Shorter Handshakes, Empathy, and Zero Trust
We’ve all been told: “Give a firm handshake — it shows confidence and trust.”
In cybersecurity, we live by that too… only our handshakes are TLS handshakes.
Soon, we’ll be shaking hands a lot more.
Starting in 2026, certificate lifespans are expected to drop to 200 days — and by 2029, just 47.
That means more frequent renewals, tighter automation, and less time to react when something breaks.
Listening to Tom Klein from DigiCert made me picture it — the wick on our certificate candles burning shorter each year.
Time to automate better, faster, and more securely — before the flame burns out.
From there, the conversation turned to something deeper — empathy in cybersecurity.
The panel with Rebekah Skeete (BlackGirlsHack / BGH Foundation), Sade Akinkuotu • CSM, PSM, PSPO, SAFe 6 Agilist (ServiceNow), and Darien Maples (TechBesties™️) shed light on the challenges women still face entering our field.
It’s almost like a lingering cultural dogma that “cybersecurity is a man’s world.”
We know that’s false — yet the bias still echoes.
Their stories were honest, brave, and full of lessons: small acts of encouragement — a message, an introduction, a bit of mentorship — can ripple far.
Like the biblical story of the Good Samaritan, we need more Cybertarians — good Samaritans in cybersecurity.
Encourage someone new. Reach out. Make the field more inclusive, one connection at a time.
Finally, every story deserves a moral.
Just as nursery rhymes teach children right from wrong, George Finney’s Project Zero Trust is a modern fable for us.
It blends fiction and truth to remind us: trust is earned, verified, and continuously tested.
Through George Finney, I discovered the Cybersecurity Canon — our field’s own version of a New York Times bestseller list.
If nursery rhymes shape childhood values, the Canon shapes our professional ones — reminding us that behind every control lies a story of why it matters.