the board was informed of a 72% completion rate for the security awareness program. However, they weren’t told that employees were consistently failing phishing simulations, with success rates stagnating at 52% for two years. Similarly,patch reporting appeared comprehensive,but critical Linux servers remained unpatched due to internal conflicts and vendor misunderstandings.

Rouffas stated on LinkedIn, “I was shocked to see the level of security theater in use to provide the board with a false sense of security.”

Rouffas also noted that the 72% completion rate for security awareness “sounds like a good number, but it doesn’t mean anything.” He emphasized, “What was reported to the board was a false message that all was fine. Security theater is not just an IT problem. … It is a governance failure.”

The Dangers of Security Theater

Security theater, in this context, refers to the practice of implementing security measures that appear effective but offer little real protection. This can lead to a false sense of security, leaving organizations vulnerable to cyberattacks.

“I was shocked to see the level of security theater in use to provide the board with a false sense of security.”

Combating Security Theater

To move beyond security theater, organizations need to focus on:

• Accurate and Clear reporting: Boards need to receive a clear and honest assessment of the organization’s security posture, including both successes and failures.
• Focus on Real-World Effectiveness: security measures should be evaluated based on their ability to prevent and mitigate actual threats,not just on compliance metrics.
• Continuous Advancement: Security is an ongoing process, not a one-time fix.Organizations need to continuously monitor their security posture and adapt to evolving threats.