Securing CI/CD pipelines with OIDC, GitHub Actions, and Terraform

In regulated industries, where trust is paramount, the security of CI/CD pipelines is a non-negotiable priority. Breaches within these pipelines can expose sensitive customer data and disrupt critical services, leading to devastating consequences. Traditional methods of storing long-lived credentials directly within the pipeline configuration cr... Read more 08 May 2024 by Alan Tai

The Road Unmapped: Why Aspiring Full-Stack Engineers Should Forge Their Own Path

The siren song of the full-stack developer beckons many, promising versatility, independence, and mastery of the digital landscape. These well-intentioned roadmaps, while offering a comforting illusion of certainty and efficiency, risk obscuring the true essence of full-stack mastery and leaving aspiring engineers feeling overwhelmed and uninspi... Read more 23 Jan 2024 by Alan Tai

How not to host your React app on a supercomputer

Downsizing your cloud service like a savvy Brit

Right, kettle on, crumpets in the toaster, a client with a static React app as basic as a cuppa. Just HTML, CSS, and enough JavaScript to animate a loading spinner. Yet, somehow, they are convinced to deploy this digital daisy to the world of Kubernetes cluster with enough power to launch a SpaceX rocket… yep, just another day in the life of a b... Read more 12 Jan 2024 by Alan Tai

Create your own personal VPN with Tailscale on AWS using Terraform

Introduction In today’s digital age, where our online activities are constantly being tracked and monitored, it is more important than ever to take steps to protect our privacy and security. One of the most effective ways to do this is to use a personal VPN. A VPN, or virtual private network, is an invaluable tool for protecting your online act... Read more 15 Nov 2023 by Alan Tai

Are you getting the Test Pyramid wrong?

The Test Pyramid has been and is still a popular “go-to” testing strategy since Mike Cohn introduced it in his book Succeeding with Agile in 2009. It emphasises the importance of writing a large number of unit tests, a smaller number of integration tests, and an even smaller number of end-to-end tests. The Test Pyramid is a great idea, and many ... Read more 19 Oct 2023 by Alan Tai