In American

military circles, there exists a term “embrace the suck”.  It means to consciously recognize and accept that

something will be extremely unpleasant so as to not let it discourage from

pursuing the best path to success.  It is

often characterized as a situation that is misleadingly easy in appearance from

an outsider’s view, but extraordinarily difficult in practice.  It forces operators to optimize their

situation, knowing it will never be comfortable, and pushing through anyway.  With this mindset, professionals are driven

to follow the best path, fully knowing it will be very difficult, and not concede

to find the less productive but easier course.

For

cybersecurity, measuring our value is this friction that we must contend with.  The effort to do it right and achieve

sufficient accuracy simply ‘sucks’ to accomplish.   But

without showcasing value, investment and empowerment will wither, thereby undermining

the security organization’s capabilities to protect and enable the business. 

Calculating security

value is an extraordinarily difficult ask that unfortunately dissuades many leaders.  They often pursue a theatrical path of flaming

fears and doubts, or disregard the exercise altogether and attempt to operate

without a clear picture of justification. 

Such fear and ignorance will suffice for some time, but ultimately bites

back in painful ways.

Accurate portrayals

of value are foundational in establishing a sustainable strategy that aligns

with the goals of the overarching organization. 

It reveals a goldilocks zone where investment and empowerment are not

too little and not too burdensome.

The

cybersecurity industry must take on the struggle, knowing toil will never fully

go away, and work to reduce the friction We must shed our anxieties and forego the illusionary

poor-excuses of value couched in fear, in order to better convey meaningful

cybersecurity investment.

The whole keynote presentation is available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQ31V-lVsKA&list=PLkMjG1Mo4pKKjDFBtB2JZJ9OtKA_QSYBV