 You Aren’t the Cyber Police & The Consequences Are Still The Same A commonly held misconception, even by practitioners in the field, which I commonly see on Reddit and sometimes Linkedin, portrays cybersecurity professionals as rigid enforcers who stubbornly enforce restrictive policies while impeding business operations or just the “Cyber Police.” This perception is misguided, oversimplified, and honestly naive to believe to begin with.
Technical proficiency is a must for cybersecurity professionals as we have to maintain comprehensive and up-to-date knowledge of the vulnerabilities and attack vectors that malicious actors continually attempt to exploit. Technical understanding allows us to assess risks within business operations accurately. Rather than acting as authorities flexing control, influential cybersecurity advisors facilitate risk management decisions aligned with an organization’s objectives as set by leadership. Effective cybersecurity facilitates symbiotic risk management through an open exchange of perspectives. In an ideal world “our” job is to accurately communicate threat realities while leadership conveys their risk tolerances given financial, operational, and business pressures. Many of us have been in meetings where management leaders explicitly accepted risks that security strongly advised them to mitigate. While frustrating, it’s important to understand that organizational leadership balances acceptable risk postures with competing priorities such as profitability and operational efficiency. If they deem the risk to be within their appetite, that’s on them ultimately. While security advisors may harbor cynicism over risk acceptance decisions that induce trepidation, channeling this into negativity or combative posturing is counterproductive. The objective must focus on pragmatic advisement that balances organizational realities with substantiated risk mitigation guidance. Go home, cash your check, and do it all again the next day. You did your job.
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