I share daily thoughts about cybersecurity and emerging technology. [Subscribe](https://daily.axalane.com) or [hire me](https://axalane.com)
I share daily thoughts about cybersecurity and emerging technology. [Subscribe](https://daily.axalane.com) or [hire me](https://axalane.com)
My top security topics
One of the best things about working in cybersecurity is that it's always changing. There are always new things to learn and think about. Here are some of the areas of security that I'm thinking about the most right now:Securing the digital supply chainThe evolution of cloud-native securityInternet of Things (IoT) securityThe human element of securitySecuring web3 and blockchainI'll take them one by one this week and share some quick thoughts on why I think they're interes...
Poor man’s Gong
If you’re someone who works with me, you may have noticed that I ask to record our Zoom calls more often than I used to. There’s a reason for this. While I can’t justify the cost of a revenue intelligence platform like Gong for my small shop, I made up my own poor man’s version. Here’s how it works.Download and install Descript. (There’s a free version.)Hit the record button on a Zoom call and pick the “Record on this computer” option.After the Zoom call ends, drag the video file that Zoom sp...
Welcome to the simulation
OK, now that the marketing guy explained what Zero Trust is, let’s get into some ways to give security buyers a plan for it (that hopefully includes some of you). There’s a real danger that this could get boring in a hurry, so here’s what I’m thinking. Over the next few days, I’ll give you my quick take on what I like and don’t like about the three possible starting points I mentioned. I’m not going to regurgitate every detail, but I’ll try to give you the gist. Then, I’m going to make up a f...
My top security topics
One of the best things about working in cybersecurity is that it's always changing. There are always new things to learn and think about. Here are some of the areas of security that I'm thinking about the most right now:Securing the digital supply chainThe evolution of cloud-native securityInternet of Things (IoT) securityThe human element of securitySecuring web3 and blockchainI'll take them one by one this week and share some quick thoughts on why I think they're interes...
Poor man’s Gong
If you’re someone who works with me, you may have noticed that I ask to record our Zoom calls more often than I used to. There’s a reason for this. While I can’t justify the cost of a revenue intelligence platform like Gong for my small shop, I made up my own poor man’s version. Here’s how it works.Download and install Descript. (There’s a free version.)Hit the record button on a Zoom call and pick the “Record on this computer” option.After the Zoom call ends, drag the video file that Zoom sp...
Welcome to the simulation
OK, now that the marketing guy explained what Zero Trust is, let’s get into some ways to give security buyers a plan for it (that hopefully includes some of you). There’s a real danger that this could get boring in a hurry, so here’s what I’m thinking. Over the next few days, I’ll give you my quick take on what I like and don’t like about the three possible starting points I mentioned. I’m not going to regurgitate every detail, but I’ll try to give you the gist. Then, I’m going to make up a f...

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Storytime. Back in the early 2000s, I was a bright-eyed product manager presenting to an executive team about a new product launch. I was both clueless and excited, so when I was done spouting on about the then-fascinating world of “managed Internet connectivity” (not kidding), one of the executives said, “you need to give us the ‘ducks and bunnies’ version of this.”
I still think of this whenever I’m about to jump down a rabbit hole on something.
Fast-forward a decade to 2010. Forrester Research analyst John Kindervag introduced the concept of a Zero Trust Architecture to us businessy security people.
Before I jump down the rabbit holes I mentioned yesterday, here’s the ducks and bunnies version of Zero Trust in case it’s helpful.
Our people and our data are everywhere. At the office. In the cloud. At the airport. At home. All over. So that moat we built around our office with expensive firewalls doesn’t really keep everyone and everything safe in all those places. And actually, it doesn’t really keep people and stuff at the office all that safe either, because it’s just a matter of time before something inside our moat gets hacked.
So we’ll keep the moat. (Firewall sales rep exhales.) But we’re gonna assume everyone, everything, and every action inside or outside the moat is bad and block it. From there, we’ll veeeeery surgically allow veeeeery specific things to happen, so we can, you know, run our business.
Makes a lot of sense, right? True!
Sounds pretty simple, right? Tr….well, we’re still trying to figure out exactly how to do it 12 years later.
But us sales and marketing people love a great story, so we’ve been running with it. In about a million different directions.
Meanwhile, Mr. Kindervag left Forrester, and Dr. Cunningham took over. Then Dr. Cunningham left, and Mr. Holmes took over.
And our hero (clinks beer glasses with Donald Miller), the security buyer, is still sitting there with no plan.
-Doug
Storytime. Back in the early 2000s, I was a bright-eyed product manager presenting to an executive team about a new product launch. I was both clueless and excited, so when I was done spouting on about the then-fascinating world of “managed Internet connectivity” (not kidding), one of the executives said, “you need to give us the ‘ducks and bunnies’ version of this.”
I still think of this whenever I’m about to jump down a rabbit hole on something.
Fast-forward a decade to 2010. Forrester Research analyst John Kindervag introduced the concept of a Zero Trust Architecture to us businessy security people.
Before I jump down the rabbit holes I mentioned yesterday, here’s the ducks and bunnies version of Zero Trust in case it’s helpful.
Our people and our data are everywhere. At the office. In the cloud. At the airport. At home. All over. So that moat we built around our office with expensive firewalls doesn’t really keep everyone and everything safe in all those places. And actually, it doesn’t really keep people and stuff at the office all that safe either, because it’s just a matter of time before something inside our moat gets hacked.
So we’ll keep the moat. (Firewall sales rep exhales.) But we’re gonna assume everyone, everything, and every action inside or outside the moat is bad and block it. From there, we’ll veeeeery surgically allow veeeeery specific things to happen, so we can, you know, run our business.
Makes a lot of sense, right? True!
Sounds pretty simple, right? Tr….well, we’re still trying to figure out exactly how to do it 12 years later.
But us sales and marketing people love a great story, so we’ve been running with it. In about a million different directions.
Meanwhile, Mr. Kindervag left Forrester, and Dr. Cunningham took over. Then Dr. Cunningham left, and Mr. Holmes took over.
And our hero (clinks beer glasses with Donald Miller), the security buyer, is still sitting there with no plan.
-Doug
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