Tag: Disciplined

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How to keep calm in Austria

In a few months, it will be a full decade since I first ventured into Austria and I must say that it’s been mostly good.  I’ve learned to navigate what is by far the most hostile environment I’ve lived in. Austrian are in the category of “Rude people” so I development anti-social strategies to avoid them in their own country.

Creative and aggressive use of technology helps me avoid the need to ask questions, this is key as do not speak German.  Uber and Amazon and occasionally FaceBook have provided excellent faceless services helping me get the exact things I want and need.

Cash is King

Money literally talks and avoids misunderstanding or aggression.  I also tend to pre-paid my stays at hotels and pay for taxis in advance, no arguments. I paid you, now shut the fuck up.

Plug-in Zone Out

I tend to use headphones triggering the natural human response of not trying to engage in any German conversations with me.

Of course, this forced isolation has it downside but I do love the Austrian countryside.

Beauty Austrian countryside, really rude people.

A decade of Stealth

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Heading back to DC

March 15, 2016 – Ubisoft announced ongoing record sell- through sales for Tom Clancy’s The Division, which has grossed more than $330 million worldwide in its first five days.

March 15, 2019 – The company releases The Division 2 no doubt aiming to smash that disgusting sales figure.

So how do a company go about maintaining that track record and move millions of gamers to a new platform whilst attracting the new one?

Since the first Beta, I was hooked but rapidly cooled off after constantly getting melted in the DarkZone or just not finding a stable squad to run with.  I noted that they have changed some key features that killed my interest in the title.

DLCs are free for Year 1 – no more issues with not having the right environment. This is an honest move as it created a massive difference between gamers who played occasionally and the elites.

8-player Raids were added as the ultimate end-game, clearly a move from the Destiny Universe.

And the ultimate killer move, reward gamers who continue to play The Division 1 with stuff in Division 2.  This move alone pulls me back to NY to scrap around for rewards.

Heading back to DC

I’m not a Twitch subscriber but at this stage, I’m very tempted to start subbing one of my favourite Division streamers. Just hope I can still afford my child support.

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What are you current priorities?

Keeping focus is a critical tactical skill nowadays.  There are so many distractions and attractions where you can very easily wander down a non-revenue generating rabbit hole.

I’ve debriefed myself from InfoSec Europe, London’s annual Circus gathering of Security folk but now deep into the flashing press releases, demos and surprises at E3.

My upcoming game list is still hooked on Last of Us 2 but the surprise new free game in the Life is Strange Universe promised for this month is perfect timing as I get to the end-game of FallOut 4.

Last of Us 2 - release date unknown
Skull and Bones – release date 2019 unknown month
The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit - June 26th 2018
The Division 2 – release date March 15, 2019 – Beta expected

Today’s brute force attacks on my site were routed through Panama 45.227.254.252…interesting.

STAR WARS Battlefront II – step back on focus
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Walk on by

I’ve always seen following walkthroughs as a second-hand experience but in the right circumstance, especially tough linear games, it can be the key to sanity.  I have limited time to solve some puzzles and frustration can grow rapidly.

It’s been 2 years I explored the Alien Isolation environment, it’s a brilliant and artistic re-creation of the early years of Ripley but really difficult as the chilling music and sound effects of the Alien hunting you distract your from objectives.  Unlike other Alien titles, you have no big guns so you are forced to use stealth which adds up to a scary game of cat and mouse.

Alien: Isolation – last played January 2016

So let’s cheat, whoops sorry, I mean look up a walkthrough.

Some sites are dedicated to creating the best walkthrough as soon as the game is released and YouTube is filled with Pros, fanatics, commentators and streamers.  Some authors have taken to documenting and selling complete illustrated walkthroughs which must be tough considering all the free stuff out there.

Alien: Isolation – Beautiful Artwork
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Make your head Nod

Day 1 –  EU Data Laws come into force today.

Look out for the Article 33 – 72 Hour breach notification debacle.

I can only imagine the litigations that are cued up and ready to go.  Enterprise is all lawyered up but Small Business owners must be wondering what to do.  The first cases will definitely hit the media.

Will it make the end-user safer or just cause admin hassle and change the strategic position of hackers and miscreants? A new era of Lawfare where regulations are used to tied up resources of a target, distracting them and potential weakening their infrastructure.

Policy, procedures, standards, compliance will someone please wake me up.

…but yet I’ve already had some vague clueless queries from worried business folk.

Data enemies approach – Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice

No matter, your friendly neighbourhood CISSP is here for ya.