What will become of our world in the years ahead? One can never really be sure, but history has shown us that principles and integrity we value most cannot be lost to the ages, or we will perish as a people. This is a part of the human history. There is comfort in the notions that people will look back at their history, their struggles, their fears, their will to overcome, and that will dictate how a people will react to events and threats in the future.

There are signs that as a country our history, our struggle, our defiance in the face of any challenge to freedom has faded far from the minds of many. It may not be all that obvious, as we are free to do many things in our lives, but in our digital lives, this fade is becoming clearer than ever. As time goes on, more Americans and people across the world are becoming interconnected. Not only through computers and smartphones, everyday devices are making this move as well. Water systems, power grids, infrastructure, temperature control systems, cars, houses and other things are making their way onto the web, and they are doing so quickly.

The problem of this brave, new world and ordered universe is that there is great disorder within. The urgency to get new systems out there has created a deficiency in security. Part negligence, part disregard, the situation is real and it is getting worse.

In the conversation surrounding the presidential race, it seems that the conversation has rarely turned to our national debt. There is another debt that besets us in the form of cybersecurity. Too little has been invested in it, not enough focus has been integrated into our ever more digital world, and the problem is compounding with interest at a rate that could cost us everything to get things back to normal.

The fault lies on the wonder of technology. In a way it is our fault as a people, and the essence of this is a lack of awareness. People want the new, sexy app. They lust convenience. People are far too willing to share every moment of their lives with people they know through systems that keep, analyze and sell their data forever.  They swipe credit cards, share passwords, tag themselves everywhere on the web, and many other things willingly. How did we get to this point?

Freedom and security starts with the people

We don’t have to simply accept that this is the way things are or will be. We can change things by instituting better security behaviors in our own world. We can demand the same of industry as well. Find the most secure product, practice the most secure behavior, use all the security features you can find on your phone, in your home, and anywhere you go. The people are the front lines of security, and it’s time the conversation around security becomes the focal point of every new product.

Collectively, I question whether the government and the industry will be willing to do what it takes to pay down this cybersecurity debt. How can we be prepared for the future when we’re not even ready for today? First, the enterprise must find the will and the way to stand up the necessary investment and policies to make this up. It is not just a mere cash proposition, true reform in the way of thinking must be integrated with intelligent conversations about security of the people in mind. We cannot be beholden to profits alone.

In my administration, these issues will become a priority as we collectively sit precariously on the edge of a steep cyber cliff.

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