Contributed by Steve Meek 
Do you ever wish someone could just explain computer security in easy terms?
As a security practitioner, I’ve invested a good portion of my life – and many a detailed discussion – in technology and Internet security, and I’ve got a theory…I believe I may have recently uncovered a hidden agenda where Arnold seems to have laced great security tips into the dialogue of some of his movies, which – in pure, simple Arnold style – break complicated ideas down, making them much easier to understand…If only I would have known sooner.
“First I’m gonna use you as a human shield, then I gonna take that chisel and kill the guard with it. Then I was thinking about breaking your neck.” – Harry Tasker of ‘True Lies’
Organized doesn’t mean expensive. Some organizations buy a cool security technology then figure out what they need to protect, as opposed to doing the reverse. There are many tools you can use but you have to know what you’re trying to protect and also what you’re trying to protect it from. – I love it when a plan comes together.
“Milk are for babies, when you get older you drink beer.” – Arnold Schwarzenegger, in ‘Pumping Iron’
Arnold didn’t realize this at the time, but he was really communicating that 20 years ago we just needed antivirus and firewall. Changing times and technologies require complementary tools such as email filtering, web filtering, intrusion prevention systems and specialized backups to help protect our most important data and systems. – See, you don’t take milk to a beer fight.
“Get to the chopper!!” – Dutch Schaeffer, ‘Predator’
Arnold is reminding us that the cheapest and best way to secure your technology is with clear and simple instructions to your end-users. Creating a standard IT policy and then conducting security awareness training will go a lot further in protecting your data than buying tons of security tools and devices, especially if your people don’t have some basic rules and procedures to follow. – Then everyone makes it out alive.
“Have you ever killed anyone?”
“Yes, but they were all bad!” – Harry Tasker, ‘True Lies’
Arnold knows that everybody loves cool devices and technologies. Consumerism has led many people to want to go download free software and smartphone apps without the skill set to understand the potential impact. That’s not anyone’s fault, but having a system for approving applications can help limit the unapproved apps that might cause your network problems. – No one needs to die.
“Hasta la vista, baby.” – Terminator, ‘Terminator 2: Judgment Day’
Arnold knows things. Like users should be aware of the implications of using public access Wi-Fi and connecting to networks they don’t recognize. Being on a network gives you access to the Internet and other resources. Likewise, anything on your connected device can become fair game to others on the network. – Don’t get sent packing.
“I’ll be back.” – Terminator, ‘Terminator’
Arnold was prolifically trying to convey that malware will keep coming back. There’s tons of it out there and more gets created every day because so many users fall for it. You can conduct your own phishing exercises to test your users and find out if they need additional training.
See, Arnold really knows his stuff! In very simple terms, he’s been a breath of enlightenment to help you recognize some of the things you can do to help secure your environment by taking his advice. It’s amazing to think about all the technological advances of the past 20 or so years. However, pervasiveness of high-speed connectivity means your neighborhood is a lot bigger and just about anybody in the world can attempt to burst through your front door, uninvited. Don’t let them. Do what Arnold would do..