About

Hello! My name is Chris Beckman. I’m a principal security engineer in Seattle, and I enjoy making and breaking systems. As we used to say back in the day, welcome to my blog.

I’m a product of the personal computing revolution. My grandmother bought each of her children the original IBM PC, with the explicit instructions to let their children use them, because she thought understanding computers would be important to their futures.¹ Boy, was she right!

I hold my J.D. from the University of Iowa College of Law, with a focus on cybersecurity, technology, and privacy law. Over the last ten years, I’ve been working as a software engineer and leading security programs at technology companies. I’ve been exposed to the challenges of launching innovative businesses in areas like AI and blockchain from the ground floor.

I still find wonder in technology, despite the overwhelming evidence that we should chuck our devices in the snow and wait for the plows to take them.² Working in cybersecurity, I’m very aware of technology’s potential for harm. I personally take an optimistic view, and think that the best way to address these harms is to engage, share, and learn.

I hope you enjoy the site.