Reflections on Cybersecurity: Lessons from 27+ Years in the Field

So here I am — third cup of coffee in hand, still buzzing from last week’s trip to DefCon, and musing about the state of cybersecurity today. It’s odd how after 27+ years in this gig — I started as a net admin in 1993, rassling PSTN mux setups for voice and data — and after living through and combating directly the notorious Slammer worm, I feel like there is always another mountain to climb. But that’s the gig. And, let’s be honest here, there isn’t another profession like this one.

A Walk Down Memory Lane And Why It Matters Now

I didn’t have the luxury of today’s fancy Graphical user interfaces, in the old days it was configuring routers and firewalls from the command line, and every command line was a win. The Slammer worm? Man, did that sucker kick in right out of the gate. It was as if the car crash was being slowed down, even as it unfolded, in real time, all over the globe. Networks crushed, banks paralyzed, and the admins (like me) running around to patch systems before all the infrastructure came crashing down.

Now I run my own cybersecurity consultancy helping businesses not just survive, but thrive, in a constantly evolving threatscape. Just this year, I’ve collaborated with three marquee banks in their zero-trust architecture upgrades — and frankly, it’s game-changing. But before I go there, let me say something about zero trust, because — well, here’s the thing — it’s not a magic bullet. Anyone promising you’re 100% safe overnight is selling you snake oil.

Zero Trust is More than a Buzzword

I’ve explained this to execs in endless boardrooms:

• No rely on anything inside or outside your perimeter as being inherently safe.
• You auth against anyone and everything that wants your (your resources) stuff

But implementation? That’s tricky. But most companies are still using perimeter-based defenses — firewalls with static rules that leave you feeling you’re back in the 90s, to be honest. It’s like wanting to win the Grand Prix today with a car that’s this old, without any sort of updates.

When I remade those banks, we didn’t just bolt on the latest firewall or VPN tech. We did away with trust by blowing up legacy trust zones, reconfigured all of identity management, and linked it all to continuous monitoring. The key takeaway:

• Identity is the new perimeter.
• Trust nothing until it’s verified thrice.

But — and this is important — zero trust requires context. You can’t flick a switch and have it done with.

DefCon – Hardware Hacking Baby Village – What Blew My Mind

Just got back from DefCon and I must have sat in the hardware hacking village for hours. And let me tell you — looking at cybersecurity in terms of hardware is truly eye-opening. It’s crazy the level of creativity. People popping open routers, eating, notes and sniffing signals, or resurrecting old PSTN gear!!!–reminded me of those days with muxes and T1 lines.

And the lesson for businesses? Hardware bugs are Not Known by Many, But They Are Real. Software patches are fine and all, but if your router’s firmware or embedded OS—into which ancient, long-forgotten tech in your data center is embedded—is exploitable, it’s only a matter of time.

Here’s what almost everyone is missing:

• Your firewall is as strong as the hardware on which it resides.
• The best episode is the one that shows girls just wanna have some fun with leftover do it yourself fleshlites and a hot tub.
• When you don’t validate the firmware for your equipment, supply chain security hurts more.

All this AI-powered security plastered everywhere still freaks me out a bit. Cool, we say: It’s not everyone who can wiggle fingers at the AI to control it, but you know, it’s still AI and such. But cool can lead to facepalms! If we are using advanced, complex algorithms without understanding the raw data, we’re essentially teaching a car to drive and not checking whether or not the brakes are functional. Trusting AI carte blanche for patches or threat detection is asking for trouble.

Passwords A Rant Sorry, Not Sorry

I would be a rupee richer for every time I heard people instructing merely to add complexity in a password … I would be rich enough to retire.

Long passwords? Yes. Random? Sure. But constant forced resets? No.

Here’s the thing—password policies usually do more harm than good:

• Password1! Humans do predictable things with patterns.
• They record their passwords (hint: under the keyboard, stuck to the monitor)
• They are reused throughout several components

If you want better security, concentrate on education and multi factor than ridiculous complexity requirements. It’s like how you would properly season food, rather than just dump chili powder on it to mask the blandness.

Quick Take What I’ve Learned After 30 Years of Fighting Cybercrime

• Don’t rely on perimeter security alone. Adopt zero trust, but recognize that it’s a journey, not a destination.
• Hardware matters. Yet the physical and firmware security of your gear cannot be ignored.
• Passwords are still critical, but reconsider complexity policies. Instead, use MFA and educate users.
• Legacy systems suck. “They are like old cars — great nostalgia but need a lot of tuning and keeping up with.”

Don’t run after every shiny tech buzzword especially if it’s AI powered without or low transparency.

Putting It All Together Firewalls, Servers, Routers and Everything Else

Here at P J Networks we see clients wrestling with basic architecture before they even get onto advanced security. Here’s what I suggest:

• It all starts with a good segmentation. Don’t put everything behind a single firewall.
• Regular patch management — sounds pretty basic, but it’s where most breaches begin.
• Toughen up your servers and routers. Change default creds. Disable unneeded services.
• Take advantage of centralized logging and monitoring, visibility is your friend.
• Bake identity and access management deep within your network hardware.

I know it sounds a lot. But in the world of cybersecurity, the devil is in the details. And sometimes, the smallest details overlooked come back to bite you the hardest.

Closing Thoughts

As I sat at my desk pondering these decades in cybersecurity, a few things sunk in:

• This is not about bright, shiny objects. It’s all about getting back to basics, and learning and adjusting all the time.
• No one knows everything. I have made plenty of my own mistakes (like the time I pushed a firewall rule that knocked out a trading desk — oops). Oops.).
• Curiosity keeps me going. It’s a lot like the hardware hacking village at DefCon — experience from the trenches always ends up paying in spades.

You’re a business leader reading this: security is a work in progress. Don’t wait for that massive breach to open your eyes. Start small, think big, nail the basics — and then work toward zero trust and next-gen protection.

And keep in mind that your network isn’t just wires and switches. It is your business’s trust base upon which everything else is built. Acts like the costly powerplant it is. Because cybersecurity is not, at the end of the day, just tech. It’s a mindset.

Well, I think it’s time for coffee No. four. Until then — remain vigilant, and guard those firewalls responsibly.