Security, Trust & ComplianceConference40min
How not to get hacked
The text argues that frequent ransomware and hacking incidents show many systems are insecure by design. It cites major breaches affecting retailers, hospitals, transport, and military data, and proposes that businesses need a stronger architectural approach to security.
talk.summaryAiDisclaimer
Jules May22 COnsulting lTd.
In April 2025 we saw Marks and Spencer virtually shut down for weeks by a ransomware attack, and the Co-op suffered a similar fate even though, by common consent, the attack on the Co-op was unsuccessful. They were the lucky ones: attackes are happening in their thousands across Europe and the world, and many companies never recover from such an event. We’ve seen credit ratings agencies leaking all their subject records, hospitals and transport systems being shut down, and military secrets being posted in public.
It seems almost every day brings news of another big hack, wrecking companies and compromising customers. How do systems administrators sleep at night?
I think, businesses get hacked because their systems are built to be insecure-by-design. What we need is an architectural approach to security. This might help.
It seems almost every day brings news of another big hack, wrecking companies and compromising customers. How do systems administrators sleep at night?
I think, businesses get hacked because their systems are built to be insecure-by-design. What we need is an architectural approach to security. This might help.
Jules May
Jules May is a software architect, consultant, and project leader known for designing systems that simply don’t fail. His work spans from safety-critical aviation and automotive software to enterprise cloud platforms, from DSLs and compiler design to algorithmic toolchains.
Starting his career in flight-control systems, Jules learned early that reliability isn’t a feature — it’s a necessity. That ethos has shaped a career focused on clarity, precision, and delivering technology that genuinely works.
He’s the author of Extreme Reliability: Programming Like Your Life Depends on It and the originator of Problem Space Analysis, a practical framework for understanding and solving complex technical problems.
Over the years, Jules has led engineering teams, advised global clients, and spoken at conferences across Europe on reliability, development culture, non-traditional computing and post-quantum security. He’s worked with organisations from start-ups to household names, building solutions that range from embedded systems to high-availability SaaS platforms. Currently, he’s leading the post-quantum cryptography transformation at a UK bank.
A mathematician by training, a programmer by instinct, and a teacher by inclination, Jules brings a rare combination of theoretical depth and hands-on experience. Whether mentoring developers or shaping strategy as a fractional CTO, he focuses on one thing above all: making software that does what it’s meant to — every time.
Starting his career in flight-control systems, Jules learned early that reliability isn’t a feature — it’s a necessity. That ethos has shaped a career focused on clarity, precision, and delivering technology that genuinely works.
He’s the author of Extreme Reliability: Programming Like Your Life Depends on It and the originator of Problem Space Analysis, a practical framework for understanding and solving complex technical problems.
Over the years, Jules has led engineering teams, advised global clients, and spoken at conferences across Europe on reliability, development culture, non-traditional computing and post-quantum security. He’s worked with organisations from start-ups to household names, building solutions that range from embedded systems to high-availability SaaS platforms. Currently, he’s leading the post-quantum cryptography transformation at a UK bank.
A mathematician by training, a programmer by instinct, and a teacher by inclination, Jules brings a rare combination of theoretical depth and hands-on experience. Whether mentoring developers or shaping strategy as a fractional CTO, he focuses on one thing above all: making software that does what it’s meant to — every time.