8 Steps to Better Security

Chapter 1Step 1: Foster a Strong Security Culture

People generally assume that cybersecurity is a technological area of study and take it for granted that cyber threat actors, called hackers by laypeople, must be computer geniuses. They have to have some mastery of computer programming code and an advanced understanding of how computer networks work. And if you take the Hollywood stereotype really seriously, then you probably believe that the most notorious cyberattackers work from an elaborate computer lab in their mom's basement, wearing a hoodie and typing at 400 words per minute. I imagine something like the movie War Games, but with a more 21^st century–style presentation.

So, surely, if you're learning about cybersecurity, it's all about computer science stuff, right? You likely bought this book because you're a businessperson who wants to improve the security posture of your company. So, maybe you expect this book is about hiring the right supernerds for your IT department, and then you just let them do their technical wizardry. Why do you need eight steps for that? Step 1: hire computer experts. Step 2: don't think about cybersecurity ever again.

Actually, it's not that simple. Understanding computer technology is definitely a big part of understanding cybersecurity. But cybersecurity also overlaps with the arts and humanities. To understand cybersecurity properly, you must learn about the psychology of the interactions of people with computers. Then you must also learn ...