Cybersecurity Misconceptions - Tech is Good or Bad (no, just a tool)

Cybersecurity is complex and there are many dangerous misconceptions that makes our digital lives even harder to achieve. Labeling specific technology as either Good or Bad can influence people to ignore potential risks and benefits. In reality technology can be used for in benign or malicious ways. We must understand what we want to perceive as safe could become harmful and what is recognized as malicious might also be turned into an advantage for protection.

There are a multitude of examples where security software, services, and products were leveraged by attackers to propagate their efforts. Conversely, the security community has been very willing to take hacker tools and turn them into security capabilities. It is a mixed world, but tools will benefit the ones who wield them skillfully.  

We should all understand that technology can be used for good and malice. The more powerful and impactful the tech, the more likely it will be leveraged by both sides.   

Look toward future technology with this lens. Yes, quantum computing, artificial intelligence, blockchain, and other emerging capabilities will all play a role in both enriching people’s lives as well as victimizing them. This should be no surprise. The key for society is to gain early insights to the opportunities and risks so as to better influence the overall outcomes. 

I will be producing a few videos in this series, to tackle many different misconceptions in cybersecurity. Please join me for the discussions. Hopefully this will spur more community interaction, debate, and even disagreement. The more we communicate, share ideas, constructively confront challenges, and collaborate, the stronger and more secure we become.    

Interested in more? Follow me on LinkedIn, Twitter (@Matt_Rosenquist), YouTube, Information Security Strategy, and Steemit to hear insights and what is going on in cybersecurity.