Interview with an anonymous AWS cybersecurity engineer • Hacker News Board

Re: Interview with an anonymous AWS cybersecurity engineer

#11

Post by lucb1e » Tue, Dec 22, 2020, 10:07 PM UTC

all_blue_chucks wrote: post #5

Almost none of those questions were about AWS cybersecurity.

Author asks 1 semi-security-related question, I think here we go, follows up with "so you guys acquired some unrelated product, how's that going?"

Wtf is this article even about, am I reading a random lunch conversation between old friends that was made more interesting by the guy coincidentally working in security (a hot topic) and being made anonymous (so that people would assume shocking secrets are to be revealed inside)?

Re: Interview with an anonymous AWS cybersecurity engineer

#12

Post by dstick » Tue, Dec 22, 2020, 10:11 PM UTC

Malic wrote: post #10

In light of shake-ups at the US Post Office in 2020, this ... smells funny. "The rumors that I hear, both internal and external, are that we're very seriously interested in acquiring post office real estate. The reason why the post office is valuable to privatize is because of their real estate holdings. They have great real estate in every downtown of every city in the United States. Amazon may be interested in buyi…

There’s a big datacenter in a post office in LA. I visited it once as we rented bare metal there. Amazing building. So maybe that’s the reason? :)

Re: Interview with an anonymous AWS cybersecurity engineer

#13

Post by khuey » Tue, Dec 22, 2020, 10:15 PM UTC

Malic wrote: post #10

In light of shake-ups at the US Post Office in 2020, this ... smells funny. "The rumors that I hear, both internal and external, are that we're very seriously interested in acquiring post office real estate. The reason why the post office is valuable to privatize is because of their real estate holdings. They have great real estate in every downtown of every city in the United States. Amazon may be interested in buyi…

Trump hates Bezos though so selling the real estate to Amazon of all people makes little sense.

Re: Interview with an anonymous AWS cybersecurity engineer

#14

Post by le_didil » Tue, Dec 22, 2020, 10:18 PM UTC

But when funding dries up for startups and companies have to shutter, then all of their digital operation overseas is cut loose. And the people who lose their jobs go into cybercrime. They think, “There's no other options for me. So sure. Let's do it. Lock and load.”

this section is just nonsense. So the crisis happens then devs in "developing countries" become cybercriminals ? total bs ...

Re: Interview with an anonymous AWS cybersecurity engineer

#15

Post by slg » Tue, Dec 22, 2020, 10:20 PM UTC

ApicalDendrite wrote: post #9

This person is very clearly mixing things that he knows directly, things that he's read about in books (e.g. Amazon's strategy in the early days), and rumors that he's heard (e.g. Jeff Bezos' personal life). There's no way that a cybersecurity engineer at a company as sprawling as Amazon has reliable firsthand knowledge on so many different unrelated topics. The writer is a faculty associate at the Berkman Klein Cent…

It is verging on irresponsible journalism to give this person anonymity without providing any details on their knowledge or credentials and seemingly spending no effort challenging or fact checking any of these answers. That isn't how these pieces are supposed to be written.

Re: Interview with an anonymous AWS cybersecurity engineer

#16

Post by cheaprentalyeti » Tue, Dec 22, 2020, 10:21 PM UTC

vsareto wrote: post #7

mimikatz wrote: post #6

What’s an example of a division that AWS subsidizes particularly heavily? Prime Video, for one. Jeff loves Prime Video because it gives him access to the social scene in LA and New York. He’s newly divorced and the richest man in the world. Prime Video is a loss leader for Jeff’s sex life errm... That should be on their SEC risk report

This person is almost certainly not that intimately familiar with Jeff's private life. Take this with a grain of salt.

It's also the first thing I've read here in six months that's made me laugh.

Re: Interview with an anonymous AWS cybersecurity engineer

#17

Post by ralston3 » Tue, Dec 22, 2020, 10:22 PM UTC

mimikatz wrote: post #6

What’s an example of a division that AWS subsidizes particularly heavily? Prime Video, for one. Jeff loves Prime Video because it gives him access to the social scene in LA and New York. He’s newly divorced and the richest man in the world. Prime Video is a loss leader for Jeff’s sex life errm... That should be on their SEC risk report

The only weird thing about this take is I could believe it. And so what if it’s true? The guy has worked to become the richest man in the world (though I may be against his methods of doing so), and isn’t even from a prominent family. I don’t see how anyone could be upset by this XD

Re: Interview with an anonymous AWS cybersecurity engineer

#18

Post by corobo » Tue, Dec 22, 2020, 10:23 PM UTC

slg wrote: post #15

ApicalDendrite wrote: post #9

This person is very clearly mixing things that he knows directly, things that he's read about in books (e.g. Amazon's strategy in the early days), and rumors that he's heard (e.g. Jeff Bezos' personal life). There's no way that a cybersecurity engineer at a company as sprawling as Amazon has reliable firsthand knowledge on so many different unrelated topics. The writer is a faculty associate at the Berkman Klein Cent…

It is verging on irresponsible journalism to give this person anonymity without providing any details on their knowledge or credentials and seemingly spending no effort challenging or fact checking any of these answers. That isn't how these pieces are supposed to be written.

There's a massive off vibe for me in things like

> So if you have cancer and you might die from your cancer, we won't help you get treatment

It just feels.. off. I wouldn't go as far to say the person doesn't work at Amazon at all and instead wants to jab at them but I'm definitely thinking it loudly

Re: Interview with an anonymous AWS cybersecurity engineer

#19

Post by ceejayoz » Tue, Dec 22, 2020, 10:23 PM UTC

khuey wrote: post #13

Malic wrote: post #10

In light of shake-ups at the US Post Office in 2020, this ... smells funny. "The rumors that I hear, both internal and external, are that we're very seriously interested in acquiring post office real estate. The reason why the post office is valuable to privatize is because of their real estate holdings. They have great real estate in every downtown of every city in the United States. Amazon may be interested in buyi…

Trump hates Bezos though so selling the real estate to Amazon of all people makes little sense.

So he has to wait a month?

Re: Interview with an anonymous AWS cybersecurity engineer

#20

Post by iameli » Tue, Dec 22, 2020, 10:24 PM UTC

Kind of tangential, but

> If you're working in Seattle for Amazon and you're good at your job and you want to leave your job tomorrow, you have far fewer opportunities. Where are you going to go, Microsoft? There's not nearly as much mobility. So I think a big part of the reason we have less organizing [than Google] is that people are more afraid to jeopardize their jobs. If you want to stay in the Northwest, you keep your head down.

Is that... really how people view Seattle? Feels like there's always a zillion companies hiring here.