MisterNonGrata

In Episode 2 of MisterNonGrata, host Bill Alderson sits down with his longtime friend and fellow technologist, Jim Rounsville. Having known each other since the early 1970s, Bill and Jim reminisce about their shared history—from building hot rods as teenagers to forging careers in the IT and security industries. Their decades-long friendship provides a rich backdrop for a deep dive into the challenges and insights they've gathered over the years.

Bill recounts a particularly challenging experience when he was called upon to resolve a denial-of-service attack on a major East Coast stock exchange. Despite the involvement of big-name companies like Cisco and AT&T, the problem had persisted for days. "They couldn't solve it," Bill notes. "So now the stock exchange is still suffering. So they called me."

Using his expertise in deep packet inspection—a skill honed over years of hands-on problem-solving—Bill was able to diagnose the issue swiftly. By placing his analyzer on the network, he discovered a SYN flood attack utilizing the same sequence number repeatedly, a detail others had overlooked. "Thankfully, they didn't randomize that sequence number," he explains. "We were able to find this out."

Collaborating directly with a Cisco engineer who had written the code for the firewall, Bill facilitated a rapid solution. "He says, 'Bill, I'll just kill that sequence number in the core code.' He was going to hardcode it in," Bill recalls. This decisive action not only resolved the immediate crisis but also prevented similar attacks across other stock exchanges, as the FBI later confirmed.

Throughout the conversation, Bill and Jim emphasize the concept of paradigm shifts and reframing perspectives. They reference Stephen Covey's story from "7 Habits of Highly Effective People" to illustrate how new information can radically alter one's understanding of a situation. "That's the definition of a paradigm shift," Bill says. "Because before you had the information... you were clueless."

Jim adds the importance of empathy and understanding in professional settings. "When you come in, the whole team of people can be fairly abrasive because they think you're not gonna solve their problem," he notes. "You have to reframe that and say, look, these guys have been up for three days trying to figure this problem out. So these guys are just spent."

The duo also discuss the significance of combining hard technical skills with soft interpersonal skills. "Soft skills plus hard skills equals skills," Bill summarizes. They encourage younger professionals to adopt these approaches early in their careers. "If you can take some of the concepts we're talking about and say, hey, maybe I can reframe things when I go into a meeting... you're going to win better," Jim advises.

In closing, Bill and Jim express their hope that sharing their experiences will help others navigate complex technical challenges more effectively. "I'm out here trying to help other people be ready to get these calls," Bill says. "Explain through my experiences... without them having to go through that experience and that time sink."

This episode offers valuable insights into the importance of perspective, collaboration, and the integration of technical and soft skills in solving complex IT problems.