Rod’s Blog

Rod's Blog focuses on Microsoft Security and AI technologies, offering insights into cybersecurity best practices, the ethical use of AI, career advice in tech, and the integration of AI with security. It emphasizes the importance of certifications, mental resilience for professionals, and the evolving landscape of generative AI and cybersecurity.

Microsoft Security Technologies Artificial Intelligence Cybersecurity Best Practices Career Development in Tech Generative AI Ethics in AI and Cybersecurity Microsoft Product Integration Cybersecurity Certifications Cybersecurity for Small Businesses AI Impact on Job Market

The hottest Substack posts of Rod’s Blog

And their main takeaways

The Ethics of Cybersecurity

615 implied HN points • 17 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Cybersecurity Ethics Privacy Data Protection Encryption
  1. Cybersecurity is crucial for protecting personal information, financial assets, intellectual property, critical infrastructure, and national security.
  2. Ethical considerations in cybersecurity include principles like confidentiality, integrity, availability, and justice.
  3. Balancing security and privacy involves strategies like risk-based approaches, data minimization, using encryption, respecting privacy rights, and staying informed about cybersecurity trends.

Why Human-in-the-Loop is Essential for Generative AI

476 implied HN points • 22 Jan 24
🕹 Technology AI Ethics Generative AI
  1. Generative AI should incorporate human oversight and feedback to ensure accuracy and reliability, fairness and accountability, creativity and diversity, as well as ethics and compliance.
  2. Human-in-the-Loop (HITL) design strategy involves human expertise and intervention at various stages of an AI system's operation, especially in generative AI for training, evaluation, and output generation processes.
  3. Using AI to augment, not replace, human capabilities is essential for responsible and human-centered AI, as it leverages the strengths of both AI and humans, fosters collaboration and learning, and preserves human dignity and agency.

The Impact of AI on Social Media

515 implied HN points • 16 Jan 24
🕹 Technology AI Social media Privacy Security
  1. Artificial intelligence is extensively used on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok to personalize content, analyze user data, and moderate harmful content.
  2. AI on social media can enhance user experience by helping discover relevant content, connect with similar individuals, and create a safer online environment.
  3. Despite its benefits, AI poses risks to user privacy, security, and trust by collecting and exploiting data, creating biases and misinformation, and reducing user control over algorithms.

Using Microsoft Intune to Implement and Manage Security

535 implied HN points • 12 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Security Management
  1. Microsoft Intune is a cloud-based service to manage and secure devices in an organization.
  2. You can use Intune to enroll devices, create and assign security policies, and enhance security with Microsoft Defender for Endpoint.
  3. Monitoring device security status and alerts in Intune and Defender for Endpoint allows for better protection of devices and data.

The Importance of Cybersecurity Training

535 implied HN points • 11 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Cybersecurity Training Best Practices
  1. Employees trained in cybersecurity are more likely to follow best practices like strong passwords and software updates.
  2. Cybersecurity training is crucial for employees to recognize and prevent cyber threats, like phishing emails.
  3. Implementing cybersecurity training involves assessing employee knowledge, defining learning objectives, using appropriate training formats, providing regular training, and evaluating effectiveness.
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A Job at Microsoft: Getting and Passing the Interview

575 implied HN points • 04 Jan 24
💼 Business Career development Networking Interviewing Professional Skills
  1. Finding the right opportunity at Microsoft can be about letting things unfold naturally, embracing roles that align with your skills while leaving room for growth.
  2. Getting an interview at Microsoft often depends on having a strong advocate within the company willing to support and recommend you.
  3. During the interview process at Microsoft, showcasing a willingness to learn, sharing real-world experiences, and being prepared to discuss inclusivity can make a positive impact.

How AI Will Be Used for Cyber Security in 2024

615 implied HN points • 29 Dec 23
🕹 Technology AI Cyber Security Machine Learning Data Protection
  1. Cyber security is crucial in today's digital era due to increasing complexity of attacks, making traditional defense methods inadequate.
  2. Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming essential in fighting cyber threats by mimicking human intelligence in tasks like learning and decision-making.
  3. In 2024, AI will play a vital role in cyber security, aiding in threat detection, prevention, response, and recovery.

