Author: Matt Stacey | Page 3 | Int64 Software Blog

Handling Hierarchical Data Structures in SQL Server

Databases provide a great way to store and query large amounts of data quickly and efficiently. But what if you want to store something like a file system, where hierarchical links between the data are key?

21st Century Skill Mapping

The old adage goes “Jack of all trades, master of none”, but in this modern world we still need and ask for people to become masters. So is it possible, if you’ll forgive another aphorism, to have our cake and eat it?

The 10 Immutable Laws of Security

Back in 2011 Microsoft published the latest version of their 10 immutable laws of security. This list provides a succinct set of ideals that every infosec or sysadmin practitioner should endeavour to follow. Sadly the article (and its predecessor) have since been removed, so I’ve decided to re-publish them with some additional information on each…

Introducing OverLAPS for Microsoft LAPS – Update 1.2

We are happy to announce the release of OverLAPS 1.2. This latest update for our web interface to Microsoft’s Local Administrator Password Solution (LAPS) features a complete overhaul of its UI and brings a chunk of new features. Continue reading to see how this update can improve your experience within your LAPS managed Active Directory…

Dispelling Common Myths about Microsoft LAPS

Microsoft’s Local Administrator Password Solution (LAPS) is subject to many myths and misunderstandings. Let’s look at and refute some of the common ones.

Skill Matrix 2019 – When and how to add one to your CV/Résumé

When preparing your CV (Curriculum Vitae) for a job application, it may be worth taking the time to complete a Skill Matrix to provide the recruiter with a way to match you to the job with just a quick glance.

Domain Admins – Best Practice and Tracking Down Their Misuse and Proliferation

The power of a domain admin account makes it incredibly tempting to use for various administration purposes where you need to guarantee that the account used has sufficient privileges.

Hardening Website Security – Part 4: Safely Handling User Input

In the final part of this series, we’re going to look at the proper way to handle raw user input from your website, and what can go wrong if it isn’t properly sanitized before storing or using the data.

Why aren’t you using Microsoft’s Local Administrator Password Solution (LAPS) yet?

Microsoft LAPS (Local Administrator Password Solution) is a free tool for Active Directory environments which automatically creates, sets and stores cryptographically secure passwords on your local administrator accounts. It’s powerful, free and it improves your security. So why aren’t you using it yet?

Hardening Website Security – Part 3: Website Database Security

Introduction It feels like almost every week there’s another news item about personal information being stolen because yet another company’s website got hacked. Most of these attacks are perpetrated through social engineering, persuading somebody to hand over some detail which allows the hacker to gain additional privileges and, eventually, access to personal information. However, a…