My latest tech and business articles

Chemical Plant Cyber-Kinetic

Digital Actions, Lethal Consequences: A Cyber-Kinetic Risk Primer

Our physical world is becoming more connected – which makes it more dependent on the cyber world. Many physical objects around us are no longer just physical, but extend into cyberspace, being remotely monitored and controlled. Consider the power plant or water plant that supplies your electricity and water. These...
5G Open RAN Security

Can we afford to keep ignoring Open RAN security?

I’m skeptical of ‘futurists’. Work closely enough with the development of technology solutions and you’ll know that the only certain thing about the future is that it’s constantly changing. For example, few ‘futurists’ predicted the Covid-19 outbreak that brought the world to a standstill in 2020. Many, however, had...
Securing Society 5.0

Introducing Society 5.0

Self-help authors and politicians seem to agree on at least one thing: mindset matters. The shelves of bookstores worldwide are awash with motivational books by evangelical writers hoping to convert readers to their gospel of optimism. The central thesis is simple: success depends on approaching life, especially its challenges,...
Securing Society 5.0 Introduction

Securing Society 5.0 – Overcoming the hidden threats in society’s greatest evolutionary leap

A term first coined by the Japanese government, “Society 5.0” describes "A human-centered society that balances economic advancement with the resolution of social problems by a system that highly integrates cyberspace and physical space." The fifth evolution of the society, enabled by the fifth generation of cellular networking and...
5G Cloud Architecture

A Comparison of 5G Core Network Architectures

The 5G Core network is a Service Based Architecture. It evolves the traditional appliance based 4G Core Network to support services. It offers more agility and flexibility. The major building blocks of this architecture include Service-Based Interface: The Service Based Interfaces rely on HTTP/2 The 5G Network Functions: As explained...

My latest leadership and DEI articles

5G Critical Infrastructure

5G Critical Infrastructure – the Most Critical of All

Not even 30 years separate us from the end of the Cold War. Yet, we appear to be witnessing the emergence of a new one, a technology Cold War between the United States and China. This time, instead of a ‘red under the bed’, the US government has declared there is one at the back door. It accuses Chinese technology companies of deliberately building vulnerabilities into their tech, allowing the Chinese to access and control the 5G critical infrastructure, and through it the connected devices and machinery at will. Headlines are dominated by the case against Huawei, and debate continues to rage about the legitimacy of the US’s claims. Are these well-founded or part of a more comprehensive assault on China’s growing global technology dominance? Regardless, the battle lines are...
NFC Cybersecurity

NFC Security 101 (Non-5G IoT Connectivity Options)

NFC is a short range two-way wireless communication technology that enables simple and secure communication between electronic devices embedded with NFC microchip. NFC technology...
Zigbee Security

Zigbee Security 101 (Non-5G IoT Connectivity Options)

Zigbee technology introduction Zigbee is wireless PAN (Personal Area Network) technology developed to support automation, machine-to-machine communication, remote control and monitoring of IoT devices. It...
5G Cybersecurity Safety

Cybersecurity and Safety in the 5G-Enabled Smart-Everything World

Neil Harbisson calls himself a cyborg. Without the antenna implanted in his skull, he would not be able to see colour of any kind....
fog iot security telcos

How Telecom Operators Can Strike Back with IoT, Fog & Cyber

Telecom operators sat back as the new over-the-top (OTT) service providers, internet and tech companies slowly ate away at their business, particularly in the...
IIoT 5G Trust Security

IIoT and Trust and Convenience: A Potentially Deadly Combination

When microwave ovens first arrived on the market in 1967 they were met with public skepticism. Perhaps it was because, not long before, the...
IoT Cybersecurity Framework Government

5G Making It More Important for Governments to Lead IoT Security

The human brain is programmed to keep us safe and secure. Yes, we are separated from the rest of the animal kingdom by our...
Risks of AI

Risks of AI – Meeting the Ghost in the Machine

In 1956, at a workshop on the campus of Dartmouth College, in Hanover, New Hampshire, the field of artificial intelligence (AI) was born. Attendants...
Security Standards Regulations Guidelines

Emerging Tech Security Guidelines, Frameworks, Standards

Below is my attempt to list of all published 5G, IoT and "Smart Everything"-related security guidelines, frameworks and standards. If you are aware of...
Cybersecurity IoT 5G Cyber-Kinetic Risks

