Letter from the Editor

By: Tim Young

''We have only two modes —
complacency and panic.''
- James R. Schlesinger

When he said those words in 1977, Schlesinger, who served as the United States’ first energy secretary, was referring to the nation’s approach to energy policy—particularly regarding petroleum.

Forty years on, Schlesinger remains correct, and not just about oil. We don’t sweat things that haven’t progressed to emergency status, and we greet the inevitable problems that arise from this lack of action with short-sighted alarm that results in an outcome that is both costly and sub-par.

And that’s certainly the case with security. It’s a hard thing to secure every facet of a network designed to facilitate openness and interconnectivity. With so much data freely shared, the burden of attempting to secure everything from malice, fraud and error is massive. So how do we navigate the razor’s edge between complacency and alarm, proceeding with both careful thought and deliberate speed?

In this issue of Pipeline, we explore the state of security and discuss how service providers and vendors are addressing the negative consequences of our high-speed interconnected lifestyle. We examine how smart homes and the Internet of Things open up brand new vulnerabilities. We discuss threat detection methods that are keeping pace with the state of cyber intelligence. We talk about the ways that telcos have been getting security wrong over the last few decades and how they can correct their course. We also take a look at quantum key distribution, automated mitigation, and other ways to protect your network and its users.

Enjoy the issue, and don’t panic! It’s a dangerous world out there, but there are lots of solutions to be found.

With warm regards,

Tim Young
Editor-in-Chief