Call to Arms

For the last several years I’ve been a position to help a number of organizations with their Incident Detection and Response programs. One thing that remains consistent across all of the organizations is that there is a very high rate of compromised systems. Whether these were compromised from the outside or popped by malware really doesn’t matter, what really matters is the rate at which information is leaving the organization is alarming and should be disturbing to everyone. It’s not just the big guys either – I’ve seen evidence of compromise and data extraction at nearly every organization I’ve encountered.

In this FUDSEC post one of the points I made was a call for leadership and action, because no one else is coming to save us – a point made even clearer by Mike Rothman in his FUDSEC post earlier this month. I’m tired of sitting on the sidelines and watching our systems being ravaged. This sense of frustration really hit me over the last month as I’ve taken a look at my career and what I’ve accomplished and what I want to do next. I’ve done a lot for the companies I’ve worked for and their customers, no question – but it isn’t nearly enough. I need to do more.

Watching the Google versus China situation and the apparent lack of response by our government combined with our utter futility in fighting these threats really has stirred a call for action within me. So much so, that I really believe if I was 10 years younger and 50 lbs lighter I’d re-enlist to go back and work at AFCERT or similar entity. Not as a contractor or consultant but as an Airman or Federal employee. I want to fight back or at least defend as vigorously as possible. I simply cannot and will not sit idle anymore. There is still some warrior left in me.

My question to you is this: Does anyone else feel nationalistic and have the urge to serve their country to fight in the information security arena, to protect our nation, or perhaps to strike back at those who seek to harm us? I do!

To my friends at DHS, The White House, NSA, USAF, DoD, Secret Service and/or the FBI - if you have a way of using a resource with my background to help defend this country I stand here in Austin, TX ready, willing and able!