The Code of Honor

CHAPTER 5It Begins and Ends with Trust

“I will be honest, trustworthy, and above reproach in my actions and communications.”

– The Cybersecurity Code of Honor

“You build trust with others each time you choose integrity over image, truth over convenience, or honor over personal gain.”

– John C. Maxwell, author and expert on leadership

“Being consistent in your behavior is a great way to build trust.”

“People are less likely to see you as a threat if they know they can trust you.”

– Germany Kent, journalist, author, and producer

Xiang had just accepted a promotion at his small liberal arts college in the Midwest. He had been with the college since graduation and had worked for years to earn the trust and respect of the college administrators to become the head of IT. He had already made headway in bolstering cybersecurity on campus after alerting the board of trustees that a neighboring state university was reporting hundreds of aggressive scans and exploitation attempts per day, all originating from a single country. But Xiang also had concerns about establishing trust and credibility with his ever-growing cybersecurity and IT team. As Xiang began to train a new security analyst, Alana, and institute new policies and procedures with the human resources department at the college, he simply used the wisdom he gained working his first high school job at a local burger joint. He remembered how his manager would ask him to come sit in her office while she counted out the cash ...