Watch the full 45-minute recording of Katie Shuck’s keynote presentation from the 2023 TECHLeadership conference on YouTube.

Are we approaching cybersecurity wrong?

Are we approaching the way we think about scammers incorrectly? At the TECHLeadership Conference last fall, Katie Shuck took a different angle for approaching cybersecurity. What can we do to improve our cybersecurity, and what happened to get us here? 

More than 100 attendees from different fields participated in a technology conference at the Box Elder Events Center in fall 2023. In collaboration with Golden West Technologies, the half-day conference challenged the way people think about cyber safety. 

“[People] aren’t computers, they’re people. And we need to treat them as such,” she said. By discounting humans in cybersecurity, many people are discouraged from taking an active role in their organization’s cybersecurity. 

The hunt for the “Golden Unicorn” IT security team

As an expert in the field, Shuck determined the cause of this growing issue. Many employers might be looking for a “golden unicorn” team member to take care of all their cybersecurity needs. However, with approximately 3.5 million open IT positions projected for 2025, how can these problems be solved? 

“We have to accept that we’re all going to make mistakes,” she said. “And we have to be willing and able to go beyond that. We can and should continue to train employees on the best cybersecurity practices. I think that’s vital.”  

Recognizing the human impact on cybersecurity efforts

Outsourcing cybersecurity and technology projects can help businesses be more proactive. This first lesson of many allowed Shuck to build the foundation for how cybersecurity should be understood as time goes on.  

Wrapping up the opening keynote speech, Shuck suggested reversing the way we think about cyberattacks. Why are employees being asked to click more? Are they being good employees? What information is safe to share? Are humans going to be replaced by computers? 

These questions might be scary without the know-how of a technology expert. Later, Golden West Technologies speakers and other experts built on Shuck’s ideas in breakout sessions.  They provided insights into cybersecurity and how to think about what’s next. 

People may not be computers, but they can and do significantly impact the success or failure of cybersecurity initiatives. 

“We have to consider that we’re all human,” Shuck said. “Now I always have hated the phrase that humans are the weakest link, because I don’t believe that’s true. I believe that humans can be our greatest asset.”  

Save the Date for the 2024 TECHLeadership Conference here.