Idealism vs Pragmatism in Cybersecurity
Hello Friends,
I hope this message finds you well and cyber-secure!
Last week, I wrapped up our ISO 27001 audit, and it sparked a thought-provoking conversation during the exercise that I just had to share with you all. Picture this: sitting in a room with our auditor, going over the final details, when the topic of vulnerability management comes up.
Our auditor, quite dedicated to the cause, highlighted, "It's important to patch all vulnerabilities." It's a sentiment we've all heard, and it aligns perfectly with what the textbooks teach. But as many of you know, the reality on the ground can be a bit more nuanced.
I responded, "We take a risk-based approach and focus on contextualization." It's about prioritizing which patches to apply first based on the risk they pose to our environment. The auditor concurred and then countered, "But it's important to fix them all." I couldn't help but smile and nod, "Noted, ma’am”, and thought, I am definitely going to have this conversation again in a year :-)
It's a thing we've all done, isn't it? Balancing the ideal scenario with practical, on-the-ground decisions. This conversation encapsulates the ongoing challenge we face as cybersecurity professionals: striving for perfection while managing limited resources and pressing timelines.
How do you handle this in your work? What strategies do you find most effective for balancing idealism with pragmatism?
Drop me a line—I'm eager to hear your thoughts and experiences.
Stay secure and savvy,
Sivanathan