of medical things. The rest I’ll make up as I go along. As always, watch for the details on Twitter.
Further Ahead
Events I’m covering or speaking at include:
- SINET61 on 26 to 27 September.
- I’m speaking at Digital Manipulation of Democracy, part of the Victorian Fabians’ Spring Series of events on “Digitisation and Democracy”, on 27 September in Melbourne.
- The iappANZ Summit 2017 on 3 October.
- The Australian Information Security Association (AISA) in Sydney from 10 to 12 October.
- Ruxcon in Melbourne on 21 to 22 October.
If there’s anything I should add in there, please let me know.
[Photo: Dawn at Wentworth Falls, looking east from Wentworth Falls railway station on the chilly morning of 21 August 2017.]
Weekly Wrap 369: Corrosion and corruption and things
My week of Monday 19 to Sunday 25 June 2017 was delightfully unproductive, for various reasons that I won’t go into today. I can see again, however.
Articles, Podcasts, Media Appearances, Corporate Largesse
None of these things happened.
The Week Ahead
I’ll be working on the SEKRIT editorial project, and completing it. Stay tuned. I also hope to write something for ZDNet. It’s also the last week of the financial year, however, so certain administrivia needs to be done. We’ll see.
Further Ahead
On Wednesday 5 July, I’m presenting to the journalism students at Macleay College in Sydney. I’m not sure whether you’ll be able to hear any more about that.
The next episode of The 9pm Edict podcast will be recorded and streamed live on Thursday 6 July from stilgherrian.com/edict/live/, starting at 2100 AEST. You still have time to support this podcast with a one-off contribution.
On Tuesday 11 July, I’m recording the pilot episode of a new podcast idea. More about that very soon.
On Wednesday 12 July, I’m covering the Data + Privacy Asia Pacific conference in Sydney.
I then hope to cover the 5th International Conference on Cybercrime and Computer Forensics (ICCCF) on the Gold Coast from 16 to 18 July, but I still have to organise the funding.
I’m then covering the national conference of the Australian Information Security Association (AISA) in Sydney from 10 to 12 October; and Ruxcon in Melbourne on 21 to 22 October.
If there’s anything I should add in there, please let me know.
[Photo: Retired Terminals. The corroded terminals on some of the 15-year-old lead-acid batteries retired from use at Bunjaree Cottages, photographed on 25 June 2017.]