I recently attempted to write a blog post exploring how our human memory is limited and how easily things slip between the cracks when life gets overwhelming. The original draft was around 2,300 words – painstakingly researched, peppered with references to scientific studies, and teetering into “academic essay” territory. It ended up so dense and dry that it felt more like a term paper than a friendly blog post. So, after wrestling with it for a week, I did the unthinkable: trashed all of it and decided to start fresh! ...

Proxmox VE is a phenomenal open-source virtualization platform that many of us (myself included) absolutely love. It’s powered by a strong community, and the fact that we can use it for free in our home labs or even in small production environments is a huge blessing. In my early days with Proxmox, I struggled a bit with its firewall configuration. Then I took some time to learn how it’s laid out, and the entire system started to make sense. ...

So you’ve spent years honing your craft as an individual contributor (IC), and now you’re considering a transition to a leadership position. The appeal is obvious: greater influence, more responsibility, and a unique chance to shape your organization’s trajectory. However, stepping into a lead role comes with challenges that aren’t always highlighted in the job description. One of the most significant hurdles is the shift in mindset that this move demands. Instead of focusing your energy on perfecting technical solutions or improving your own output, you’ll need to foster team dynamics, resolve interpersonal issues, and guide others to success. ...

Every Engineering manager knows the feeling: you wake up already juggling a thousand thoughts, your calendar is a battlefield, and Slack notifications seem endless. It’s a chaotic yet rewarding role, one where the pressure to deliver is only rivaled by the satisfaction of seeing your team succeed. In 2024, my days as an Engineering manager (EM) were a constant balancing act. I want to share what those days looked like, the challenges I faced, and how I’ve since discovered a helpful framework for managing time better in Aviv Ben-Yosef’s “The Tech Executive Operating System” book. ...

As a long-term fan of Yubikeys, I quickly got curious about this relatively new concept called “passkeys”. Big companies like Apple, Amazon, and Mastercard are nudging their users to adopt passkeys and use them instead of passwords. The “instead of passwords” part really got me curious! Since forever, passwords have been a part of our online lives for as long as we can remember. But let’s be honest: most of us have a love-hate relationship with them. They’re either too easy to guess or so complex that we forget them entirely. Yes, even if it’s just one master password to a password vault like Bitwarden or LastPass. ...

Picture this: your software application is running smoothly in production, serving thousands of users. Then, you hear about a new critical vulnerability affecting open-source libraries, and panic sets in. Is your application exposed? If so, which part is at risk? Without a clear map of your software’s components, answering these questions can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack. This is where a Software bill of materials, or SBOM, becomes invaluable. An SBOM is like a recipe list for your software, cataloging every ingredient − libraries, dependencies, and components making up your application. Just as food labels provide transparency (‑ish) about what you’re consuming, an SBOM ensures full visibility into what’s inside your apps. ...

Introducing a Security Awareness program is becoming increasingly important for organizations as the cybersecurity landscape changes rapidly. This undertaking becomes even more challenging if the security team is new to the organization and operates on a limited budget. In this blog post, I share my experience implementing a security awareness program enriched by extensive research and insights from consulting with industry experts. This guide is designed to be highly practical to help you build and execute an effective program without breaking the bank. ...

Security is becoming more important for businesses operating in an increasingly complex landscape of cyber threats and data breaches. Small businesses often don’t have the advanced security measures and resources that larger enterprises possess, making them particularly vulnerable targets for cyberattacks. A breach can result in significant financial losses, reputational damage, and legal liabilities, which can be catastrophic for small businesses. Therefore, investing in adequate security measures is essential, and in this post, we will look at the SAMM framework that allows us to take control of the situation. ...

Priceless find Someone posted a recommendation for this book on one of the LeadDev Slack channels. I always considered recruiters partners rather than merely a “resource”, so I became interested in the book as a way to learn more about that world. It promised to show recruitment from within, and then I discovered that it is written for candidates. It doesn’t get better than this! The book is “Search in Plain Sight: Demystifying Executive Search” by Somer Hackley. ...

The challenge In the intricate world of cybersecurity, every attack leaves behind digital footprints waiting to be deciphered. In this post, we embark on a brief journey to unravel a cyber threat, dissecting each element that reveals an attacker’s origin, tactics, and motives. Let’s dive in. The challenge is presented by CyberDefenders (https://cyberdefenders.org) and can be found here: https://cyberdefenders.org/blueteam-ctf-challenges/webstrike/. Note: This post is not sponsored by or affiliated with CyberDefenders. ...