Commanding Officer and CISO: Two jobs I decided against

One of the best ways to grow is to surround yourself with wise men. I have been lucky in this regard. 

At the ripe age of 18 I left home for the comfort of US Navy boot camp. To understand that statement, you would need to understand growing up in my home. That is a story for another time. After boot camp, I was lucky enough to have a successive string of mentors and influencers that led me to success. 

One such person was LtCdr Gray, Officer-in -Charge at RAF Digby, UK. At this point in my career, I was facing a career decision. Stay in my current job and try to make Chief Petty Officer or submit my Officer Candidate package. Mr. Gray sat me down for an interview like many others before him had done. This one was different. He asked if I had thought about leading Sailors into battle. I responded with the typical male bravado of someone who had been in these interviews before. Then he said, "Have you ever thought about sending someone to their certain death while you stayed behind?" This was a question like I had never had before. He sent me home to contemplate that question. It changed my life. I went on the become a Chief and never gave the Officer community another thought. I takes a special person to assume the burden of command. Many nights he worked to ensure the best quality of life for his Sailors, knowing that, at any time, he may have to deploy someone halfway around the world to support a mission in a desert. A mission that few Sailors train for, desert combat.

The second person who changed my life was my boss and great mentor in the civilian world. He took a chance on me knowing that I had 20 years of cool experiences and had done really good things, but my resume was a mess (most transitioning military personnel are in the same boat). Over 3 years he sat me down several times to talk about my work and my future. One one such occasion, I told him I wanted to be a CISO. I asked if he could put me on a path to do just that. He explained to me these two things:

     1. A CISO can do everything right (within the constraints of the business, of course) and still suffer a breach

     2. If your company is breached, it is your fault. 

These words (and his daily stress) are what changed my mind about that career choice too.

Being happy in life comes from understanding what you need, what your strengths and weaknesses are, and from surrounding yourself with wise council. 

21 days of fasting and prayer!

This posts, in it's entirety, came from a resource guide provided by my church. If you see the possible benefits, feel free to join us. I have provided the link "Commit" below. How you begin and conduct your fast will largely determine your success. By following these seven basic steps to fasting, you will make your time with the Lord more meaningful and spiritually rewarding. STEP 1: Set Your Objective Why are you fasting? Is it for spiritual renewal, for guidance, for healing, for the resolution of problems, for special grace to handle a difficult situation? Ask the Holy Spirit to clarify His leading and objectives for your prayer fast. This will enable you to pray more specifically and strategically. Through fasting and prayer we humble ourselves before God so the Holy Spirit will stir our souls, awaken our churches, and heal our land according to 2 Chronicles 7:14. Make this a priority in your fasting. STEP 2: Make Your Commitment Pray about the kind of fast you should undertake. Jesus implied that all of His followers should fast (Matthew 6:16-18; 9:14,15) For Him it was a matter of when believers would fast, not if they would do it. Before you fast, decide the following up front: How long you will fast – one meal, one day, a week, several weeks, forty days (Beginners should start slowly, building up to longer fasts.) The type of fast God wants you to undertake (such as water only, or water and juices; what kinds of juices you will drink and how often). What physical or social activities you will restrict. How much time each day you will devote to prayer and God's Word. Making these commitments ahead of time will help you sustain your fast when physical temptations and life's pressures tempt you to abandon it. Commit to 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting STEP 3: Prepare Yourself Spiritually The very foundation of fasting and prayer is repentance. Unconfessed sin will hinder your prayers. Here are several things you can do to prepare your heart: Ask God to help you make a comprehensive list of your sins. Confess every sin that the Holy Spirit calls to your remembrance and accept God's forgiveness (1 John 1:9). Seek forgiveness from all whom you have offended, and forgive all who have hurt you (Mark 11:25; Luke 11:4; 17:3,4). Make restitution as the Holy Spirit leads you. Ask God to fill you with His Holy Spirit according to His command in Ephesians 5:18 and His promise in 1 John 5:14,15. Surrender your life fully to Jesus Christ as your Lord and Master; refuse to obey your worldly nature (Romans 12:1,2). Meditate on the attributes of God, His love, sovereignty, power, wisdom, faithfulness, grace, compassion, and others (Psalm 48:9,10; 103:1-8, 11-13). Begin your time of fasting and prayer with an expectant heart (Hebrews 11:6). Do not underestimate spiritual opposition. Satan sometimes intensifies the natural battle between body and spirit (Galatians 5:16,17). STEP 4: Prepare Yourself Physically Fasting requires reasonable precautions. Consult your physician first, especially if you take prescription medication or have a chronic ailment. Some persons should never fast without professional supervision. Physical preparation makes the drastic change in your eating routine a little easier so that you can turn your full attention to the Lord in prayer. Do not rush into your fast. Prepare your body. Eat smaller meals before starting a fast. Avoid high-fat and sugary foods. Eat raw fruit and vegetables for two days before starting a fast. More Resources for Fasting Copyright © 2018 Immanuel Baptist Church, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you are a member of IBCLexLink, our online church community. Our mailing address is: Immanuel Baptist Church 3100 Tates Creek Rd Lexington, Ky 40502 Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

Slingbag with a suit jacket?!?! I thought you were a professional!

It's 8 AM on a Sunday and I'm sitting in the airport. This will make my 4th week in a row traveling. I have 2 more to go before I can begin to recover. At age 43, traveling is beginning to become a burden.

