Cyber Empathy

One of the biggest barriers to promoting safe practices in cyberspace is attitude – both from users and from specialists in the industry.  People who’ve never experienced a cyberattack have a difficult time understanding the need for taking precautions in their digital lives because the consequences are abstract and far removed from their daily lives. This is absolutely natural given information s...

The key to being a successful cybersecurity expert is to be approachable and understand the needs of others. Cybersecurity is a continuous process that touches on many critical organizational functions. It is, therefore, a bad idea to run it in a silo that is unapproachable by teams from other departments.  When cybersecurity personnel are approachable, people feel more comfortable consulting them...

The biggest communication problem we have is that we listen with the intention of replying instead of understanding. This takes away the safety net that a speaker is expecting to have and closes the door on empathy. That is why it is important to practice the critical art of listening if you wish to grow in how you practice empathy. Mastering it will help you connect with others in a generous and...

When you take time to replenish, you can serve from the overflow and avoid burnout. Cybersecurity is a stressful industry that demands a lot of commitment from professionals in it. Sometimes, people in this industry focus so much on the task at hand that they forget to replenish themselves. This, in most cases, results in burnout or a significant reduction in the quality of their work. That’s why...

In the world of cybersecurity, not all information is power. In fact, “only the right amount of the right information is power.” Too much information can easily lead to sensationalization of the threat and this can overwhelm even the most concerned audience. Bewildered people rarely consider actionable steps that can improve their security posture, because they have to use their resources to make...

In today’s social media-dominated world, the word stalking has been flipped to mean being harmlessly followed online, getting a ‘like’, getting a retweet, having your profile viewed constantly, among others. In fact, some even see it as a good thing because it shows how interesting one’s life is. But, that’s just one side of the coin. The other side is dark. Stalkers use technology to abuse their...

In the high stake world of software development, it is easy to put aside empathy and prioritize meeting deadlines. After all, developers are key players when you want to reduce time-to-market or deliver regular updates. This can easily lead to the important aspect of application security not getting as much attention as it deserves. In some cases, it might even be relegated to the “extra-not-a-mus...

Reality check: most cyberattacks and privacy infringements are not a result of sophisticated hacking done by malicious adversaries who want to hold your system hostage or steal all your data. They result from the victim falling into a criminal's trap by clicking on “interesting” malicious links or (re)using weak credentials all over their online accounts. Most people who aren’t in tech won’t even...

“It doesn’t go wrong, it starts wrong.” This captures the privacy and security challenges that existing and new technologies alike are facing.  When you read about how government agencies are accessing your personal data, don’t get caught up on the actual collection event. You should be just as (or more!) concerned that companies are intentionally developing and promoting software products which a...

Privacy gets thrown around a lot these days. But talking more about it doesn’t often solve the problem of its lack of emotional resonance with most people.  Although we instinctively know what privacy is, if you’d ask most people to explain it to others, they might feel puzzled. Because so many elements come together to form our privacy, it often becomes disconnected from what we care about the mo...

It’s almost impossible to build a culture where security is central to big decisions without someone leading the way – someone who cares so deeply that they’re able to gain the board’s trust and support.  How? Building a shared vocabulary, a shared understanding of complex challenges, and by creating a safe space to discuss them. These are all fundamental factors to making cybersecurity a priority...

Creating real change in people’s behavior is one of the biggest challenges in cybersecurity. That’s why I often tell people with no connection to this space that technology is secondary to human psychology when it comes to protecting the tech ecosystem our lives depend on (which is not an exaggeration).  So the strategy companies choose to get their teams to care about information security practic...

In the cybersecurity field, communication strategies will only take you as far as your understanding of human nature extends.  Our guest today is Melanie Ensign, founder and CEO of Discernible, which helps organizations overcome communication challenges in cybersecurity and privacy. She is also the press lead for DEF CON, the biggest hacker conference in the world.  With a keen focus on what reall...

Technology has permeated almost all aspects of our lives and, with the current advancements, it’ll seep into even more layers of society. Sometimes, tech holds a mirror to us, as humans. Just like us, it can’t thrive in isolation. Similar to us, tech expands and evolves through the sustained work of communities of users and developers. The only way to truly understand how this interdependence is i...

How do you develop and sell a cybersecurity solution without sensationalizing it to create fear and panic buying? Well, you need to build trust with potential customers by being empathetic of their position and the threats they are facing in their context. When you approach it from a kind and ethical place, cybersecurity is a positivity-filled and community-centered industry that functions best wh...

Digital assets such as cryptocurrencies are revolutionizing how we transact and store wealth. However, they have introduced new cyber threats that go beyond just protecting your password.  Every month, millions of dollars' worth of digital assets are lost to malicious hackers. Apart from the advancement of hacking tools and skills, the other big contributor to these losses is poor cybersecurity pr...

How do you remain empathetic when your job is to act like an attacker and point out issues with security systems? With all its military language, cybersecurity can feel very aggressive but this offensive security specialist shows us that it doesn’t have to be. Today I’m joined by Alexei Doudkine, penetration tester and co-founder of Volkis. I deeply resonate with how he puts his 10+ years of exper...

Cyber security goes beyond protecting your digital assets! The unique part of cybersecurity is that the more you know about it, the less secure you feel. This can limit your digital experience and even cause anxiety because you constantly feel exposed to invisible threats. Design and user experience make a substantial contribution to making online security and privacy easier to understand and mana...

Are you making mindful choices in your digital life? Many companies have been profiting from exploiting your data, whether you choose to share it or unknowingly do so while using online services.  One of the most commonly used methods of exploitation is tracking. The good thing is that there are many empathetic people and companies that are also working to protect us from it. Today I’m joined by D...

A secure world is a better world! In a world where technology is advancing at lightning speed, security can sometimes seem to be lagging behind. This is especially so if you are not an IT guru who understands cybersecurity concepts very well.  This is a gap that can be filled by caring people sharing trustworthy information and experiences to help others.  Today I’m joined by Chris Kubecka, the fo...

Today, I’ll share with you how I ended up in the field of cybersecurity and how I am trying to bridge the gap between the general perception and what it really feels like to work in it. I feel privileged to be sharing my experience with you as well as showing the role empathy plays to this important discipline. Tune in and listen to the first episode of Cyber Empathy . You’re in for an exciting an...