Because cybersecurity events are complicated, we rely on analogies to understand how they work. Analogies are useful, but certain oversimplifications are perpetuating inaccurate narratives. These inaccuracies misdirect productive discussion and as a result, proposed policy and solutions are being based on faulty assumptions. A faulty premise can only yield flawed results…and cyber national security is not an area in which the United States has margin for error.
The nature of both print and broadcast media require big ideas to be distilled down to hot takes and pull quotes for quick and easy ingestion. An accurate analogous explanation is helpful when laid out by skilled subject matter experts. However, most prime-time political pundits and self-proclaimed cyber authorities lack novel technical or strategic insight. As a result, off-based discussion is happening daily at a national level further perpetuating and amplifying inaccuracies on this critical subject.