Let’s kick off the new year with a plan to get ourselves and our customers more cyber fit for 2023.

While there are lists available from the Australian and New Zealand governments, Essential eight, CertNZ etc, we should challenge ourselves to extend these. Compliance is a side effect of security; Compliance does not make you secure. Lists are prescriptive and usually designed for the lowest denominator. Like new year resolutions they are usually referred to once then forgotten.

Resolutions do not have to be reserved for the start of a new calendar year and can be the same as last year. Here is my personal list of “non-prescriptive” resolutions for the new year which along with the Holstee manifesto I refer to constantly, with a few refinements from the 2021 edition. How am I doing? Read till the end.

 

Attitude: With all resolutions, Attitude is the hardest to change. Ticking boxes may be the easiest but if we truly desire to make a change for the better. If we are honest, we could all do better. What has been stopping me from maturing our approach to security? Resolution: First step to solving any problem is to acknowledge you have a problem. Sometimes this will be uncomfortable, feel the fear and rise to the challenge.

 

Time: Yes, we have been “busy being busy”, reactive, remediating security lapses etc. This not the best measure of how well you are using your time. How long does each remediation take? 40 Hours at minimal charge, because you feel an obligation to assist your customer? Resolve to start charging for remediation if your customer fails to invest in your advice, but also resolve to give the best advice. Reward those customers that value your advice and time. Bill Gates said he would prefer to hire lazy people as they will look for the easiest, quickest way to do something. Time is a constant, we cannot create more! Invest your time in the right place and with the right customers. Work and live smarter.

 

Money: It does not take millions or even thousands of dollars to do the right thing. Imagine you are buying a new car for work? Your staff and your self will be using it. The car dealer promises you a cheap deal that will get you from A to B. It looks good on paper, but you discover that it does not have locks, alarm, airbags, no boot, the brakes are a bit dodge. The dealer offers to supply some brakes, locks etc that he has used before and give you a deal on price. He will also call the breakdown truck when you crash at no charge! Hopefully this does not sound like the service you offer your customers. Resolve: To provide best value not the lowest price. Value is defined by the customer not the seller and transacted in dollars. What problem does this solve? How much is that worth? Understand your customer, what their problems are, listen don’t assume.

 

 

Skills: It does take skill to understand how we can do our jobs better. How did you learn what is necessary to do your job? Do you know it all, or are there things you need to learn? Have you got a plan on how you are going to learn what is required to do your job better? Resolve: It is also critical that you define what skills are required then measure your skill level. Skills will be different depending on your role and many will cross over. Don’t just consider technical skills. Soft skills like communication, empathy and listening are as important for a technician as they are for a salesperson. Resolve: to build a comprehensive skilling program and reward yourself or others for achievement. Like the car dealer are you licensed/certified to be doing what you do?

 

Falling: Thanks to Simon Sinek who reframed the adage of failing fast for me. Define what you are looking to achieve. How else can we evaluate success? Don’t be afraid to stumble and fall. Success should be a measure of how many times you got back up. Refer to the previous resolution if you find yourself falling for the same reason. Resolution: We cannot succeed all the time, nor can we succeed if we can’t recognise it. Customers may be unhappy at times, but the most supportive customer is not the customer that never had a problem you didn’t help solve. To quote Simon’s old boss “What are you going to do? Never be afraid to beg forgiveness if you achieved without permission.

 

Change: It is human to challenge the status quo. The world is not flat, and the planets don’t orbit the earth. Advances are made by challenging the “norm” Resolve: Do not be afraid to try a new or different approach. The world, our customers and ourselves are constantly changing. Embrace the change and make a positive difference. No one else has all the answers, some just think they do.

 

Happy New Year: So, if you didn’t just skip to the bottom of the blog, how do I think I’m going? The joy of a non-prescriptive list is that I will never be able to tick the box. Conversely, I need to recognise progress and lack of progress in a particular challenge and redefine the goal.

To all the people who contributed to “making a difference” last year, thank you for challenging me, to grow, get back up, change and rechallenge myself to keep moving forward. The great team at Dicker Data, Microsoft and most importantly you our partners, without you the year that has been would not have been as enjoyable or successful. Those of you that achieved a certification or fell at the certification hurdle, congratulations on rising to the challenge. Those of you that stopped an attack or never had one, keep up the good work but don’t get comfortable.

Let’s all look forward to making a difference in 2023, whatever the year has in store for us.

Keep rising to the challenge, share your passion and as always stay safe and more secure in the year ahead.