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It’s midmorning here at my desk, third cup of coffee in hand — and to be honest, this is when I do some of my best thinking. Cybersecurity is a monster that I have been fighting back since before the vast majority of the world even knew the internet could be a dangerous place. I’m an old network admin from 1993 on. Yes, I am that guy who recalls when we were dealing with mux devices transmitting voice and data over the good old PSTN lines. Those old multiplexers were akin to the carburetors of your network — complex, finicky, but once you got them properly tuned, man, they ran smooth. But the threats changed faster than those analog switches could keep pace.
Just consider the Slammer worm, for example — I witnessed that ugly little bug up close. Slammer not only knocked on the door; it kicked it in. We had some pretty good networks then, we thought, but not as much as Slammer when it took out major banks and their networks in minutes and spread everywhere. An unmissable reminder that security isn’t simply a matter of set it and forget it; it’s an ongoing living challenge that requires perpetual care and maintenance.
Fast forward to today — I operate my own cyber security company, P J Networks Pvt Ltd. And let me tell you, working with three large banks to reprioritize their zero-trust architectures was pure adrenaline. Zero trust is the buzzword du jour — and, no, it’s not the easy pass for which some vendors like to pretend, with a lot of hyperbole to go along with it. It’s a discipline. You can’t just throw a fancy tool on and call it a day. You have to construct new trust models, reimagine every point of access as though you were locking down a high-security vault. In fact:
And yet, there are so many companies out there still screwing this up — treating zero trust as if it’s a check box in some compliance framework, instead of the underpinning of a security strategy. Here’s the thing: Cybersecurity is not so much about glittering tech as it is discipline, mindset and relentless follow-through.
I’ve just come back from DefCon and I’m still high from the hardware hacking village. If you’ve never been — think of a playground, but a giant one for anyone interested in how devices tick down to their silicon guts. There were people breaking into everything from IoT toys to industrial control devices. And the more they change, the more they remain the same. You know those networking devices from the early 90s. Same fucking principle applies: physical security fuckups still get ignored for shiny software cover.
Thus so much money gets squandered chasing the latest AI-powered security solution. I’m skeptical — not because I don’t believe in or see the value of artificial intelligence, but because you can’t fix bad policy, bad architecture, or stupid users with more AI. Kind of like trying to spray air freshener into a burning engine room. The engine’s burning, the air freshener’s just covering up.
I’m just going to go on a little rant here — password policies. Why do we need complicated rules that nobody can remember? Having your users change their password monthly, and having it be a zillion characters, does little more than create velocity guessing and sticky notes taped underneath keyboards. For goodness sake, promote passphrases instead — they’re longer, easier to remember and orders of magnitude more secure if implemented correctly. And multi-factor authentication — I can’t say enough about it. If you’re still using passwords, it’s like driving an old car with drum brakes on a superhighway of Teslas.
Back to zero trust — when we worked with those three bank, the greatest challenge wasn’t technical. It was cultural. Persuading investors that limiting access all the way down to trusted internal staff is not craziness, it’s sensible security. Kind of like locking your car doors even in a well-lit parking lot. You do it not because you anticipate trouble, but because, sometimes, trouble finds a way.
And while we’re on the subject of legacy systems, let’s not kid ourselves — a lot of companies (looking at you, banking and manufacturing) are running on systems that first slashed roots when dial-up was a thing. I once had to lock down a network in which more than some of the staff were younger than half the hardware. It is like tuning a classic car for modern traffic speeds — sometimes you have to retrofit it with modern parts, or the whole thing will break down spectacularly.
One thing I’ve learned over decades in this: security is not the eradication of risk. That’s impossible. It’s about managing it. Assess it. And continuously adapting. Since if you think a firewall is going to protect you — good luck, but you’re rolling down the highway with your eyes closed.
So what’s next? It’s exercising a time-tested know-how and blending it with trends, not buying into the hype, and anchoring solutions in real-world pragmatics:
I am sure that the best cybersecurity approaches will always interweave technical rigor with human intuition. The world out there is not just code and protocols. It’s people and machines interacting, sometimes with mistakes, sometimes with intentional targeting.
And here’s some unsolicited advice, personal but true: Never underestimate the value of experience. This curve muscle memory time you put in — same thing if I’m watching mux boxes pull in or if I’m still in Slammer — that’s invaluable. It shows you how to recognize problems before they blow up, and to expect and trust attacker methods and your gut.
So, to all the businesses out there — take your cybersecurity seriously, but don’t freak out. Learn from the past. Invest in the people and processes that matter. And yes — drink your coffee. Now because you’re going to need all the inspiration you can get to cling on to this roller-coaster ride.
Anyway, that’s all from me before the fourth coffee takes effect! Be safe out there — and if you ever want to chat about real cybersecurity (not just marketing speak), you know where to find me.
