The Risk Dr ®

  • Risk Response Requires Critical Thinking

    My @ISACA column was published today. Read it here.   Edited: I realized they edited the full submission I made (I could tell because it sounded a little off from what I recalled). Below is the full post:   Depending on your point of view, risk management is either a very easy or a terrifically difficult…

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  • Despite all my rage…

    I recently had the privilege to have some discussions with fellow members of a privacy-oriented group. They were mostly lawyers, and after a series of discussions we waded into the current disapprovals over Nordstrom’s practice of tracking people by Wifi (see here for more on this). Basically  its the implied consent that seems to be getting people up in arms. That and this…

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  • I want what they’re having

    When consulting on a security issue, one of the questions that makes me grind my teeth more than any other is some variation of, “What’re our competitors doing?” My initial reaction is always, “Who cares?” Its really just a useless way to think about security and risk. In my experience, no one asks this question because they are…

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  • Negligence and Compliance

    Compliance is out of control. Its pervasive in our society now and there is no going back. Allow me to explain. My kid attends pre-school. They go outside daily to play, so we were asked to provide some sunblock. Makes sense, our family is pale so we are used to that routine. We brought it…

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  • Frequency Matters

    So there are a lot of ways to die. Like a lot. We worry about obscure ways to die. Its gruesome really, to die via an asteroid or “space junk” strike (so much so that we make TV shows about it), hockey puck death, or obscure elevator amputations. …sort of like the various ways that…

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  • Maturing as a Risk Professional

    My @ISACA column was published today. Read it here.

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  • High Accumulation

    I recently relocated to Charlotte from Ohio. Its South, but not so much so that it doesn’t get cold and yes, sometimes there is even snow. As I become acclimated to things down here, I am always surprised at the response that folks from here have to snow. They dislike it immensely and are often…

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  • It’s always about the money

    I live in a fairly straightforward world, I guess. I’m often accused of being naive but I’d argue I feel enlightened. Put bluntly, I think risk is always about money. This has to do with my education from Douglas Hubbard. When I hear nebulous problems I know that I can use the methods of Enrico…

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  • Open Group Risk Mgmt Podcast

    I participated in a panel discussion podcast for the Open Group during their recent conference in Newport Beach.

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  • Substituting Risk Tolerances

    I hate hand dryers in washrooms. I’m not alone: if Wikipedia is to be believed, 63% of people preferred paper towels over hand dryers in restrooms. I’d wager the other 37% choose what they thought was the right answer. Each time I use them, I always end up with cold, wet hands and if I’m…

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