Traditional cybersecurity tools are no longer enough to protect organizations—even security products themselves can create vulnerabilities. Going forward, we need to prioritize secure-by-design architectures and recognize that humans will always play a role in security failures. Read on to find out how to customize your cybersecurity strategies to stay ahead of increasingly sophisticated threats.
Cybersecurity is an intricate puzzle that continues to grow more complex each day. IT professionals and CISOs (Chief Information Security Officers) find themselves grappling with an evolving threat landscape where traditional security measures can no longer keep the tide at bay. The very tools designed to shield enterprises can ironically make them vulnerable. It’s time to move beyond traditional approaches and rethink how we secure digital environments in an era where security itself can be a point of failure.
We were discussing with our team why conventional best-of-the-class security products are falling short of even protecting themselves. We concluded that we should extend the focus to securing security products with the architectural design, and the strategies required to establish a truly resilient cybersecurity posture.
Like we always say, Zero Trust is not a product—it's a mindset. Zero Trust security is based on the principle of "never trust, always verify". This approach assumes that threats are both external and internal, and puts an emphasis on continuous monitoring and verification of all activity within an organization's network. One key aspect of Zero Trust is not trusting even the security products themselves.
Understanding the Gap in Traditional Security Measures
Traditional security measures such as firewalls, antivirus products and network monitoring tools have served as the backbone of cybersecurity for years. However, the gap between what they offer and what is needed has widened significantly.
Why is this happening? Cyber threats have grown more sophisticated and dynamic, rendering static or reactive security approaches insufficient. For example:
Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs)
Attackers now exploit vulnerabilities over long periods, staying undetected and adapting their tactics to evade conventional defenses. Once they breach, they don't move in a straight line and change tactics like a metamorphosis. But our security lines are usually trying to detect a predefined straight line of attack.
Supply Chain Attacks
Bad actors target the software or tools businesses rely on (e.g., SolarWinds breach), compromising the entire system by attacking its trusted components. No IT department can dedicate a team to validate all the 3rd party software. Even if there are tools, they would not cover a useful amount of the apps or libraries.
Cloud Vulnerabilities
With enterprises shifting operations to the cloud, the attack surface has expanded, requiring solutions beyond the typical on-premises configurations.
Legacy System Vulnerabilities
Legacy systems, often critical to business operations, are not built with modern security considerations in mind. This makes them prime targets for attackers and difficult to secure without significant investments. Almost all of our cybersecurity solutions are not actively using the old threat databases because of performance issues and most of them do not support legacy systems anymore.
Extreme Access-on-Demand Requirement
Allowing remote access to critical systems has become a necessity in today's work landscape, but it also opens up potential vulnerabilities if not managed properly. Traditional security measures struggle to keep up with the demand for secure remote access.
Personal-Corporate System Transitivity
With the rise of BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) policies, personal devices are now being used for business purposes, creating a grey area in terms of security. Personal devices may not have the same level of security measures as corporate devices, leaving them vulnerable to attacks and potentially compromising sensitive company data.
Securing the Security Products Themselves
Ironically, the very systems designed to defend enterprises can introduce risks. Security products, if not designed, developed and implemented with robust safeguards, can themselves serve as vectors for attacks. For instance:
High Access
Security products often require a high level of access to systems and networks, making them prime targets for attackers looking to exploit vulnerabilities. Containerization of everything at the endpoint (even the "drivers" as we know them today) is crucial and cybersecurity software will face a real challenge.
Complexity
With various security products from different vendors working together in an enterprise's network, the complexity and exceptions can create potential weaknesses that attackers can exploit.
Vulnerabilities
Like any other software, security products are not immune to vulnerabilities. Some studies have shown that they may even have more vulnerabilities than other types of applications because of the nature of low-level development requirements. It is hard to detect logical implementation vulnerabilities in low-level code which is popular in security software because of its performance and direct access capabilities to the resources.
Misconfigurations
Security products often require complex setups and maintenance, and a single misconfiguration can render them ineffective or leave gaps for exploitation.
Patching
Cybersecurity tools can harbor vulnerabilities needing regular updates. Failure to patch them expedites exploitation. In some environments, you cannot touch anything without having a downtime which is only 2 times in a fiscal year. So the "thing" you trust, could stay unprotected for a long time.
Over-reliance on Trust
Many products operate on an implicit trust model, leaving them susceptible to credential theft and insider threats. The most common mistake is thinking that having a firewall secures your network without remembering all those hacked multi-billion companies have a lot of them.
Cybersecurity managers must ask themselves not only “Are we using security products?” but also, “What if they fail?” A good implementation of "defense-in-depth" and "zero-trust" concepts, and a rigorous vetting process for security solutions, coupled with regular audits, is essential.
Moving Beyond Security Through Obscurity
“Security through obscurity” is a debated concept that refers to relying on secrecy to ensure security. While it might deter casual attackers, it cannot be the sole strategy in modern cybersecurity. Attackers today utilize automated tools, advanced algorithms, and systemic reconnaissance to uncover vulnerabilities, even in hidden systems. Almost all of them are using the same methodology state-sponsored groups were using 15 years ago.
When we say "attackers", we are talking about "state-sponsored-like cyber threat actors with just some less access to the 1337 tools the real government agencies have today".
Obscurity has its place—but only as one component in a larger, multi-layered defense strategy.
The Importance of "Secure by Design"
Rather than merely trusting product concepts or vendors, organizations must scrutinize the design philosophy behind the tools they deploy. "Secure by Design" emphasizes using the basics of computer systems and networks (including all OS, network communication, physical cabling, etc.) to build a secure environment, rather than adding products to detect malicious things as an afterthought.
This concept isn't limited to software vendors—it’s an approach that enterprises themselves can adopt.
Function Led Architecture
A function-led architecture ensures that every component and process is designed with only its use, and limitations in mind. You can think about it in terms of "least privilege in enterprise design."
Desk Exercises
Regular desk exercises and testing for vulnerability in all systems and network structures help organizations identify weaknesses. They also help build a culture of security awareness among employees. Not all the vulnerabilities can come out during a penetration test, but imaginary steps and jumps can challenge the design.
Defense in Depth
Rely on multiple overlapping safeguards so that the compromise of one layer doesn’t lead to full exposure. Overlapping functions could be hard to manage but we have more orchestration tools than security tools today. You can even implement a cross-check architecture.
Trust in Human Factor
Yes. Trust that there will always be a failing human factor in the organization. Someone will click a link your solutions cannot catch yet. Someone will try the corporate account on a phishing site. Someone will use an infected USB to transfer files. Someone will even share the OTP with the voice on the line. Design like there are always going to be multiple fails.
Rethinking Cybersecurity for Resiliency
Cybersecurity is not as simple as plugging in the latest technology or achieving compliance certifications. It requires constant vigilance, critical tool evaluation, and the integration of human and procedural considerations.
This calls for IT professionals and CISOs to go beyond the traditional "one-size-fits-all" approach. The same firewall software protecting the 20-employee SMB should not be your best strategy to protect your 10.000+ company. Tailor your systems to be resilient. Focus on securing the precise tools that fit you. Adopt holistic strategies. Accept that humans will fail, but your actions as leaders can change the game.
Reevaluating your security strategy today could be the difference between being prepared and falling victim tomorrow. It’s time to redesign your cybersecurity architecture, reshape your posture, and ready your enterprise for the challenges ahead.