The 2018 Top Security Issue? Trust

According to Ponemon’s 2018 study and article, you are less likely to catch the common cold than experience a major data breach of 10,000 records.

What? Whether you worry for yourself, your job, or the many you safeguard, the cyberattack onslaught has become staggering. In 2018, we’ve already learned about several millions of individual records that have been compromised, from LabCorp and UnityHealth to the broader reach of the Facebook-Cambridge Analytica scandal. In June alone we learned that 92 million logins were stolen from MyHeritage.com. Seriously. Now even our ancestors aren’t safe.

The result? In 2018, our top security issue may in fact be trust. Trust in the brands collecting our information. Trust in the people appointed to protect us. Trust in our employees. Trust in ourselves and our own judgement. And trust in vendors offering security solutions to have the necessary expertise, knowledge, focus and ethical intent to keep us safe. Trust has practically become its own threat. Each new headline saps more of it, and with it – hope.

Enter the Parables of Pandora and Sisyphus

Pandora is an ancient mythological character who got a bad rep when first described by Hesiod in the 7th-8th century BCE. Falling prey to her own curiosity, she opened a box (or in the original Greek – “pithos”, a jar) releasing evil into the world. Fortunately, she also managed to close the lid before “Hope” could escape.

Sisyphus is another early figure in myth who, due to his villainy and hubris, was punished by Zeus in his afterlife. The original case study in futility, he had the unending, repetitive task of uphill rock-rolling, but never succeeding the summit. It wasn’t until 1942 that author/philosopher Albert Camus helped Sisyphus finally overcome his curse, imagining him “happy” as he learns to love the labor and the journey itself.

Love the rock, be the rock.

The Great Secret of Security?

While the security industry often seems jaded – communicating doom and nihilism to warn and educate – we still hold Pandora’s curiosity, but also her ancient jar and its contents.

“Hope.” The belief that something can and should be done. It’s what gets short-staffed security teams to put in extra hours. CISOs to put their names and careers on the line. Security vendors to keep playing our cat-and-mouse game that has existed since the beginning of time.

And truthfully, we must carry more hope than the average person. Because like Sisyphus, this labor will never end. We draw from the same wisdom and learn to celebrate the daily wins, like keeping companies out of headlines and kids safe online.

Why I Joined Bitdefender and the Dacian “Draco”

Today’s doom headlines go well beyond security breaches. Whether in politics or the latest mega-storm, there is a divide between those that give up and those that dig in.

With Pandora’s hope we can say yes, we can make a difference. And those with the wisdom of Sisyphus say its most important that we keep going, keep trying. Go vote. Recycle something. Keep your systems updated. Educate yourself and your employees about phishing. Put some basic protection in place. And at least, please, rotate those passwords!

I joined the Bitdefender team with its ancient “Draco” mascot, because I believe this company has the right DNA to make a difference. It starts with the continued innovation and advanced products focused on next-generation endpoint and the new endpoint – IoT. The enterprise and cloud security inventions, talent and expanded relationships with infrastructure leaders. The over 500 million points of intelligence used by our more than 300 threat researchers that roll that rock up the hill daily to ensure Draco keeps leading the pack in comparison tests for security, and outcomes for customers.

But most importantly, it is the Bitdefender culture. Founded and organically grown in an EU country that has carried the hope, wisdom and persistence needed to overcome its challenges and look forward to its next 100 years, the Bitdefender mythical Draco represents its offer of protection, trust and most importantly, the hope we need today. Bookmark that hope and please visit us again – www.bitdefender.com.