The Portable Document Format (PDF)1 is a great example of how an originally brilliant concept for displaying print documents has been ruined over decades. Initially conceived as successor to PostScript, it has degenerated into a universal container format. Text, images, vectors, scripts, fonts, form data, even complete 3D models there’s hardly anything, that can’t end up in a PDF, including Doom. Read more

Not only since my seven security tips1 have I been getting questions about why I prefer to keep Windows and an Active Directory2 offline. That may sound inflexible, and in an era of AI-generated cybersecurity slop3 I may look like an outsider. So in today’s blog post I provide more context, explain the technical background, and lay out how ransomware works. Read more

A typical day in a mid-sized company. The already overworked developer, deep in crunch mode1 gets a quick note: “Would you please make the open invoices visible in the overview of all customers for this project?” Dutifully, he nods. He knows it’s an important project, the task isn’t technically difficult and the boss likes quick and simple solutions. Read more

A typical crisis meeting scenario: The Management and myself as an external consultant or information security officer sitting in a conference room: Our processes are being slowed down by too many security requirements. Employees are complaining. ‘Your’ IT security is becoming a risk to our business. Read more