By Ray Vazquez on September 05, 2025
Standing at the edge of a Mediterranean pier, the sea stretches wide and endless, its surface shimmering under the fading summer sun. It feels calm, almost eternal but beneath the surface are hidden currents, shifting with a force you can’t see until you’re caught in them. Cybersecurity is not so different.
The end of summer is a reminder that seasons change. Just as warm winds give way to cooler nights, so too do periods of calm in our digital world give way to storms, new threats, evolving risks, unexpected adversaries. The pier is solid underfoot, but even it shows signs of wear from waves that relentlessly test its strength. Our defenses in cybersecurity face the same pressure: constant probing, constant erosion, unless they’re maintained.
Looking out over the water, I think about the vulnerabilities that emerge when we grow too comfortable. Summer is easy; it lulls us with bright skies and familiar routines. But in security, complacency is the enemy. Attackers thrive in transition in the shift from one season to the next, when organizations let their guard down.
So, as the season turns, let this be the lesson from the pier: resilience is built not in the calm, but in the preparation for the storm. Let's finish strong in the next few months of 2025!
11 Reflections for Cybersecurity Professionals Before Year’s End
Review Access Controls - Ensure privileged accounts, dormant users, and third-party access are cleaned up and attackers love forgotten doors.
Patch and Update Diligently - Year-end downtime is prime time for attackers. Confirm critical systems, applications, and endpoints are patched.
Evaluate Incident Response Readiness - Run one final tabletop exercise. Ask: would your team be ready if a breach happened tomorrow?
Revisit Risk Assessments - Update threat models and risk registers to reflect changes in business operations, emerging tech, and the current threat landscape.
Check Cloud Security Posture - Cloud misconfigurations continue to be a leading cause of breaches and audit your configurations and permissions before the year ends.
Strengthen Identity & Authentication - Confirm MFA coverage is complete, phishing-resistant methods are in place, and exceptions are justified.
Validate Data Protection - Backups, encryption, and data retention policies should be reviewed and tested. Can you actually restore what you back up?
Supply Chain and Vendor Risk - Reassess vendor security posture. A weak link in their ecosystem can quickly become yours.
Review Security Awareness and Culture - Reflect on employee training and reporting culture. Did your workforce grow in resilience this year? Where are the blind spots?
Budget and Resource Alignment - Look at spend vs. risk reduction. Did investments move the needle? What gaps must be addressed in next year’s plan?
Reflect on Lessons Learned - Catalog this year’s incidents, near misses, and successes. Document them now, so they inform strategy does not fade with memory.
