I was working on a project one time and it was a competitive situation. There were other manufacturers competing for the same business. They all were putting their best foot forward. But of course, we had the best product. We had the best company and the best people and support, so it was not conceivable at the time that we could lose. Until we did. And at first, we could not understand why. And we even asked the client to explain to us why we lost why we came up short.
The client was a strong user of technology and knew how to apply technology and he explained exactly our shortcomings and there were a few of them. It was an eye-opener.
Lessons Learned
There is a saying by Richard Feynmann “the first principle is not to fool yourself…and you are the easiest to fool.” Sometimes we get caught up in the efficacy of our particular product or service and do not see the other person catching up to us or even passing us. It sure happened in the example above, in a big way.
Do not take the other guy for granted. He may be a serious threat to your business if you do. The same can be said for your cybersecurity posture. Never take your cybersecurity for granted. History is full of examples of companies or other institutions who believed they were invincible and were easily overwhelmed by a rival because of this very belief.
Constant Vigilance
I have talked about this principle before here. But the need for constant vigilance is an essential component of a strong cybersecurity posture. You can build all of the good strong technologically advanced systems you want. But if you are not watching them from up close, from afar, from different angles. I promise you, that you will miss something. And there is a good chance the hackers will not miss it.
So be vigilant. Don’t assume you are finished or that you are the best. Test it. Question your cybersecurity staff. Have continuous cybersecurity audits on a regular basis. Not once every few years. Use outside sources to challenge your system and your current orthodoxy. Poke and prod and be ever watchful. Build a regime of always watching the watcher. This will make you secure.