The Trade-offs of Open Source Going Private

The Trade-offs of Open Source Going Private

The open-source software (OSS) movement has long been hailed as the engine of technological innovation and collaboration. Its ethos of transparency, accessibility, and community-driven development has empowered startups and global enterprises alike. Yet, recent years have seen a growing trend: prominent open-source companies transitioning to proprietary or hybrid licensing models. This shift raises important questions …

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How To Measure Real Success In Software Engineering

How To Measure Real Success In Software Engineering

Recently, while attending The Business Show in London, I engaged in a conversation with a CXO of an upcoming Fintech company. The discussion began with cybersecurity implementation—a topic close to my heart—but quickly veered into the realm of engineering throughput. What followed was an incoherent rant by the CXO, a frustrating narrative about firing their …

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The Truth About “Ghost Engineers”: A Critical Analysis

The Truth About “Ghost Engineers”: A Critical Analysis

Disclaimer:This article is not intended to discredit Boris Denisov, Stanford University, McKinsey, or any other entities referenced herein. I hold immense respect for their contributions to research and industry discourse. While findings like these may resonate with practices in FAANG companies, large organizations, and mature startups, this critique seeks to explore the broader implications of …

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Do You Know What’s in Your Supply Chain? The Case for Better Security

Do You Know What’s in Your Supply Chain? The Case for Better Security

I recently read an interesting report by CyCognito on the top 3 vulnerabilities on third-party products and it sparked my interest to reexamine the supply chain risks in software engineering. This article is an attempt at that. The Vulnerability Trifecta in Third-Party Products The CyCognito report identifies three critical areas where third-party products introduce significant …

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Why Do We Need Quantum-Resistant Security Standards?

Why Do We Need Quantum-Resistant Security Standards?

In October 2024, we discussed the profound implications of China’s quantum computing advancements and their potential to disrupt internet security. Quantum computers, with their unparalleled processing power, pose a direct threat to current encryption systems that secure global communications. Since then, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has made significant strides in shaping …

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Hidden Threats in PyPI and NPM: What You Need to Know

Hidden Threats in PyPI and NPM: What You Need to Know

Introduction: Dependency Dangers in the Developer Ecosystem Modern software development is fuelled by open-source packages, ranging from Python (PyPI) and JavaScript (npm) to PHP (phar) and pip modules. These packages have revolutionised development cycles by providing reusable components, thereby accelerating productivity and creating a rich ecosystem for innovation. However, this very reliance comes with a …

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Why Startups Should Put Security First: Push from Five Eyes

Why Startups Should Put Security First: Push from Five Eyes

Five Eyes intelligence chiefs warn of ‘sharp rise’ in commercial espionage The Five Eyes nations—Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK, and the US—have launched a joint initiative, Secure Innovation, to encourage tech startups to adopt robust security practices. This collaborative effort aims to address the increasing cyber threats faced by emerging technology companies, particularly from …

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Scattered Spider Attacks: Tips for SaaS Security

Scattered Spider Attacks: Tips for SaaS Security

As cloud adoption soars, threat groups like LUCR-3 Scattered Spider and Oktapus are mastering new ways to exploit identity management systems(IAMs), making these attacks more frequent and harder to detect. By targeting cloud environments and leveraging human vulnerabilities, LUCR-3 compromises identity providers (IDPs) and uses sophisticated techniques to breach organizations. Before we begin, I wanted …

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How Will China’s Quantum Advances Change Internet Security?

How Will China’s Quantum Advances Change Internet Security?

Image Generated with Dalle 3 Introduction: Chinese scientists have recently announced that they have successfully cracked military-grade encryption using a quantum computer with 372 qubits, a significant achievement that underscores the rapid evolution of quantum technology. This breakthrough has sparked concerns across global cybersecurity communities as RSA-2048 encryption—a widely regarded standard—was reportedly compromised. However, while …

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Starling Bank’s Penalty: How to Strengthen Your Compliance Efforts

Starling Bank’s Penalty: How to Strengthen Your Compliance Efforts

Introduction The rapid growth of the fintech industry has brought with it immense opportunities for innovation, but also significant risks in terms of regulatory compliance and real security. Starling Bank, one of the UK’s prominent digital banks, recently faced a £29 million fine in October 2024 from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) for serious lapses …

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