I loved security long before it became the central theme of my career, so it's not surprising that I am active in the industry. However, although I love my security work, I find it increasingly important to get out from behind the computer and take time to enjoy the people and sights of the world.
Top reasons for moving to Ireland
- Europe is serious about privacy and security
- The secondary education system (middle and high school) is amazing and universities are excellent
- The pace of life is slower and better for my mental health than most places in the United States
- People in Ireland truly care about each other and take action to promote equality
Growing up in Texas, I always wanted to see Ireland, but never would have guessed that I would eventually move here. My mother was an artist who specialised in Celtic art, particularly knotwork, so I learned a lot about ancient Ireland as a kid. Later, at the University of Pittsburgh, I studied Scots Gaelic and a little bit of Irish. As it happens, I met my wife in those classes, so I suppose in retrospect it shouldn't have been a surprise when in 2017 we decided to up stakes and move the whole family to Dublin.
I attend as many (ISC)² events as I can because I love collaborating with people who also approach security from a top-down organisational perspective. While living in Texas, I was a founding member of the (ISC)² Austin Chapter and served as its vice president for two years. Now that I have been in Dublin long enough to be allowed to be a corporate officer, I plan to found an Ireland chapter - once this pandemic is stabilised. Visit my speaking page to read about some of the talks I have given at (ISC)² events.
If there is one thing I have learned about working in a high-stress career like information security, it's that I need to disengage regularly and focus entirely on something else. I am fortunate to have found the perfect conduit for my nervous energy in Shaolin Do Kung Fu. I have had the honour of studying under Master Donald Duncan as well as attending multiple seminars taught by Elder Master Joe Schaefer and our system's Grandmaster, Sin Thé.
My musical tastes vary widely, crossing almost every genre, but my real passion is unaccompanied, tight, vocal harmony. Before kids and work reduced my free time, I loved to perform, especially with my "Brothers in Song" in the Pitt Men's Glee Club. While I seldom sing outside of my car any more, I still love listening to collegiate and professional acappella. I curate a list of what I consider to be some of the best performances on Spotify - I invite you to give it a listen! I think it will be an enjoyable 34+ hours.
I'm no photographer, but that doesn't stop me from taking pictures of pretty things. Living in Ireland, you don't need to go far to find amazing sights. Sometimes I post pictures to Instagram.
It can be helpful to understand a writer's background and biases, so I offer this short list of some of my concsious biases.
National origin: Texas
Political stance: Left of center (social egalitarian, progressive)
Pro-stances:
- Privacy
- European Union
- Government regulation
- Transparency
- Science
- Responsible disclosure
Anti-stances:
- Government privatisation/outsourcing
- Cryptography backdoors
- Offensive cyber warfare
- Hacking back
- Mass surveillance
- Bitcoin (all decentralised cryptocurrencies)