White Hat Nak Muay

The world is full of highly skilled and focused cybersecurity geeks, and not all are on our side. Most of them live in countries (and states) where the national sport appears to be hacking into our corporate and government systems, and while these systems are usually electronic, the target systems may be the biochemical configurations of individuals or even societies formed by human relationships.  If an entity is programmed, whether the code is genetic, social, or electronic, the hacker finds work to do. 

And why not?  In their disjointed world, everything on the outside of their own skin is fair game.  I asked MT about this recently. It turns out I am a bottomless well of ignorance in all matters save perhaps the basic arguments for and against the serial comma, and possibly the excellent uses of sliced infinitive verbs. Perform the operation when the structure can be strengthened, and don't leave the infinitive form bleeding in the page, says I, and I've got Strunk and White to back me up. 

My most brilliant colleagues have these characteristics: They have a boundless curiosity. Auto-didactic is nearly an over-used phrase these days, but it applies to them. They are forever learning hard, new things and figuring out where to throw the ball, usually beyond the leading edge of the curve. Some of them did not attend college until they were adults, and they enrolled for specific learning, or to follow mentors who are affiliated with universities.  The exceptional colleagues have another characteristic. They are almost without exception physically fit. 

In an age when we expect systems designers and drive-by war hackers to look like cheese and cookie munching cartoon blobs, these folks excel athletically.  To look at them is to understand that well-balanced, strong minds do inhabit healthy bodies, insofar as they can control their health.  One colleague is a survival swimmer who jumps out of helicopters into the angry ocean to rescue folks.  Another is a Muay Thai boxer, and I have seen his film clips.  Google some images of Muay Thai boxing and find video on Youtube.com.  While you may view commonly available images, they are typically sloppy depictions of this kick boxing, but you may imagine form perfection.  

These folks are healthy. I do not mean the possibly pseudo-health of someone who has a 24-percent fat to body mass ratio, or even the uber-fit specimen enslaved in physicality. I mean the well-oxygenated body of an efficient, well-hydrated, self-regulating individual who depends on the body to support an intellect engaged in serious, critical work. You can't write and test and probe without calling on all your reserves of health that integrate body and mind.  Such fitness alone is not enough, however.

These people put themselves in dangerous positions where their antagonists--the sea, for instance, or a more skilled Thai boxer--want their life.  My next-door neighbors are firefighters, and their antagonist is fire.  One of them returned recently from a tour in Iraq as a combat medic.  If systems engineering were his calling, he would be the kind of person I would want on my cybersecurity team.  He would find it impossible to work for anything other than for the good of national security. 

Differences come down to values.  Anyone can train and develop mental and physical prowess and balance.  You want people who also understand that real world security really is a matter of life and death, and who are at the ready in full presence of mind with a well placed, seemingly effortless kick or script that bloodlessly disables the assault and builds systems to protect the innocent. You may find Lisbeth Salandar there somewhere, but you will also find our best cybersecurity experts.   

Comments

[Jordan 8]

Count your age with friends but not with years. Good luck to you!!

[KLB]

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