Mind Your Cybers
Andrew Martin · 2025
Abstract This chapter sets out some of the core ideas of the book, including the notion of cyber security. We explore some of its precursors such as information security, with its component dimensions of confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Those notions prove insufficient for summing up cyber security in an age where things of value—and not just information—are connected to the internet. A lot of insecurity comes from complexity, and cyber space is the most complex thing humans have ever made. The challenge of finding good techniques to improve security stands in contrast to the world of safety, where modern engineering is typically very good. Our challenge in security is to evaluate risks coming from a seemingly endless supply of adversaries, and to build sufficient robustness to enable systems to continue to function in the face of unknown and unexpected threats.