Too Much FUD?

Fear, uncertainty, and doubt—it’s everywhere in IT security. I can’t read anything these days without reading the same terms over and over again. While I get that IT security is a serious business, I can’t help but wonder if we’re trying to educate our customers or confuse them?

Here is my list of top overused IT security terms/jargon:

Next Generation Malware: Just say tomorrow’s malware, or future malware. Otherwise I just think about Star Trek. (Tweet this)

Proliferation: That’s right, malware doesn’t increase, it PROLIFERATES! The harder to say, the scarier it is. (Tweet this)

Infiltrate perimeter defenses: Just another fancy way of saying “this will get past your anti-virus.” (Tweet this)

Mitigate: Why can’t you just say “ease”? Certain industries just love to use this term; IT security being one of them. (Tweet this)

Threat landscape: I think of gardens. Everyone faces threats, but IT security needs a landscape to discuss them? (Tweet this)

Spear Phishing: All I see are fish hooks, salmon and trout. A cute term for a scary threat. (Tweet this)

Data Leakage: The threat of losing confidential data is real, but does it have to sound so gross? Ew! (Tweet this)

Remember, the majority of all external attacks take advantage of weak IT security defenses. The stronger your levels of defense, the less you need to be worried about jargon you don’t understand.

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