Bryon Singh

This line from “The Fugitive” portrays Dr. Richard Kimble (played by Harrison Ford), a vascular surgeon who was wrongly convicted of his wife's murder. After escaping custody, he set out to prove his innocence while being pursued by Deputy Marshall, Samuel Gerard (played by Tommy Lee Jones). In a face-to-face standoff, Richard says, “I didn’t kill my wife.” Deputy Gerard responds with, “I don’t care.” One of the best responses to that line, in my humble opinion. But that’s not what we’re here… Show more

This line from “The Fugitive” portrays Dr. Richard Kimble (played by Harrison Ford), a vascular surgeon who was wrongly convicted of his wife's murder. After escaping custody, he set out to prove his innocence while being pursued by Deputy Marshall, Samuel Gerard (played by Tommy Lee Jones). In a face-to-face standoff, Richard says, “I didn’t kill my wife.” Deputy Gerard responds with, “I don’t care.” One of the best responses to that line, in my humble opinion. But that’s not what we’re here to talk about.

Dr. Richard Kimble successfully enters a secure hospital area by creating a fake access badge. This moment highlights a key vulnerability: single-factor authentication. The hospital relied solely on a physical access badge to grant entry, offering clever intruders like Kimble an opportunity to exploit the system. Show less

One of my favorite movies is WarGames. If you haven’t seen it, stop reading immediately cause I’m going to spoil it for you.

In the movie, David Lightman (played by Mathew Broderick) uses a technique called wardialing, where his computer dials every phone number in a given area to find a modem at the other end. David discovers a modem for a military supercomputer aka WOPR (War Operation Plan Response, because everything needs an acronym). Once he's connected, he relies on easily… Show more

One of my favorite movies is WarGames. If you haven’t seen it, stop reading immediately cause I’m going to spoil it for you.

In the movie, David Lightman (played by Mathew Broderick) uses a technique called wardialing, where his computer dials every phone number in a given area to find a modem at the other end. David discovers a modem for a military supercomputer aka WOPR (War Operation Plan Response, because everything needs an acronym). Once he's connected, he relies on easily guessable passwords, combined with knowledge of the developer's personal life (like the name of the developer's deceased son), to gain unauthorized entry. Show less

In "Mission: Impossible," one of the most iconic scenes involves Ethan Hunt (played by Tom Cruise) infiltrating a highly secure CIA facility at Langley to steal the NOC list, a comprehensive list of all covert agents. To access this room, Hunt has to bypass multiple security measures:

Temperature Regulation: The room is temperature-controlled. A sudden rise could trigger the alarm. Ethan and his team have to ensure that his body heat doesn't increase the room's temperature.
Sound… Show more

In "Mission: Impossible," one of the most iconic scenes involves Ethan Hunt (played by Tom Cruise) infiltrating a highly secure CIA facility at Langley to steal the NOC list, a comprehensive list of all covert agents. To access this room, Hunt has to bypass multiple security measures:

Temperature Regulation: The room is temperature-controlled. A sudden rise could trigger the alarm. Ethan and his team have to ensure that his body heat doesn't increase the room's temperature.
Sound Sensors: The room is equipped with sensitive acoustic sensors. Any noise louder than a whisper can set off the alarm. Hence, Ethan has to move very quietly.
Pressure-sensitive Floor: The floor is loaded with pressure sensors. Ethan can't touch the floor, which is why he's suspended from the ceiling with ropes and harnesses.
Retina Scanner: The computer holding the NOC list is secured with a retina scan. Ethan has to dangle right above the desk and use a gadget to capture the eye scan of a rightfully authorized person (in this case, the man who enters the room before the heist begins) and then replicate it to gain access. Show less

In Iron Man 2, Ivan Vanko hacks into Lt. Col. James 'Rhodey' Rhodes’ suit (a.k.a. War Machine, Iron Patriot) and programs it against Iron Man. Ivan locks out everyone from Stark Industries and from Hammer Industries, the company that paid him to build the Iron Man-competitive suits. Ivan Vanko ended up building drones instead of suits because “People make problems. Trust me. Drone better”.

This is a great example of an automated process to revoke access to an Enterprise Asset aka War… Show more

In Iron Man 2, Ivan Vanko hacks into Lt. Col. James 'Rhodey' Rhodes’ suit (a.k.a. War Machine, Iron Patriot) and programs it against Iron Man. Ivan locks out everyone from Stark Industries and from Hammer Industries, the company that paid him to build the Iron Man-competitive suits. Ivan Vanko ended up building drones instead of suits because “People make problems. Trust me. Drone better”.

This is a great example of an automated process to revoke access to an Enterprise Asset aka War Machine. An even better example is that the access of War Machine from Lt. Col. James Rhodes was revoked, not deleted, so Black Widow could re-enable access and there could be another happy ending to a Marvel Movie. Show less

One of my favorite scenes in Thor: Ragnarok was when Thor attempted to escape the junk planet. He made it to the Quinjet and tried many different activation codes (access) such as: "Thor", "Son of Odin," and "Strongest Avenger" (twice). None worked. It was only when he said “Point Break” did the Quinjet start. Point Break was the activation code that Tony Stark had assigned him back from the 2012 Avengers movie.

Unauthorized access to sensitive information is one of the most significant… Show more

One of my favorite scenes in Thor: Ragnarok was when Thor attempted to escape the junk planet. He made it to the Quinjet and tried many different activation codes (access) such as: "Thor", "Son of Odin," and "Strongest Avenger" (twice). None worked. It was only when he said “Point Break” did the Quinjet start. Point Break was the activation code that Tony Stark had assigned him back from the 2012 Avengers movie.