Integrating Microsoft Sentinel with GitHub

456 implied HN points • 18 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Security Development Integration
  1. Microsoft Sentinel is a cloud-native security service that uses AI to analyze and detect threats.
  2. GitHub is a platform for software development using Git; integrating it with Sentinel helps monitor repositories and user activities.
  3. Two ways to integrate Sentinel with GitHub are using webhooks for real-time events and audit logs to track user actions.

The KQL Mysteries: Chapter 5

456 implied HN points • 18 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Cybersecurity Data Analysis Hacking AI Threat intelligence
  1. Jon and Sofia successfully identified and captured the teenage threat actors behind a financial breach using KQL queries and OSINT techniques.
  2. The threat actors were operating from a suburban house in Seattle, Washington, and were quickly apprehended by authorities, leading to the recovery of the funds.
  3. Despite the success, Jon remains suspicious about the involvement of the Night Princess hacker group, hinting at a potential unresolved mystery for the next chapter.

UI Components of Microsoft Security Copilot

515 implied HN points • 09 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Plugins Data Visualization
  1. Home Menu allows you to navigate the Security Copilot portal effectively by providing options like Home, My sessions, Settings, and Tenant.
  2. Manage Plugins feature lets you control and access Microsoft security services through Security Copilot to perform various actions such as managing threats and incidents.
  3. Prompt Bar is where you can interact with Security Copilot by asking questions, running commands, or requesting reports using natural language inputs.

The KQL Mysteries: Chapter 6

416 implied HN points • 22 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Cybersecurity Data Analysis Network Security
  1. Jon discovers that the Night Princess was behind the cyber-attacks on his company, manipulating data, planting false clues, and covering her tracks.
  2. Jon uses KQL skills to investigate the Night Princess's activities by analyzing logon events and network events in the company's database.
  3. Collaboration between the Night Princess, CyberGhost, and DarkAngel in the cyber-attacks surfaces, raising questions about the Night Princess's identity and motives.

Cybersecurity for Small Businesses: Tips and Best Practices

496 implied HN points • 09 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Cybersecurity Small businesses Tips Best Practices
  1. Small businesses are prime targets for cyberattacks due to limited resources and expertise, making it crucial for them to follow cybersecurity best practices.
  2. Small business owners should establish a culture of security to involve everyone, implement basic security controls like firewall and antivirus, and develop an incident response plan for cyberattacks.
  3. Seek external help from reputable sources like cybersecurity consultants, organizations, and government agencies to get guidance, expertise, and resources in enhancing cybersecurity measures.

The Impact of AI on the Job Market

496 implied HN points • 08 Jan 24
🕹 Technology AI Job Market Ethics Innovation Inequality
  1. AI is a disruptive technology with potential benefits like efficiency and innovation, but it also comes with challenges such as job displacement and inequality.
  2. AI's impact on the job market will be significant in the coming years, leading to changes and challenges that need to be addressed.
  3. It is important to prepare for the changes that AI will bring to the job market by staying informed and proactive in adapting to new skills and technologies.

The Best Cybersecurity Certifications to Pursue in 2024

575 implied HN points • 28 Dec 23
🚌 Education Cybersecurity Certifications Training IT
  1. To succeed in cybersecurity, having the right certifications is crucial to showcase your knowledge and stand out in the job market.
  2. Choosing certifications that align with your experience, specialization, and career goals is important as all certifications are not equal.
  3. Popular cybersecurity certifications like CompTIA Security+, ISACA Cybersecurity Fundamentals, and GIAC Security Essentials offer diverse benefits and job opportunities with varying prerequisites, costs, and exam formats.

Responsible AI in Security

396 implied HN points • 19 Jan 24
🕹 Technology AI Security Ethics Data Privacy
  1. AI in security offers enhanced threat detection and response capabilities by analyzing data and providing insights.
  2. Responsible AI in security involves principles like transparency, safety, human control, and privacy to ensure ethical use.
  3. Security professionals can leverage responsible AI to improve performance while safeguarding data, privacy, and safety.

Preparing for Microsoft Security Copilot

496 implied HN points • 03 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Cybersecurity Artificial Intelligence Cloud Computing Training Monitoring
  1. Before adopting Microsoft Security Copilot, assess your current security situation by understanding assets, risks, vulnerabilities, and compliance requirements.
  2. Plan your integration strategy by deciding on which features to use, aligning with prerequisites such as licenses, and identifying user roles.
  3. Train your staff and stakeholders on how to use Microsoft Security Copilot, educate them about its benefits and challenges, and equip them with skills to operate and troubleshoot the service.

