Relativism is an ideology suggesting that truth is based on perspective, context, or even
framework. When it comes to security itself, different organizations have different needs.
A local bakery may not need more than an antivirus to protect its online system, while
the military requires encryption, firewalls, intrusion detection systems, as well as
intrusion prevention systems. This is just one of the examples where perspective plays
a big role.
Objectivity is an ideology suggesting that we should analyze things based on purely
facts, not emotions. One of the ways that objectivity can play a role in cybersecurity is
punishing for a crime regardless of who the hacker is. For instance, there was a case of
a teen hacker arrested in the UK for leaking Grand Theft Auto VI footage. His
punishment? Life in a secure hospital.
Determinism is an ideology suggesting that everything is already determined,
essentially eliminating free will. As suggested in the post, I believe that determinism can
help identify vulnerabilities and patterns. If everything is predetermined, the same
events will lead to the same issues, which will make them more predictable and
preventable.
Skepticism is an ideology that focuses on constant questioning until any claims are
covered by evidence. This ideology can be related to cybersecurity through testing. If
we look at big data companies such as Facebook, they have a big obligation and a
commitment to their users to keep their data safe. Behind every claim such as “your
messages are end-to-end encrypted” there has to be a lot of testing involved until that
claim is evidenced and confirmed.
Parsinomy is the ideology that strongly believes in simplicity. What does that mean? If
you can solve it/explain it simply, why complicate it? The way it relates to the
cybersecurity field is, for instance, through protocols. Every company, especially the big
ones, has in their interest to keep their data protected and one of the weakest links in all
organizations are people. Different ways can uplift the safety and protection of a
company’s data, but parsimony suggests that complicated things only lead to
complications and if there is a simple solution to a problem, we should stick to it.
Ethical Neutrality is the ideology suggesting that science does not make moral
judgments but describes things as they are. This ideology feels close to objectivity as
the primary goal seems to be the same, which is facts over emotions. One way ethical
neutrality can be related to cybersecurity is when it comes to reporting vulnerabilities
and threats without bias.
Empiricism is the ideology that if I am understanding correctly, believes that all
knowledge comes through experience. It is related to cybersecurity through real-world
simulations and testing. For instance, professionals working as penetration testers often
simulate attacks on the system to identify any threats that might exist. In doing that, they
are improving the security of the system.