I've been thinking about trust lately. Not in the abstract philosophical sense, but in the "who do you hand your house keys to" sense. Which is unfortunate timing, because this week's news suggests we've been handing our keys to some truly questionable characters. The Protection Racket Made Digital A DDoS protection firm got caught running … Continue reading Breach of Confidence: 8 May 2026 →

I may be in the minority, but I quite enjoyed Predator Badlands. But that's not the point. The movie follows a young Predator called Dek who reluctantly teams up with Thia, a damaged android. He only agrees because he can rationalise her as a tool rather than a companion. His code says hunt alone. But … Continue reading The Dek Principle →

I've been thinking about coal mines. How you dig a hole in the earth, extract everything valuable, leave a scar, and walk away. Then someone comes along decades later and says, what if we filled it with water and made it beautiful? Feels like a metaphor for something, but I can't quite land it. Germany … Continue reading Breach of Confidence 1 May 2026 →

There's a bloke on Twitter who spent three hours writing a passionate thread about AI ruining the internet. There was quite the debate, and someone asked if he'd ever used Grammarly. That's the whole story, really. People call AI content "slop" with contempt reserved for microwaving fish at the office. But there's plenty of human … Continue reading The Slop Problem Isn’t What You Think →

My wife is currently away, leaving me in charge of our domestic administration. I admit that I do enjoy the power trip. She asked me last night if I could pay an invoice, "the email should have details." It sounded easy enough. It's not like she was asking me to assemble an Ikea wardrobe. In … Continue reading The Tyranny of Security →

I spent an hour this week explaining to someone that no, ChatGPT cannot reliably fact-check itself, and yes, that's a problem when your entire business strategy depends on it being right. They looked at me like I'd just told them Father Christmas works part-time at Argos. The Swing That Crosses Borders 40 Times a Minute … Continue reading Breach of Confidence: 24 April 2026 →

There is a certain kind of argument that appears every time encryption comes up. Yes, yes, privacy is lovely. But think of the children!!! And just like that, the conversation is over. Because once someone has wheeled in children, terrorists, organised crime, and a shadowy man in a basement who definitely has a beard, anyone … Continue reading Why We Actually Need End-to-End Encryption →

I've spent the week watching people earnestly debate whether AI will replace security analysts. The real threat isn't AI taking your job. It's having to sit through another webinar about it. France Wants a Divorce France has announced plans to reduce dependency on US tech, which apparently includes ditching Windows. Bold move. The problem with … Continue reading Breach of Confidence 17 April 2026 →

I spent most of one day this week trying to access a perfectly ordinary online service and felt like I was applying for witness protection. By the end of it, I’d supplied a password, a code, a backup code, a second email, and what felt like several pieces of emotional verification. We are constantly told … Continue reading Breach of Confidence: 10 April 2026 →

Someone sent me a photo last week. It was me, about fifteen years ago. And I looked good. Not "good for someone who has since surrendered to gravity" good. Actually good. Fit. Hair that was black rather than its current negotiations with grey. My first reaction was something between pride and grief. Because I remember … Continue reading Dear me, you already are →