And we will announce new technologies and new devastating scenarios related to new technologies. IoT and Cloud will rise their evil face while bad people will be lurking in the dark waiting to attack the innocent lamb crossing the road.

But, in all of this, the most of the damage will be still done by bad designed systems, by managers that does not understand what means living in a digital world, by politicians that understand cyber security issues only when they have something to gain, by entrepreneurs that still will invest in security as a disturbing side effect.

If I can make a wish for the new year is to see finally a different approach to information security, an approach that take into account that

1) to be secure you need well designed systems first and then cover it with some security geek technologies. If the design is crap all your security is crap no matter what you use on top

2) there is not security if your devices are not designed with security in mind, good code and code lifecycle is the best insurance, so if you buy the cheapest then do not cry … is your job to look for what you need and so yes is your fault if something goes wrong.

3) that finally companies, managers, entrepreneurs understand that security is within process, and not just a bunch of technologies put on top of something that you do not have the slightest idea what it is, you can’t protect what you don’t understand

4) that if people do not understand then people will not follow even the most basic rules, so training is not an optional, but the very basic. And to be sure the first that have to learn are the “CxO” which should get off the throne and start learning the world they crafted.

5) that if we keep thinking that IoT is wonderful but do not understand what IoT will bring in terms of cultural and technical problem we still will never understand what means putting security on this.

6) that if you hire an expert and then you don’t listen to himher then you are wasting hisher and your time. then do not blame the messenger.

7) that if you think that this complex field we call security can be covered by a junior that knows it all you are probably wrong unless the junior is a genious

8) that if you, security expert, think your counterpart has the slightest idea what you are talking about, you are probably wrong because you did not realize they do not understand what they does not know.

9) that all of this is part of the business, and therefore the business should took all this as one of its element, and not just a nasty annoying add on.

10) that next time someone talk about APT tells you the truth, the only way to stop an APT is to stop the attacker otherwise…. it would not be an APT

I know I know I am a but naive and still believe in fairy tales…

happy safe and secure 2017 to you all

security awareness‍ security‍ security culture‍ 2017‍