Simple Lessons We Keep Missing

When bad actors make headlines, it’s easy to fixate on the audacity of the crime. But beneath the noise lies a straightforward truth: many of the challenges we face today—like cybersecurity—have solutions within reach. The steps to protect ourselves aren’t rocket science; they’re basics we’ve heard repeatedly. Still, we ignore them. Today, let’s step back, assess the playbook, and rediscover some foundational lessons.

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1. Segmentation and Isolation: Contain the Damage

?The basics start with segmentation, keeping our critical infrastructure apart from everything else. Sure, here’s the lesson: segments aren’t impenetrable. Boundaries need regular inspection, much like you’d check the brakes on your car. And the payoff? Limit the spread and contain the risk.

2. Know Who’s Targeting You

If you’re in manufacturing, energy, government, finance, or logistics, you’re a prime target. Cybercriminals are watching these sectors more closely than ever, looking for vulnerabilities. A proactive stance requires understanding your industry’s specific threats. Waiting until an attack comes knocking? It’s too late.

3. Securing Project Platforms

In this latest attack, hackers breached a project management tool—an innocent, collaborative space. What’s the lesson? Everything is fair game. If it’s valuable to you, it’s valuable to them. Restrict access, tighten controls, and be wary of platforms that may seem innocuous but hold critical data.

4. Safeguard Data from Start to Finish

Data exfiltration is one of the oldest tricks in the book. Encrypt, track, and question every instance of data access. Don’t assume it’s under lock and key just because it’s behind a password. These are fundamentals, and without them, it’s like locking the door but leaving the window wide open.

5. Ransomware Defense: Build Resilience, Don’t Rely on Hope

Hope is not a strategy. Ransomware will target those least prepared to handle downtime. But an ounce of prevention—a layered approach, tested backups, training drills—can make all the difference. Resilience isn’t about hoping it won’t happen; it’s preparing as though it will.

6. Incident Response: Plan the Words You’ll Never Want to Say

In crisis, clarity matters. Have a plan that includes not only how you’ll respond but how you’ll communicate. Transparency and speed in your communication make an impression when it counts most.

7. Join Forces for Collective Defense

Cybersecurity isn’t a solo mission. There’s strength in numbers. Connect with your industry’s intelligence-sharing networks, share what you know, and learn what others are seeing. Cybercriminals share knowledge and tactics—why shouldn’t we?

8. Keep Systems Current

An unpatched vulnerability is an open invitation. Cybercriminals count on our inertia. They know that people skip updates, that companies delay patches. But think about it—how much simpler can prevention get?

9. Forge Relationships with Law Enforcement

When law enforcement steps in, it’s usually a worst-case scenario. But establishing those connections now means having allies if or when a crisis hits. It’s about being proactive, not reactive.

10. Train Your People, Protect Your Front Lines

Cybersecurity isn’t just about firewalls and encrypted servers; it’s about people. They’re on the front lines, often without knowing it. Training them, preparing them to recognize risks, is simple but powerful. Teach your people, and they’ll become defenders of the company’s values and data.

We live in a world where attacks are inevitable, yet each one offers us a moment of reflection, an opportunity to learn. Every time we hear of another incident, we can choose to do better. Or, as Reid Hoffman puts it, “An entrepreneur is someone who jumps off a cliff and builds a plane on the way down.” In cybersecurity, the cliff is the constant, but building that plane—building more robust defenses, more intelligent systems, and more resilient organizations—that’s up to us.

Let’s stop reacting to news like this and build a better playbook. Because if we can get the basics right, maybe—just maybe—we’ll find that what’s “impossible” isn’t all that hard.