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Security vs. Productivity: A Necessary Evil or an Overzealous Fun-Killer?

Ah, cybersecurity - the corporate equivalent of a bouncer at an exclusive nightclub. It’s there to keep out the riff-raff (hackers, malware, Kevin from accounting who keeps clicking on phishing emails), but sometimes, it feels like it’s stopping the party altogether.

 

We've all been there. You need to access a file, but first, you have to log in, complete multi-factor authentication, prove you're not a bot, sacrifice a goat under the light of a full moon, and then answer a security question about your first pet (was it "Fluffy123" or "Fluffy!123"?). By the time you're in, you’ve forgotten why you needed the file in the first place.

 

So, the big question: is cybersecurity a necessary evil, or have we gone too far in the name of protection?

 

The Productivity Killers We Call “Security Measures”

 

Password Policies Designed to Break Spirits

"Your password must contain 12 characters, an uppercase letter, a lowercase letter, a number, a special character, an Egyptian hieroglyph, and a Shakespearean insult." Oh, and you have to change it every 30 days.


The result? People write them on sticky notes (which is what security was trying to prevent in the first place).

 

Case in point: Many years ago, I worked at a bank in New York where a security manager enforced weekly, non-sequential password changes. The result? Every employee had a sticky note under their keyboard with a list of old passwords crossed out and the current one at the bottom. Security theater at its finest.

 

Fast forward to today: We have password managers, biometrics, and single sign-on. And yet, people are still scribbling passwords on sticky notes. Some things never change.

 

 

Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): Because Logging in Once is for Amateurs

You sign in. The system says, "We've sent a code to your phone." You check your phone. No message. You request a new code. The first one arrives just as the second one expires. Repeat until frustration overtakes security hygiene, and you just yell your password out loud, hoping the system hears it.

 

The VPN Experience: Slower than Dial-Up, More Annoying than Traffic

Your company's security policy requires you to use a VPN for everything, including accessing cat memes in the company Slack channel. You connect, your internet speed drops to that of a 1998 AOL trial CD, and suddenly, you're longing for the good old days when "security" meant locking your office door.

 

Email Security: Where Good Attachments Go to Die

"This email contains an attachment and has been flagged as suspicious. Please submit a ticket, wait 48 hours, and then confirm with IT that you're a real person before proceeding." Meanwhile, Steve from Sales is still clicking on "URGENT: Your Payroll is Suspended" emails with no issues.

 

Automatic Logouts: Because Security Doesn’t Trust You

Step away from your desk for 30 seconds? Logged out. Take a sip of coffee? Logged out. Blink too long? Logged out.

 

You spend more time logging back in than actually working. But hey, at least no one will steal your session while you’re in the restroom.

 

Tongue-in-cheek, but with a Serious Message

Obviously I have taken a lighthearted approach to this post, but the reality behind it is anything but trivial. Security is essential - it protects businesses, data, and people from serious threats (we all know that, right?). But when security becomes so intrusive that employees find ways to work around it, it stops being effective and starts becoming a problem.

 

The challenge isn’t choosing between security and productivity - it’s finding the right balance between the two. When security measures are overly complex, they don’t just slow people down; they create risk. Employees will default to convenience, whether that means writing down passwords, ignoring security alerts, or bypassing VPNs.

 

Instead of layering endless roadblocks in the name of protection, organizations should focus on smart security - solutions that enhance safety without crippling efficiency. Because when cybersecurity starts feeling like an obstacle course designed by a sadistic game show host, it’s time to rethink the approach.

 

So, have things really changed since those sticky-note password lists under keyboards? Or have we just replaced them with password-reset fatigue and MFA-induced rage?

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