It’s fashion week in London and designers all over the world are setting up the trends for the season. From the colors, to the style and accessories people are travelling all over the world to watch the coming fashion trends first hand.

But what if they are teaching us much more than fashion trends?

Today we have five security principles taught by the fashion industry. Just keep listening/ reading and you will understand what I am talking about.

Other than a perfect accessory a hat is used to protect the face and eyes from the sun. We all know how dangerous the sun is for the skin. Women are very careful with their skin especially their face and they spend a lot of money on creams, facials and sunscreen. They use hats in order to cover and protect their face from the sun. That is why you need a hat to cover the most valuable assets you have. I am talking about the shields you put up like a firewall and an antivirus which are used to stop the malware coming your way.

Have you noticed that criminals use gloves to kill other people in order to avoid leaving traces of their identity? Well, in the digital world we leave traces everywhere. From your IP address to the metadata you leave with every image or file you send online all this is considered your digital fingerprint. Just to clarify your IP address identifies your physical address and your metadata includes data you did not intentionally attached to your image or file sent. However, someone can analyze your metadata and find information about the software you use; programs and operating system; and use that data to craft an attack by taking advantage of this software. How can you solve that? Use a VPN and a software to clear the metadata attached to your images and files you upload online. Both take just a few seconds.

You know that feeling when the sun is blinding your eyes and you cannot see anything? Well, that is very serious for your security. Not having the ability to see what is working and what is not working for you feels like being blind on your protection journey and we want to avoid this. Let me give you an example:

An antivirus can show you a site which is infected with malware in order to avoid visiting it or a document which is infected with malware to avoid opening it. A network monitoring software can tell you which devices are connected to your network in order to spot an intruder.

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During the cold weather we wear multiple layers of clothes in order to feel warmer. I remember when I was leaving in Brussels it was so cold that I had to wear so many layers of clothes. I was doubling up my volume which was really fascinating to the people around me yet effective for me. Hey do not judge. If you would stay out for 10 minutes in the cold you couldn’t even feel your legs anymore.  I still have this woven scarf with which I used to make three rounds around my neck to be able to keep a decent temperature. But this episode is not about my time leaving in cold weather. It is about security and the lessons you can learn from fashion! That is how you should approach your security. With multiple layers or levels of protection. Each level has its strengths and weaknesses. Using multiple levels allow us to cover more our protection by covering with the strengths of the one level the weaknesses of the other one. In security we never expect a system or approach to cover everything. We do have alternative solutions when that fails.

Have you noticed that when you see things from a distance they feel more comprehensive? You feel like you see the bigger picture of what is happening.

Consider Great Alexander during the war. Each of his soldiers knew their position and way of action only. He had saw the bigger picture. He was designing on a map how many soldiers he had, their positioning and what action they should take. That is why you need A-game security which basically means the best security which you can have. A disclaimer here; The best security does not mean the most expensive security. It means a more strategic security where you plan exactly how and when you will utilize your available resources in the best possible way thus, securing your most valuable assets.

Apply what you learn immediately. Download “Master your protection” free quick start guide.

There we go. Five security principles taught by the fashion industry and me!

I am now turning it over to you.

Do you have the best accessories for protection?

I cannot wait to hear your comments so leave them below and let’s continue the conversation.