Thank you to @coffeefueled.org for this guest post Cyber attacks – the stores should have known better thecomplainingcow.co.uk/cyber-attack... He explains what the attack are, why they happened impact for customers and what should be done to prevent such attacks in the future.

My talk from last weekend's Hack Glasgow event. The parents being blamed are mostly metaphorical. This one has a very subtle message and agenda, as you can probably tell. youtu.be/RcA5XW0GWm4...

Yep. Not just in OSINT. We're going to keep seeing this pattern cropping up until people realise that AI doesn't think. Like a drunk at the bar or a politician, it just confidently blathers.

Enjoyed @coffeefueled.org talk at Hackademia 2025 this morning. His advice is to: Stop new shit..... apart from his book.....you can buy that.

First of a number of articles I'm putting together on the Festival International des Jeux in Cannes this year. Particularly enjoyed this one, had a really good smell about it. hackernoon.com/what-the-nos...

Just had an AI generated sales call supposedly from British gas. I can't quite explain the irrational rage that overcame me, but I am now completely against ever using British Gas or recommending them under any circumstances.

Heard about the NCSC paper on forgivable and unforgivable vulnerabilities? Join our walk and talk on the fuss with the brand new Boring On podcast, available on YouTube and most podcast platforms. youtu.be/vu3MUXDZkP4?...

Delighted and excited to announce that on the 15th of March I will be up in Lancaster to speak at LUHack's Hackademia 2025 event at Lancaster University. It's a talk that I think has been needed for a long time in the cyber security industry, "Stop Buying New Sh!t". #SiliconSnakeOil #MoneyPits

There are lots of things I've done and achieved that I'm quite proud of, but in this moment I'd struggle to name one that's given more of a feeling of triumph than successfully fixing the vacuum cleaner the night before we were going to take it to the repair cafe.

Scammers getting really lazy. Just had a phone call with a bad text-to-voice message. "I'm a recruiter from Indeed UK. We are interested in your resume but unable to contact you. Please write to us via WhatsApp." Ignoring other issues, phoning me to say you can't contact me is an odd move.

Oh I see. *Now* intellectual property matters. https://cointelegraph.com/news/microsoft-openai-probe-deepseek-improper-data-mining-bloomberg

Saw the crows on the walk around the lake today and said hello, then a heron spotted waiting to annoy the anglers.

On today's walk around the lake, after initial hesitation all three crows came down to collect monkey nuts. Progress is slow but steady.

Just had to buy a new batch of ISBNs for Security Blend Books with the upcoming publications (securityblendbooks.com). Ended up going with 100 rather than 10 because it's only just over twice as much, and 10 would leave no spares. So I guess I need to get more manuscripts in to review.

I wish this story was a joke. Not because the vulnerabilities they're talking about don't exist, but they're talking about the weakness of the BLE connection. The range of BLE is up to 100 metres. This is not a plausible threat. www.independent.co.uk/tech/sex-toy...

Giving away 100 copies of my book (book version) for 2025. The code will work for the first 100, or the end of January 1st 2025. https://securityblendbooks.com/discount/HAPPYNEWYEAR?redirect=%2Fproducts%2Fthe-cyber-circuit-1

Secret (sort of) project finished just in time for Christmas.

I have replaced my Fold with a separate phone and tablet. So I guess my weekend is going to be fine tuning the themes on both to match my laptop.

Today, the UK government announced a proposal to change copyright law - for the benefit of AI companies - that would cause huge, irreversible harm to creators. More info below, but most importantly here's what you can do (wherever you live): 1. Email your MP. Template letter in 🧵 👇 1/10

For a talk I'm working on, I need pictures of infosec and cyber security cats. Being herded is ideal, but general pictures and permission to use them in the talk is great (credit will be given unless requested otherwise).

People who will get snotty about someone anthropomorphising pets will talk about how an LLM 'decided' or 'thought' or 'said' things like it's a sapient entity instead of a fundamentally limited mathematical model.

My new toy making espressos available at the touch of a button may have been a mistake.

Anyone else noticing as the shine is wearing off the AI bubble, we're back to quantum computing making huge strides? The cycle of hype continues.

This is your official permission to go and build things and make them happen not because they'll make you a billionaire, but because they make you smile. Unrelated, meet my new haiku-writing professional networking badge.

The idea that the intelligence quotient is the only one that should matter leads nowhere good (others are emotional, social, and adversity). Sadly, we've ended up going that way, seemingly driven by men with big bank accounts and the most fragile egos.

Unjustifiable pleased with myself after unearthing the Badgers during unpacking and making a thing.

Asking an LLM to do maths is like asking a calculator to run spellchecker. It isn't what they're for, and they won't make a good job of it. LLMs have their uses. That's not one of them, nor should it be.

I have a couple of Badger 2040 e-ink badges and want to find a purpose for them. They've been sitting in a draw for *cough* years, still in their original packaging. I did think cocktail recipes, but with the industry's toxic relationship with alcohol I'm thinking maybe not. All ideas appreciated.

Apparently Musk wants to 'summon MPs to the US over their threats against him'. Those 'threats' are asking him to give evidence about disinformation spread via Twitter. I can't even imagine what it must be like to have an ego that fragile. There's no big plan, no 4D chess, just knee-jerk response.

When can we admit that the cyber security industry is very loosely, rarely, and only by coincidence related to securing anything? Is it too soon still?

Expedition to IKEA has faced difficulties but is near completion. Supplies are low but spirits high as door colours have been settled with a minimum of casualties. If I don't check in for a few days, send search party.

LinkedIn has finally found my weakness, and it's logic puzzles.

Speaking at Aviation Cyber Security on Wednesday about the weakest link, and this question's going to come up a lot. Should you always strengthen your weakest link? cybersenate.com/aviation-cyb...

Book signing today, and thinking I should have brought more along! Running a little low.

Always nice finding someone of like mind, and looking forward to tearing apart some cyber security FUD marketing statistics over the next year. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/e...

Lessons in technical debt from moving house. Sometimes the best thing to do is clear it all to the ground and start over. Especially when it's turned invasive and started spreading.

Inspired by today's experiences, thinking of putting out a new advert. Currently in draft but feedback welcome.

Brain storming the pitch for my image consultancy/PR/marketing for security professionals idea. "Fed up of paying £1000s a month to annoy people and end up with dead leads? Have you considered making yourself a more interesting person instead? I can help." Too much?

Everyone in cyber and information security (and everything else, but I'll stay in my lane) should spend time teaching/mentoring/supporting people wanting to come into the industry. The benefits of having to understand what you're saying deeply enough to explain it cannot be overstated.

Food therapy. Spent a couple of hours chopping veg and herbs to make a ratatouille to go with the hunter's chicken tonight. Everything feels a bit more manageable now.

Not quite at the end of the road yet (moving in) but both sale and purchase completed, keys handed over, and on our way to pick up the new set. Never move house.

The greatest indication that social media has given up on giving good user experience is that there is still no 'transcribe this voicenote' button on any platform.

Boreception! Time for a new photo?

Back on BBC News this morning (very, very early) to talk Crowdstrike again with their hearing coming up. Happy to highlight systemic issues with the way we've built our technology ecosystem bbc.co.uk/iplayer/epis... #resilience #cybersecurity #cyberresiliencebill #needcoffee

This was an interesting one to look into, and feels good to have an investigation going public. The culprit (almost certainly a stolen profile) had about a dozen property rental adverts running. www.msn.com/en-us/travel...