Tony Anscombe

Tony Anscombe

Chief Security Evangelist


Education: Cobol and Fortran programming, it was a long time ago.

Highlights of your career: Appearing on the BBC News, the live appearance was regarding an article about a hacker that was 12 years old and stealing game data. The cool part was that it remained the number one article on the BBC News app for four days, it seemed that just about everyone I know saw it! The only thing that could top this is to be on Good Morning America or on the BBC Breakfast sofa.

What malware do you hate the most: Potentially unwanted applications, deceiving consumers and destroying their computer is wrong.

Favorite activities: Motorbikes, cycling, concerts and family (not in that order).

What is your golden rule for cyberspace: Don’t get sucked in and addicted to the world of social media, and never post pictures of food.

When did you get your first computer, favorite computer game/activity: My first computer was a Sinclair ZX81 Spectrum, back around 1983/4. It was my first introduction to programming and inspired me to go to college and learn how to code. As for a favorite game, my son and I play two games frequently, Driver (Xbox) and Fifa (PS4), it is a very competitive pastime and not good for my blood pressure.


110 articles by Tony Anscombe

How Uber seems to know where you are – even with restricted location permissions

How Uber seems to know where you are – even with restricted location permissions

How Uber seems to know where you are – even with restricted location permissions

Is the ride-hailing app secretly tracking you? Not really, but this iOS feature may make it feel that way.

Tony Anscombe09 Oct 20253 min. read


Supply-chain dependencies: Check your resilience blind spot

Supply-chain dependencies: Check your resilience blind spot

Supply-chain dependencies: Check your resilience blind spot

Does your business truly understand its dependencies, and how to mitigate the risks posed by an attack on them?

Tony Anscombe12 Aug 20254 min. read


Black Hat USA 2025: Is a high cyber insurance premium about your risk, or your insurer’s?

Black Hat USA 2025: Is a high cyber insurance premium about your risk, or your insurer’s?

Black Hat USA 2025: Is a high cyber insurance premium about your risk, or your insurer’s?

A sky-high premium may not always reflect your company’s security posture

Tony Anscombe08 Aug 20253 min. read


Black Hat USA 2025: Policy compliance and the myth of the silver bullet

Black Hat USA 2025: Policy compliance and the myth of the silver bullet

Black Hat USA 2025: Policy compliance and the myth of the silver bullet

Who’s to blame when the AI tool managing a company’s compliance status gets it wrong?

Tony Anscombe07 Aug 20253 min. read


Black Hat USA 2025: Does successful cybersecurity today increase cyber-risk tomorrow?

Black Hat USA 2025: Does successful cybersecurity today increase cyber-risk tomorrow?

Black Hat USA 2025: Does successful cybersecurity today increase cyber-risk tomorrow?

Success in cybersecurity is when nothing happens, plus other standout themes from two of the event’s keynotes

Tony Anscombe07 Aug 20253 min. read


Why the tech industry needs to stand firm on preserving end-to-end encryption

Why the tech industry needs to stand firm on preserving end-to-end encryption

Why the tech industry needs to stand firm on preserving end-to-end encryption

Restricting end-to-end encryption on a single-country basis would not only be absurdly difficult to enforce, but it would also fail to deter criminal activity

Tony Anscombe01 Aug 20255 min. read


How government cyber cuts will affect you and your business

How government cyber cuts will affect you and your business

How government cyber cuts will affect you and your business

Deep cuts in cybersecurity spending risk creating ripple effects that will put many organizations at a higher risk of falling victim to cyberattacks

Tony Anscombe03 Jul 20254 min. read


Protecting children online: Where Florida’s new law falls short

Protecting children online: Where Florida’s new law falls short

Protecting children online: Where Florida’s new law falls short

Some of the state’s new child safety law can be easily circumvented. Should it have gone further?

Tony Anscombe14 Jan 20254 min. read


Black Hat Europe 2024: Hacking a car – or rather, its infotainment system

Black Hat Europe 2024: Hacking a car – or rather, its infotainment system

Black Hat Europe 2024: Hacking a car – or rather, its infotainment system

Our ‘computers on wheels’ are more connected than ever, but the features that enhance our convenience often come with privacy risks in tow

Tony Anscombe13 Dec 20243 min. read