The Myth of Cyber Security

Hmmm, is keeping thebattle going the real point of the matter?

I promise that this isnot going to be another anti-technology rant or a diatribe about why thingskeep changing so quickly or whether we really need the latest version of cloudtechnology. No matter what I say the technology machine is going to keep onstampeding forward.

Okay, stampeding could be interpreted to be arant so let me change that to chargingforward. Still too judgmental? Then I will go with keep humming along on its own relentless momentum.

What bewilders me thesedays is what it takes to maintain the security of our online systems. There isa constant virtual war being waged in which hackers and creators of viruses,malware, ransomware and phishing schemes pit their nefarious creations againstthe industry’s best efforts to block them.

There was a time whenpasswords were sufficient. Oh, the good old days when it was that simple! Alongcame security questions to verify that you are who you say you are. What wasthe make of your first car? What was the name of the street you grew up on?What was your first pet’s name? What is your favourite movie? Who was the firstperson you had sex with?

Alright, I made themlast one up. If it does get added, remember you heard it here first.

There was a brief periodwhere we had to scrutinize an image broken into nine squares and identify howmany of the squares contained purple monkeys with leprosy. Evidently that wasnot very effective as it quickly faded away.

The latest tactic is tohave a security code sent by text to your mobile device which you have to enterwhen you log into the system. What happens if your mobile device is notworking? You are royally screwed, my friend.

So what is next? Thumbprint ID? Retinal scans? Nose swabs? (Oops, sorry, COVID has already takenownership of that one.) Pluck a hair from your head and drop it into the slotfor a DNA test? Plop your unmentionable on the scanner for a thermal and MRIscan? Oh, the indignity of it!

The reality is we havecreated a virtual monster that we cannot effectively control. We have in somemeasure decommissioned our brains and transferred much of what they used tosafeguard into virtual intelligence machines. Yes, they can store massive amountsof data. But they seem to be the equivalent of a sieve in terms of the abilityto control access.

CyberWars is the catch-allmetaphor for the ongoing battle to thwart attacks aimed at online systems. Perhapsthat term is more appropriate then we have yet imagined.

In modern warfare,nobody ever really wins. It is a lose-lose scenario that drags on interminablyuntil one side declares victory but both sides suffer irreparably. The sameseems to apply to cyber wars. The battle is never decisively won or lost.

Cyber security is amyth. The battle is self-perpetuating. A tremendous amount of effort must beinvested just to keep the battle going which, when all is said and done, maywell be the real point of the matter.

~ NowAvailable Online from Amazon, Chapters Indigo or Barnes & Noble: HuntingMuskie, Rites of Passage – Stories by Michael Robert Dyet

~ Michael Robert Dyet is alsothe author of Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel whichwas a double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’swebsite at www.mdyetmetaphor.com .

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