29 July, 2025
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Reflections on Cybersecurity Evolution and Zero-Trust Challenges

It’s a mid-morning here, and I’m at my desk on my third coffee where I’m thinking about just how far cybersecurity has come since I transitioned from a network admin back in 1993. Yes, 1993. When controlling voice and data multiplexers over the PSTN was still rocket science, and we hadn’t even yet coined terms like zero-trust or AI-powered security tools. Weird, right? Well, I have seen some of the most significant cybersecurity moments up close, and I still learn something new every day.

Remembering the Slammer Worm

I still remember the original Slammer worm like it was yesterday: It was a fast, furious bug that felled systems at breakneck speeds, catching everyone off guard. It definitely woke people up at that time because it was the first real transmission that I had seen that exposed how weak our networks were, how blase we had become and how the luxury to be complacent was something that we couldn’t afford. I’ve come a long way since I was a network admin wrapped in cables and protocols, and now I run my own security company where I advise companies, particularly banks, on the right way to lock things down.

Helping Banks Build Zero-Trust Architecture

I recently got to help three banks rev up their zero-trust architecture. It is interesting and frustrating a bit. Why? Because zero trust is still a mystery, in spite of the hype. The basic concept is simple: trust nothing, verify everything. But implementation? It gets messy. Too many orgs still assume that zero-trust is something you buy, like shiny things or a new AI-powered firewall (and don’t even get me started on that—I’m skeptical of anything that calls itself AI-powered).

The point: zero-trust is a mindset backed by policy and technology — not a silver bullet.

Lessons I Learned from These Bank Projects

User and device authentication need to be ironclad but also user friendly.
Segmentation is non-negotiable. You slice up your network pie, or the pie gets eaten.
Monitoring and on-going validation — not set it and forget it.
Legacy systems still lurking? Find a way to isolate them or replace them.

But enough theory. Allow me to rewind, and share with you some real stories that you don’t always read about in whitepapers.

When Networks Were the Imagination Made Liquid

When they first appeared in the early ’90s, firewall rules proved to be much simpler compared to these beasts of today. I was, managing multiplexers—think about merging voice and data on PSTN lines. It was like juggling bowling balls on a unicycle. But, one golden rule was I learned was that; security starts from where the physical / Protocol layers meet.

It’s funny how some of us have got so focused on apps and the cloud that we no longer remember the foundations — hardware and network design. If you don’t secure your routers and switches, it won’t make a difference how many great app firewalls you have.

Slammer Worm – My First Real Wake-Up Call

Imagine a small worm that, taking advantage of SQL servers and erasing them in just a few minutes, could proliferate without any limit. Slammer showed me the necessity of patching and the sad truth of how quickly the exploitation of flaws can bring you to your knees.

What I learned?

Always patch. Nightly scripts, weekend patches, you name it.
Network segmentation limits impact. Slammer spread like a prairie fire because the innards of these networks often behaved like one vast party with doors thrown open.
Traffic anomalies should not go unchecked. Spot the worm jumping into weird ports early.

It’s a temptation to feel that in some ways we have gotten better. We have. But the fundamentals remain.

Zero-Trust in the Wild: What Banks Taught Me

Helping banks upgrade recently? A blast—and exhausting. Banks desire that fortress mentality, and that’s great. But the real zero-trust is less glamorous and more a matter of practice and discipline.

Here’s why it can fail:

Password managers are an excellent way to maintain multiple strong passphrase for each service you use: they also stop you from simultaneously using the same strong passphrase for everything.
Overreliance on single-factor biometric solutions.
Over-reliance on automated tools without human supervision.

Bear with me a moment for a mini-rant on passwords.

What is this obsession all you people have with exotic, hard-to-follow policies that make users write down their passwords on sticky notes? Support passphrases, use multi-factor authentication and stop having password expiration cycles that don’t even make sense anymore. Password policies are the worst.

DEF CON wrap up — still buzzing from Hardware Hacking Village

I just returned from DefCon — and man, was that hardware hacking village impressive. And it reminded me of why I love the field. The little guy that no one pays attention to and the bad guy you forget about until he’s swinging an uppercut at you.

You consider your firewall or router secure? These professionals demonstrated how simply hardware interfaces (JTAG, UART) could be used to allow an attacker access. Reminded me of old-school car hacking – pull out the ignition by tampering with the gears and wiring it up rather than picking the lock.

Takeaway?

Physical security isn’t optional.
Hardware companies must build security into the chip, not tack it on.
Your network is open sesame if you can get to the device.

These are the lessons that guide us in our mission to safeguard clients’ routers, firewalls and servers with at P J Networks.

Sanjay’s Top Cybersecurity Tips From Someone Who’s been There

Patch with a vengeance — no excuses.
Segment as if your company’s life depends on it. Because it does.
Treat zero-trust as a philosophy, not a checklist.
Don’t buy into the AI will save your security hype. Know what it actually does and does not do.
Rethink your password policies: simple + MFA is more effective than complex + angry.
Physical access to hardware = security apocalypse waiting to happen.

Winding Down: Going Forward in Wisdom

Cybersecurity is not a shiny new toy. “It’s Ian Dante, go ahead and bring me a team,” Dante, wearing a crisp, striped shirt and tie, said quietly into his headset from behind his desktop computer. “I’ll meet the match.” Then he turned to me: “Duane, come with me.” It’s a long road of failures, fixes and incremental wins. From those multiplexers in ’93 to wrangling zero-trust for banks today, there has never been a better time to get the basics right.

Whether you’re contemplating replacing the firewall, server management or just jumping in with security, it’s all about knowing your environment, being relentless in defense! And honestly? It’s not just about technical skill — it’s about people, processes and maybe even a little skepticism.

Stick with me at P J Networks Pvt Ltd, and I’ll assist you in implementing real security that will last against the test of time — and the next worm lurking in the darkness.

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