December 13, 2006 - #171
Good Morning:
I've come to the conclusion that sleep is not overrated. Not by a long shot. I've been burning the midnight (and then some) oil working on the Pragmatic CSO of late and I'm feeling it. I'm not as young and sprightly as I used to be (not sure if I was every sprightly), that's for sure. But we can all try to take care of ourselves to at least feel young and sprightly. So I'm starting my 2007 resolutions a bit early and beginning a fitness plan TODAY. I'm getting a fitness assessment at my new health club and it's going to be a train wreck. I'm perpetually tired, festively plump (which is being very kind), and horrifically out of shape after not exercising consistently for about 3 years.
They say a journey of 1000 miles starts with a single step, so that's what I'm going to do. There is no use crying over the hundreds of consumed burritos over the past few years. Since part of the Pragmatic CSO process is accepting that "it is what is is" and taking a baseline to figure out where you are in the beginning of the process, this is my own personal fitness baseline. My hope is that I'll be less of a Fat Bastard [1] when I see many of you at RSA in February, but I am still dead sexy - at least according to the boss.
I'm going to rant a bit about analysts again, since it seems the esteemed NY Times has decided not to consult my brethren to support their technology stories. Honestly, good for them. Too many analysts are whores and they need the PR exposure to build an aura of legitimacy to mask the fishnet stockings and killer pumps they wear to work. Most of the time they don't add much value to the stories anyway (myself included). There is an interesting post on the InformationWeek blog about the topic (here [2]) and that post references a piece in The Register over in the UK which calls hypocrisy on the entire thing.
What everyone keeps forgetting is the responsibility of the end user. Ultimately it's the end users job to make the best decision for their business. They need to assemble data points, some of which may come from analysts, and apply a "credibility filter" to all of those data points. The dirt you get from a competitor should be roughly equal to the perspective of a whoring analyst. It's an opinion and you need to take it for what it is.
Personally, I'm going to keep writing and expressing my opinions as long as people keep reading and telling me they find value. If you don't like it or don't think I'm credible. Bully for you. Everyone is entitled to an opinion. Anyone, at any time has the ability to opt-out and not interact with me. So sayonara NY Times, I hardly knew ya. Don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.
Have a great day.
Technorati: Information Security [3]
 [4]Coming January 2, 2007 |  [4] |
Top Security News
http://www.informationweek.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=196603485 [5]
Link to this [5]
http://www.eweek.com/article2/0%2C1895%2C2070583%2C00.asp [6]
Link to this [6]
http://www.mcafee.com/us/about/press/corporate/2006/20061212_191010_e.html [7]
Link to this [7]
http://nacbattleground.nwc.com/ [8]
Link to this [8]
http://searchsecurity.techtarget.com/originalContent/0,289142,sid14_gci1233873,00.html [9]
Link to this [9]
Top Blog Postings
http://www.stillsecureafteralltheseyears.com/ashimmy/2006/12/whats_a_poor_se.html [10]
Link to this [10]
http://www.computerworld.com/blogs/node/4157
[11]Link to this [11]
http://www.securitycatalyst.com/2006/12/07/security-breaches-are-not-singular-events/
[12]Link to this [12]
http://securosis.com/2006/12/12/if-you-release-it-you-cant-control-it/
[13]Link to this [13]