The KQL Mysteries: Chapter 3

456 implied HN points • 05 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Cybersecurity Data Analysis Threat intelligence Cryptocurrency Malware
  1. Jon and Sofia's financial accounts were compromised by hackers, leading them to investigate the breach and work towards recovering the stolen funds.
  2. Through KQL queries and Microsoft Sentinel workspace, Jon and Sofia uncovered details about the malware used in the cyberattack and the group of threat actors behind it.
  3. Jon and Sofia utilized Microsoft Defender Threat Intelligence and various online resources to track the remote servers, cryptocurrency wallets, and patterns involved in the financial heist, narrowing down their search for the threat actors.

Accessing Microsoft Security Copilot Promptbooks

436 implied HN points • 08 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Security Microsoft AI
  1. A promptbook in Microsoft Security Copilot is a set of prompts for specific security tasks, each needing specific inputs.
  2. Promptbooks like incident investigation can help create executive reports, while threat actor profile provides quick summaries about specific actors.
  3. To start using promptbooks in Security Copilot, go to the home screen, enter a "*" in the prompt bar, select a promptbook, fill required parameters, and run.

Make a Commitment to Stay Mentally and Physically Resilient as a Cybersecurity Analyst in 2024

515 implied HN points • 27 Dec 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Fitness Nutrition Stress management
  1. It's crucial for cybersecurity analysts to prioritize their mental and physical health to combat the demands of the field.
  2. Regular exercise, balanced diet, and stress management are key components to maintaining health and resilience as a cybersecurity analyst.
  3. Being aware of cybersecurity risks associated with health-related technology and taking precautions is essential for a successful and healthy career in cybersecurity.

The Top 10 Generative AI Advancements in 2023

515 implied HN points • 22 Dec 23
🕹 Technology AI Language Models Image Generation
  1. Generative AI has seen significant advancements in 2023, with breakthroughs like GPT-4, DALL-E, and open-source models like Llama 2 democratizing access to this technology.
  2. Technological innovations like Mistral 7B for text embedding, StyleGAN3 for image synthesis, and Jukebox 2.0 for music composition showcase the diverse applications of generative AI.
  3. Models such as AlphaFold 3 for protein structure prediction, DeepFake 3.0 for face swapping, and BARD for poetry writing highlight the versatility and impact of generative AI in various fields.

The KQL Mysteries: Chapter 4

396 implied HN points • 09 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Cybersecurity Cryptocurrency Data Analysis
  1. Jon and Sofia used KQL queries and tools like Microsoft Defender Threat Intelligence to track down threat actors behind a financial breach, targeting remote servers and the master wallet separately.
  2. Jon discovered malicious activities on servers using methods like port scanning and DNS spoofing, eventually finding a network of servers communicating over Tor.
  3. Sofia tracked cryptocurrency transactions and wallets, identifying techniques like CoinJoin and stealth addresses, and used tools like Chainalysis to follow the money trail.

AI Certifications to Pursue in 2024

436 implied HN points • 29 Dec 23
🚌 Education AI Certifications Career Skills Training
  1. AI certifications can boost career prospects and earning potential in a fast-growing field like Artificial Intelligence.
  2. When choosing an AI certification, consider whether you want a formal certification from a professional body or an educational institution, the specific topics and domains that interest you, and the features and benefits of the program.
  3. Some recommended AI certification programs for 2024 include Microsoft Certified: Azure AI Engineer Associate, Certified Artificial Intelligence Scientist by ARTIBA, and Jetson AI Courses and Certifications by NVIDIA.

Microsoft Security Copilot Gets Its Own Blog

337 implied HN points • 09 Jan 24
🕹 Technology AI Security Blogging IT AI Ethics
  1. A new blog has been launched in Microsoft Tech Community for Microsoft Security Copilot, focusing on insights from experts and tips for security analysts and IT professionals.
  2. The blog covers topics such as education on Security Copilot, building custom workflows, product deep dives into AI architecture, best practices, updates on the roadmap, and responsible AI principles.
  3. Readers are encouraged to engage by sharing feedback and questions with the blog creators.

Generative AI: What Happened, Where It's Going 2023-2024

416 implied HN points • 19 Dec 23
🕹 Technology AI Predictions Applications Ethics Regulation
  1. Generative AI is rapidly advancing and has a wide range of applications from enhancing creativity to solving real-world problems.
  2. In 2023, Generative AI saw explosive growth, with a significant number of organizations implementing it in various business functions.
  3. Expected trends in 2024 for Generative AI include more advanced language models, more creative applications, and increased focus on ethical and responsible considerations.

