Posts by Chameleon Associates
Duty to Protect
To what extent is a business obligated to provide security for its customers? And to what extent does security influence which businesses a customer choses to frequent? These questions are particularly relevant in light of the recent shooting at a grocery store location in Colorado which left ten people dead. Some would say that businesses…
Read MoreRansomware Risk
It is estimated that every 11 seconds, a ransomware attack occurs (this according to Cybersecurity Ventures). Over the last 4 years, the FBI reports there have been 4,000 attacks – on private businesses, government agencies and individual computer users. Covid and the associated increased reliance on computing is cited as another reason for ever-increasing occurrence…
Read MoreOfficer Joe’s on Post
The security industry has some unique characteristics which influence its management. What works just fine for management in other business sectors does not work well in security. As background, decades ago, when Chameleon was an upstart consultancy, we did not benefit from a network of businesspeople we met on the golf course (although we do…
Read MoreA Changing U.S. Threat Environment
For decades, organizations in the United States have been accustomed to looking outward for threats. Prevention efforts were focused mostly on bad guys coming from outside the organization to attack “us.” Was the attack of the US Capitol a wake-up call to alert us that perhaps our focus should change, and to give more attention…
Read MoreSystematic Security Failure at the Capitol
US Capitol January 6, 2021 The burning of the German Parliament in 1933 “We can afford being attacked; we cannot afford being surprised.” This is what the Sergeant at Arms of the Israeli Parliament (“the Knesset”) said to our group during a security seminar in Israel, a few years ago. Surprise is what the…
Read MoreOffensive vs Defensive Intelligence
There are two main disciplines in the field of intelligence: offensive and defensive. At a national level, countries may chose a defensive or an offensive intelligence posture. For example, the Canadian Security and Intelligence Services (CSIS) is considered predominantly defensive while the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is regarded as more on the offensive side of…
Read More2020 Recap
2020 was a weird year. Nonetheless, Chameleon continued to provide security consulting services and training to our clients, both new and existing. We’ve been playing to our strengths in terms of supporting a wide range of industries in areas across the globe. We’ve found that our flexible, resilient and creative work ethic makes for success,…
Read MoreLicense to Kill
Iranian demonstrators carrying signs promising to avenge the assassination of Major General Qasem Soleimani by a U.S. drone strike in January 2020. What are the boundaries of a country’s license to kill? Historically, most western countries maintain that a nation’s license to kill without trial or due process is only granted during war time. But…
Read MoreFireEye Hack Needs Hacker Defense
FireEye, one of the world’s largest cyber security companies, announced this week that they were hacked. Their hacking tools were stolen. CEO Kevin Mandia said in a statement that based on his “25 years in cyber security and responding to incidents, I’ve concluded we are witnessing an attack by a nation with top-tier offensive capabilities.” …
Read MoreRenting a Bond
Bodyguards are associated with VIPs, celebrities, politicians. There’s a mystique around body guards – blockbuster movies are made about them. Having one marks you as special. But starting in 2020, we can now all be special. Ordering a body guard is as easy as ordering food delivery or scheduling an Uber. The aptly named app…
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