Cyber-Kinetic Risk – Unintended Consequence of IoT in a 5G World

Getting smart about security in smart systems Smart used to be something we called people or pets. It wasn't a term one would use to...
IIoT 5G Trust Security

IIoT and Trust and Convenience: A Potentially Deadly Combination

When microwave ovens first arrived on the market in 1967 they were met with public skepticism. Perhaps it was because, not long before, the...
Regulation IoT 5G Cybersecurity

Regulating the Security of the Internet of Things (IoT) in a 5G World

In one of those strange inversions of reason, The Internet of Things (IoT) arguably began before the Internet itself. In 1980, a thirsty graduate...
Cyber-Kinetic Railway

Growing Cyber-Kinetic Vulnerabilities of Railway Systems

In their growing efforts to increase efficiencies through digitization and automation, railways are becoming increasingly vulnerable to cyber-kinetic attacks as they move away from...
5G Connectivity Security

5G Network: A Quantum Leap in Connectivity – and Cyber Threats

The timeline of human history is marked by inflection points of major technological advancement. The plow, the printing press, the telegraph, the steam engine,...
Cyber-Kinetic Security, IoT Security, OT Security

The World of Cyber-Physical Systems & Rising Cyber-Kinetic Risks

We live in a world in which the way we observe and control it is radically changing. Increasingly, we interact with physical objects through...
Cyber-Kinetic Security, IoT Security, OT Security

The World of Cyber-Physical Systems & Rising Cyber-Kinetic Risks

We live in a world in which the way we observe and control it is radically changing. Increasingly, we interact with physical objects through the filter of what computational systems embedded in them tell us, and we adjust them based on what those systems relate. We do this on our phones, in our cars, in our homes, in our factories and, increasingly, in our cities. Physical objects are so interconnected that we simply take those connections for granted, as if being able to unlock your car by pushing a button on your key fob, unlocking it with your phone or even by walking toward it is the way car locks always worked. This interconnectedness offers us capabilities that exponentially exceed the expectations of science fiction writers and futurists of past generations....
Smart City 5G Privacy

Cyber-Kinetic Security and Privacy Threats in Smart Cities

More than half of the world’s population lives in cities. The UN estimates that by 2050 that proportion will be 68% - more than...
IIoT 5G Trust Security

IIoT and Trust and Convenience: A Potentially Deadly Combination

When microwave ovens first arrived on the market in 1967 they were met with public skepticism. Perhaps it was because, not long before, the...
Cyber-Kinetic Security, IoT Security, OT Security

The World of Cyber-Physical Systems & Rising Cyber-Kinetic Risks

We live in a world in which the way we observe and control it is radically changing. Increasingly, we interact with physical objects through...
5G Cybersecurity Safety

Cybersecurity and Safety in the 5G-Enabled Smart-Everything World

Neil Harbisson calls himself a cyborg. Without the antenna implanted in his skull, he would not be able to see colour of any kind....
RFID Cybersecurity

RFID Security 101 (Non-5G IoT Connectivity Options)

Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) is a technology commonly used for identification, status administration and management of different objects. It is important for people identification, as it...
Maritime Cybersecurity

Navigating a Safe Course Through Maritime Cyberattacks

The open seas have long attracted those who yearned for adventure. The risk of pitting oneself against a vast and unforgiving sea has tested...
Blockchain Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity of Blockchain & Blockchain for Cybersecurity

You may have heard, over the last year or two, about the new technological miracle that is the blockchain. It seems that every banker,...
Security Standards Regulations Guidelines

Emerging Tech Security Guidelines, Frameworks, Standards

Below is my attempt to list of all published 5G, IoT and "Smart Everything"-related security guidelines, frameworks and standards. If you are aware of...
Canada Critical Infrastructure

Canadian Critical Infrastructure Cyber Protection

Targeted cyberattacks against critical infrastructure (CI) are increasing on a global scale. Critical systems are rapidly being connected to the internet, affording attackers opportunities...
US vs China 5G

Geopolitics of 5G and 5G-Connected Massive & Critical IoT

Emerging Technology and Geopolitics of 5G There are several reasons emerging technology is a highly competitive industry, notwithstanding the race for intellectual property that can...
Security Standards Regulations Guidelines

