A tongue‑in‑cheek breakdown of how everyday misalignments, unclear requirements, and one overlooked dependency can quietly snowball into a perfectly avoidable catastrophe. Framed as a conceptual “recipe,” this piece turns organizational failure modes into ingredients and steps, offering a dry, structured look at how disasters are engineered long before anyone notices something’s wrong. It’s not food — but it’s absolutely something you’ve tasted before.
Artificial Intelligence, My Favorite Evil Machine
A sharp, memorable explainer that uses the dry humor of “my favorite evil machine” to cut through AI hype and fear. This piece reframes AI not as an autonomous threat, but as a powerful tool that amplifies human choices, incentives, and governance. Through humor, clarity, and structural precision, it teaches the core truth: AI has no intent — humans do — and accountability always lives with the people and institutions behind the system.
Codifying the Unwritten Rules
A definitive blueprint for neutral, low‑noise technical communities — the first public codification of the unwritten norms that make high‑performance environments functional, predictable, and safe. This essay explains why SDSUG formalized the expectations elite fields have relied on for decades: clarity, courtesy, neutrality, and no ideological tilt. It’s a manifesto for stewards who want to build rooms where people stop bracing, start collaborating, and finally breathe again — small, well‑run spaces where the work comes first and repair becomes possible.
Why So Many Websites Read Like War and Peace
Why So Many Websites Read Like War and Peace and Why That’s Not an Accident If you’ve ever landed on a website and thought, “Why is this so long?”—you’re not wrong. Somewhere between the opening paragraph and the fifteenth subheading, many modern web pages begin to feel less like explanations […]
StormWatch | Lessons from the CISA ChatGPT Incident
A detailed StormWatch analysis of the CISA ChatGPT incident, where the agency’s acting director uploaded sensitive “for official use only” documents into a public AI system, triggering internal security alerts and a DHS review. Hunter Storm breaks down why this misstep matters: how public AI tools retain data, why deletion is complex, and what happens when government information leaves controlled networks. The article examines the governance failures, access‑privilege concerns, and long‑standing risks of mixing public AI with federal workflows. It also explains how AI systems store, cache, and replicate data, and why even non‑classified materials can create lasting exposure once uploaded. A clear, structured advisory on the operational, legal, and trust implications when public AI intersects with government security.
Why I Removed Social Media Sharing Buttons
Why I Removed Social Media Sharing Buttons | Refusing to Feature Without Blocking For a long time, I featured social media sharing buttons prominently on my website. I didn’t find them especially useful. However, I thought they improved the experience for readers. Other people expected them. I believed, at the […]
Serious Horseplay | When Gifts Become Trojan Horses
A clear, grounded look at why seemingly harmless gifts — conference swag, lapel pins, USB drives, novelty gadgets — can introduce real security risk in high‑trust environments. Drawing on decades of documented incidents, from USB‑drop red‑team exercises to mailed malicious devices and modern QR‑enabled scams, Hunter Storm explains how objects inherit trust, cross boundaries, and bypass scrutiny. This article breaks down the technical, passive, and social risks of integrating unknown items, and offers practical, non‑paranoid guidance for maintaining gift hygiene in sensitive roles. It’s a sober, realistic framework for anyone working in security, government, or high‑profile environments who needs to balance kindness, professionalism, and operational safety.