Ted Demopoulos
The Bald Carabiner (Tiki Drink)
The Bald Carabiner is a delicious Tiki Style drink, preferably prepared by a bald man in the Dry Tortugas, about 67 miles west of Key West. Tiki is an entirely American “Art Form” essentially created by Don The Beachcomber and Trader Vic in the 1930s, claiming to have Polynesian roots although the connection is very […]
You Must Fall in Love with your Work – Jiro Ono
Being a Rock Star has nothing to do with how or why you got into Infosec (or sushi or whatever). It doesn’t matter. Perhaps you were fascinated at an early age, maybe you needed a job, or very likely for many, this is where the opportunities and money were. Jiro Ono is an 85 year […]
The Corpse Reviver #2 – My Current House Cocktail
The curious Corpse Reviver #2 has become the house cocktail lately at my place, which means I offer one to guests and probably make a couple a week for myself otherwise. It’s quite a delicious and interesting combo. I first encountered it, knowing it previously by name only, after dining at the wonderful Rendezvous in […]
Rock Stars Don’t Do Email All Day Long
Email will consume all your time and life if you let it — so don’t let it. Rock Stars Don’t Do Email All Day Long! Here are a few ideas to help tame email so you can spend time on more productive tasks – email is rarely the most important thing for you to concentrate […]
“I am the Greatest” – Muhammad Ali
Muhammad, an incredible technically skilled boxer, enormously propelled his career with self promotional Rock Star tactics such as claiming “I am The Greatest!” His non-boxing (or non-geek if you prefer) skills were greatly responsible for his enormous success. Muhammad Ali is certainly one of the greatest boxers to live, both in the ring and out […]
Authors are Experts
A Rock Star is an expert, and many are authors. If you an author, you are automatically considered an expert. (Author may or may not mean book) And of course some of you will immediately revolt here, as you claim you do not know how to write or perhaps are a poor writer or maybe […]
Speakers are Experts
Rockstars are experts, and many are speakers. If you are “the Speaker” you are automatically considered an expert. Some of you will immediately revolt here, as you claim you do not know enough yet to speak and maybe you are terrified of speaking. We all have useful information we can share! First of all, we […]
How to be an Instant Expert
A Rock Star is an expert! There are two ways to be perceived as an (instant) expert. Now ideally you are an expert AND perceived as an expert, but quite honestly, most of us are totally confused as to what an expert is. Before we dive in we had better agree on what an “Expert” […]
Stretch Goals: “I’d like to fly but I can’t even swim” – The Kinks, “Superman”
I am fully in favor of absurd and ridiculous goals Goals are important, and I am fully in favor of absurd and ridiculous goals, as long as a modicum of reason is included. Goals are steps along the way to our vision of what we want to become. Having “Stretch Goals,” simply what you might […]
The Lemon Drop – Ginger Variation too
A Lemon Drop (sometimes erroneously called a “Lemon Drop Martini”) can be a splendid cocktail, or it can be an absolutely putrid sickly sweet concoction. Bad versions contain cheap triple sec and sour mix – a great one instead has quality ingredients such as Cointreau and freshly squeezed lemon juice instead. This is one of […]
Using Time Effectively – time scheduling tips
1) First of all, schedule your time. Yes, the first “tip” is just do it; schedule! If you do not schedule your time, you risk being primarily reactive instead of proactive. The level of scheduling is up to you (mine is somewhat loose – I do not micromanage my time, but that does work and […]
Time Blocking
Time blocking is a simple concept. A time block is a meeting with yourself. Like all successful meetings, a time block needs a specific agenda, i.e. what you are going to do, a specific start and end time, and follow on “action items” – what you are going to do next. What you do next […]
Time Management: Power of a Positive “No”
Not only do you not have time to do everything, but you can’t do everything well. As you become more important, more valuable, more wanted, your time still remains constant at 24 hours a day. And your need for sleep doesn’t decrease. Every time you say “yes” to something you are implicitly saying “no” to […]
People Get What They Expect
One reason positioning, what people think about you, is so hard to change, is that people get what they expect. Here are four examples: “The project was late” vs. “Ted messed it up” At one client I could do no wrong. If a project blew up, it was a bad project or circumstances changed or […]
Be The First, the go to guy (or gal)
The spoils go to the victor, the first. Often it’s the first in the mind, the go to guy or gal. The second is frequently far far behind. The 5th is always lost in the pack. Do you want to be the BEST forensics person or pentester or whatever LOST in the pack? The first […]
In Infosec: You are what you . . .
