Profile of Joshua Goldfarb

Independent Consultant News & Commentary Posts: 56

Josh (Twitter: @ananalytical) is an experienced information security leader who works with enterprises to mature and improve their enterprise security programs.  Previously, Josh served as VP, CTO - Emerging Technologies at FireEye and as Chief Security Officer for nPulse Technologies until its acquisition by FireEye.  Prior to joining nPulse, Josh worked as an independent consultant, applying his analytical methodology to help enterprises build and enhance their network traffic analysis, security operations, and incident response capabilities to improve their information security postures. He has consulted and advised numerous clients in both the public and private sectors at strategic and tactical levels. Earlier in his career, Josh served as the Chief of Analysis for the United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT) where he built from the ground up and subsequently ran the network, endpoint, and malware analysis/forensics capabilities for US-CERT. In addition to Josh's blogging and public speaking appearances, he is also a regular contributor to Dark Reading and SecurityWeek.

Security & the Infinite Capacity to Rationalize

8/6/2019
To improve the security posture of our organizations, we must open our eyes to rationalization and put an end to it with logic. Here's how.
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20 Questions to Ask During a Real (or Manufactured) Security Crisis

7/3/2019
There are important lessons to be learned from a crisis, even the ones that are more fiction than fact.
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Sensory Overload: Filtering Out Cybersecurity's Noise

6/14/2019
No organization can prioritize and mitigate hundreds of risks effectively. The secret lies in carefully filtering out the risks, policies, and processes that waste precious time and resources.
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The Fine Line of Feedback: 6 Tips for Talking to Security Pros

5/8/2019
Feedback is a two-way street in terms of giving, receiving, and knowing how to give and receive.
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Security Lessons from My Game Closet

3/22/2019
In an era of popular video games like Fortnite and Minecraft, there is a lot to be learned about risk, luck, and strategy from some old-fashioned board games.
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Solving Security: Repetition or Redundancy?

2/28/2019
To effectively defend against today's risks and threats, organizations must examine their failings as well as their successes.
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KISS, Cyber & the Humble but Nourishing Chickpea

2/1/2019
The combination of simple, straightforward, and methodical ingredients are the keys to developing a balanced and well-rounded security program.
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Setting the Table for Effective Cybersecurity: 20 Culinary Questions

12/13/2018
Even the best chefs will produce an inferior product if they begin with the wrong ingredients.
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8 Security Buzzwords That Are Too Good to Be True

11/20/2018
If you can't get straight answers about popular industry catchphrases, maybe it's time to ask your vendor: How do you actually use the technology?
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Good Times in Security Come When You Least Expect Them

10/23/2018
Not every cybersecurity endeavor can have a huge impact. But a small percentage of your efforts can still produce results that blow you away.
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The Right Diagnosis: A Cybersecurity Perspective

10/1/2018
A healthy body and a healthy security organization have a lot more in common than most people think.
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Why a Healthy Data Diet Is the Secret to Healthy Security

9/6/2018
In the same way that food is fuel to our bodies, data is the fuel on which our security programs run. Here are 10 action items to put on your cybersecurity menu.
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How 'Projection' Slows Down the Path to Security Maturity

7/24/2018
A little bit of self-awareness goes a long way when it comes to evaluating a company's security maturity level. It's also a prerequisite to improving.
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6 Ways Greed Has a Negative Effect on Cybersecurity

6/11/2018
How the security industry can both make money and stay true to its core values, and why that matters.
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20 Signs You Are Heading for a Retention Problem

5/9/2018
If you don't invest in your best security talent, they will look to burnish their resumes elsewhere. Here's why.
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20 Ways to Increase the Efficiency of the Incident Response Workflow

4/10/2018
Despite all the good intentions of some great security teams, we are still living in a "cut-and-paste" incident management world.
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Pragmatic Security: 20 Signs You Are 'Boiling the Ocean'

3/6/2018
Ocean-boiling is responsible for most of the draconian, nonproductive security policies I've witnessed over the course of my career. Here's why they don't work.
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20 Signs You Need to Introduce Automation into Security Ops

2/8/2018
Far too often, organizations approach automation as a solution looking for a problem rather than the other way around.
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In Security & Life, Busy Is Not a Badge of Honor

1/16/2018
All security teams are busy, but not all security teams are productive. The difference between the two is huge.
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Is Your Security Workflow Backwards?

12/15/2017
The pace at which information security evolves means organizations must work smarter, not harder. Here's how to stay ahead of the threats.
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Why Common Sense Is Not so Common in Security: 20 Answers

11/10/2017
Or, questions vendors need to ask themselves before they write a single word of marketing material.
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20 Questions to Ask Yourself before Giving a Security Conference Talk

10/16/2017
As cybersecurity continues to become more of a mainstream concern, those of us who speak at industry events must learn how to truly connect with our audience.
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20 Questions to Help Achieve Security Program Goals

9/13/2017
There are always projects, maturity improvements, and risk mitigation endeavors on the horizon. Here's how to keep them from drifting into the sunset.
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20 Tactical Questions SMB Security Teams Should Ask Themselves

8/15/2017
Or why it pays for small- and medium-sized businesses to plan strategically but act tactically.
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20 Questions for Improving SMB Security

7/21/2017
Security leaders in small and medium-sized business who want to up their game need to first identify where they are now, then, where they want to go.
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The Case for Crowdsourcing Security Buying Decisions

