Understanding Linux Permissions: The “chmod” Cheat Sheet You’ll Never Forget

When you first see a file in Linux, the three-letter string that starts with -rw-r--r-- can look like an alien language.
It tells the system who can read, write, or execute that file. Don’t worry – it’s just a set of rules.
In this post we’ll break those rules down into bite-sized pieces and give you a handy cheat sheet for the most common chmod commands.

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System Administration – grep, cut, head, tail, less, sed

Every system admin has a moment when a simple “look at that file” turns
into a three-hour hunt for information. That’s where the old friends
grepheadtailcutless and sed come in. They’re not
fancy new tools; they’re tried-and-true helpers that can save you hours
of repetitive work.

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DeadSwitch Ethical Hacking – Rules of the Game

The blade is legal. The hand must be clean.

Welcome to the edge.

This is not a playground. This is the wire. The digital warfront. You want to hack with purpose – then learn the rules. A blade in the dark is only justified if your hand is clean. That means ethics, permission, scope, and discipline.

Let’s break it down.


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DeadSwitch Toolset – Structured Shadows in Emacs

There’s no room for clutter in the command line of a ghost.

DeadSwitch doesn’t “manage time” – he enforces silence. Tasks, missions, and rituals are stored in plain text. The command center is Emacs. The engine is Org mode. The interface is custom Agenda views – all hardwired to reflect control, not chaos.

This is not productivity. It’s protocol.


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DeadSwitch Hacking Mindset – The Art of Privilege

Escalation Paths Hackers Love
By DeadSwitch | The Cyber Ghost

“You thought you held the crown. I was already wearing it.”


Root is not hacked. It’s inherited.

Escalation is not noise. It’s craft.
From guest to ghost. From user to god.
A true intruder doesn’t ask for privilege. They reveal the system’s own betrayal.

This is not brute force.
This is alchemy in terminals.
This is where the hacker becomes the admin.


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The Ciphered Mind – Encrypted Journaling with Org-mode

By DeadSwitch | The Cyber Ghost

“Your thoughts should never be anyone’s business. Encrypt the silence.”

In a world obsessed with sharing, I write to forget – not to be remembered by others. My journal isn’t a scrapbook for dopamine or a backup for someone else’s algorithm. It’s a log of operations, and operations require secrecy.

So I encrypt mine. With Emacs. In plain text.

This is how DeadSwitch keeps a daily log that even the digital gods can’t peek into.


Why Encrypt a Journal?

Because the mind is sacred.
Because ideas are weapons.
Because tomorrow’s threat often begins with yesterday’s leak.

Encrypted journaling isn’t about fear. It’s about respect – for your thoughts, your process, your silence.


The Setup – Emacs, Org-mode, and GPG

Here’s the toolbox:

  • Editor: Emacs
  • Format: Org-mode
  • Encryption: GnuPG
  • Extension: org-crypt
  • Storage: Offline, local, under your terms

Emacs Configuration

Drop this into your config:

(require 'org-crypt)
(setq org-tags-exclude-from-inheritance '("crypt"))
(setq org-crypt-key nil) ;; uses your default GPG key
(org-crypt-use-before-save-magic)

This tells Emacs to automatically encrypt any headline tagged with :crypt: before saving.
Decryption happens only when you open the file – and stays in RAM.

A Sample Entry

* May 2025 :crypt:

** [2025-05-04 Sun]
- 5k run - 22:18 [2025-05-04 Sun 09:06]
- Cold shower - difficulty: easy [2025-05-04 Sun 09:28]
- New idea: Emacs Lisp for internal ops [2025-05-04 Sun 14:24]

Your operations, encrypted. Your timestamps, precise. Your log, protected.


Timestamps and Logging Shortcuts

  • C-c . – insert date
  • C-u C-c . – insert date and time
  • C-c ! – inactive timestamp
  • C-u C-c ! – inactive date and time

You want traceability without noise. Emacs delivers.


Why Not Notion, Joplin, Obsidian, or Others?

Because I don’t trust clouds.
Because their encryption isn’t mine.
Because their sync means exposure.
Because when I type, I want code – not JavaScript trying to sell me my own thoughts.


Final Note

“Encryption is not paranoia. It is self-respect.”

  • DeadSwitch

Your mind is a fortress. Don’t leave the gate open.

Ghostwriting with the Machine – A Deep Dive into Human-AI Cooperation

1. The Spark and the Silence

AI can be the spark. It can throw raw material at the human mind like flint to stone. But the silence in between – the moment of reflection, judgment, and human instinct – is where the real fire is made. To work with AI is to accept it as a fast-thinking mirror, not a replacement.

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What is a CISO? Is a Virtual CISO a Real Solution?

DeadSwitch | The Cyber Ghost
“In silence, we rise. In the switch, we fade.”


Signal in the Noise

CISO. Chief Information Security Officer.
The sentinel of cyber defense. The one who answers when the breach is silent.
But in a world moving remote, lean, and fast… does that role still require a corner office and a six-figure suit?

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Why the CFO and the CISO Speak Different Languages – And Why It Can Cost You Everything


DeadSwitch | The Cyber Ghost
“In silence, we rise. In the switch, we fade.”


The CFO stares at models. Charts. Predictive curves. If the line goes up, it’s good. If it doesn’t, it’s a problem.

The CISO stares at silence. No alerts. No breaches. No headlines. If nothing happens, it means everything’s working.

Continue reading “Why the CFO and the CISO Speak Different Languages – And Why It Can Cost You Everything”