Dead End

By cliangNo Comments
Can't turn left nor right and no pass thru ahead Good cybersecurity policies (management directives) should avoid incorrect interpretation nor perception. Further down the road, if policies is not precise generic nor precise specific for just-right coverage - many "policy exceptions" will be resulted. The most incorrect approach is to ask the senior management to approve such exception. The whole game should be the cybersecurity Subject Matter Expert (SME) assesses the area where policies cannot be complied with. The SME shall recommend pragmatic compensating controls and grant temporary approval while senior management is in the role of being informed. We, cybersecurity practitioners, must help senior management to understand cyber risks (mostly perception), how the risks could be exploited n own specific business environment. Like the recent Log4Shell zero-day vulnerability, understand what it is rather than blindly to push applying patches, assess the likelihood of exploitability and stand firm to explain why this is not severe if there are cyber threats intelligence...
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Different perspectives

By cliangNo Comments
It is the same scene but different people will interpret it differently. Business managers or plant floor engineers have their mission to achieve in delivering the business outcome while cybersecurity practitioners have their opinions to "ensure" a secure business or operational environment to fulfil their job role. Most often, this creates conflict. As cybersecurity practitioner, we shall never blindly apply academic knowledge because each organization has its own specific ways of doing business. What the book or even the organization security polices themselves are just generic guiding principles. We are all hired to exercise professional judgment, to help business understand the cyber risks and after all it is the business decision to accept. If business has hesitation, then we provide them the big picture, how cyber threats are likely exploited and the practical counter-measures to reduce the likelihood. Essentially, cyber threat is just one of the many operation risks to address. Don't invent extra and unnecessary cyber protections...
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We are all just prisoners here, of our own device …

By cliangNo Comments
The lyrics from "Hotel California": the song was recorded in 1976 and the prediction is so true Disruptive technologies and their rapid advancement have changed the way we live. With proliferation of Internet hotspot (mostly free) & powerful mobile device (smaller size, powerful processor, larger storage), now everyone is able to get connected from casual reading email, browsing the web, sharing status in social media, chatting via instant message to checking flight status, exchange rates, performing critical decision like confirming high value transactions. With so much convenience, we rely heavily on this tiny device to keep our memories (contact info, photos, reminders), credentials (digital wallet, second factor authenticator) and get connected. We can't afford to lose it nor have it malfunctioned. Otherwise, we shall be handicapped in the physical world. We are now the prisoner of our device … ...
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