Empowering through security

Traditionally we security professionals have been viewed as gate keepers, rule enforcers, and the people who say "no." Fredrick Lee shines a light on the ways security has allowed the world to do more and encourages security professionals to solve the difficult problems that will allow us to say "yes." Our profession needs to reach beyond being gatekeepers and move toward being gate openers.

Information security multiplies what we can do in the digital world. Traditionally we security professionals have been viewed as gate keepers, rule enforcers, and the people who say “no.” Even our language and iconography reflect this, using locks as symbols of what we do, phrases like “lock it down” to describe how we do our jobs, and terms such as “firewalls” to describe how we do it. However, when viewed optimistically, security can also unlock opportunities. Our profession needs to reach beyond being gatekeepers and move toward being gate openers. Square prides itself on “finding yes” and leveraging security to open doors of access to enable economic empowerment for the world. There are many examples of how security has granted access. Fredrick Lee shines a light on the ways security has allowed the world to do more and encourages security professionals to solve the difficult problems to allow us all to say “yes.” As security practitioners, we must all seek to be force multipliers.