Andy Ellis and others use a crocodile metaphor to explain how security professionals should make executives aware of hidden threats, not shield them from danger. The gap between knowing a threat exists and feeling personally at risk is the real problem.
Instead, you should be the guy who's saying, look, we're migrating and what's coming up ahead of us is crocodiles. Let me give you the reports to make you believe and understand in crocodiles. My job is not to protect you from crocodiles. It's to make sure you're aware of crocodiles and that you believe in crocodiles when they're relevant.
I believe in—
I like this, man. This is— but you don't actually— Bronwyn, you don't actually believe in crocodiles. You don't like check both ways for a crocodile. Like, you've heard of it. You believe that they exist, but you don't believe that they're a risk to you.
That's true. I can tell you in Indiana, when I go outside, the least of my worries is a crocodile in my front yard. So I can vouch that that's appropriate.
Like if I came to you and said, I want you to burn brain power worrying about crocodiles, you're going to say, I'm not going to talk to Andy ever again. Andy needs to look for some help.
Or I would think that you were about to set a bunch of crocodiles loose.
That's true. That is definitely the sort of thing I would do, as many security professionals would. Let me prove that I am right by releasing crocodiles In the boardroom. Yeah. And right there, there's our quote for the, this type, this episode, releasing crocodiles in the boardroom.
Boom.
Oh my gosh. That's great.
That's great. Thank you, Bronwyn.
