Anthropological Take on Cyber-security: How a Legacy Security Belief System is Impacting Us Today

Abstract

Between 70% and 97% of all cyber breaches can be attributed directly or indirectly to human errors (Ponemon Institute 2018) [1]. In this opinion piece, we explore the archeology of cyber-security embedded in 20th century legacy belief and its artifacts. During the “formative period” of the computer in the last quarter of the 20th century, computers became generally available to a few societies that existed at the time. Archaic documents, such as early advertisements and bills of sale, confirm the spread of these early tools from places of work to domestic spaces. From histories we know that such computers were primarily standalone devices. If connected, modem-mediated access to the early Internet was conducted through telephone lines, which provided a mechanism for sending emails to immediate kin, friends or workgroup members.