Free from harm.  That’s what security means these days.  Free from harm.

I secure my car to keep you from stealing it, and consequently my money and livelihood.  I secure my data, cause again my money… my resources… they’re tied to it.  You can’t have them.  Or at least you shouldn’t have them.

Is that really security then?  Is keeping something safe security?  Honestly, one decent car thief could walk away with my vehicle, no matter how many times I press lock to hear it beep.  As for my data?  Pshhh, I’ll do my best, but… At some point I’ll find my accounts on Have I Been Pwnd.

So what is security really?  Freedom from harm, well, it can’t be guaranteed.

Looking back at the root of our industry, our word, what does it mean?  The origin, “Securus”, means “Free from care”.  Is it entirely possible our industry is not centered around freedom from harm, but freedom from care?

Are we just provisioning Hakunnah Mattata?

When you think about risk assessments, mitigations, vulnerability remediation, security insurance, security training…  Are these really about securing us from harm, or about securing us from care BECAUSE we’ve secured ourselves from a specific harm?

Is security the balance of securing ourselves from harm, and our minds from worry?