Better late than never. Better luck next time? These phrases conjure up notions of doing too little too late. They don’t exactly instill very much confidence. Perhaps something that should’ve been done, just wasn’t. So what happens next? Should you blame a person, or perhaps a team? Did someone do something wrong on purpose, or maybe they were just plain careless. The point is, we’ve not done the best we can.
These are certainly not the phrases you want to hear from your security staff. You wouldn’t expect your IT admin to tell the board “ We had a breach but hey, better luck next time”.
Heads would most definitely roll with that attitude.
“It’s about the crucial moment when all of us willingly and wholeheartedly decide that better security starts with everyone.”
Often security is associated with risk, danger and threats. Many view it from the prism of insurance and worst comes to worst. Doomsday.
What if we didn’t have to view security that way? What if we all could view it as something that improves our lives, not something that is a threat to it?
2018 showed the world how pervasive and damaging cyber attacks have become. It’s certainly now a fact of life that attacks, whether intentional or unintentional are no longer an aberration. In lockstep with our ongoing digital transformation, security must be a fundamental part of our design. As more data -especially personal data- is transferred online and integrated into a myriad of channels. Be it healthcare records, home addresses or other sensitive information. The future will rely on more data being shared and used in devices, programmes and through work.
Last year was a wake-up call for many. Though this isn’t just a reminder for more services. How do we solve our issues? Faster algorithms? More complicated security solutions? That won’t do. It ’s about the crucial moment when all of us willingly and wholeheartedly decide that better security starts with everyone. It’s not just limited to the top boardrooms, not just bigger security budgets. It’s the approach every single person has, from the top down to the very bottom. Once we all take that step, that step to be better.
That’s when cybersecurity will no longer be something to wield as a threat. No longer will it be about scaring those into compliance. That’s what RSAC 2019 is all about. To be a place where everyone can be better. Those fighting on the front lines, those drafting the newest laws and discussing the issues that matter. Making cybersecurity a priority for everyone.
It’s easy to just shrug off responsibility, or shaking one’s head at not understanding the issues. Yes, cybersecurity can be daunting.
It demands constant commitment, continued study and engagement.
That’s also what makes it so fascinating.
So let’s remember that cybersecurity is there not just for its own sake, but it serves to make the world a more secure and better place for all of us. It powers and enables absolutely incredible technology which improves our lives.
So rather than “better late than never”, let’s remember that it’s about being better now and always.
Written by
Sascha Fahrbach
Fudo Evangelist
