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The PS5 Key Leak: Why This One’s Different
Sony just hit a wall. The root encryption keys for the PlayStation 5 — the hardware-level “master keys” that decide what the console trusts — have leaked. That means hackers now have access to the PS5’s BootROM , the lowest layer of its security system. This isn’t a normal software exploit. It’s not something Sony can patch with an update next week. These keys are literally baked into the silicon. They’re part of the chip. And once they’re out, they’re out. What That Actuall

Rich Washburn
Jan 44 min read


PaaS: Privacy as a Service — The Great Data Gold Rush of the AI Era
VPNs had their time.They made us feel private, even if all they really did was move our data through someone else’s pipe. But a small startup called Phreeli might have just pulled the next big lever in the evolution of privacy. It’s not another app or encrypted messenger. It’s a carrier — a full-blown phone service that doesn’t know who you are. You sign up with a zip code. That’s it. No name. No ID. No personal record. They’ve built a zero-knowledge billing system that can

Rich Washburn
Dec 26, 20254 min read


“The Password Was ‘Louvre’?” — How Bad Security, Brilliant Thieves, and One Savage Ad Taught Us All a Lesson
If you want a single, unfiltered example of how the world manages to be simultaneously brilliant and boneheaded, look no further than the Louvre heist. I’ve seen breaches where the defenders did everything right and still lost — that’s life on the wire. This? This wasn’t that. This was a comedy of errors so spectacular it belongs in a heist movie with popcorn and a two-cocktail intermission. Here’s what went down, in plain terms your CISO will be too embarrassed to admit out

Rich Washburn
Nov 7, 20254 min read


When the Cloud Catches Fire: A Masterclass in How Not to Manage IT
There’s a telltale way to know your IT leadership isn’t qualified.And it’s not when a system goes down, or a server crashes, or a backup takes a little longer than expected. It’s when best practices are treated like optional guidelines instead of gospel. Because best practices aren’t suggestions — they’re guardrails. Ignore them long enough, and you’ll end up where South Korea’s government did last month: standing in front of 858 terabytes of smoldering digital rubble wonder

Rich Washburn
Oct 21, 20253 min read


The Deepfake Dilemma: Why AI Literacy Is the New Digital Survival Skill
Let’s start with a hard truth: most people have no idea what AI can do — and that’s a problem. A big one. Every day, I see new scams pop up online that look completely legitimate — professional-looking websites, polished videos, believable voices, and glowing reviews. The twist? None of it’s real. The people don’t exist. The products don’t exist. The business itself? Fabricated entirely by artificial intelligence. We’ve crossed a line. AI isn’t just automating tasks anymore;

Rich Washburn
Oct 16, 20253 min read


The XAI Espionage Case: Why This Isn’t Just About One Engineer
The lawsuit Elon Musk’s XAI just filed against a former engineer reads like a spy thriller: a trusted insider cashes out millions in...

Rich Washburn
Sep 9, 20252 min read


PSA — Change Your Passwords, Turn On MFA, Move To Passkeys: 16 Billion Credentials Just Hit The Web
1. Why This Matters Imagine every lock on your house, office, and car dumped onto a public sidewalk with name-tags attached. That’s...

Rich Washburn
Jun 19, 20252 min read


Turns Out the Trojan Horse Was the Ultimate Human Exploit
I've been sitting here thinking about Trojan horses. Yep, the wooden kind from 3,000 years ago—but also the ones popping up today: drones...

Rich Washburn
Jun 13, 20253 min read


Behind the Prompt Curtain: When AI Safety Turns into Terminal Prohibition
If you’ve ever worked with an AI agent and thought, “I’m not configuring this thing—I’m micromanaging a digital toddler with root...

Rich Washburn
May 30, 20252 min read


PSA: Facebook “Breach” Claims and Apple’s AirPlay Flaws – What’s Real and What’s Rinse & Repeat
You ever feel like déjà vu in cybersecurity is just Tuesday? Yeah, me too. So let’s break this down: There's a loud claim flying around...

Rich Washburn
May 23, 20253 min read


Zero-Click, Wormable, and in Your Living Room: The AirPlay Exploit That Shouldn’t Exist (But Does)
Imagine walking into your house and your Bluetooth speaker silently hacks your phone—no pop-ups, no permissions, no downloads. Just......

Rich Washburn
May 2, 20253 min read


Pixelation Is Not Protection: Why Your Blur Tool Might Be Lying to You
Imagine you're caught in a gunfight. You dive behind a cardboard box. It hides you from view, but it won't stop a bullet. That's...

Rich Washburn
Apr 19, 20252 min read


Respected Computer Scientist Mysteriously Disappears: The Curious Case of Dr. Xiaofeng Wang
Something strange is happening in Bloomington, Indiana—and no, it’s not another Stranger Things reboot. This time, it’s real. Dr....

Rich Washburn
Apr 6, 20254 min read


Is WordPress the Internet’s Biggest Liability?
For years, WordPress has been the undisputed giant of the web, powering nearly half of the internet. But like a blockbuster sequel that...

Rich Washburn
Jan 5, 20253 min read


Is It Dangerous to Give Everyone Access to AGI?
The future—a place where Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) might soon be as common as smartphones, and the idea of handing over this...

Rich Washburn
Aug 22, 20243 min read


Every Single Social Security Number, Phone, and Address Has Leaked on the Internet! 2.6 Billion Total
Data breaches have become the digital equivalent of a coffee spill on your keyboard—annoying, potentially disastrous, but seemingly...

Rich Washburn
Aug 14, 20243 min read


The Strategic Imperative: U.S. Leadership in AI for National Security
Artificial intelligence (AI) is not just a technological marvel; it is a strategic asset that will define the balance of global power in...

Rich Washburn
Jul 27, 20243 min read


Inside the CrowdStrike Outage: Understanding Kernel Mode Vulnerabilities
In a recent incident that left Windows machines around the world blue-screening, CrowdStrike, a prominent cybersecurity firm, found...

Rich Washburn
Jul 22, 20243 min read


Cybersecurity Meltdown: Inside the Massive CrowdStrike Outage of 2024
In the early hours of July 19th, 2024, a significant disruption shook the digital infrastructure community. CrowdStrike, a widely trusted...

Rich Washburn
Jul 19, 20242 min read


Ripple Effect: The Far-Reaching Effects of Microsoft's Recent Outage
Microsoft Windows users worldwide are experiencing a severe outage due to an update associated with CrowdStrike’s Falcon Sensor. This...

Rich Washburn
Jul 19, 20243 min read
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