(Don’t mix this up) I’ve learned something about myself over the years. When I use my brain to think and my heart to feel, I tend to solve problems. When I mix those two up—or let one completely overpower the other—I create chaos. This isn’t a theory. It’s lived experience. I’ve seen it show up in arguments with my wife. I’ve felt it behind the…
I’ve spent more than 30 years in information security, and here’s a truth that still makes people uncomfortable: Information security isn’t really about information or security. It’s about people. But not just one kind of people. Every security incident—every breach, outage, or “technical failure”—involves three distinct groups of people, whether we acknowledge it or not: The people who make decisions — those who design systems,…
I was recently watching a video on Facebook about the history of the Panama Canal. On the surface, it looked legit. Professional narration. Historic photos. Confident tone. Lots of “facts.” But a couple of things didn’t sit right. Some of the conclusions being drawn didn’t line up with what I thought I knew. So I did what I believe any reasonable, responsible person should do:…
Here’s How I’m Actually Doing It. A few days ago, I wrote a post called Make 2026 Your B*tch. It wasn’t subtle. It wasn’t gentle. And it definitely wasn’t for everyone. That post was about deciding—deciding that this year wouldn’t just happen to you. That you wouldn’t drift, doomscroll, overcommit, or wake up in December wondering where the hell the year went. A bunch of…
We should always strive for unity, but not conformity. That line’s been bouncing around in my head lately. Maybe it’s age. Maybe it’s experience. Maybe it’s watching the world tear itself apart over every tiny disagreement while pretending it’s “progress.” Whatever it is, I’ve learned this: Unity makes us stronger. Conformity makes us stupid. And yet, we live in a world where people constantly confuse…
You’ve heard the saying before: “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.” I think these days it’s paved with convenience. We’ve built a world obsessed with making everything easier, faster, and more comfortable—and it’s slowly killing us. Not in the dramatic, apocalyptic way movies show, but in small, quiet ways that eat away at our capability, our freedom, and our awareness. We wanted…
One truth that’s helped me tremendously over the years: Winners focus on winning. Losers focus on winners. Let that sit for a second. This isn’t arrogance. It’s not bravado. It’s clarity. The moment you stop comparing yourself to others, you reclaim your peace, your purpose, and your power. NOTE: If you’re someone who struggles with defining what your purpose is, here’s a book that might…
NOTE: This came from an internal dialog with myself. So, when you see “you”, think of me referring to myself. Lord knows, I am a work in progress and I may not be qualified to give you (the one reading this) advice. We love our freedom of speech. It’s one of the most sacred rights we have, and we should protect it fiercely. But somewhere…
Security is long-term. Most leadership is not. This is the sixth and final part of the Accountability in Cybersecurity is Broken series, exploring the root causes behind why accountability is critical to our mutual success and why it’s fundamentally broken. If you’ve been following along (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5), you know I’m fed up. After 30+ years in this…
Confusion sells. Simplicity doesn’t. And that’s no accident—it’s a damn business model. IMPORTANT RANT ALERT – This post calls out vendors, “experts”, and so-called professionals. It’s VERY important to note, that many vendors, experts, and professionals in our industry are good (“good” is subjective, of course). Here, I’m calling out the bad examples, purposeful or not. So, any offense taken is only meant for those…