Some people love to say, “What you don’t know can’t hurt you.” That’s bullshit. What you don’t know can absolutely hurt you, and in security, it usually does.

The truth is, ignorance is easy. It’s comfortable, and it’s lazy. It lets you avoid responsibility. It’s easier to believe that security is someone else’s job. It’s easier to assume compliance means protection. It’s easier to pretend that because nothing bad has happened yet, nothing bad will happen. But that’s not how reality works.

Here’s the thing: Reality doesn’t care if you don’t understand risk. Attackers don’t care if you didn’t bother to patch that system. The market doesn’t care if you blindly trusted a vendor’s security claims. Ignorance doesn’t shield you from consequences—it just means you won’t see them coming.

Security and the Cost of Ignorance

In my 30+ years in this industry, I’ve seen too many people—executives, security “experts”, everyday users—learn the hard way that ignorance isn’t bliss. It’s a liability. It’s a ticking time bomb. And when it finally blows up, it’s almost always worse than if they had just dealt with the problem in the first place.

Let me give you some real examples:

• A company ignores the basics of security hygiene (because security is “expensive” and annoying), and suddenly their entire network is held hostage by ransomware. Now, they’re really paying—millions in downtime, extortion payments, legal fees, and reputation damage.
• A CEO doesn’t understand why MFA is important, so they refuse to use it. Then their email gets compromised, and the attackers use it to wire millions of dollars out of the company. Oops.
• A hospital assumes their third-party IT provider “has security covered.” Then that provider gets breached, exposing sensitive patient data. Patients suffer. Trust is lost. Lawsuits follow.

None of these things happened because people were stupid. They happened because people didn’t know what they didn’t know—and worse, they didn’t even try to learn.

The Only Cure for Ignorance

So what’s the fix? It’s simple, but not easy: Awareness. Accountability. Action.

1. Awareness – Know your risks. Understand the basics. You don’t need to be a security expert, but you do need to care enough to learn.
2. Accountability – Take responsibility for the security decisions you make (or don’t make). Ignorance isn’t an excuse when shit hits the fan.
3. Action – Do something. Security isn’t a passive thing. It requires effort, investment, and vigilance.

The world isn’t getting any less complex. Cyberattacks aren’t slowing down. AI, automation, and hyperconnectivity are accelerating risks faster than most people can comprehend. If you think ignorance is still an option, you’re already behind.

Bliss? No. Ignorance is expensive. Ignorance is dangerous. Ignorance is what gets people hurt.

Learn. Stay sharp. Own your risks. Because pretending they don’t exist won’t make them go away.

The simple summary:

• Ignorance -> Powerless victim
• Awareness (with Accountability and Action) -> Empowered leader/fighter/survivor

Powerless victim or empowered leader, your call.

-Evan