Stop Making Security Harder Than It Needs To Be

Cybersecurity is among the most critical activities in a contemporary organization. Yet whereas its aim is unambiguous — securing systems, information, and human life — the approach most teams take is all wrong. Complexity generates inefficiency, confounds rather than enlightens, and creates holes in coverage.

The Trap of Overcomplication

It is all too simple to fall into 'more equals safer.' Teams bring in additional tools to deal with each new threat, embrace frameworks as if they were absolute laws, or try grand revamps that intimidate workers. A 2023 Ponemon Institute survey discovered that 71% of information security professionals opined that their security functions are much too complicated to efficiently manage.

Tool Sprawl: When More Is Less

Over 76% of businesses suffer from tool sprawl that results in inefficiency as well as security gaps. Gartner has stated that security directors currently must juggle more than 60 distinct security tools simultaneously — a figure that is unsustainable on any scale. This sprawl makes it more difficult to identify risk and easier to attack blind spots.

What Really Works

The solution is small incremental improvements. By chipping away at large objectives into achievable steps, teams can make significant strides without getting exhausted:

• •Upgrade two duplicative tools into a combined platform
• •Modify an existing framework requirement to suit your workflow better
• •Introduce a new policy to an individual department before propagating it through the company

The Big Picture

Cybersecurity doesn't have to be more difficult than it already is. Organizations can make it easier by cutting tool sprawl, treating frameworks as malleable guides, introducing changes gradually, and aiming for gradual progress without compromise on protection.