NCSAM 2013 Wrap-Up: Cisco Thought Leadership Regarding a Different Ghost in the Machine

Is it the end of October already? As has been true for centuries, there is a tradition for children to wear costumes and disguise themselves while going door to door with a simple question: “Trick or treat?” While I am not sure there is a coincidence, but having National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM) end on a day characterized by pranks, false identifications and the like seems appropriate. And what scary stories we had to tell!

If you didn’t have a chance to review the entire series this month, here are some recurring topics that you can go back and read when you have a chance. Most importantly — for a security leader like Cisco — we discussed best practices which you should consider in a rapidly evolving environment. Cloud, BYOD, big data and the like all present challenges for C-level executives and administrators alike. Some things we’ve taken for granted (and learned to trust to some degree) have become potential headaches or more prominent vectors for “tricks.” These include DNS, patching, and cryptography. And speaking of trust: our Chief Security Officer, John Stewart, made that very topic the common thread in his own missives.

All in all, my colleagues shared many ideas with the hopes of provoking your own thoughts about how to secure your networks for the future. Personally, I found Steve Martino’s post to be the most compelling. It can be summed up in this quote:

No matter how many security solutions are deployed, if attackers are determined enough, they will find a hole. Humans make mistakes and without fail, attackers will take advantage of them.

That sounds pretty scary to me.