Namn: Erik Zalitis
Age: 49 at this moment. This will change as time passes.
Location: Kungsholmen, Stockholm, Sweden, terra firma.
Philosophy: Rationalist and a skeptic as well. Have an affinity for existensialism as well. Also considers myself a humanitarian. (Not the bad kind however!)
Religion: Agnostic. Have no problem with people’s various faiths, but world religions are always treated with skeptisism by me.
Cat/Dog-person: Cat! Dogs are fine too. Not a fan of ticks and roe deers. Wouldn’t trust a honey badger too much either.
Disposition: can easily get frustrated and agitated, but will instantly calm down if the situation improves. Have so far never shouted “We’ll do it live!”.
Like: old computers, radio of all kinds, web comics, friendly and respectful debate, freedom, Gin and tonic, Coffee, Cats, IT-security, creativity. intelligence.
Dislikes: intolerance, indifference, anti-intellectualism, Internet trolls.
Hates: as little as possible. If you want an early heart attack, there are better ways.
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Personal info
A constantly stressed out, often pseudo-intellectual, mostly quite agreeable, always introverted, highly frustrated/motivated doer that delivers results all the time and mostly on time.
Paranoid much? Yeah, sure! Why not? I’m into the IT-security field as an analyst, pentester, infrastructure designer and network guy. So it’s what to be expected.
I’m madly in love with the best invention of all time: radio. Broadcast, amateur or podcast – doesn’t matter, I’m in!
Hobbies
Podcaster
I, and my long time partner in crime, Mattias Jadesköld deliver a podcast every week about IT-security. It’s in Swedish and covers concepts in the security field, does interviews with well-known and respected people in the business here in Sweden and it also has us frequently discussing the role of IT and security in our society.
https://www.itsakerhetspodden.se/
Amateur radio (Ham) operator
In 2011 I took my general class license. Here in Sweden, we only have that class and, yes, it’s a proper CEPT-class.
I’ve served as a trainer in the club I used to be active in.
Right now I’m not active other than as a listener.
My call sign: SA0EZS
Radio DJ
I’m back on the air waves, if you by that mean modern Internet radio. I operate “The ERICADE Radio Network” with a 24/7 stream of Amiga computer music and some of my banter as well. I also have a podcast where I present retro music on a monthly basis.
BBS Sysop
Bulletin Boards Systems are a thing of the past, but I actually have one up right now. It’s Swedish only, but you can read its history (in Swedish) here:
https://the.ericade.net
Retro guy
David Murray may be the “8 bit guy“, but I’m the “24 bit guy”. That is, I dig BOTH 8-bit and 16-bit computers (8+16=24!). I mostly collect old Commodore stuff like Amigas and C64s…
And not only computers count as retro these days. So I also am a HUGE Beatles-fan. Music from the 50s and 60s is my thing as well. And the old timey jazz that defined by swing, sweet and big band.
Audio engineering and audio equipment
Vinylplayers, cassette decks, MD, DAT and off course open reel. I’ve worked them all. As much as I like vinyl, I really have no problem using Spotify.
Security specialist
IT-security does require you to be on the ball 24/7. It’s not a job that you can go home from and stop thinking about. I frequently need to read about new developements in the business, upgrade my Kali Linux computer, learn to understand good webapplication coding best practises and just stay abreast with the latest attack-methods.
Sometimes it’s easy to wish to work with something easy like being a construction worker, until you understand they have to constantly learn new skills as well. It’s how it is right now in the everchanging world we live in.