Although it’s not quite as simple as “You are what you eat” . . . Unless you really are one of the top Rock Stars in your field and can do occasional stupid shit just because you want to (think George Clooney in “Men Who Stare at Goats), the issues below matter. They matter a […]
Be so good they can’t ignore you – Steve Martin
“Be so good they can’t ignore you” – Steve Martin Steve Martin is one incredible dude. I’ve been a fan since his 1978 comedy album “Let’s Get Small.” I saw him live shortly thereafter doing comedy including his infamous “Cat Juggling” bit. In a high school English class we actually analyzed his comedy. He is […]
Planning – Brian Tracy
“Every minute you spend in planning, saves 10 minutes in execution.” – Brian Tracy Yup, planning is essential, whether you want to build a staircase or a career in Infosec that matters. Planning helps avoid wasted time. Anyone remember when programming projects just started by sitting down and writing code? Maybe sometimes there would be […]
Uniqueness – Arnold Schwarzenegger
“The worst thing I can be is the same as everybody else. I hate that.” – Arnold Schwarzenegger Rock Stars are unique. They are not just another musician in the band, another cog in the corporate wheel, another IDS Analyst or Pen Tester or Forensics gal. Think about Schwarzenegger, Dr Eric Cole, Sid Vicious, Paul […]
The Classic Martini
The Martini is the quintessential cocktail, truly a Rock Star among cocktails, and unfortunately greatly misunderstood today. It is amazing how many “upscale” establishments make somewhat mediocre Martinis. Gin, Vermouth, and a Garnish A Martini is Gin, Vermouth, and a Garnish – yes, there are some “allowable” variations (even if you are not James Bond), […]
A Mission from God, Blues Brothers Style: Kenneth G. Hartman
I met Kenneth G. Hartman at a security event in Madison in a few years ago and we’ve stayed in touch. I’m impressed with his creative approach to security as well as life, and he’s definitely provided great input for this site. Ken also jumped at the opportunity to write a guest post, and it’s […]
Comfortable with Uncomfortable: geek2great
I ran into Keith Croxford and his excellent geek2great (Because ‘Average’ is Overrated!) recently online and am so happy he decided to contribute. Also check out his superb videos here! Let’s a take wild guess and assume that your daily schedule resembles a Python script called by Cron. Ok, maybe not Python, I like Python. […]
The Aviation Cocktail – A Stunner!
The first time I had an Aviation was after I had a great gym workout, biked 50 miles (occasionally I’m fit), taken a rapid shower and driven about an hour to Local 188 (recommended) in Portland Maine to meet Soccer Chick. We’d been trying to get together for a while, and since my schedule isn’t […]
Rapid Change: Punctuated Equilibruim
Part 2 of 4 part series on change (Part One Here) Change is inevitable, usually it’s slow/gradual, but it can be very fast at times. Fast Change can Rock Your World! In Part One we talked about how you are evolving, you are changing, whether you realize it or not. I’d suggest you go read […]
Geek Success: Guest Post by Cindy Murphy
I reached out to Cindy Murphy for her input, and what she wrote up is awesome. And here it is – Ted I am happy to provide input, because the “DFIR Rock Star” conversation is one that I always find interesting. I guess I could probably be considered an ‘incidental’ digital forensics rock star… one […]
Change: You are Evolving, like it or not!
Ever run into someone you haven’t seen in a while, maybe 2 years, or 5 years, or even 25 years? Chances are you thought, “Wow, they’ve changed.” Now if you saw them every day you might not have noticed those changes as most are very gradual. You cannot sit and watch a man bald (although […]
The Breakfast Martini
The Breakfast Martini, what ???? Although Rock Stars are known for excess at times and although alcohol in moderation regardless of time is not inappropriate, The Breakfast Martini is not a Martini you have at breakfast. The Breakfast Martini is a specific drink that is delicious regardless of time or day. It even has it’s […]
5 Brutal Time Management Rules
We all have exactly 24 hours a day (forget about “leap” seconds, time nerds!). In that time we need to sleep, eat (sometimes while working), and more. As we get more importance or seniority or higher positions etc. – basically as we grow up, we have more responsibilities, yet we have no more time. Demands […]
Influence: Social Engineering the Office and Beyond
Did you know that influence has been studied for many years? Not only con men, sales people, pickup artists, and others of their ilk, but also scientists. That’s why we can talk about the Science of Influence. Let’s define “Influence” as getting people to do what you want them to do. Obviously getting people to […]
What Determines Your Pay the Most?
