When debating someone who believes in the fundamental components of the Christian narrative, i.e. the choice by man to eat the apple, the fall, original sin, and the subsequent return to God, I choose to focus not on the specifics but rather on the first and most important events. These are the creation of man, and man’s choice…
Archives for September 2008
How to Build a Cybersecurity Career
Education Building Your Lab You Are Your Projects Practicing with Bounties Have a Presence On Certifications Making Contributions Networking With Others Conferences Responding to CFPs Landing Your First Job Mastering Professionalism Understanding the Business Having Passion Becoming Guru I’ve been doing Information Security (now called Cybersecurity by many) for around 20 years now, and I’ve spent most of…
Contemplating Confirmation Bias
Image from weber.edu As I sit here at my allergist waiting on the all-clear after my shots, I’m thinking about something that’s been bothering me for a while. It’s called Confirmation Bias, and it essentially means that once you’re in a camp, you tend to take inputs that agree with that camp. And as you do so you…
Overcoming Bias: Excluding the Supernatural
Another excellent bit from Overcoming Bias: Of course this plays right into the creationist claim that Intelligent Design isn’t getting a fair shake from science – that science has prejudged the issue in favor of atheism, regardless of the evidence. If science excluded Intelligent Design a priori, this would be a justified complaint! But let’s back up a…
The Republicans Have Deliberately Chosen to Campaign on Emotion Rather Than Issues
It’s not that their logical arguments are slightly more emotional than democratic logical arguments; they’re actually purposely avoiding logic altogether. Emotion is simply far more effective on their base than reason. Here’s a quote to this effect from McCain’s campaign manager: This election is not about issues. This election is about a composite view of what people take…
My Preferred Definition of Security
There is much debate in the information security world regarding the proper definition of security. I have seen dozens of definitions over the years, but I feel the following option most completely and succinctly captures it. The process of maintaining an acceptable level of perceived risk. There are a few things I like about this definition. Process. i.e.…
The Principles of Secular Humanism
Many of my friends who are still somewhat religious despite being freethinkers see the benefits of rejecting ideologies that are untrue, but they wonder what will fill the void. They wonder what you’re supposed to…believe in once you truly shed all superstition. How do you go on? What do you base your life on? What gives you meaning?…