Raising the Bar in Cybersecurity

Let's get one thing straight: lifting standards isn't the same as beefing up the basics.

In the cybersecurity world, 'raising the bar' is a catchphrase we hear often: if your security doesn't stack up against the industry hotshots, you're playing a risky game.

But here's the thing: not every tech breakthrough that's shaking up our online lives is about setting unreachably high standards. More often, they're about making the average security better—taking the 'okay' and making it really good.

Take antivirus software as an example. It didn't necessarily set the world on fire with groundbreaking defense against malware, but it sure made our digital experiences safer, and more accessible to everyone.

And let's talk about Artificial Intelligence. It doesn't exactly redefine the game for detecting security breaches or maintaining system integrity. But it definitely ups the quality of baseline security across networks, making threat detection faster and more efficient.

Automated threat detection? It's no match for a seasoned cybersecurity pro. But it's turned a ton of basic security setups into pretty solid fortresses against cyberattacks.

Here's where we need to be careful, though:

• It's easy to fault attempts at improving the basics for not setting sky-high standards. They may make the 'good enough' a bit better, but they're not trailblazers. Fair point, but they're not really trying to be—at least not yet.
• We should also watch out for assuming that when we boost the basics, it makes top-notch security less appealing. Many specialized cybersecurity firms have been left in the dust by the spread of 'good enough' security software.

The thing about progress is, it never stops. Every step we take to improve average cybersecurity opens up fresh opportunities to excel. Using these enhanced tools, some forward-thinking folks can blaze new trails, finding unique ways to push cybersecurity to exciting new levels—and in a way that'll seem like a no-brainer when we look back.