Rabbits and Fences (Part 1)

In conversations concerning cyber security, the topic of building firewalls always comes up. People believe if they build a big enough fence it will keep the threat out. The problem is the threat is already inside the fence.

I compare it to building a fence around a garden. The fence can keep getting higher or deeper, but if the rabbit is already living inside the fence when you build the fence—he’s in forever. No matter how high (or good) the wall is, the rabbit will keep eating the vegetables because he lives inside the fence!

In cyber terms, the rabbit in the garden is source code. Source code is the foundation of every computer and cyber function in the world. It is inside every computer and program. And guess what? 90% of all source code has not been checked for back doors and entry ways! No matter how high (or good) the firewall is, if you don't get rid of the back doors (and hidden code), people will always be able to get in.

In other words until we get rid of the rabbit living inside the fence he will continue to live well on the “cyber vegetables.”