Extreme Simplicity
_Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to remove. Antoine de Saint-Exupery Such a simple statement; yet one of such power. This statement carries a new impact as the concept of “Extreme Simplicity” gains ground. The idea is that instead of focusing on adding more features (Microsoft), do a few things, and do them very well (Apple). This is a great concept, focus on the user, focus on what the user spends most of their time doing and keep all the rest out-of-the-way.
Read more…A Secure Mentality
My employer recently completed the final audit to confirm ISO 17799 compliance, the process was a real eye opener. In a process that should have been fairly short & painless, the ordeal lasted close to a year, with me joining the company just before the second, and largest audit. That made my first few weeks rather interesting, to say the least. While 17799 does have some complex requirements, most of the issues found had more to do with the overall mentality than with the true technical issues involved.
Read more…Valleyschwag
A few days ago, one of my favorite blogs mentioned this interesting service, Valleyschwag. For $15 a month, will bundle up a package of the best schwag being handed out in silicon valley, and deliver it right to your doorstep. This really is a great idea, for a few reasons. A new twist on Viral Marketing I really like this concept, from both sides of the coin. For companies, they can supply these promotional items at minimal cost to a larger, more targeted audience.
Read more…The Pressure to Be Great
I’m a developer, and I love what I do, it’s a great industry, and a very exciting field to be in. If you read my blog often, you’ll see I take every opportunity to mention how great this line of work can be, today I offer a somewhat different, less sugar-coated view. The Pressure There is a constant pressure on developers to be better, to do more, to produce more, sometimes more than is possible.
Read more…What A Surprise!
I’m a fairly active member of a forum focus on VB development, XtremeVBTalk.com (formerly VisualBasicForum.com), I also happen to be a moderator, and carry the “Expert” skill-badge. Well, today they gave me quite a surprise. Back 2003 I posted this on my site at the time: ** 12/01/2003** Expert! The folks over at VisualBasicForum.com just voted to give me an Expert badge! Today, a similar honor has been bestowed. By a vote of the forum leadership I’ve been given the status of Guru – the highest skill acknowledgment available.
Read more…PowerEdge 2500
As I’ve written about, I’m in the process of rebuilding my network at home. the first major addition is a used Dell PowerEdge 2500 server, while this is an older server, it’s quite stable and reliable – and with I intend to use it for, being reliable is critical. This server will have a couple different roles at once, here’s the basics: Domain Controller Development SQL Server Development IIS Server ‘Shared Files’ share This will allow me to keep a stable system running for shared access to development resources, as well as centralize management for my various systems.
Read more…USQL: Unified SQL Editor
On a daily basis, I use Query Analyzer for Microsoft SQL Server, Microsoft Access for Sybase via ODBC, MySQL Query Browser for a MySQL database, and PL/SQL Developer for Oracle access. While there are some features of all of these I really like, what I don’t like is that I have to use all of them. I am proposing the formation of an open source project to develop a SQL front-end to allow users to access the major database platforms from a single, well-designed, and fully featured front end.
Read more…Piracy: Modern Marketing
Piracy is bad, right? Maybe not, and it seems Microsoft figured it out. Piracy can be indirectly profitable, both by giving you additional customers that you may collect from at some future point, and it also serves to reduce or limit the market share of rivals. Microsoft chairman, Bill Gates, acknowledged this back in 1998 while speaking at the University of Washington, saying: Although about 3 million computers get sold every year in China, people don’t pay for the software.
Read more…Wink 2.0
I’m always interested in better ways to produce documentation or demonstrations for my software. One method I’ve found to be rather impressive is desktop capture, generating a movie either in a streaming format, or in Flash. The drawback: Price. The tools used for this are often rather expensive, and on a tight budget they can push you to the limit quickly. There is another option though, Wink – a free, cross-platform application that generates Flash demos and presentations.
Read more…First Impression: Google Calendar
I saw an article on Forbes mentioning the long rumored, Google Calendar, and sure enough! While I’ve not taken long to play with it, this, so far, seems to be very cool. I’ll post more after I play with it for a while.
About Me
Security researcher, engineer and software developer with more than 20 years of experience.
Work: I primarily focus on application security, usable security, secure communications, and cryptography. I build and lead strong and dynamic teams, who cover all facets of security and privacy.
Writing: I write about my research, security in general, development and software design, and leadership through my blog, essays, and various publications. I also engage in some creating writing when I can.
Photography: I am a purist fine art photographer, working primarily in black & white, and focused on sharing new perspectives of the world. Limited edition prints of my work are available on my online gallery. I also have a background in photojournalism, and volunteer in this field when I can.