About This Book

This book is dedicated to my Dad, his advice and observations and stories, and to my Mom, who always encouraged me to write.

September, 2025
Reno, Nevada

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This is a manifesto. It is for anyone, technical or non-technical, anywhere in the world. Every one of us – every human, every citizen of every nation – is affected by technology and technology risk. It’s not just the tech nerds who can navigate these risks. Tech nerds are good at solving technical problems but not necessarily good at solving for risk.

This book is written in direct, descriptive language, with fewer acronyms and abbreviations than you’ll find in most books about what we refer to as Security, also known as Cybersecurity. This is perhaps the first book written about the subject that doesn’t attempt to evangelize or impress you into becoming secure. 

I wrote this book to provide perspective, not to dispense advice. My aim here is to challenge conventional wisdom and standard assumptions. If you’re looking for security program advice, mine is this: Keep doing what works. Keep learning. Be willing to change. 

My aim here is also to counteract the cognitive dissonance with healthy skepticism based in common-sense reality. Security is a scare tactic-fueled mega-billion dollar industry that requires theater and hype-du-jour to sustain itself. The competition to sell imitation ware and novelty solutions is fierce, the margins slim, and the desperation visceral.

Last but definitely not least, my aim is to make you laugh, or at least smile. Because we need to. Despite, or maybe because of, our techno-fluency, Security the profession remains as it was decades ago – stodgy and unimaginative, and male-dominated, and worried that people might think we don’t know something trivial.

In terms of job security, this profession can be an ironic career choice. When we successfully defend and protect, few people notice. When things go wrong despite our best efforts, we often get the blame. So don't take the profession, or yourself, too seriously. Maintain your perspective, cultivate your sense of irony, and hold onto your sense of humor. You’ll need all three.

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CYBER FESTO | copyright Doug Meier, All Rights Reserved, 2026