Security Pie

How it works?

Every few days I am sorting through Securitypie’s spam queue. Our anti-spam engine detects most of the spam messages but there are few that it asks one of the administrators to approve. Most of those messages are targeting a single post. Assaf’s self confession “Why I miss the Soviet Union is like a spam magnet.

Why? What is so unique about those 875 words that make it different? Could it be that the desire to see “a visionary CTO with a set of brass balls. Not a Cisco kowtowing CIO” makes the difference?
It would be interesting to see how the spammers threat this post. If you have a clue, send us a comment.

The road to/from deficiency

I found the following definition of “significant deficiency” in a GAO report and I liked it. If you are outside of the US or not regulated by US regulations, you can change the reference regulations mentioned in the first sentence:

A significant deficiency is a control deficiency, or combination of control deficiencies, that adversely affects the entity’s ability to initiate, authorize, record, process, or report financial data reliably in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles such that there is more than a remote likelihood that a misstatement of the entity’s financial statements that is more than inconsequential will not be prevented or detected.

Then, it also explains what a control deficiency is:

A control deficiency exists when the design or operation of a control does not allow management or employees in the normal course of performing their assigned functions to prevent or detect misstatements on a timely basis.

For working on nailing Angelo Mozilo, former head of Countrywide.

• Thank you 1 goes to the email records: for providing proof that Angelo knew what he was doing and misled investors.
• Thank you 2 goes to the SEC: for FINALLY doing your job. Better late than never.

Angelo – May you go directly to jail and may you rot there. American dream my ass.

Let’s kick the Angelo’s new cage closed and move on to Dick Fuld and the rest of those who think our economy is their playground.

One of the best things I like the most about living in Silicon Valley is the opportunity to explore so many cultures and different behaviors. Working with great people from all over the world I can learn to see myself in different light. The other day I made a comment about acting more aggressively in a specific area to achieve a business goal.  Then, someone send me the following note:

Act more aggressively than normal? We are Israeli based after all! LOL

Speaking of which…when I went to Jaffa during my last trip, I tried several times to walk into some basic “deli” type places that looked like they had amazing food. At each one it sounded like the guy was yelling at me in Hebrew but I couldn’t understand the menu… they “yelled at me” and motioned for me to get out of the way so the next person could order. I was intimidated and eventually walked out of each one until I got back to the hotel…  It was quite funny!

I know what he was talking about…