Batting .400

Think of the guy who recently passed away who had 100 great ideas before breakfast. It was said 60 were impractical. or too expensive to implement, but the remaining 40 were viable ideas. Thus, by baseball metrics he was consistently batting .400, and therefore a sure first ballot Hall of Famer.

Such a person was Alan Paller, 76,  who made cybersecurity education his mission. The guy few knew was alive when he was.

Nicole Perloth of the NYT takes us through the life and times of Mr. Paller in yesterday's obituary.

Mr. Paller was a "cybersecurity pioneer who devoted his life to improving the digital defense of the United States. His death was confirmed by the SANS institute, the organization he founded in 1988."

He not only provided cybersecurity services, he was instrumental in training and grooming the next generation of cybersecurity sleuths, a cadre of individuals he felt there were far too few of in the United States. 

His work of course put him in touch with the National Security Agency (NSA) and Cyber Command. He worked with Jeff Moss, the founder of Black Hat, as they were co-chairmen of a proposed cybersecurity task force for the Department of Homeland Security. 

When we think of Homeland Security we naturally think of people crossing our borders with bad intent. But years ago I will always remember the quote from John M. Deutch, a Deputy Secretary of Defense, who sounded the alarm that "the ultimate strategic weapon is the electron."

The obituary carries a great photo of Mr. Paller taken in 2014. He has the craggy face looks of wisdom, sitting next to his Apple laptop.

And if he truly did have those 100 great ideas before breakfast, as Tony Sager, the former chief operating officer of the National Security Agency's International Assurance Directorate, which oversees cyberdefense claimed, then think of what he was capable after of after eating a bowl of cereal.

By all accounts, he's going to be missed.

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