My Outlook On Cybersecurity By Endika Aboitiz

Some years ago as part of my personal mission to see the entire world, learn from it, and photograph it, I began the plan of a trip to Israel. Tito Ortiz had mentioned to me their “Start-Up Nation” status. So I reached out to Jim Rosenthal for help to see who I could meet. Jim arranged many meetings, all productive, in very little time — Israeli style. One of those meetings was with Gadi Goldstein, Ron Fell, and BlueVoyant.

The result is deeper and deeper friendships, deeper and wider learning opportunities, and what is today BlueVoyant Philippines who is on a mission to upgrade cybersecurity in our economy for, of course, profit. Any institution not interested in profit cannot be trusted for it will be structured wrong. I have learned that a friendship built on business is more powerful than a business built on friendship.

That was close to half a decade ago. What have I learned and how has my outlook evolved?

1. Firstly, we run into a very normal argument — normally unwise. We cannot upgrade our cybersecurity because it is not in our budget so maybe next year. Waiting for the rainy season to pass to create a budget for the repairs of a roof is a clumsy representation of stupidity.

Budgets matter. They are part of planning. Priorities are, however, priorities. What cannot be subject to delayed budgets is the sealing of your home from rain. You do not have to buy a new TV nor furnish the guest room but you do need, for your own interests, to seal the house before you move in.

2. The use of the word “threat”. Geopolitically from a nation-state point of view, that may be so. It is really a business. There are business people out there who see a low variable cost opportunity to make money. They do not really care about you. They are not threatening you. They are expanding an industry and you do not want to be one of their customers. It is neither good or bad — it is just business so you need to do what you need to do.

3. That the purpose of cybersecurity is protection. That is how it seems but as one thinks a little deeper, one sees that it is not so. The purpose of cybersecurity is to gain competitive advantage. We live in a world without speed limits and everything in what we do is about competitive advantage in the journey of the Infinite Game.

The battles are more and more around the digital world, without losing the warmth of the human in us. Cyber is one of those battles to be continuously won for that continuous competitive advantage where everyone is better off.

As in so many of these battles that have threatened those that want stability and to be left alone to work and live better lives, as most humans, over history, man will beat this. Some feel we are 20 years away from cybersecurity no longer being that large an issue. In the meantime, this Covid-enhanced challenge will be with us. Those that want to stay ahead, in the Infinite Game of life, of their worth adversaries have to be on it — A&E 24 x 60 x 60 and 996.

For better and for smarter.

Endika