There are many things that I could write about but one in particular is going to get my attention. My sling pack. There has been much talk recently about wearing backpacks while in a suit. I am of the camp that you shouldn't do it, but not for the reasons that most have been stating. I don't do it because it messes up the jacket. I could care less about how it looks. (oh, I have tattoos too so feel free to complain about that too).

There will always be those people who will complain because a person does not look "traditional" or "professional." My question to them is, are you paying my consulting fees for fashion advice or for the 20+ years of experience I bring to the table? Don't get me wrong, I will wear a suit when I am talking to your "c-suite" or slacks and a company polo or button-down the rest of the time. As a representative of my company, I do not get to do what I want. With that said, when I show up carrying, in my hands, a sling pack, back off.

You should be asking "Why is this guy carrying a sling pack?" The easiest way to answer that question is with a video from my friend Tom Moore. His AIDE 2016 presentation, Minimalistic Physical Assessment Kit, changed my life in a couple of ways. One is that I now use a sling pack for everything; work, hiking, and sight seeing. 

I hope his presentation is helpful. If you want a sling pack for yourself, I recommend the Overwatch Sling Pack from Yukon Outfitters. Track it on Woot! to get the best deal.

I'm baaaaaccccckkkkk!

Hello InfoSec world! I just wanted to let everyone know I will begin blogging again!

The Long Journey Back!
The first thing I want to blog about is a shout out to Johnny Long and his family. It looks like the Long's have come home after, what was it, 7 years in Uganda. Welcome home and I look forward to helping you here in the states. My family trip to Uganda and Kenya last year serves as a high point in my life. You were truly doing God's work and I am proud to say I could help!
Want more info, click here > http://www.hackersforcharity.org/

Derby! Derby! Derby!
I have been selected to speak at DerbyCon 6.0 "Recharge!" My talk this year is entitled "Hacking for Homeschoolers: STEM Projects for under $20." I am tentatively scheduled for Saturday at 3PM. Please drop in for a little bit of a Maker Faire, some cool toys, and learnin'.
Want more info on DerbyCon, click here https://www.derbycon.com/

P.S. Are you a person of faith? Do you have questions? Do you want to slow down and fellowship with fellow Christians during a hectic weekend conference? Don't forget about CrossCon at Derbycon!

PCI Community Meeting
I will be attending the 2016 North American PCI CM this September. The week of DerbyCon by the way. (Prayers needed now please). If you want me to ask any specific PCI questions, feel free to ask your question below or contact me directly by one of the means highlighted on the right frame.

The Main Event
Last month I went with several men from Immanuel Baptist Church to The Main Event in Nashville, TN. This was a blast! Not only did I get to fellowship with some of the men of my church, I got to meet and talk with men from all over America. There were guest speakers such as Tim Tebow, Nick Vujicic, TC Stallings, and Jonathan Evans. I particularly likes the speech by Jimmy Sites. He is a Christian adventurer/hunter/outdoorsman whose show, Spiritual Outdoor Adventures, can be seen online, on DirecTv channel 604, or on Dish channel 393.

Finally,
Vietnam! and Japan!
My family is in the midst of planning a trip to Japan and Vietnam for October. We will be gone of r2 weeks. The purpose of this trip is to allow my son Isaac to see the country of his birth and be a Christian witness to the world. This will not be a mission trip like last year's Uganda and Kenya trip. I will use this forum to blog about our travels. You can expect some security advice as well (after all, this is a Security Blog).

Bye for now!

The Ohio InfoSec Forum Anniversary Meeting

   The OISF is a small but passionate group of individuals that hosts an annual meeting at the Miami Valley Research Park in Dayton, Ohio. This is my second time going and, once again, I had fun. The size of the audience was relatively small and the level of presenters was rock star!
   This years line up included Ben Ten (@Ben0xA), Dave Kennedy (@HackingDave), Adrian Crenshaw (@irongeek_adc), Phil Grimes (@grap3_ap3), Dino Tsibouris and Mehmet Munur. You have to agree that is an excellent lineup!
   The price of this meeting is a whopping $10 entry fee and includes bagels and coffee for breakfast as well as pizza, drinks, and Oreo cookies for lunch. I highly recommend that you attend this meeting next year. If you are from the Dayton area, I recommend you stop bye on the 2nd Thursday of each month for their monthly meeting. More information can be found on their website. If you are on Twitter, their handle is @oisf. They are worth following.

    ***As always, thanks to Adrian for recording the talks. You rock! Check out the videos at irongeek.com.***

Kenya. The pride of Africa!

Now that I am back in the land of wifi and clean electricity, I figured I would post some more pics from our trip.

InfoSec 101: Don't disregard ESET errors

Isaac makes a friend

Solome's church. What a fun time!

Preparing lunch for the churchgoers.

After lunch we hosted a medical clinic. We helped over 120 patients.

Solome shows us the community farming plot she started. She teaches men how to farm.

We gave Solome a laptop (donated by ANRC-Services) with Shamba on it. Shamba (donated by Hackers for Charity) is a farming program designed by Kenyan farmers for Kenyan farmers.

EFF...Facepalm

   

   This week the EFF exposed themselves as a group of highly intelligent morons (again) when they "exposed" the U.S. Navy's attempt to purchase 0-days. Nate and Andrew admit that they found the request on a public website but then quickly changed to focusing on the evils of the government. What is the purpose of the article you may be asking? Simple. Taking a queue from the IT security sales companies, EFF has turned to simple FUD as a means to collect your donations.

Give it up sheep! Baaaa!

Feel free to read the drivel for yourselves here.