Thread by @vmyths

1/17
Many of us have a #cybersecurity horror story about "an employee who got fired as a precaution, only later for the firm to realize their mistake, but HR just wished them thoughts & prayers because they couldn't bear to face up to their hasty firing assumptions."

https://twitter.com/vmyths/status/1538715566294302721

2/17
We in cybersecurity insist we operate on data, facts, and logic.

But the truth is we love a good #ConspiracyTheory, and right now it's all about BSides Cleveland.

You'll find any number of people, e.g. @MalwareTechBlog, who believe whats-his-name had inside help.

3/17
Hutchins is invested in his theory and has put his money where his mouth is. Me, I'm risking $500 just to prove a point I made in the mid-1980s:

"That we never should have kicked Airman Snuffy out of the Air Force 'as a precaution'!"

I want @robtlee and @RobertMLee to...

4/17
...follow me on this because cybersecurity must NEVER be guided by a mob mentality. Both of these men in their own separate ways will guide the future of our industry.

So let's talk about Airman Snuffy in a scenario created for Professional Military Education in...

5/17
...the mid-1980s. I and my former supervisor, TSgt Merle Corcoran, were getting the equivalent of CEPs.

Airman Snuffy is a top competitor in his field and the wing commander himself is counting on this kid to bring home a prized trophy. In this scenario, we're all...

6/17
...Airman Snuffy's supervisor.

Just as he's getting ready to head off to the big competition, Airman Snuffy comes into our office with a worried look on his face. He tells us he's afraid he'll be disqualified from the competition when he takes a pre-game drug test. 😳

7/17
"What should we do?"

Back in the mid-1980s the Air Force had a convenient way to kick out any first-term airman they thought was doing drugs: they just tossed him on the street w/ a "general discharge code ##." If we can get the wing commander behind us, this kid is GONE.

8/17
We break up into teams of 5 to discuss the matter. Each group will decide what to do next by a simple majority vote.

Merle & I are on the same team. I'm the only E-4; the others are E-5 and E-6.

The four make a hasty decision: "kick the kid out."

And I utterly lose it.

9/17
"For all we know, he ate two poppy seed bagels this morning by accident! Airman Snuffy came to us with a vague fear and you want to throw him out for it!"

They were adamant. "Better safe than sorry."

Our discussion leader leans in as I defend our imaginary troop...

10/17
"Listen to me," I told them. "If you're right, you're ALL going to turn to me and say 'see, we were right!' But you'll be right for absolutely NO reason."

I added "and if you're wrong, I'm going to SHAME you all in front of the wing commander for burning his...

11/17
"...best airman and losing our chance to bring home an important trophy, all because you were hell-bent on throwing out your best troop as a precaution."

"We as supervisors put valuable time & money into all our people, but you'll discharge them on your own assumption!"

12/17
Our discussion leader took no side. This was our group's decision.

4 to 1.

In this scenario, our team started paperwork to kick the kid out of the Air Force, all because he told us that he might not pass a drug test.

The other teams did likewise. Snuffy was OUT.

13/17
Our discussion leader said "Airman Snuffy later admitted to using marijuana. He didn't compete and he was administratively discharged."

I was devastated. Merle & the others relaxed.

Then our discussion leader said "only SrA Rosenberger recognized in this scenario..."

14/17
"...that you had no details other than Airman Snuffy's trepidation over an upcoming drug test. You convicted him before you knew the facts. You all reacted pretty much as everyone else does who goes through this scenario."

During a break I approached...

15/17
...our discussion leader to ask why the scenario didn't put Airman Snuffy at a rock concert the night before where he couldn't get away from secondhand smoke.

He explained how scenarios increase in complication as we progress through Professional Military Education.

16/17
This is EXACTLY the problem I face right now over BSides Cleveland.

Ya'll know one thing, and one thing only:

That whats-his-name weaseled his way on stage.

You don't know who else is involved, if anyone ... but God DAMN y'all got some wild-ass conspiracy theories!

17/17
I'll end with this:

In the original "CSI" show, an innocent man is murdered because Warrick Brown told his assumptions to someone who desperately needed to mete out justice.

Warrick Brown: "I blew it."

Gil Grissom: "Yeah. But you're not the one who's paying for it."

18/17
@threadreaderapp please unroll

19/17
The unroll for this thread has been archived at web.archive.org/web/2022062004…