About Joe

My name is Joe Basirico, by day I help people build secure software. I lead a team of the most talented security experts in the world at Security Innovation to perform security assessments and help our customers reduce their risk against the ever-present threat of hackers and other ne'er-do-wells.

I launched Rethink Security with a friend as a free resource to provide insights drawing from my 18 years of experience in the security industry.

I started a non-profit, Technically Learning, in 2006 with the help of some friends to help kids, particularly girls and minorities, get excited about the STEM fields. Technically Learning merged with code.org in 2013 an amazing non-profit looking to bring Computer Science to all public schools in the US.

On this site you may find links to all of my projects, programming projects, research, a blog and more. Learn more about me »

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So, You're a Manager Now

April 29, 2022

Transitioning from being an Individual Contributor (IC) to a Manager is one of the most difficult shifts any person may make in their career. This represents a recognition of growth as well as a drastic change in responsibilities. Like becoming a parent it’s something that none of us are ready for until it happens, but somehow, many of us will succeed. The difference in success depends on how much effort and focus you give your new role as well as the support and tolerance you give yourself.

A Mixtape in 2022

February 4, 2022

I had the idea to create mixtapes, real, vinyl-to-tape, analog, lift-and-drop-the-needle, mixtapes, for my friends during a drive back from Montana after Thanksgiving. There’s something lost in the digital music era, where every song of every album from every artist is available at any moment at a click of a button. The ability to create a digital playlist, to be able to listen, reorder, or swap songs at a whim is convenient, it loses what drew me to vinyl in the first place, a purposefulness and intention to music.

The Middle Path of Planning and Reflection

December 28, 2020

Thinking about the future or past is an important practice, but we must be careful to not to take either too far. Buddhists call this the Middle Way or the Middle Path. Taking any practice too far can be detrimental: over-indulgence or self-mortification is not ideal. We can apply this same goal to planning and reflection. Think about the future too much and it can become anxiety or anticipation for something that may never come, but think about the future too little and you’ll be blind sided by predictable events.

Micromanagement and Trust

July 31, 2020

If you ask 100 employees if they like to be micromanaged 90 of them will say no, and the remaining 10 will walk away in disgust at you having the gall to ask the question. Micromanagement is so bad it’s almost synonymous with bad-management. If we all know it’s a bad choice, then why do managers do it? I’ve been able to hire, promote, and observe quite a few managers and leads over my career.

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Projects & Thoughts from Joe Basirico