Are You Considering a Career Pivot into the Security of AI?

357 implied HN points • 20 Dec 23
🕹 Technology Artificial Intelligence Cybersecurity Career development Ethics Innovation
  1. Considering a career pivot into the security of AI can be a valuable choice to make a positive impact on society.
  2. Having an interest in technology's implications, experience in various tech projects, and awareness of technology's consequences are good reasons to pursue AI security.
  3. Opportunities in AI security offer potential for career growth, impact, and contribution to shaping a safer, ethical, and beneficial AI future.

The Future of XDR in 2024: Trends, Challenges, and Opportunities

317 implied HN points • 21 Dec 23
🕹 Technology Cybersecurity AI Privacy
  1. XDR trends include the growing use of ML/AI-powered XDR services to enhance detection and response capabilities, rising deployment of MXDR solutions for SMEs, and adoption of XDR in SecOps for improved security operations.
  2. Key challenges of XDR are lack of standardization and clarity in definition and implementation, integration and interoperability issues with existing security solutions, and privacy and compliance concerns with data collection and sharing.
  3. Opportunities with XDR include enhanced security posture and performance, innovation and differentiation for providers and users, and growth and expansion into new markets and segments for scalability and flexibility.

Microsoft Sentinel SOC 101: How to Detect and Mitigate Denial of Service Attacks with Microsoft Sentinel

734 implied HN points • 28 Sep 23
🕹 Technology Cybersecurity Threat intelligence Incident Management
  1. Denial of service (DoS) attacks aim to overwhelm a system with traffic, rendering it inaccessible. Robust security operations center capabilities are crucial for detecting and mitigating these attacks effectively.
  2. Microsoft Sentinel offers tools like analytics rules, incident management, and threat intelligence integration for detecting and responding to DoS attacks in real-time.
  3. To mitigate DoS attacks, organizations can leverage network traffic monitoring, DDoS protection integration, and incident response playbooks offered by Microsoft Sentinel.

The Rise of Closed AI Systems: A Shift in the AI Paradigm

99 implied HN points • 15 Feb 24
🕹 Technology AI Open Source Innovation Competition
  1. Open AI systems have been widely used in the past, promoting collaboration and sharing of AI technologies, but the trend is shifting towards closed AI systems that offer advantages like protecting intellectual property and user privacy.
  2. Closed AI systems, developed by private companies, are not accessible to the public or other researchers, leading to questions about transparency, accountability, and competition in the AI market.
  3. The emergence of closed AI systems presents a mix of benefits and challenges, such as fostering innovation and efficiency while potentially hindering collaboration and knowledge sharing in the AI community.

The Essential Cybersecurity Skillsets for 2024

257 implied HN points • 18 Dec 23
🕹 Technology Cybersecurity Skills Certifications Professional development Books
  1. Cybersecurity professionals should have curiosity and critical thinking skills to question and understand cyber events.
  2. A strong technical foundation in IT, cybersecurity, and cybercrime is crucial for protecting digital assets.
  3. Cybersecurity professionals need impactful problem-solving abilities to make a difference in people's lives by safeguarding their data and privacy.

The Best Skills to Obtain to Help Make Generative AI Safe, Secure, and Responsible in 2024

238 implied HN points • 21 Dec 23
🕹 Technology AI AI Ethics AI Security
  1. Data literacy is crucial for working effectively with Generative AI, helping ensure quality data and detecting biases or errors.
  2. AI ethics is essential for assessing the impact and implications of Generative AI, guiding its design and use in a fair and accountable way.
  3. AI security is vital for protecting AI systems from threats like cyberattacks, safeguarding data integrity and content from misuse or corruption.

The Best Skillsets to Learn in 2024 for Generative AI

238 implied HN points • 15 Dec 23
🕹 Technology AI Programming Machine Learning Data science Resources
  1. Generative AI is a rapidly evolving field creating novel content like images, text, music, etc., with real-world applications from enhancing creativity to helping solve problems.
  2. To succeed in generative AI, you need skills like mathematics and statistics, programming, data science, knowledge of generative AI methods, and creativity in your specific domain.
  3. To learn generative AI in 2024, leverage online courses, books, blogs, tools, and engage in communities and events dedicated to this field.

