I've been writing columns and feature articles for Monitoring Times magazine since 1996.

In my spare time I edit a newsletter related to cryptography and collect old calculators and computers.

I also have an interest in general aviation.

I have been writing software for more than 30 years, coding everything from embedded firmware to distributed processing applications for a variety of small, midsize and Fortune 500 companies.

I've designed and implemented secure data networks for a number of government and civilian clients, encompassing video, audio and data delivered over telephone, satellite and the Internet. I am also the system architect for the United States Army's satellite-based two-way realtime messaging and geolocation system, used on thousands of battlefield vehicles around the world.