Unauthorized access to sensitive information is one of the most significant threats that enterprises face. Whether it's an external attacker exploiting vulnerabilities, or an internal employee with malicious intent, the potential for data breaches is a constant concern. Show less

One of the most famous wizards of all time, Harry Potter, learned that he was destined to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry on his 11th birthday. It was then that Harry acquired his first wand at Ollivanders shop in Diagon Alley.

If you’re a geek like me, you remember the above line from Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi where a strike team posing as an engineering crew gives a stolen (dormant) authorization code as they attempt to pass through a security checkpoint.

If you’ve ever seen Jimmy Kimmel Live, I hope you’ve seen the “What’s your Password” skit. As funny, and as incredibly disappointing this is, it’s real life. We’re not in Kansas anymore folks. Many years ago, all we needed to do to protect our assets was lock our door. Now, our assets are spread across a virtual kingdom.

“Identity theft is not a joke, Jim.” If you’re not familiar with this reference, please DM me as we have much to discuss. For context, the line above is said by Dwight K. Schrute, a character played by Rainn Wilson in the TV series The Office. In this episode a colleague impersonates Dwight, causing the line above. Once again, Dwight highlights the importance of account/identity security within an organization without hiding weapons throughout the office.

“Identity theft is not a joke, Jim.” If you’re not familiar with this reference, please DM me as we have much to discuss. For context, the line above is said by Dwight K. Schrute, a character played by Rainn Wilson in the TV series The Office. In this episode a colleague impersonates Dwight, causing the line above. Once again, Dwight highlights the importance of account/identity security within an organization without hiding weapons throughout the office.

If you ever played the massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) World of Warcraft, you entered a fantastical world where you create a character, embark on quests, and explore vast virtual landscapes.

In the early days of "World of Warcraft," the default account for players was the "Guest" account. The account had limited capabilities and was mainly meant for players who were trying out the game before subscribing to a full account. Not surprisingly, some players discovered… Show more

If you ever played the massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) World of Warcraft, you entered a fantastical world where you create a character, embark on quests, and explore vast virtual landscapes.

In the early days of "World of Warcraft," the default account for players was the "Guest" account. The account had limited capabilities and was mainly meant for players who were trying out the game before subscribing to a full account. Not surprisingly, some players discovered that the "Guest" account had certain vulnerabilities, allowing them to exploit the system and gain unintended advantages. Show less

If you were lucky enough to watch Mr. Robot (no judgement here, please!), you learned some valuable lessons on implementing robust security measures and seeing how they can be compromised. In this blog, we will explore how the show's character, Tyrell Wellick, exemplifies secure asset and software management through version-controlled-infrastructure-as-code and accessing administrative interfaces via Secure Shell (SSH) and Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS).

Many homeowners invest in home security systems to protect their property and loved ones. These systems often include components such as alarms, surveillance cameras, and access control measures. They act as a deterrent against intruders and provide peace of mind by ensuring the safety and security of the household.

I’ve heard this many times in my life from a bouncer at a club/event. Sometimes it was my ID, sometimes there were too many people already in, and sometimes it was because, well, they just said no.

Nightclubs and events employ bouncers to control access and maintain security within the venue. Bouncers act as a barrier between the outside world and the controlled environment inside, ensuring that only authorized individuals are granted entry.

My girlfriend asks me this question almost every time we leave our home. Why, you ask? Because I’ve forgotten my keys more often than I should and then been locked out. This happens because our front door automatically locks when we leave as a safety precaution. Maybe I need to replace my Ted Lasso “BELIEVE” sign with a “Do you BELIEVE you have your keys?” sign.

You may know "Drift Away" is a song by Mentor Williams written in 1970 and originally recorded by John Henry Kurtz on his 1972 album Reunion. Mentor Williams was a country songwriter, and John Henry Kurtz was an actor and swamp rock singer. Dobie Gray then recorded/performed that famous song in 1973.

You may know "Drift Away" is a song by Mentor Williams written in 1970 and originally recorded by John Henry Kurtz on his 1972 album Reunion. Mentor Williams was a country songwriter, and John Henry Kurtz was an actor and swamp rock singer. Dobie Gray then recorded/performed that famous song in 1973.

Fort Knox is a United States Army post located in Kentucky and is famous for housing the United States Bullion Depository, which holds a significant portion of the country's gold reserves.

Fort Knox serves as a symbol of impenetrable security due to its robust physical and technological defenses. Similarly, in the digital realm, secure configuration acts as a virtual Fort Knox for enterprise assets and software, ensuring that they are protected against unauthorized access, data breaches,… Show more

Fort Knox is a United States Army post located in Kentucky and is famous for housing the United States Bullion Depository, which holds a significant portion of the country's gold reserves.

Fort Knox serves as a symbol of impenetrable security due to its robust physical and technological defenses. Similarly, in the digital realm, secure configuration acts as a virtual Fort Knox for enterprise assets and software, ensuring that they are protected against unauthorized access, data breaches, and other cyber threats. Show less

This blog just leveled up. My good friend and colleague Bryon Singh, Director of Security Operations at Railworks Corporation has agreed to collaborate on this blog to bring not only the WHY but also the WHAT & HOW to becoming more secure. Hope you enjoy!