Royal Holloway University of London adopts my book for their MSc Information Security programme
Posted: October 21, 2020 Filed under: Information Security Management, Productive Security, Research, Security Culture, Skills Development | Tags: Productive Security, Security Culture Leave a commentOne of the UK’s leading research-intensive universities has selected The Psychology of Information Security to be included in their flagship Information Security programme as part of their ongoing collaboration with industry professionals.
Royal Holloway University of London’s MSc in Information Security was the first of its kind in the world. It is certified by GCHQ, the UK Government Communications Headquarters, and taught by academics and industrial partners in one of the largest and most established Information Security Groups in the world. It is a UK Academic Centre of Excellence for cyber security research, and an Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) Centre for Doctoral Training in cyber security.
Researching and teaching behaviours, risk perception and decision-making in security is one of the key components of the programme and my book is one of the resources made available to students.
“We adopted The Psychology of Information Security book for our MSc in Information Security and have been using it for two years now. Our students appreciate the insights from the book and it is on the recommended reading list for the Human Aspects of Security and Privacy module. The feedback from students has been very positive as it brings the world of academia and industry closer together.”
Dr Konstantinos Mersinas,
Director of Distance Learning Programme and MSc Information Security Lecturer.
The foundation of the Zero Trust architecture
Posted: October 18, 2020 Filed under: Cloud Computing Security, Information Security Management, Productive Security, Risk Management, Security Architecture | Tags: Zero Trust Leave a commentZero Trust is a relatively new term for a concept that’s been around for a while. The shift to remote working and wider adoption of cloud services has accelerated the transition away from the traditional well understood and controlled network perimeter.
Security professionals should help organisations balance the productivity of their employees with appropriate security measures to manage cyber security risks arising from the new ways of working.
When people talk about Zero Trust, however, they might refer to new technologies marketed by security vendors. But in my opinion, it is as much (if not more) about the communication and foundational IT controls. Effective implementation of the Zero Trust model depends on close cross departmental collaboration between IT, Security, Risk, HR and Procurement when it comes to access control, joiner-mover-leaver process, managing identities, detecting threats and more.
Device management is the foundation of an effective Zero Trust implementation. Asset inventory in this model is no longer just a compliance requirement but a prerequisite for managing access to corporate applications. Security professionals should work closely with procurement and IT teams to keep this inventory up-to-date. Controlling the lifecycle of the device from procuring and uniquely identifying it through tracking and managing changes, to decommissioning should be closely linked with user identities.
People change roles within the company, new employees join and some leave. Collaborating with HR to establish processes for maintaining the connection between device management and employee identities, roles and associated permissions is key to success.
As an example, check out Google’s implementation of the Zero Trust model in their BeyondCorp initiative.
Threat modelling 101
Posted: October 17, 2020 Filed under: Skills Development, Software Security, Threat Model | Tags: Cyber, Secure Coding, Threat Model Leave a commentUsing abstractions to think about risks is a useful technique to identify the ways an attacker could compromise a system.
There are various approaches to perform threat modelling but at the core, it’s about understanding what we are building, what can go wrong with it and what we should do about it.
Here is a good video by SAFECode introducing the concept:
Webinar: A CISO panel on weaving security into the business strategy
Posted: October 1, 2020 Filed under: Conference, Presentations, Risk Management, Security Strategy, Skills Development | Tags: Cyber, Metrics, Security, Strategy Leave a comment
I had a lot of fun participating in a panel discussion with fellow CISOs exploring the link between cyber security and business strategy. It’s a subject that is very close to my heart and I don’t think it gets enough attention.
In the course of the debate we covered a number of topics, ranging from leveraging KPIs and metrics to aligning with the Board’s risk appetite. We didn’t always agree on everything but I believe that made the conversation more interesting.
As an added bonus, my book The Psychology of Information Security was highlighted as an example of things to consider while tackling this challenge and to improve communication.
You can watch the recording on BrightTalk.
I’ve made it to the Unsung Hero Award: DevSecOps Trailblazer shortlist
Posted: September 23, 2020 Filed under: Presentations, Skills Development | Tags: Awards Leave a comment
I have been nominated for the 2020 Security Serious Unsung Hero award in the DevSecOps Trailblazer category!
Ensuring security is embedded in the development lifecycle of software, from start to finish, is pivotal in creating a more cyber secure world. This award recognises individuals who are spearheading this initiative so that the creation of applications can continue to be dynamic, without sacrificing cybersecurity.
I’m excited to make the shortlist and wish best of luck to all the contenders!
Chief Information Security Officer Workshop Training
Posted: August 20, 2020 Filed under: Cloud Computing Security, Cyber, Information Security Management, Security Strategy, Skills Development | Tags: Azure, Cloud, Cyber, Security Leave a comment
Chief Information Security Officer Workshop is a collection of on-demand videos and slide decks from Microsoft aimed to help CISOs defend a hybrid enterprise (that now includes cloud platforms) from increasingly sophisticated attacks.
I’ve been named a finalist for the 2020 Cyber Security Awards
Posted: August 8, 2020 Filed under: Presentations, Skills Development | Tags: Awards Leave a comment
I’ve been named a finalist for the 2020 Cyber Security Awards.
I’m excited to make the shortlist for the Personality of the Year category. The award recognises thought leadership, commitment to developing others and raising the profile of cyber security among businesses.
Learn how cybersecurity professionals have been adapting their practices
Posted: August 6, 2020 Filed under: Information Security Management, Security Strategy, Skills Development | Tags: Agile, Cyber Leave a comment
I had a chance to contribute to a free eBook by Cisco on adapting to the challenges presented by the Covid-19 pandemic. Check it out for advice on securing your remote workforce, improving security culture, adjusting your processes and more.
Software and Security Engineering
Posted: July 26, 2020 Filed under: Risk Management, Security Architecture, Skills Development, Software Security | Tags: Software Security Leave a comment
The Software and Security Engineering course taught at the University of Cambridge is available for free online. It includes video lectures, slide decks, reading materials and more.
Whether you are new to information security or a seasoned professional, this course will help you build solid foundations.
Lecture 9 covering critical systems is my favourite. It bring together previous discussions on psychology, usability and software engineering in the context of safety. It adds to the array of the case studies from Lecture 6, focusing on software failures and what we can learn from them. It also offers a fascinating analysis of the Therac-25 accidents and Boeing 737 Max crashes.
AWS Machine Learning course
Posted: July 14, 2020 Filed under: AI | Tags: AI, AWS, ML Leave a comment
I recently completed this AWS Machine Learning course on Coursera (it’s free!). Besides covering basic theory behind machine learning, it discusses common use cases and how AWS services can be applied to them. Overall, it’s quite quick, interesting and doesn’t require deep technical skills.
