About Session
Everyone from interns to CEOs has heard the well-worn phrase “There is no such thing as 100% IT security”. However, as with many generally accepted wisdoms, the key question here is: what does this mean? In the context of cyber security, the answer should be: a rethink. Absolute security is not only unattainable, it is also unnecessary. The sheer variety of sources of error makes it clear that systems can never be fully protected – from zero-day exploits, the exploitation of an as yet undetected vulnerability, and undocumented maintenance access to novel attack methods and the human factor, to name but a few. Instead, we urgently need a risk-based approach that sets the right priorities according to legal and business aspects: Where are business-critical processes located? Where is sensitive data located? And which systems are more able to cope with temporary outages than others?
Cybersecurity is not a question of absolute defense, but of smart risk assessment. It is therefore high time to abandon the illusion of complete security and target budgets where protection matters most instead of indiscriminately investing in the latest tools. After all, no tool offers absolute security and budgets are tight in most cases. But, that’s the good news: the right measures can raise the hurdles to such an extent that attackers would have to put in an exorbitant amount of effort in order to be successful. These can include individual tools from the areas of End Point Detection and Response (EDR), Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) or Secure Backup and proven disaster recovery strategies. Nevertheless, IT security remains a cat-and-mouse game in which cyber criminals often have the advantage on their side. While they experiment with new attack methods, defenders usually have to react to them. Although concepts such as Zero Trust shift this imbalance in favor of the defenders by means of fundamentally more secure architectures, the complete implementation of existing IT systems is usually quite complex and time-consuming. With the current rapid development of AI-supported attacks, we are perhaps even further away from absolute security than ever before, as companies must first roll out, continuously develop and optimize new technologies and methods for detecting advanced cyberattacks.
Instead of simply continuing to integrate technologies, companies should pursue risk-appropriate strategies. This includes not only prioritizing vulnerable areas and targeted investments, but also placing the human factor at the heart of the security strategy. If software is difficult to understand or employees are restricted in their actions by complicated processes, missing functions or login masks with different passwords, they often look for loopholes – an ideal breeding ground for shadow IT and vulnerabilities that are not on the radar of the responsible IT departments. This is where awareness, training and transparency are needed. Workshops that address the needs of the target group create awareness and skills to minimize security risks. The goal is clear: companies must not simply implement security solutions “from above”, but must ensure traceability in order to involve employees and adapt the systems to their everyday lives. After all, cyber security is not a purely technological discipline – it depends on the interplay between the right investments in sensible tools and well-informed, sensitized users.
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