Professional Computing & Technology Consulting
I can assist you all the way through to shipping. From modernizing legacy systems and designing offline-first tools to right-sizing deployment, cross-checking governance, and verifying data practices, the goal is pragmatic progress and verifiable outcomes.
Short, actionable notes. Each card includes a concise source so teams can go deeper.
Enable phishing-resistant MFA for admins and remote access as a first control. It reduces common credential-theft risk and raises the bar for attackers.
Source (APA): CISA. (2021). Implementing phishing-resistant MFA. https://www.cisa.gov/
Patch cycles should explicitly track the “known exploited” list in addition to vendor advisories. Treat those items as expedited changes.
Source (APA): CISA. (2024). Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog. https://www.cisa.gov/
Keep three copies, on two media types, with one off-site or offline. Test restores quarterly to verify objectives and operator familiarity.
Source (APA): NIST. (2010). SP 800-34 Rev.1: Contingency Planning Guide for Federal Information Systems. https://csrc.nist.gov/
Define questions first (who did what, from where, and when), then instrument systems and retain logs long enough to investigate effectively.
Source (APA): NIST. (2006). SP 800-92: Guide to Computer Security Log Management. https://csrc.nist.gov/
Use the Top 10 as a lightweight threat model for web apps and APIs. Add automated checks for injection, auth, and sensitive data exposure.
Source (APA): OWASP. (2021). OWASP Top Ten. https://owasp.org/
Generate a software bill of materials during CI to surface vulnerable components and license issues before deployment.
Source (APA): NIST. (2022). SP 800-218: Secure Software Development Framework (SSDF). https://csrc.nist.gov/
Map roles to tasks and grant only what is necessary. Review high-risk permissions on a schedule and require approvals for escalation.
Source (APA): NIST. (2014). SP 800-53 Rev.4/5: Security and Privacy Controls. https://csrc.nist.gov/
Vendors operate infrastructure; customers own identity, data, and configuration. Document this early to prevent gaps.
Source (APA): Cloud Security Alliance. (2017). Security Guidance v4. https://cloudsecurityalliance.org/
Lightweight process, strong communication, documented handoffs.
Understand goals, constraints, compliance drivers, and current pain points. Inventory systems and data flows.
Define a minimal, high-impact sequence of changes with owners, risks, and success criteria.
Iterate in small slices with demos, tests, and clear release notes to minimize disruption.
Train maintainers, document runbooks, and schedule reviews so improvements endure.
Short assessments, multi-month delivery, and fractional advisory. Work is scoped to measurable outcomes.
Yes. Experience includes controls mapping and pragmatic compliance alignment (for example, NIST SP 800-53, SP 800-171, ISO 27001).
Yes. The preferred model embeds alongside research and development, IT, and security, with paired delivery and documentation.
I am Scott Owen, a consultant focused on secure, reliable computing for real-world constraints. My work spans all types of systems, offline-first design, practical security review, and practical chain of assignments (delegation) for small organizations and public-interest projects.
Values: clarity, calm delivery, plain language, and leaving clients with a more solid understanding.
Send a short note about your goals. I will reply with a time to talk.
Prefer email? Write to scott.