// BLOG
All posts.
Field notes from 20+ years in security. Plus the occasional detour into life, work, and whatever else is on my mind.
The Engineered Forest: Why the Best Security Programs Are Invisible
What a carefully managed New Hampshire forest taught me about building security programs that enable rather than block. The best security, like the best ecosystems, looks effortless but is intentionally designed.
Is Your 'Smart' Device Actually Smart? A Simple Test
Before connecting that next device to WiFi, ask one question: does the benefit actually outweigh the risk? A security professional's practical guide to smart home decisions.
When Perfect Plans Meet Imperfect Reality
Sometimes the consequences of IR plan failure aren't just about downtime or data. Sometimes they're about life and death.
The Question That Made Everyone in the Room Go Silent
I asked one simple question about incident response plans. The silence that followed told me everything I needed to know.
Building an Autonomous Sunset Timelapse System: Part 2 - Historical Processing
Process historical camera footage into timelapse videos with Python and OpenCV. Bulk video processing, Reolink API integration, and FFmpeg automation for recovering missed captures.
Building an Automated Sunset Timelapse: Part 1 - Live Capture Engineering
Build an automated Raspberry Pi sunset timelapse system with Python, FFmpeg, and RTSP. Complete tutorial with code for capturing, processing, and uploading to YouTube automatically.
Your Cybersecurity Degree May Not Have Prepared You for the Real World
Why choosing the right cybersecurity program matters, and how to match your degree to your career goals.
How NOT to Find a Cybersecurity Mentor: A Guide for Career Seekers
Turning a real-world example into lessons for breaking into cybersecurity the right way
When Life Gives You Network Timeouts, Make Automated Sunsets
How I turned camera API failures into an automated sunset timelapse system using Raspberry Pi, RTSP streaming, and YouTube uploads. A story about pivoting when technology doesn't cooperate.
Automating Ourselves Into a Cybersecurity Crisis
How AI automation in cybersecurity is eliminating entry-level roles and creating a dangerous skills gap, and why we must act now to prevent a workforce crisis.