The Upgrade Dilemma

Does using a microservices or container architecture actually help with upgrades? We often are required to upgrade our networking, storage, operating systems, and application components. Some of those upgrades are security related, while others are not. Almost all of them can impact our application in some fashion. However, containers and microservices are supposed to save …

Block Chain Cure-All?

Block chain is being sold as the cure-all to all the world’s financial problems—so much so that attacks against block chain are growing. Actually, the attacks are against everything but the chain itself these days. Just what is block chain and how can it help? Many sites have defined block chain, so we are not …

Moving Up the Stack — Security Take

Moving up the stack, our security posture changes. The concepts stay the same, but the posture changes. The concepts of least privilege, limited access, etc. all apply. How we implement those controls changes. In the past, we could rely on a firewall at the edge. Yet, as we move up the stack, the edge has …

The Data Dilemma: Part 2

As I search around YouTube for movies, presentations, etc., I begin to realize that with a bit of judicious use of Google, I can find nearly anything. That is, anything about businesses, personnel, corporate structures, and even personal information. Yes, even without spending money, there is data available about every conceivable part of your corporate …

The Data Dilemma: Part 1

A growing data dilemma is brewing. Businesses are caught between the need to have data available to improve the business and the need to keep that data private—and not only private, but secure, nonvolatile, protected, and available. At the same time, our data is neither invulnerable, nor, apparently, private. Organizations that collect data cannot keep …