Loud Thoughts

Throughout my tenure at the security post, I never quite figured out why is Trusted Solaris so esoteric.
This lesser known operating system can give your enterprise a competitive edge and it is absolutely available to everyone in the world. And, as part of Solaris, it is free too.

It will protect your business. It is compatible to Solaris and run as fast. It is decades ahead of Windows or Linux in terms of security. Joanne Masters once said, “if you are getting a dog to protect your home, would you buy a Doberman or a Chihuahua?”

About 15 years ago, to capture US government business, Sun developed an operating system that met their stringent security requirements. At that time, it was known as Compartmented Mode Workstation (CMW), at B1¹ level. Today, Sun's Trusted Solaris is the only commercially available multi-level operating system that runs on standardized, readily available computers. It has long been certified with more profiles in Common Criteria, at EAL4² level, than Linux, Windows, AIX, HPUX, and many more commercial operating systems.

Over the past decade, Solaris engineers merged two code bases step by step. The hugely popular Solaris 10 represent the pinnacle of this merger. There is no more two distinct operating systems. Solaris 10 and Trusted Solaris is now one. Few features that only very security sensitive customers want are collected into what will be marketed as the Trusted Extensions to Solaris (we call it TX for short).

What exactly make this operating system extension the most secure one? A simple concept and meticulous polishing the details over the long years. The concept is Mandatory Access Control.

For other operating systems, access control is discretionary. The individual that owns a document may grant others accessing privileges, such as reading, erasing, modification, or backing up. When the document changes ownership, all bets are off. Some software implements Digital Right Management (DRAM) control over documents with encryption technology (e.g. only the one with the password may open this file), but those controls can be easier circumvented.

In a system with Mandatory Access Control, all documents are labeled and all individuals too. An individual may access the document only when her label matches the document's. For example, an individual with the manager label may read documents that were labeled for manager only. Labels are hierarchical. A “senior” label can assume all privileges of a “junior” one and more. This matching follows a set of policies that are separately and independently established. This concept is also called “multi-level security” in the circle.

This concept is easier described than implemented. In addition to file system modifications, Solaris engineer must also enhance desktop, networking, printing, even devices such as USB and microphone (think about it). In addition, a comprehensive and secure auditing mechanism was put in place to capture all attempts to circumvent security. To simplify the policies, they also designed Role-Based Access Control so that complicated matching rules can be simplified. Sun is the only commercial company that knows how to do these right — securely with high performance. Their knowlege is decades ahead.

Economy is a study of scarcity, which defines value. Here we focus on time, among the most scarce commodities. As someone who did a lot during his youth, I now think it criminal to waste, or not getting the optimal return with this commodity.
Like good investors, managers allocate their time carefully and purposefully. The general concept is simply return of investment.

The concept of return implies that resources will be transformed into something else, hopefully more valuable. If the input is time, then purpose defines the outcome. Purposes link the outcome with rationality. Without purpose, the return is not predictable.

The majority of people never gave this a serious thought.
And there is nothing wrong with this blissful life-style. Lives do not need to be purposeful to be happy. Spontaneity and serendipity can be fulfilling and and even more enjoyable.

Then we have dreamers. They fantasize while commuting and talk about grandeur plans, particularly after few drinks. Deep in their minds, they never really expect to pull it through.
Managers cannot be either. Manaagers are accountable for achieving planned objectives.

Why would you, a manager, have plans for everything at work, but not your life or career?
Are there purposes? Is the plan realistic? Yes? You are better than 90 percentile. Come talk to me. I can help you. I specialize in execution — the art of refining the plans, aligning the resources, and a bit magic, to reach goals.

Wait! Read my standard recipe as prework.

Earlier in your managerial career, the emphasis of your time shoudl be on fundamental skill improvements. First- and second-line managers are in an Olympic-style competition. The better ones move up to the next level and race with others at least as good. The primary use of your time and energy should be on bettering yourself, in terms of managerial skills. It is wasteful to worry about politics, other players' training programs, coach's favorite pupils, etc. If you can outrun your peers, you will be tapped on the next round.

Skills move you upward. Find the environment that you can learn the fastest. It is your life and career. You can blame it on whomever and whatever and it does not matter. If you don't train yourself hard, others simply leave you behind. An athlete can complain on having a bad coach, substandard training facility, or the bad equipment. None of those complaints will win him or her the gold medal. Just save it. Yes, life is not fair, but your time is better spent not worrying about it.

