The aphorism is a valuable cultural phenomenon for spreading the wisdom of experience — and cybersecurity, with its complexities, nuances, contradictions, and perpetual stress, is a fertile field.

Aphorisms abound in cybersecurity. They are clever, self-effacing, and purposeful survival mechanisms that simultaneously teach reality truths in possibly the most stressful occupation outside of the military.

SecurityWeek talked to Bec McKeown CPsychol, founder and principal psychologist at Mind Science Ltd (and a visiting lecturer in applied psychology at Cranfield university) to understand the role and purpose of aphorisms in cybersecurity. We illustrate the discussion with genuine aphorisms collected from practicing security professionals.

Warning: the language can be ripe and occasionally offensive – but that’s often an integral part of being an aphorism. For this reason, all provider names have been withheld to protect the guilty – but every aphorism included here has been provided by a cybersecurity professional known to SecurityWeek.

Definition and ...