Security
Security Theater vs. Real Security
2025-01-05
10 min read
By Jett
Security theater is everywhere. Compliance checkboxes. Quarterly security reviews. Password policies that force users to write passwords on sticky notes.
Meanwhile, real security vulnerabilities go unaddressed.
What Real Security Looks Like
Real security isn't about checking boxes. It's about understanding threats and building systems that resist them.
The Fundamentals
- Authentication that actually works - MFA isn't optional anymore
- Least privilege access - Users and services should have the minimum permissions needed
- Input validation everywhere - Never trust user input, ever
- Secrets management - No hardcoded credentials, no exceptions
The Advanced Stuff
Once you have the fundamentals:
- Security scanning in CI/CD
- Dependency vulnerability monitoring
- Regular penetration testing
- Incident response plans that you actually practice
The Theater vs. Reality
Security Theater:
- Annual security training that everyone clicks through
- Complex password requirements that reduce actual security
- Compliance reports that no one reads
Real Security:
- Automated security scanning on every commit
- Simple, strong authentication (passkeys, MFA)
- Regular security reviews of actual code and infrastructure
What You Should Do Monday Morning
Start securing your systems:
- Enable MFA for all admin accounts (today, not tomorrow)
- Add automated dependency scanning to your CI/CD pipeline
- Review your secrets management - are any credentials in code?
- Set up basic security monitoring and alerting
These aren't optional. These are table stakes for modern engineering.
The Bottom Line
Stop performing security. Start practicing it. Your users deserve better than theater. ```
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