6/30/2017
Why our industry needs a sharing platform with open and transparent access to peer knowledge, meaningful metrics, and transparency around security products and services
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SMB Security: Don’t Leave the Smaller Companies Behind

6/1/2017
Helping improve the security posture of small and medium-sized businesses should be a priority for security organizations of all sizes.
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Seeing Security from the Other Side of the Window

5/3/2017
From the vantage of our business colleagues, security professionals are a cranky bunch who always need more money, but can’t explain why.
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Data Visualization: Keeping an Eye on Security

3/27/2017
Visualization can be one of the most powerful approaches a security team can use to make sense of vast quantities of data. So why does it end up as an afterthought?
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20 Questions for SecOps Platform Providers

2/27/2017
Security operations capabilities for the masses is long overdue. Here’s how to find a solution that meets your budget and resources.
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Crowdsourcing 20 Answers To Security Ops & IR Questions

1/12/2017
“Those who know do not speak. Those who speak do not know.” Why it pays to take a hard look at our own incident response functions and operations.
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20 Questions Security Pros Should Ask Themselves Before Moving To The Cloud

12/20/2016
A template for working collaboratively with the business in today’s rapidly changing technology environment.
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20 Questions Smart Security Pros Should Ask About 'Intelligence'

12/1/2016
Threat intel is a hot but complicated topic that encompasses a lot more than just data feeds. Here's how to get beyond the fear, uncertainty, and doubt to maximize its potential.
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20 Endpoint Security Questions You Never Thought to Ask

10/26/2016
The endpoint detection and response market is exploding! Here’s how to make sense of the options, dig deeper, and separate vendor fact from fiction.
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20 Questions To Explore With Security-as-a-Service Providers

10/5/2016
This list will help you leverage the niche expertise of security-as-a-service providers, and assess which vendor can best meet your needs
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20 Questions Security Leaders Need To Ask About Analytics

9/15/2016
The game of 20 questions is a great way to separate vendors that meets your needs from those who will likely disappoint.
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Theory Vs Practice: Getting The Most Out Of Infosec

8/10/2016
Why being practical and operationally minded is the only way to build a successful security program.
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5 Failsafe Techniques For Interviewing Security Candidates

7/22/2016
Filling critical information security roles with the right people is never easy. But learning how to separate the 'wheat from the chaff' is a smart step in the right direction.
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Mind The Gap: CISOs Versus 'Operators'

6/25/2016
How open communication among security execs and analysts, incidents responders, and engineers can help organizations stay on top of the constantly changing threat landscape.
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A Wish List For The Security Conference Stage

5/26/2016
All the world may be a stage, but in the theater of cybersecurity, we need a more relevant dialogue of fresh ideas, novel approaches, and new ways of thinking.
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8 Signs Your Security Culture Lacks Consistency

4/27/2016
Organizations that practice what they preach and match their actions to their words do far better achieving their goals than those that do not. Here's why that matters.
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Cloud Security: Understanding New Risks, Rising To New Challenges

3/21/2016
In a business world dominated by the cloud, security ops has to change the way we play the game in order to accomplish our strategic goals.
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Public Vs. Private: Is A Prestigious Infosec College Degree Worth It?

2/24/2016
Today's graduates coming into the information security industry from private universities aren’t ready for the workforce.
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Careers in InfoSec: Don’t Be Fooled By The Credential Alphabet

1/27/2016
Analytical skills, work ethic, an ability to overcome obstacles, and a natural drive to solve problems are the critical hiring factors in today’s tight job market.
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The Matrix Reloaded: Security Goals v. Operational Requirements

1/7/2016
Building a matrix that measures people, process, and technology against security goals is a proven method for reducing risk in an organization. Here’s how.
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Playing It Straight: Building A Risk-Based Approach To InfoSec

12/7/2015
What a crooked haircut can teach you about framing the discussion about organizational security goals and strategies.
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Mature & Unconfident: The Best Information Security Teams Ever!

11/5/2015
Security through maturity and humility is a workable philosophy with proven results for organizations that are willing to give it a try. Here’s why.
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An Atypical Approach To DNS

10/15/2015
It’s now possible to architect network instrumentation to collect fewer data sources of higher value to security operations. Here’s how -- and why -- you should care.
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Information Security Lessons From Literature

9/15/2015
How classic themes about listening, honesty, and truthfulness can strengthen your organization’s security posture, programs and operations.
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Data Visibility: A Matter Of Perspective

8/10/2015
You can't analyze what you can't see. True at the dentist and true in security.
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Detection: A Balanced Approach For Mitigating Risk

7/21/2015
Only detection and response can complete the security picture that begins with prevention.
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Security Metrics: It’s All Relative

6/9/2015
What a haircut taught me about communicating the value of security to executives and non-security professionals.
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Taking A Security Program From Zero To Hero

5/13/2015
Breaking the enigma of InfoSec into smaller bites is a proven method for building up an organization’s security capabilities. Here are six steps to get you started.
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Setting Security Professionals Up For Success

4/14/2015
People, process, and technology are all integral to a successful infosec program. What’s too often missing involves the concept of workflow.
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Context: Finding The Story Inside Your Security Operations Program

3/23/2015
What’s missing in today’s chaotic, alert-driven incident response queue is the idea of a narrative that provides a detailed understanding of how an attack actually unfolds.
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7 Tips To Improve 'Signal-to-Noise' In The SOC

4/22/2014
When security analysts are desensitized to alerts because of sheer volume, they miss the true positives that can prevent a large-scale data breach. Here's how to up your game.
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