Post-COVID Outlook for Cyber Security: New Normal … Looking a Lot like the Old

The COVID crisis has not changed the cyber security fundamentals: What will the new normal be like?

Two recent reports highlight the current cyber security paradox: While the COVID pandemic has turned business and society upside down, well-established cyber security practices — some known for decades — remain the best way to protect yourself.

It might not be the message the authors of those reports wanted to convey, but it remains the dominant impression.

The first one, from the World Economic Forum, published in May (“Cybersecurity Leadership Principles: Lessons learnt during the COVID-19 pandemic to prepare for the new normal” — WEF — 26 May 2020) is once again a superlative summary of good practices, which in the end hardly moves the needle. We commented along the same lines on one of their earlier reports last year.

Using buzzwords like “resilience” instead of “security” or “continuity” does not disguise the fact that 80% or more of the “lessons learnt” highlighted in the report (e.g. “focus on critical services”, “implement meaningful metrics” or “practice crisis management plans”) can be summarised in three words: Follow Good Practice… More than ever, doing the…