"The visions are clear now. I see possible futures, all at once.
Our enemies are all around us, and in so many futures they prevail...
But I do see a way, there is a narrow way through."
Paul Atreides, Dune.

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-No Kid, computers do NOT "think", they process.
(one of my trainers at CERT UNAM)

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This past two months has been really interesting/challenging, and I had to self reflect and meditate a lot on what I do for a living and the future of it.

There has been two events that marked this times of change deeply:
  • The first one is that I resigned from my manager position, I was able to see the end of the road beforehand, -almost in a premonition-, so I decided to step off CERT/CTI and IR to study again and prepare myself ...
  • The second one: the other side of the coin, one of my closest friends (a proficient cybersecurity professional, with one of the highest job ethic standards that I know, and that's a LOT)... was laid off unceremoniously.
AI isn't coming anymore, it is here and it's consequences will be felt everywhere.

How we should face this times of change?? ... I think the main attitude that will make a difference relies on what Doctorow calls "process knowledge", that is the deep root bare-foot understanding of a tradecraft that can only come from real experience (over and over), it is not a checklist and it can not be summarized on manuals or playbooks, so hence it can not be automated into AI. Once you have the nuances of the "know how" you will have to combine it with the will and ability to think deeply and critically on the specific characteristics of each organization, each case, each business logic, each setting... and make a thoughtful and reasoned decision, I think only the people who have this tools will survive the AI tsunami.

For those companies that despise or ignore the "process knowledge" of their employees, the end lies inevitably ahead. They either will be consumed by the hype vortex of AI and will implement it without any real deep analysis, eventually having to rollback to chaos, or they will be left behind. They will NOT be able to survive the change that it's coming.

To make matters more difficult, and add some fog to the already muddy landscape, we have some ridiculous opinions like the CEO of nvidia (among all the other "AI bros" clowns like Altman) that stated: "If I was a student I will first focus on AI" , "you don't need to code anymore", and a whole lot of similar vocal farts that come from the same pile of shit: let's turn the user ignorant and dependent.

Marc Vidal shares some insights on a path, he states in his you tube channel an astonishing reflection: if we follow the ignorance road that the "AI bros" are suggesting, we will be cutting the same stairway on which we are stepping, in one generation there will be no more seniors that have the "know how"/"process knowledge" to make real decisions. The training on cybersecurity will be harder: Yes, but it is essential now more than ever because we have to be in-depth proficient in two knowledge fields at the same time. The cybersecurity professional will have to be double prepared, in cybersecurity AND in AI.

There is only a thin path to ride this wild horse: integration of real live process knowledge to THINK and decide critically on AI output. Nothing more.

As "Mua'dib" said: There is a narrow way through.

See you around Glider... 👾