Strategic cybersecurity insight from the edge of practice
Authenticated Users can often write to internal Microsoft DNS zones by default. This misconfiguration turns DNS into a stealth pivot tool. This article unpacks how overlooked permissions in AD-integrated DNS allow attackers to quietly redirect traffic, bypass network controls, and poison trust from the inside.
Read MoreMisconfigured ADCS templates continue to enable stealthy privilege escalation in environments that otherwise look secure. These are not niche attacks. They’re practical, repeatable, and often invisible to standard monitoring. This article explores how certificate services quietly undermine security controls and why they remain one of the least reviewed yet most impactful misconfigurations in Active Directory.
Read MoreFrom an adversary’s perspective, default credentials are free real estate. Even in 2025, they show up in security appliances, virtual infrastructure, and remote access portals. These are not obscure bugs. They’re predictable entry points, often left behind in environments that look mature on the surface. This article unpacks how attackers find them, why they still work, and what their presence says about our operational blind spots.
Read MoreNew Zealand’s approval of Starlink for military use may offer operational agility, but it introduces uncomfortable trade-offs around data sovereignty, encryption, and corporate entanglement. Elon Musk’s links to controversial US data projects like DOGE and Palantir raise valid concerns about privacy, persistence, and trust. This article unpacks those tensions and the minimum safeguards NZDF should demand.
Read MoreCustom GPTs are tools no different than a hammer. Useful in the right hands, but counterproductive if misapplied. You wouldn’t install a lightbulb with a hammer, and you shouldn’t delegate strategic judgment to a chatbot without sufficient context. These GPTs are designed to prompt reflection, not replace thinking. Each one helps cybersecurity professionals surface lived experience, clarify trade-offs, and turn real work into shareable insight.
Read MoreRead MoreAI is transforming cybersecurity, from boosting defensive speed to enabling deepfakes and zero-day exploitation. This piece explores how security teams in Aotearoa New Zealand can secure AI systems, detect synthetic threats, and balance innovation with operational risk.
Zero-day threats targeting network edge devices are becoming faster and harder to detect. This article breaks down practical strategies for strengthening your edge architecture, improving visibility, and preparing for the next exploit before it lands.
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