As the founder of Counter Hack Challenges, Ed Skoudis describes himself as an "InfoSec Geek," which means "information security expert" to us civilians. Skoudis trains cyber warriors in the finer points of attack and defense, running courses with names like "Network Penetration Testing and Ethical Hacking," and he's one of the guys that government or military organizations call when they've got a cyberhacking problem.
When you think of what an elite cyberwarrior's office must look like, you probably picture a windowless basement dungeon with wires everywhere, or maybe a fluorescent-lit, concrete black ops room buried in the side of Cheyenne Mountain. But as it turns out, this InfoSec Geek has some rather fantastic aesthetic sense.
"We wanted an office that would intrigue and inspire, yet remain functional and fun," Skoudis writes. "We set out to create a space full of anachronisms, a portal into another space and time, a dimension of sound, of sight, and of mind. But never too serious. Here is what we came up with for our Imperial Headquarters (IHQ), tucked away above a garage in a nondescript house in the most beautiful state of the Union."
The entryway is not promising. But the first hint of the interior comes when the door is popped open…
…and you get a peek at the dark, Victorian-looking paneling lining the staircase.
Lit by lanterns, the staircase leads to a landing where a static electricity generator stands sentry.
Upstairs is the Main Laboratory, this one guarded by a suit of armor and a portrait of Albert Einstein.
The horizontal surfaces are awash in steampunkish artifacts: A Nixie tube clock, a phonograph, an antique magnifying glass, a typewriter.
While those artifacts are exactly what they seem, the bookcase next to the knight is not.
It pops open to reveal the Secret Room. "The room's name is spelled with a capital S and a capital R, but never with a capital T. Capitalizing the T in 'the' would be pretentious," Skoudis explains.
In this gorgeous stamped-tin-ceilinged space, we see the square footage where Skoudis can set up ragtag teams of cybergeniuses keeping our nation's cyber bacon safe.
The work counters are solid oak, and an antique globe on one end of one presumably reminds the counterhackers of what's at stake.
Meanwhile, a plasma ball at one end of the room reminds them that "Plasma balls rock!"
Tour's not over yet. A panel at one end of the room swings open…
Revealing what appears to be a disappointingly modern, and cluttered, storage room.
But this Secret-Secret Room has one last trick to offer.
A panel provides access to the rear of the Einstein portrait in the Main Lab.
Why rear?
Because, man, haven't you ever seen Scooby-Doo?
"As our tour comes to a close," Skoudis writes, "remember to engage the universe and its inhabitants with a thankful and playful attitude, looking beyond the surface of things, striving to learn and enjoy the precious time you've been granted."
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