Co-Founder @_securityfirst, building tools for the security of human rights defenders and journos. Helped setup and was Head of Security & Research @_videre.
Jun 6, 2022 • 6 tweets • 2 min read
This time last year there was was a massive ransomware attack on our healthcare system. We were told that state cyber security investment was a main national security priority. In particular in the @ncsc_gov_ie. If that is the case, why is it taking months for applicants to
even get through basic stages of recruitment this year? I know a load of people who are starting to get disheartened by the process. Amazon, Facebook and half the companies in Ireland are hiring for these roles with twice the pay and better conditions. Corporates would expect
Mar 15, 2022 • 15 tweets • 3 min read
The last two years has seen a huge growth in interest about security in Ireland. It's also seen a huge growth in people who talk pure nonsense. For journalists, especially those coming to this issue for the first time here is a thread:
For a long time, Irish security was not an issue that really got much public interest, with the exception of the odd IRA story, peacekeeping issue or Army deafness claim. Thus the pool of people with experience in the area willing to write or provide commentary was very limited.
Mar 13, 2022 • 9 tweets • 2 min read
Building on this comment. An example, cyber. Having been part of security transformation processes in the private sector before if you overlay those rough framework to the DF structure. Another thread:
If you start training people from scratch tomorrow, it's three/four years until they are at a technical graduate level. But that's the very basics. Its no where near the level to be competent cyber security operators. That's probably a minimum of another three years away.
Dec 10, 2021 • 19 tweets • 8 min read
The UK published it's intelligence and security committee report covering the past two years. Ireland lacks and badly needs this level of democratic and transparent accountability around threats, intelligence and surveillance.
Reading a lot of the individual submissions to the DF Commission and Irish Security Twitter recently and there is a very stark common problem. There is a severe lack of understanding and focus on strategic security. In particular identifying what our overall national
interest is and how security decisions should flow from that. People just blurt out something tactical like buy Gripens but don't actually fit that into a strategic or even operational framework. For example, what actually happens when the pilots do intercept? What is the state
Jun 29, 2021 • 8 tweets • 2 min read
Some thoughts about the @IRLCoDF (Thread). The commission is a once in a generation chance for #Ireland to think about how it views it’s national interests and security. Overall though, it feels that expectation management is going to be important. There will inevitably be a lot
of disappointed people. Whether it’s those calling for squadrons of Gripens or retired Generals calling for more brigades - at some point expectation has to meet reality. Let’s be real here. #Irish national debt is close to a quarter of a trillion. Every Euro spent by the gov
Jul 21, 2020 • 28 tweets • 12 min read
The UK Intelligence and Security Committee has published it's long awaited Russia Report. As our nearest neighbour, it's always interesting to see what lessons learned #Ireland can draw. (Thread 1/n)
Firstly, how do we interpret what Russia wants from a country like Ireland? The focus in the Irish media has tended to be on things like stealing technology from companies but the bigger strategic picture is important. Ultimately it wants to disrupt European integration
Mar 5, 2020 • 32 tweets • 13 min read
#Ireland needs this level of oversight and transparency into surveillance...Well, more actually but this is a start. It's madness that the UK of all places has more than we do at political and independent oversight levels.
Worth contrasting UK with Irish Reports. In UK you have teams of people involved in oversight, visiting monthly or weekly as necessary, all with skills to understand what they are looking at. In Ireland you have ONE judge visiting two or three times a year cdn.thejournal.ie/media/2015/05/…