Emerging Tech Security Guidelines, Frameworks, Standards

Below is my attempt to list of all published 5G, IoT and "Smart Everything"-related security guidelines, frameworks and standards. If you are aware of...
Securing Society 5.0 Introduction

Securing Society 5.0 – Overcoming the hidden threats in society’s greatest evolutionary leap

A term first coined by the Japanese government, “Society 5.0” describes "A human-centered society that balances economic advancement with the resolution of social problems...
Smart Home Wireless Connectivity

Smart Home / Smart Building Connectivity Options and Their Cybersecurity

In a recent session on smart building cybersecurity, a student cheekily asked me "How did we ever connect anything before 5G?" At that moment...
5G Cybersecurity Safety

Cybersecurity and Safety in the 5G-Enabled Smart-Everything World

Neil Harbisson calls himself a cyborg. Without the antenna implanted in his skull, he would not be able to see colour of any kind....
Securing Society 5.0

Introducing Society 5.0

Self-help authors and politicians seem to agree on at least one thing: mindset matters. The shelves of bookstores worldwide are awash with motivational books...
5G Cybersecurity Safety

Cybersecurity and Safety in the 5G-Enabled Smart-Everything World

Neil Harbisson calls himself a cyborg. Without the antenna implanted in his skull, he would not be able to see colour of any kind. Born with achromatopsia, a condition of total colourblindness that affects 1 in every 30 000 people, Harbisson's physical faculties are augmented by cyber technology to grant him access to a life of greater meaning and satisfaction. As technological evolution leads to concomitant advances in medical science, we are seeing more and more examples of humans who are integrating devices and sensors into their biological makeup. For some, like those part of the growing "transhumanist" movement, this is a means of artistic expression or exploration of human potential. For others, it is a solution to a medical problem. Either way, it represents the most vivid and personal...
Canada Critical Infrastructure

Canadian Critical Infrastructure Cyber Protection

Targeted cyberattacks against critical infrastructure (CI) are increasing on a global scale. Critical systems are rapidly being connected to the internet, affording attackers opportunities...
Wi-Fi Cybersecurity

Wi-Fi Security 101 (Non-5G IoT Connectivity Options)

The Wi-Fi represents wireless technology that includes the IEEE 802.11 family of standards (IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11n, IEEE 802.11ac, etc.)....
Cyber-Kinetic Timeline

Timeline of Key Cyber-Kinetic Attacks, Incidents & Research

Below is a timeline of key historic cyber-kinetic attacks, system malfunctions and key researcher demos targeting cyber-physical systems (CPS), Internet of Things (IoT) and...
Risks of AI

Risks of AI – Meeting the Ghost in the Machine

In 1956, at a workshop on the campus of Dartmouth College, in Hanover, New Hampshire, the field of artificial intelligence (AI) was born. Attendants...
Cyber-Kinetic Security Railway

Growing Cyber-Kinetic Threats to Railway Systems

Cybersecuring railway systems from potential attackers must become paramount in the digitization that those systems currently undergo. Their cybersecurity is too closely interlinked with...
Cyber-Kinetic Threat

Our Smart Future and the Threat of Cyber-Kinetic Attacks

A growing number of today’s entertainment options show protagonists battling cyber-attacks that target the systems at the heart of our critical infrastructure whose failure...
5G Cloud Architecture

A Comparison of 5G Core Network Architectures

The 5G Core network is a Service Based Architecture. It evolves the traditional appliance based 4G Core Network to support services. It offers more...
5G Open RAN Security

Can we afford to keep ignoring Open RAN security?

I’m skeptical of ‘futurists’. Work closely enough with the development of technology solutions and you’ll know that the only certain thing about the future...
Open RAN Security

Open RAN May Be the Future of 5G, but Can We Keep It Secure?

It's been a year of contradictions for the telecommunications industry. Like most sectors, it has been heavily impacted by the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic,...
5G Network Slicing

5G Network Slicing Technology: A Primer

Hyped as the technology that will transform the world, 5G is moving past the buzzword stage with first implementations coming to life in 2019....
fog iot security telcos

How Telecom Operators Can Strike Back with IoT, Fog & Cyber

Telecom operators sat back as the new over-the-top (OTT) service providers, internet and tech companies slowly ate away at their business, particularly in the...