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Identity is Security: Cybersecurity as a Default Setting

Is cybersecurity a dead horse? While most of us are exhausted by the constant FUD in the security world, the fact remains that cybersecurity is not the default setting in most people’s brains. Personally, I’d love to see an end to “the sky is falling” stories and more of the “wear sunscreen” stories to help shift the mentality that cybersecurity needs to become engrained in our everyday activities. It’s going to take a mix of education and technology to move forward securely, and that’s just what many organizations are doing.

Take a look at the tabs open in your browser. Are they all prefaced with “https?” The modern internet is taking a turn for the better for cybersecurity, and we have Google, in part, to thank for that. In the latest launch of Chrome, Google will raise a flag when you visit sites with unencrypted connections by putting “Not Secure” next to the URL. This certainly isn’t a fix-all, and opponents say it could come with some unintended implications, like limiting web developers. (Let me know in the comments if you think it’ll help raise awareness.)

Ultimately, it still falls back to the people using technology to make sure that they are paying attention and acting securely. Yet, even security leaders are falling short of that, with a recent report showing that 59 percent of CEOs admitted to downloading software without knowing whether it is approved by corporate security. This warrants a continuing conversation on getting buy-in from the decision-makers in your organizations, all the way up to the board. When leaders adapt and accept the reality of today’s threat landscape, we all come out ahead.

Until next week, stay secure!


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