Hillary Rodham Clinton - Security Specialist
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Due to pressure they changed their keynote speaker
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@IRJ said in Hillary Rodham Clinton - Security Specialist:
Due to pressure they changed their keynote speaker
Yeah good call... Damage control at this point. Wow, just WOW.
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@IRJ Still .... never going to live that down. FireEye burned absolutely every last shred of respectability on this one.
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@scottalanmiller said in Hillary Rodham Clinton - Security Specialist:
@bnrstnr said in Hillary Rodham Clinton - Security Specialist:
@scottalanmiller said in Hillary Rodham Clinton - Security Specialist:
This would be like having someone who failed at being a hacker, like Kevin Mitnick, speak at a conference or represent you.
Shot at KnowBe4? People occasionally bring it up. It always seemed scammy to me.
They use him in some things. but I've not seen them have him speak at a conference. KnowBe4 puts his face on things, but AFAIK, that's it. But I've been to a conference that actually presented him as if he was an "expert speaker", which tells you volumes about what they think of their audience.
He is speaking at their conference this year
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@IRJ said in Hillary Rodham Clinton - Security Specialist:
@scottalanmiller said in Hillary Rodham Clinton - Security Specialist:
@bnrstnr said in Hillary Rodham Clinton - Security Specialist:
@scottalanmiller said in Hillary Rodham Clinton - Security Specialist:
This would be like having someone who failed at being a hacker, like Kevin Mitnick, speak at a conference or represent you.
Shot at KnowBe4? People occasionally bring it up. It always seemed scammy to me.
They use him in some things. but I've not seen them have him speak at a conference. KnowBe4 puts his face on things, but AFAIK, that's it. But I've been to a conference that actually presented him as if he was an "expert speaker", which tells you volumes about what they think of their audience.
He is speaking at their conference this year
Yeah, I realize it's just a marketing front. But it's impossible for me to think of them in any serious way because of it. They pander to the clueless masses, not to security or IT people. Bothers me, a lot.
It's enough for me to really feel uncomfortable ever recommending KnowBe4.... if this is how they view themselves, why would I take them any differently?
He's their "Chief Hacking Officer" now. WTF does that mean?
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@scottalanmiller said in Hillary Rodham Clinton - Security Specialist:
@IRJ said in Hillary Rodham Clinton - Security Specialist:
@scottalanmiller said in Hillary Rodham Clinton - Security Specialist:
@bnrstnr said in Hillary Rodham Clinton - Security Specialist:
@scottalanmiller said in Hillary Rodham Clinton - Security Specialist:
This would be like having someone who failed at being a hacker, like Kevin Mitnick, speak at a conference or represent you.
Shot at KnowBe4? People occasionally bring it up. It always seemed scammy to me.
They use him in some things. but I've not seen them have him speak at a conference. KnowBe4 puts his face on things, but AFAIK, that's it. But I've been to a conference that actually presented him as if he was an "expert speaker", which tells you volumes about what they think of their audience.
He is speaking at their conference this year
Yeah, I realize it's just a marketing front. But it's impossible for me to think of them in any serious way because of it. They pander to the clueless masses, not to security or IT people. Bothers me, a lot.
It's enough for me to really feel uncomfortable ever recommending KnowBe4.... if this is how they view themselves, why would I take them any differently?
He's their "Chief Hacking Officer" now. WTF does that mean?
Their product is very solid, though. I have used it at my last 3 employers and it makes a noticeable difference for security training.
I am not too excited about Mitnick, but the way I see it is he is just a spokesperson and not an innovator. His "celebrity" status makes him go off and do appearances more than anything else. I try to look at it more like he is a spokesman vs a mentor or innovator in the field.
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@IRJ said in Hillary Rodham Clinton - Security Specialist:
I am not too excited about Mitnick, but the way I see it is he is just a spokesperson and not an innovator. His "celebrity" status makes him go off and do appearances more than anything else. I try to look at it more like he is a spokesman vs a mentor or innovator in the field.
Security is no place for a "celebrity" endorsement, especially when it is someone famous for being bad at security and getting busted and now famous for being a huge joke who is a pathetic loser. It makes KnowBe4 look terrible, and I would feel like it would reflect badly on me if I was associated with recommending them. It's insanely embarrassing.
It's supposed to be a business service. Using someone whose a big loser as a joke to endorse sneakers or cereal can be funny or something. Doing it with what is supposed to be a security service makes me think the people involved are off of their rockers and/or they feel that they customers are total dipshits who are not turned off by that.
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Bottom line... using Mitnick in this way, especially adding him to the board... is KnowBe4's way of telling me how they view themselves. It's their warning, in a way. A way of expressing who their target audience is.
Just like
did with him. They knew that their primary audience wasn't IT pros, but buyers looking for big names and flashy acts on stage rather than technical know how and expertise. That both of them use Mitnick in the same way is very telling.