What are the goals? Advancements in career, financial rewards, meaningfulness of work, recognition and appreciations from others, etc. are all good ones. Which ones are yours to pursue. Put them in priority order.
One's value system is peronal and individualized. Good managers set his or her objectives aligned with the value system. Pursue what you want. Don't pursue what you don't.

This simple concept is, in fact, rarely practiced. For curious reasons, wasteful, or even destructive, paths frequently ensue along people's lives. People spent years working on something just because they are fashionable. People insist on behavior pattern for simplistic belief and no regard to the implicit trade-offs. (”I hate commute, but I must live on the coast-side that is 3 hours of driving away.”) Lack of foresight, vision, guidance on the right objectives, and confusion between short- and long-term benefits are the usual reasons.

On a piece of paper written down these prority and objectives, go to one of those you trust and respect and ask them for honest feedbacks. Are they really worth pursuing? Are you sure they are really what you want? What are the realistic timing?

Live purposefully. Life is how time is spent.

World Economic Forum (WEF) came to China again. This year, it established a permanent office here in Beijing. The summit took over two floors in China World Hotel and lasted 2 days. Like all good conferences, those events not on the programme are more interesting. WEF organized those into private events. Then you have the spontaneous meetings in the lobby bars or nearby restaurants. Those are the truly invigorating.

In two closed sessions I participated the discussions on venture investment and global competitiveness. Sharing the table are smart, well-informed, and influential people from around the world. These topics are important to Sun. The venture industry worries about moving capital, cultivating innovations, and the state of the talent pools — the same topics that keep Sun's executives awake at nights. The other forum focused on using technologies to improve the country's competitiveness. That's exactly what Jonathan's “digital divide” message is about.

WEF does not do keynote speeches. Instead, it invites luminaries on stage for debates that are engaging and entertaining. In the opening plenary session, I was shocked to hear Shiozaki Yasuhisa's (盐崎恭久: Japan's Senior Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs, a professional diplomat) sharp words on China's policies. He asked for friendlier Sino-Japan relationship, administrative transparency, enterprise independence, and improvement on social openness and democracy. That sparked a round of exchanges on various aspects of this fast-moving society. China's key representative from National Development and Reform Commission (I thought it was JIAN WeiXin 姜伟新, but the programme said it was CHEN DeMing 陈德铭) responded gracefully and diplomatically.

The 2nd day's session touched on IPR —
digital contents, patents, copyrights, and technology standards. WANG JianZhou (王建宙), Chief Executive, China Mobile, and YANG YuanQing (杨元庆), Chairman of the Board, Lenovo Group, delivered consistent yet complicated messages.

• China respects IP now. It is no longer just lip services. Greg Shea of USITO observed that 90% of the IP disputes are among Chinese entities. China will respect IP for itself.
• China will not tolerate IPR that handicaps the country, gives foreign entities unfair competitive advantages, or prohibitively expensive for the enterprises. Lenovo put it bluntly. If Microsoft did not agree with a license price that is affordable to the society, they wouldn't have the pre-installation deal.
• The conventional wisdom, or the established practices, are dangerously narrow-minded. Web2.0 made content creation and delivery far more complicated than existing laws were designed for. Here we have new business models based on paradigms in which current IPR concepts are irrelevant.

Augusto Lopez-Claros, Chief Economist and Director of Global Competitiveness Network, will soon publish the global competitiveness report that places China lower than what people expect. After all, how can this country be less competitive and demonstrates the fastest growth for 10 years in a row? Isn't that the very definition of competitiveness?

He explained that weak institutes — juridical systems, sound banking systems, etc. — will hinder the country's productivity. Few participants, myself included, begged to differ. Innovations can change the rules of the game and should matter more. Also, Dr. Lopez-Claros may have chosen the wrong metronome to meter this country that marches to its own drumbeat. Justices are swift and fair, but not carried out through the court system that westerners are accustomed to. Businesses got sufficient fundings to operate, but not through the banking systems. This society has been in existence for thousands of years. After the session, few of us exchanged stories on how things are “really” done. Very enlightening.

Once again, I walked away tired, full of ideas, much educated, carrying a thick stack of business cards, and with many new friends