Cybersecurity Is About Much More Than Hacking
The field of cybersecurity is largely mysterious to those outside of it, even as it becomes more important than ever
There is something tantalizing about a lone hacker using a single computer and a big brain to take down the bad guys or stick it to the man. The archetype of the hacker has a cultivated ethos of freedom, individuality, and subtle craftiness that cannot be denied. From the ’90s cult classic Hackers to the more modern (and realistic) Mr. Robot, the hacker has long held a special place in pop culture. Despite this fascination with hacking, hackers, and cyberwarfare, the field is poorly understood outside of industry professionals.
As the software industry continues to “eat the world,” the software security industry has grown alongside it. As more software is deployed, it stands to reason that more software is vulnerable to attack. Indeed, there is growing concern among professionals that cybersecurity firms are seriously understaffed, and there aren’t nearly enough of them to combat the growing number of cyberattacks. Making matters worse, the continued drive toward accelerated training programs for software developers means that more developers are deploying code who have not had any formal security training.
