Hack! Data breach! Killware! Halloween is the perfect time to think that is cybersecurity really so scary?
Security talk is often scary
Communication about cybersecurity is often done in a very negative, or even scary, way. It’s a worn-out joke that cybersecurity training in organizations often boils down to prohibiting almost everything. On the national cybersecurity level, the discussions turn to nation-state attackers and Advanced Persistent Threats (APT).
Nowadays there is even a scary-sounding term, ‘killware’, that means malware planted to cause physical harm or even death.
More news about security threats than opportunities
What about news headlines? Let’s take a look at some examples from the last few days.
Security News This Week by Wired on October 30, 2021 highlights four major news items and refers to them with the following headlines:
- Microsoft Warns of a New Push From Russian Cyberspies Behind SolarWinds Attacks
- Nationwide Gas Station Hack Causes Major Disruption in Iran
- Europol Arrests Hackers Who Allegedly Launched 2019 Norsk Hydro Ransomware Attack
- Vulnerability in Immunization Record App Docket Exposed User Covid-19 Vaccine Data
Only the third headline about Europol arrests can be considered as positive news, although the original Norse Hydro case was very unfortunate. The page has a few smaller mentions, for example, Google Pixel 6 and 6 Pro having advanced security features. But overall the balance is on the negative side of security.
What about security news in The Register? I love its witty wordplay but looks like the recent security news between October 28 and 29 are a bit scary:
- Shrootless: Microsoft found a way to evade Apple’s SIP macOS filesystem protection
- Yet again, Cream Finance skimmed by crooks: $130m in crypto assets stolen
- If your hair isn’t already gray, 2022’s security threats will get it there, warn infosec duo
On the positive note, there is several good news as well:
- UK data watchdog calls for end-to-end encryption across video chat apps by default
- Feds cuff Russian said to be developer of ‘Trickbot’ ransomware
- India’s Supreme Court starts probe into use of Pegasus spyware
Of course, this is a very small sample but I’m pretty sure many who read cybersecurity news or follow the topic on social media have noticed that there’s more talk about the threats than the opportunities. All this scary news results in people being afraid of security-related things.
Let’s highlight the good in cybersecurity!
If something sounds scary or difficult, people will avoid it. That’s why we should communicate about cybersecurity as an opportunity, not a threat. After all, cybersecurity enables us to do many things online — things that required physical access earlier can now be done from the comfort of your home and much faster: shopping, watching movies, banking, taxes. Isn’t that great! So maybe we should have headlines like this:
- Patch Tuesday brings security and privacy improvements
- Sure way to relax: automatic backups
- Advances in cryptography allow controlling power plants online
- 5 small steps to 100% availability
So let’s highlight the good in cybersecurity from now on, right? Have a happy and cyber-secure Halloween!
Bake Security In 