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30 Apr 2014Things that impact careers in information security
Here are some recent pieces I've written that can make or break your success in information security:Open your eyes and you’ll see the lightSteering your career as a desktop admin in the mobility ageThe mindset of everyday employees and their impact on securityWhy a CIO's relationship with enterprise IT security is importantBe sure to check out the hundreds of security articles, webcasts, and more I've written/developed over the past 12 ...
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22 Apr 2014
6 reasons information security causes global warming
In keeping with the divorce and everything Capitalist or conservative causes "global warming" movement, how about this:Information security causes global warming (or cooling, or whatever it needs to be called today)I really believe we have a "crisis" on our hands and here's why: The need for IT security controls is a negative side-effect of Capitalism - man bettering himself if you will. If we didn't have computers and the Internet, ...
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11 Apr 2014
Heartbleed – the biggest Web security problem ever???
I just came across this piece from NewsFactor: Is Heartbleed the Biggest Web Security Threat Ever? and couldn't help but chime in. Contrary to popular hype, I don't think the biggest web security issue we face (now or ever) is a technical problem...instead, it's something with hair on top like I talked about here.As with the hype over the Target breach and the gloom and doom over Windows XP's end ...
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09 Apr 2014
Windows XP: Goodbye my love…well, not really.
Windows XP...ah, the memories!I wrote many of my books including the first two editions of Hacking For Dummies and the first edition of The Practical Guide to HIPAA Privacy and Security Compliance originally on Windows XP - not to mention countless articles, security assessment reports and more over a 7-8 year span.It was nice working with you XP!I waited to write this post today, the day after all the Windows ...
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25 Mar 2014
68% of workers do this…and we wonder why we have security problems!
I've always believed that information security is a people problem that goes deep into the psychology of how we think. Here's a great example...starting at 0:24:http://johnmaxwellteam.com/industrious/This is the basis for why our so-called leaders rise to power, why there's a gap between the haves and have-nots, and why so many "ailments" afflict society. Many people simply don't believe in themselves and have no desire or motivation to get any better. ...
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13 Mar 2014
HIPAA compliance lip service
Here's an example of the lip service (security theater) people give to compliance and information security found on display at one of those giddy-over-regulations retailers:Really, who's certified? How are customers to know what this means?Checkbox checked...all that matters.Good stuff....
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03 Mar 2014
Interesting sights at #RSAC 2014
I attended the RSA Conference last week...there was a lot of the same security nonsense (see my posts below) but a very good show nonetheless. You should attend next year, especially if you've never been. With 25,000+ attendees and more vendors than you can ever imagine in this space, it's a spectacle.Speaking of "vendors", one thing that struck me as interesting - what government employee was ballsy enough to use ...
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19 Feb 2014
Step up or step aside, somebody needs to fix your security woes
I just got off of phone call with some friends/colleagues where we were discussing the latest security trends. After talking it occurred to me that we're basically going backwards in time with information security. It seems with the Target breach, stupid passwords people are still using in 2014, and even today's new SANS-Norse healthcare security report, it just keeps piling up as if nothing works.But it can work - if ...
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04 Feb 2014
The power of how we *think* about information security
Here's a good piece on coping with stress - something all of us in IT know all too well. One thing in particular caught my eye that meditation expert Jon Kabat-Zinn said - it's something that may help explain the common approach many people take to information security..He said:We may find ourselves resisting innovation and change and becoming overly protective of what we have built because we feel threatened by ...
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31 Jan 2014
Some stuff you need to know about Windows 8.x, Internet Explorer, BYOD/MDM, and malware removal
My goodness, I've let a lot of my articles on Windows 8, 8.1, patching, malware, and related desktop security topics stack up! Check these out:Don't ignore Windows 8 security when reviewing desktop vulnerabilitiesIT can tackle Windows configuration with a well-planned desktop auditWindows Server Update Services weaknesses you may not know about <=this is BIG, seriously!Why a Windows security scan is not enough to protect your workstationsFive steps to successful bot ...
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Client Testimonials
“A business associate referred our company to Principle Logic when we were seeking a resource to perform vulnerability /penetration testing for our external and internal networks. We found Kevin Beaver to be professional, well informed, and easy to work with. His testing did not disrupt our networks, and his progress updates were timely.
His final report was very thorough and included security recommendations for our network environment. The executive leadership was so impressed with Kevin’s security expertise, they have extended their agreement to continue to perform periodic testing. We highly recommend Kevin Beaver and Principle Logic as a resource for network security testing.”
(IT managed services firm)
I’ve written/co-written 12 books on information security including:
