Did you know? Estimates show some AI models require more electricity to create and operate than some small towns.
Signals in the Noise
Insights from Timothy E. Reed’s book
Highlighting another insightful book from a leader who has “been there done that”.
Signals in the Noise shows how too much noise can drown out the signals that matter. Practical takeaway: skip the early sections if needed and focus on the latter half—the frameworks and techniques there are gold. I especially liked the section on uncovering deception which is a huge issue with growth in AI generated slop.
Key lessons:
Urgency ≠ importance. Systems reward engagement, not accuracy.
Leaders succeed by waiting for noise to settle into signal. Introduce purposeful friction to guide decisions.
Think differently: how could someone make this info wrong on purpose?
Know your sources. Truth often hides in anomalies, silence, or contradiction.
Slow the loop in a crisis. Structured calm wins—slow is smooth, smooth is fast.
Deception is everywhere, now accelerated by AI. Spotting real signal is a critical skill.
If you want to make better decisions, Signals in the Noise is a great add to your library. Learn to distinguish what matters and become a more effective decision maker.
Where are your encryption keys?
If you haven’t yet, it’s worth reading the recent reporting on BitLocker recovery key handling and Microsoft’s role when recovery keys are stored in cloud-connected services. One of the key points raised is that, in some configurations, BitLocker recovery keys may be backed up to Microsoft-managed accounts or directories by default. (Reference TechCrunch coverage)
This isn’t about debating whether Microsoft should or shouldn’t be able to provide recovery keys. The practical takeaway is simpler: they can (in certain configurations). As such, understand where recovery keys are stored and who has access to them.
A useful framing question is: “Who controls my encryption keys?”
Quick Insightful Reads
🔗 Advancements in Account Takeover Fraud - Pay attention to the next parts about how threat actors are using harvested credentials in an interconnected ecosystem to do things such as transfer points from loyalty programs.
🔗 Moltbook News – How some organizations have been negatively impacted with unsecure agents.
🔗 Harden the workflow that monetizes phishing - Phishing detection will not be 100% effective. But if you know the threat actor intentions you can then minimize impact by hardening the processes targeted (gain access and or force a fraudulent payment for two big examples).
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Views expressed are informational only and not official advice. No warranties are made; readers assume all risk and should consult authoritative sources before acting.