In the documentary The Last Dance, ESPN took us on a trip down memory lane by exploring Michael Jordan’s final season with the Chicago Bulls. With six NBA championships under his belt, Jordan’s unwavering competitiveness at being the best — and control of his teammates — was an essential factor in carrying the team to victory. He once flew to Vegas to force Rodman to practice. Talk about taking the bull by the horns. In addition to showing Jordan’s fierce commitment, the documentary also revealed the supporting characters that made him even greater: Pippen, Jackson, and even “practice skipping” Rodman. It took a team to win those championships, not one person, even if that person was Michael Jordan.
Basketball can teach us a lot about managing the cybersecurity of an enterprise: it takes teamwork. This is perhaps most evident as organizations seek to adopt zero trust principles. The zero trust concept is not new, but I hear more organizations discussing it than ever before — driven by a desire for greater security, more flexible access, and accelerated by the shift to remote work due to COVID-19. At its core, zero trust focuses on providing least-privilege access to only those users who need it. Put it this way: don't trust anyone and even when you do, only give them what they need right now. This security philosophy would make Jordan proud, but in that vein, zero trust would not work without another player: identity management (perhaps it’s the Pippen factor!).