Training and Testing AI Systems

59 implied HN points • 28 Feb 24
🕹 Technology AI Data Collection
  1. Representative data is crucial for training AI systems to ensure they can handle various real-life scenarios and avoid biases.
  2. Challenges in collecting representative data include potential biases and incomplete datasets, which can impact the effectiveness of AI systems.
  3. Techniques like data augmentation can help address challenges in ensuring data representativeness by artificially diversifying and increasing the size of training datasets.

Biden's AI Vision: A New Era of Innovation and Ethics

79 implied HN points • 13 Feb 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Policy Government Ethics Innovation Leadership
  1. The executive order on AI by President Biden aims to promote trustworthy and ethical AI, increase access to AI resources, prepare the workforce for the AI era, and collaborate with international partners.
  2. The order includes actions like establishing an AI steering committee, developing AI risk management frameworks, launching an AI research dashboard, and enhancing education for AI skills.
  3. Critiques of the executive order suggest it lacks implementation details, clear definitions, and international engagement, and they emphasize the importance of balancing innovation and regulation in AI development.

The Psychology of Phishing

79 implied HN points • 12 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Cybersecurity Social Engineering
  1. Phishing attacks work by exploiting human psychology, using tactics like fear, urgency, and authority to manipulate targets into taking actions that compromise their security.
  2. Attackers make phishing emails appear legitimate by mimicking trusted brands and official language, leveraging social cues to deceive individuals into trusting them.
  3. To protect against phishing, individuals should cultivate skepticism, verify requests for sensitive information, and educate themselves and others about recognizing phishing attempts.

Self-Awareness: One Key to Cybersecurity and Asset Protection

59 implied HN points • 22 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Cybersecurity Self-awareness Skills Development
  1. Self-awareness is vital for cybersecurity and asset protection as it helps recognize and avoid cyber threats, follow best practices, report incidents, and communicate effectively.
  2. Developing self-awareness is a skill that can be improved over time with practice and intention through assessments, feedback, reflection, goal-setting, mindfulness, and seeking new challenges.
  3. Enhancing self-awareness not only strengthens protection against cyber risks but also fosters personal and professional growth, benefiting oneself and others.

The Impact of AI on Politics: A Critical Analysis

79 implied HN points • 08 Feb 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics AI Democracy Security
  1. AI offers opportunities like improving efficiency and transparency in politics, but it also poses challenges like privacy threats and misinformation risks.
  2. In a hypothetical scenario of the 2024 US election, AI could play a significant role from designing campaign strategies to counting votes.
  3. Combatting political disinformation requires critical thinking, diversity in sources, responsible sharing, and education on the issue.

AI and the Law: A Turbulent Relationship

59 implied HN points • 21 Feb 24
🕹 Technology AI Legal Regulation Innovation Privacy
  1. AI is reshaping the legal landscape with challenges like intellectual property disputes, data privacy concerns, and ethical dilemmas.
  2. Legal battles over AI ownership rights and copyright infringement are intensifying as AI becomes more prevalent in society.
  3. Regulating AI development and deployment is a major challenge globally, with different regions having varying approaches to ensure ethical and human-centric AI.

The Best Skillsets to Learn in 2024 to Use Microsoft Security Copilot Effectively

178 implied HN points • 14 Dec 23
🕹 Technology AI Cybersecurity Microsoft Learning Resources Community
  1. To effectively use Microsoft Security Copilot in 2024, you should focus on developing skills in natural language processing, cybersecurity fundamentals, and familiarity with Microsoft security products.
  2. Learning through resources like Microsoft Learn, blogs, podcasts, online communities, tools, and events can enhance your understanding and usage of Microsoft Security Copilot.
  3. Microsoft Security Copilot leverages generative AI to aid security professionals in incident response, threat hunting, intelligence gathering, and posture management, requiring a blend of technical and non-technical skills.

Data Governance in AI

39 implied HN points • 05 Mar 24
🕹 Technology AI Data Governance Artificial Intelligence Data Management
  1. Data governance in AI ensures that data used by AI systems is governed and managed securely.
  2. Without strong data governance, organizations risk using inaccurate or biased data in their AI systems, leading to flawed outcomes and potential harm.
  3. Data governance in AI is crucial to ensure data accuracy, reliability, and freedom from biases or errors.