Move to Outlook
I just completed doing something I said I never would, I switched from The Bat! to Outlook. While I’ll remain a big fan of The Bat! for its great features, using it at home, while using Outlook at work was just driving me up the wall. The two clients are about as opposite as two programs can be. The very concept behind how you use them, and how you organize you data is quite different.
Read more…ISO 17799
Certifications are good things, or so I’ve always thought. Though the more work I do to help achieve ISO 17799 compliance, I’m beginning to dislike them. This has been steadily adding work since I started this job in December, but now that we are only a couple weeks away from what should be our final audit, the work is coming a lot faster. We’re working to ensure everything we have in production meets the requirements of the standard, which has proved to be rather difficult.
Read more…Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 -Free
I like free stuff, I really like free stuff from Microsoft, as they normally have good free stuff, and this time, it’s a free copy of Visual Studio 2005 Standard Edition, and a couple other goodies. Here’s the list: Microsoft® Visual Studio® 2005 Standard Edition (Not for Resale) Five chapters of Programming ASP.NET 2.0 Core Reference, by Dino Esposito A 30-day hosting account to try out your custom Web applications Microsoft Developer Security DVD with how-tos, white papers, tools, webcasts, and code samples that demonstrate how to write more secure code A 50% discount on a Microsoft Certified Professional Exam so you can add your new skills to your resume A voucher that allows you to buy Visual Studio 2005 Professional Edition with an MSDN® Professional Subscription at renewal pricing (a $400 savings) Not a bad grab bag if I say so myself.
Read more…End on an Era
Magazines are great, I really like just being able to pick one up, lay back and do some reading. Development magazines, not so great. They tend to have a higher price, far less content, and more ad pages than content pages. Eric Sink thinks they are dying, and based on the announcement that “Software Development” is being dissolved, looks like he’s right. It’s too bad really, I almost hate to see them go, but I have to ask, do they really have any relevance in the modern development world?
Read more…Where’s the service?
When I buy something, I expect support. When I buy something expensive, I expect really good support. That may be asking too much, but that’s just how I think. Now, when I contact the vendor for support, I expect to talk to somebody that understands the product. When I bring up an issue that gets me on a conference call with a Vice President and a Project Manager, I expect them to give me accurate data.
Read more…Common Sense Email
While reading a post on Paul’s blog, I came across a rather interesting guide to “better email” – while I tend to disagree with ever deleting an email as the author suggests often, this looks like a worthy read. SSW Rules to Better Email
WordPress Update
Yesterday the WordPress team announced a new version of WordPress, the blogging software that powers this site, that resolves a couple security issues. So me, being the security conscious person that I am, decided I had to upgrade, that was a two hour adventure. Due to some of the unique aspects of my theme, I’ve had to modify some of the core WordPress files, that turned out to be a bad idea.
Read more…The Magician
Rent-A-Coder attracts all types, to that I’m sure everybody can agree. It not only receives traffic from legitimate users seeking professional assistance and are willing to pay for it, but also from people seeking code gurus that work for peanuts. This is a case where even peanuts might be asking a bit much. Here’s the vital details: ASP-based solution. Converts HTML to a PDF file. Does not require the end user to have Acrobat installed.
Read more…New Windows XP Theme
I’ve stumbled upon a great new XP Theme (actually from Windows Media Centre 2005), seems this has been around for a while as a modified version of the WMC theme, though it’s now been officially released by Microsoft for XP. It’s certainly worth the download.
How IT Projects Really Work
This was sent to me earlier, it sums things up in such a great way.
About Me
Security Architect at 1Password. 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.