We as humans think a lot about money. Our parents probably tried to steer most of us into a field where there was lots of money to be made. At Dartmouth for example, almost everyone was “Pre Med” as it was seen as a very lucrative field. In infosec, we are in a well paid […]
Changing Positioning: Changing YOUR Success
If you can change your positioning in people’s minds, you can dramatically increase your success. For example if the hot college chicks in my gym positioned me in their minds as an ultra cool guy they’d like to date, that might have a significant effect. Perhaps an opportunity for “Field Study?” And if the position […]
Positioning: What People Think About You Matters
Positioning is the idea that everything holds a position in someone’s mind, and that position matters and is very difficult to change. If people think you and your department suck, life is going to be tough For example, if you are well respected and have a reputation for getting things done, and one of your […]
Prevention is Ideal but Detection is a MUST
I was just talking to a client who has over ¾ of a million devices in their network. That is over 750,000 devices. Do you want to bet that there are always at least a few that are compromised? I also spoke to a CISO of a very large organization who has multiple CSOs reporting […]
Attract Women like a Rock Star (Made Easy)
There is a perception that Rock Stars, who are primarily male, have a plethora of women. This is fundamentally true. Now to help out the way more than 50% geek male readers (I know there are also quite a few ladies here, as well as non-geeks): Why do women love rock stars and how can […]
That “Personal Branding” thing
A brand is a promise It is the position something holds in your mind. It is what prevents something from being a commodity. An example is Starbucks. When I think of Starbucks, I think of a strong, although over roasted to my taste, cup of coffee and a comfortable place to sit (with all the […]
The Manhattan
The Manhattan is a classic cocktail, that unlike many, never faded away. I use to enjoy one every decade or so, but now it has become one of my standards. Allegedly the Manhattan was invented by Dr. Iain Marshall in the early 1870s at the Manhattan Club in New York City, and named after the […]
This Vision Thing – Whattaya Wanta Become
While a (personal) mission statement is your why, a vision statement is a where, as in where are you going long term, where do you want to end up. It really is worth spending some time thinking about what your mission is. Similarly, your vision is critical. Click here to jump straight to the action […]
(Personal) Mission Statements: Step Zero Point Five
Companies spend millions of dollars coming up with mission statements: often they suck. Stephen R. Covey came up with the idea of having a person mission statement in The 7 Habits of Highly Successful People in 1989. Personal Mission Statements, which may also be called purpose statements or similar, are common today, a quarter century […]
Become a Rock Star: Step Zero
Of course step zero is the first step since most of us are geeks, post geeks, or sometimes neo geeks. Whatever this may mean, many of us like to start counting at “zero.” Decide You rarely become a Rock Star by accident. You love this stuff. You are here for the long haul. You want […]
Three Rock Star Assumptions
I’m making three assumptions here about you, gentle reader: Security is more than just a job to you You actually like what you do. No, not every single part of work, but you rather like working in security, you like it a lot. A lot a lot a lot. Maybe you got into this field […]
Great Ideas Suck, Part II, The Good, The Bad and the Ugly
In Part I, I wrote about how there are so many great ideas out there, that they are common and hence pretty worthless. What is not common is a great idea that is actually implemented. In other words, getting off your butt and doing something, bringing that idea to fruition, implementing it, “shipping” it as […]
Great Ideas Suck, Part I
As a Rock Star, you need new ideas. Can you think of any Rock Stars that only play covers? The thing is, there are lots of great ideas. They are common. I come up with enough great ideas in a year to last a lifetime, and great ideas are generally useless. “Ideas are a dime […]
Sex and Drugs
“Sex and drugs and rock and roll. Are very good indeed”- Ian Dury and The Blockheads (See Ian Dury’s video at the bottom of this post). Look, I get soooo many questions on sex and drugs, simply because they seem to go with Rock and Roll. How could Ian Dury and The Blockheads ever be […]
Success: What’s it mean to you?
A Rock Star by definition is successful. If you are not successful, you are no Rock Star! But what is success? It is clear that the definition of success varies by individual, and successful for me might be miserable for you, and vice versa. The definition of success varies by individual. Maybe you go to […]
So You Want To Be A Consultant?
I get a lot of questions about becoming a consultant. I’ve been a consultant for close to 25 years, so I should know something about it. In reality, not so much, but I can share what I know and recommend an awesome resource or two. Consulting seems like a Rock Star life at first. I […]
What’s a RockStar anyways?
As I’ve said, this is a community project, so I’ve started a number of my talks asking people to yell out exactly what they think when they hear the word “Rock Star” – here are the most popular responses, with some discussion attached: Extremely good at what they do Yup, Rock Stars are damn good […]