A Security Brutalist Strategy

Note: This is a modern security strategy grounded in Security Brutalism—intentionally brief and clear. It serves as the "commander’s intent", the guiding purpose that shapes and aligns all security efforts.

Security Brutalist Strategy

Mission

Protect what matters most—our people, our data, our business—by making security simple, visible, and non-negotiable.

Vision

Security that is strong, unambiguous, and part of how we operate—never an afterthought, never an add-on. We build it in, stand it up, and strip away the unnecessary.

Guiding Principles

Clarity Over Complexity
If people don’t understand it, they won’t do it. Security must be plainspoken, direct, and part of everyday decisions.

Form Follows Risk
We shape our security around what’s real—not what’s trendy. Our attention goes where the real danger lives.

Friction with Purpose
Good security slows things down only when it must. Every control earns its keep. No theater. No fluff.

Visibility is Power
We don’t hide behind dashboards. We expose what’s broken, what’s working, and what’s being ignored—company-wide.

Decisions Have Owners
Security is not “InfoSec’s problem.” Everyone has a stake. Responsibility is named, tracked, and visible. You own your own risk.

What We Will Do

We will protect what matters most—our critical systems, sensitive data, and essential operations—while treating everything else proportionally. Our focus will be sharp and deliberate; we won’t try to secure everything, just what truly counts. Security will be built for speed, aligning with the pace of the business. When things move fast, we won’t be the obstacle—we’ll be the partner who accelerates progress without compromising standards.

We’ll drive consistency through ruthless standardization, simplifying wherever possible with secure, proven configurations. Weaknesses won’t be hidden—they’ll be exposed intentionally through reviews, testing, and transparency. And where tasks repeat, we’ll automate. Our people should focus on the hard problems—everything else should handle itself.

How We Work

Security is built in from the start—we help shape ideas, architecture, and processes so secure design is the default, not an afterthought. While security is everyone’s responsibility, we lead by setting the standard, modeling discipline, and enabling teams to meet expectations without unnecessary control.

We operate with a bias toward action and a commitment to simplicity. When something is broken, we say so. When something is risky, we surface it. We don’t obfuscate or overcomplicate. Security Brutalism means honesty, transparency, and effectiveness without layers of polish or theater.

This is a security program rooted in reality. We build defenses that work—clearly, simply, and at scale.

Endstate

A security program that earns respect, not fear. It's embraced, not overlooked. Embedded from the start, not slapped on at the end.