Rethinking Cybersecurity and Techsecurity; The Hackables

Cybersecurity and Techsecurity are arguably some of the foremost challenges of the 21st century, and are estimated to exacerbate in an increasingly connected world. It is essential to differentiate between Cybersecurity and Techsecurity, cybersecurity often pertains to securing the cyber highway or the internet connected whereas Techsecurity secures multiple other forms of communication/connections that never transverse the cyber highway; both employ dissimilar aspects of management, operation and remediation. 

At a high-level evaluation, the main categories of assets to cyber/tech secure include:

•     Data
•     Utilities; differs from Services per legislation
•     Infrastructures
•     Services
•     Discrete Entities: such include National Security, Human Security …

In rethinking security, it may be contended that a holistic approach from the viewpoint of industry leaders, CISOs and Security Organizations should be along the lines of “Disciplines” as tributaries of compensating and executable functions. The suggested executable functions that institute a more complete security purview can be categorized as: 

1.    Intelligence and Warfare Management

2.    Security Management: Identity, Configuration, Threat and Trust.

3.    Policy and Legislation Management

4.    Education, Culture and Professional Ethics Management

5.    Security Engineering: Architecture, Innovation, Security providers, Frameworks, Solutions…Management

6.    Industry Tactical Alignment, R&D, Insurance and General Governance… Management

7.    Social Engineering, Community Outreach and Awareness, Incentives…Management

In assessing the expanse of today’s digital economy, there seems to exist a misconception which discounts the fact that Central Banks, Monetary Entities, Stock Exchanges and Banks at large in a cashless economy are often more digital than presumed. The use of “digital” currencies are far more wide-spread and more aligned with Techsecurity concepts.

Someone once said: 

“Policy is a creation of experience and experience ought not to be shaped through policy”.

This is an estimable perception, as hackers are embracing the Gig Socio-Economy, Ransomware are more prevalent, innovations in discrete-unique undetectable protocols and various other developments seem to puzzle the industry.

Rethinking “Cybersecurity” requires a modular, resolute, streamlined and executable disciplines of Cybersecurity and Techsecurity.