Howard's End

There's a new film about Mary Stuart, better known as Mary, Queen of Scots, that's set to be released on Dec. 7, exactly three months from today. Creatively titled Mary Queen of Scots, the historical epic will feature Irish-American actress Saoirse Ronan as Mary, and Australian actress Margot Robbie as Queen Elizabeth I, who was consistently antagonized by Mary's Catholic loyalists and survived numerous plots intended to elevate Mary in her place.

Interestingly enough, one of those plots fell apart on this very day, Sept. 7, in 1571. The plot involved Thomas Howard, Fourth Duke of Norfolk, a high-ranking courtier of Elizabeth's. Howard had already been a flashpoint for rebellion, with certain parties entreating him to take Mary's hand in marriage, positioning her as potential successor to Elizabeth. In 1569, the failed Northern Rebellion to depose Elizabeth had partially hinged on that possibility.

Three years later, in 1572, Howard was again approached by an anti-Elizabeth cabal, this time with Italian banker Roberto Ridolfi as ringleader. Though Howard himself had not committed to the conspirators in writing, a ciphered letter from Mary Stuart that attested his involvement was discovered at one of his estates at the end of August. Arrested for treason on Sept. 7, Howard was imprisoned in the Tower of London and eventually beheaded nine months later.

Among the lessons to be learned from this sad affair are the importance of best practice security measures. The ciphered letter that doomed Howard was discovered hidden beneath a doormat, which we can probably all agree is pretty shoddy work in the Hiding Things That You Don't Want Anyone to Ever Find department. The real miracle is that a servant didn't find the letter while sweeping up, or perhaps looking for a spare house key.

Proper security is just as important in 2018 as it was in 1572. Indeed, a skilled cybersecurity professional can have his or her pick of jobs, and TestOut Continuing Education offers excellent cybersecurity training at a sweet price. With our training, you can be ready for CompTIA's widely respected Security+ certification exam in a matter of months. Just remember to exercise due caution regarding any job descriptions that include such terms as "palace intrigues."