A funny thing happened along the way while I was busy revising and adding content to the HORSE Wiki. My focus last week was primarily on Federal guidance such as NIST special publications and FISMA guidelines. Well apparently there are more folks tuned into that station it turns out when a very close government colleague… Read More
HORSE Project Wiki is now on Linkedin.com
The Holistic Operational Readiness Security Evaluation, also known as the HORSE Project, is now on Linkedin.com. The original wiki is now over four years in production and continues to be a great resource. Participants benefit from potentially earning CPE credits when they write original page plus contributions to the wiki. It also looks great on… Read More
Now Reading: Irrefutable Laws of Leadership – 3
The law of process: Leadership develops daily, not in a day. Becoming a leader is a lot like investing successfully in the stock market. If your hope is to make a fortune in a day, you’re not going to be successful. Something I try to impress upon my children and the comrades I associate with… Read More
Now Reading: Irrefutable Laws of Leadership – 2
The law of influence: The true measure of leadership is influence – Nothing more, nothing less: If you don’t have influence, you will never be able to lead others. The only thing a title can buy is a little time – either to increase your level of influence with others or to undermine it. The… Read More
Now Reading: Irrefutable Laws of Leadership – 1
I’m always interested in the individual philosophy of other leaders in my general pursuit of personal refinement, development, and diversification. Currently, I’m perusing John Maxwell’s, 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, 10th Anniversary Edition. One thing that I’ve learned over the years is that knowledge must be set free, not hoarded by the minority, but shared… Read More
Education … or the lack thereof
I consider one of the most serious emerging security threats to the global community is in the lack of education and experience of those who follow in our footsteps. How can a person compete or be competent if they have not cultured the skills and experiences necessary to meet or exceed emerging challenges? Disasters will… Read More
A horse by any other name ….
If I were to be asked by anyone which volunteer activity I am most proud of, it would be my brain-child pet project known globally as the HORSE Project. The Holistic Operational Readiness Security Evaluation (HORSE) project has been a four year commitment to the education, enlightenment, collaboration, knowledge sharing, and awareness of the global… Read More
Like a rocket
A good business colleague and friend once told me, “Dude, you just took off like a rocket!” This comment was made just a few years following my departure from the same company he remained in employment with. In just a few short years I went from being a peer with a similar resume and similar… Read More
Strike a balance
There is a delicate balance that must be struck between leadership, management, and vocational prowess. A leader might be persuasive and personable or strong, steely-eyed in the face of disaster. A manager might be too closely involved, or disconnected, discombobulated. The technical or vocational prowess a person possesses comes in degrees from one extreme to… Read More
Power of Productivity
As a security practitioner, it is incumbent upon my kind to become a business enabler, and not an obstacle. There is an intelligent balance between appropriate security and business productivity that we must work towards. This involves a give-and-take culture be established. Information security must bring about awareness to the business masses with thoughtful solutions… Read More
Laws of Power – 48
Assume Formlessness: By taking a shape, by having a visible plan, you open yourself up to attack. Instead of taking a form for your enemy to grasp, keep yourself adaptable and on the move. Accept the fact that nothing is certain and no law is fixed. The best way to protect yourself is to be… Read More
Laws of Power – 47
Do not go past the mark you aimed for; In victory, learn when to stop; The moment of victory is often the moment of greatest peril. In the heat of victory, arrogance and overconfidence can push you past the goal you had aimed for, and by going too far, you make more enemies than you… Read More
Crown Jewels and Encryption Opportunities
As long as there is a need to accept, transmit and store personal and financial information, organized criminals and other self-righteous entities will attempt to breach the caretaker’s enterprise to obtain this information. Mastering the art and science of information security is an elusive quest. Few will ever achieve their goal. Few will ever reach… Read More
Laws of Power – 46
Never appear too perfect: Appearing better than others is always dangerous, but most dangerous of all is to appear to have no faults or weaknesses. Envy creates silent enemies. It is smart to occasionally display defects, and admit to harmless vices, in order to deflect envy and appear more human and approachable. Only gods and… Read More
Laws of Power – 45
Preach the need for change, but never reform too much at once: Everyone understands the need for change in the abstract, but on the day-to-day level people are creatures of habit. Too much innovation is traumatic, and will lead to revolt. If you are new to a position of power, or an outsider trying to… Read More
Laws of Power – 44
Disarm and infuriate with the mirror effect: The mirror reflects reality, but it is also the perfect tool for deception: When you mirror your enemies, doing exactly as they do, they cannot figure out your strategy. The Mirror Effect mocks and humiliates them, making them overreact. By holding up a mirror to their psyches, you… Read More
Laws of Power – 43
Work on the hearts and minds of others: Coercion creates a reaction that will eventually work against you. You must seduce others into wanting to move in your direction. A person you have seduces becomes your loyal pawn. And the way you seduce others is to operate on their individual psychologies and weaknesses. Soften up… Read More
Laws of Power – 42
Strike the shepherd and the sheep will scatter: Trouble can often be traced to a single strong individual – the stirrer, the arrogant underling, the poisoner of goodwill. If you allow such people room to operate, others will succumb to their influence. Do not wait for the troubles they cause to multiply, do not try… Read More
Laws of Power – 41
Avoid stepping into a great man’s shoes: What happens first always appears better and more original than what comes after. If you succeed a great man or have a famous parent, you will have to accomplish double their achievements to outshine them. Do not get lost in their shadow, or stuck in the past not… Read More
Let the first 100 days begin.
My first one hundred, twenty-four hours days began today as Chief Security Officer for Fifth Third Processing Solutions. Time to get to work!
Laws of Power – 40
Despise the free lunch: What is offered for free is dangerous – it usually involves either a trick or a hidden obligation. What has worth is worth paying for. By paying your way you stay clear of gratitude, guilt, and deceit. It is also often wise to pay full price – there is no cutting… Read More
Laws of Power – 39
Stir up waters to catch fish: Anger and emotion are strategically counterproductive. You must always stay calm and objective. But if you can make your enemies angry while staying calm yourself, you gain a decided advantage. Put your enemies off-balance: Find the chink in their vanity through which you can rattle them and you hold… Read More
Laws of Power – 38
Think as you like but behave like others: If you make a show of going against the times, flaunting your unconventional ideas and unorthodox ways, people will think that you only want attention and that you look down upon them. They will find a way to punish you for making them feel inferior: It is… Read More
CSO at Fifth Third Processing Solutions
We are on the move! I’ve accepted and am very excited about joining Fifth Third Processing Solutions, a joint partnership between Advent International and Fifth Third Bank. I will be their Chief Security Officer leading the Information Security and Physical Security departments and based in Cincinnati Ohio. I resigned my position with BB&T, formerly Colonial… Read More