BLACK ARROWS

Organizations spend millions on advanced security tools. They purchase threat detection systems, advanced firewalls, user behavior analytics, deception technology, and countless other sophisticated solutions. Yet breaches continue. Attackers succeed with basic tactics like phishing and exploiting unpatched vulnerabilities. The disconnect reveals a fundamental truth: sophisticated tools cannot compensate for missing basics.

The Fundamentals

Strong security relies on consistently executed fundamentals, such as asset management, which identifies systems and their importance, access controls to limit and monitor who can reach sensitive resources, patch management to address known vulnerabilities, and backup systems for recovery when prevention fails. However, many organizations overlook these basics while investing in advanced tools, like deploying complex threat detection systems without a complete asset inventory, using intricate network segmentation without removing default admin accounts, and purchasing encryption solutions without classifying their data. These tools cannot function effectively without a strong foundation of essential security practices.

Why This Happens

Fundamentals often lack appeal: asset inventory feels boring, patch management seems routine, and access control enforcement requires discipline, creating friction. In contrast, advanced tools sound impressive, promising sophisticated detection of advanced threats. Executives are drawn to them, vendors promote them aggressively, and security teams enjoy implementing cutting-edge technology. However, these tools are often prioritized over the basics, which are the true foundation of effective security.

Compliance requirements reinforce this trend by focusing on sophisticated tools and formal frameworks rather than ensuring that basic security measures actually work. Organizations can satisfy auditors by deploying advanced solutions, even when their fundamental security is weak, turning compliance into a substitute for genuine protection. This approach wastes resources in multiple ways: advanced tools require expertise to deploy and maintain, create noise that obscures real threats, and generate security overhead that frustrates employees and undermines cooperation. Meanwhile, the critical fundamentals that would actually provide protection remain unaddressed. For instance, a company with thousands of unpatched systems might invest in advanced threat detection to identify attackers exploiting those vulnerabilities. The system may generate constant alerts, but the security team spends all their time triaging them while the underlying vulnerabilities persist. In this case, resources would be far better spent on systematic patching, which would offer more protection.

The Better Approach

Security Brutalism prioritizes fundamentals first. Establish complete asset inventory so you know what you need to protect. Minimize attack surface by removing unnecessary systems and services. Implement access controls that enforce least privilege consistently. Keep systems patched against known vulnerabilities. Ensure you can detect, contain, and recover from incidents. These basics provide broad protection with minimal complexity.

Advanced tools make sense only after fundamentals are strong. Once you know what systems exist and keep them patched, threat detection provides value. Once access controls enforce least privilege, advanced authentication becomes meaningful. Once backups work reliably, encryption adds a layer of security rather than serving as a substitute for resilience.

The Result

Organizations that focus on fundamentals achieve better security with fewer resources. Their teams spend time on genuine protection rather than maintaining elaborate systems. Their processes scale naturally as the organization grows. Most importantly, their security actually protects against the attacks they face rather than creating an impressive appearance of protection.

Start with what matters. Build on solid fundamentals. Add sophistication only when it serves a clear purpose. This approach delivers security that protects.