With increasing cyber-attacks involving non-state actors and sometimes even state-supported actors on critical infrastructure, such as banks, hospitals, defense firms, multinational companies, political institutions, and even research facilities, the criticality of a robust cyber-security regime can hardly be overstated.
As technologies evolve, so do cyber-security threats. Modern cyber-attacks have become increasingly sophisticated, leveraging AI, bots, and dark web resources, which can easily bypass traditional firewall security architecture.
Addressing all these evolving cyber-security threats is critical, but a substantial knowledge gap remains even among cyber-security experts. To bridge this knowledge gap, Naveen Garg, a US-based site reliability engineer with over 15 years of experience in Threat Intelligence, Data Analysis, and complex computing performance optimization, has written a book – “Beyond Firewalls: Security-at-Scale,” covering all these niche topics.
The following is an edited excerpt of a telephonic interview with Mr Garg:
What inspired you to write Beyond Firewalls: Security-at-Scale?
I have been working in the cybersecurity and system design field for over 17 years and have witnessed the evolution of security, particularly with integrating AI and machine learning into cybersecurity tools. Despite these advancements, I noticed a significant knowledge gap—even among highly skilled professionals—where security is still often equated with firewalls, access controls, and antivirus software.
However, modern cyberattacks have become increasingly sophisticated, leveraging AI, bots, and dark web resources to bypass traditional defenses. It was time to share my insights with the tech industry to highlight how cyber threats evolve and why we need to think beyond firewalls. This book aims to educate and empower readers to adopt modern, scalable security practices.
How does this book redefine traditional approaches to cybersecurity?
This book provides readers with a complete journey, starting from the origins of cybersecurity and the traditional tools like firewalls and access controls that were once the standard defense mechanisms. However, attackers today are more advanced, utilizing AI, bots, and social engineering techniques to mimic legitimate users and overwhelm systems with malicious traffic.
To counter these threats, traditional tools are no longer enough. This book introduces the core concepts of advanced security tools that go beyond passive defenses. It provides practical insights into implementing analytics-driven, proactive measures to combat modern threats effectively. It bridges the gap between where cybersecurity started and where it needs to go in today’s rapidly evolving landscape.
Who is the target audience for your book, and what key takeaways can they expect?
This book addresses the critical scalability challenges of advanced cybersecurity tools, making it a valuable resource for anyone involved in the digital ecosystem. It is designed to resonate with diverse audiences:
For everyday users: The book provides practical insights into how cyberattacks have evolved and offers guidance on staying safe in a hyper-connected world. It also helps users assess whether the companies they trust are implementing the necessary security measures to protect their data.
For business leaders and executives: It demystifies the complexities of modern cybersecurity, enabling decision-makers to understand the importance of scalable solutions and make informed decisions to safeguard their organizations, customers, and reputations.
For IT professionals and students: The book serves as a comprehensive guide to the evolution of cybersecurity, focusing on the integration of AI, machine learning, and advanced tools to combat sophisticated threats. It provides a strong foundation for those aspiring to build or advance their careers in cybersecurity.
By bridging the gap between traditional security concepts and the engineering challenges of scalable solutions, this book equips readers with actionable insights to navigate the rapidly changing threat landscape and implement advanced, reliable, and scalable security systems.
How do AI-powered tools factor into your vision of scalable cybersecurity?
Modern cyberattacks have become extremely advanced. Attackers use tactics such as social engineering, persistent tracking, and data obtained from dark web breaches to impersonate legitimate users. These sophisticated attacks cannot be detected using traditional automation or firewall systems.
AI-powered tools play a pivotal role in analyzing user behavior, recognizing attack patterns, and making data-driven decisions. This requires large-scale data analysis and the execution of complex algorithms, which demand highly scalable and reliable systems. Scalability is the cornerstone of these tools, ensuring they function effectively under high traffic and in complex attack scenarios.
What challenges do organizations face in scaling their cybersecurity measures, and how does your book address them?
One of the biggest challenges organizations face is managing and processing vast amounts of data needed for behavior and traffic analysis. They must filter out noise, compile relevant data, and prepare it for machine learning algorithms.
Another challenge lies in system design. Complex, high-traffic events can create bottlenecks in system components, leading to failures or a “fail-open” scenario where security systems stop functioning effectively.
My book provides actionable insights to overcome these challenges, including strategies for building scalable data pipelines, designing robust algorithms, and maintaining system reliability to support advanced security tools.
How do you see the role of endpoint protection evolving in modern cybersecurity?
Given the complexity of modern cyberattacks, only some businesses have the resources to develop advanced security tools and infrastructure. Endpoint protection offers a practical solution, allowing businesses to partner with security experts to mitigate risks.
By leveraging cutting-edge security tools through endpoint protection solutions, businesses can ensure their customers and operations remain secure without having to build these advanced systems from scratch. Endpoint protection is critical in mitigating risks for companies of all sizes.
What role does collaboration between security teams and business leaders play in implementing scalable solutions?
Business leaders hold ultimate responsibility for ensuring customer data safety and protecting the company’s reputation. They need to understand the evolving threat landscape and make informed decisions about the organization’s security posture.
Collaboration with security teams is crucial to translating these decisions into actionable, scalable solutions. This partnership ensures that strategies are implemented effectively and on time, creating a security framework that is both resilient and adaptable to changing threats.
What sets your book apart from other cybersecurity literature on the market?
While many books focus on traditional security measures or the technical intricacies of advanced cybersecurity tools, few address the complexities of scalability in implementing these tools. Scalability is a critical factor for modern security systems, as it determines their reliability and effectiveness under high-traffic conditions or during complex attack scenarios.
Beyond Firewalls: Security-at-Scale fills this gap by providing readers with a comprehensive roadmap that explains why cybersecurity must evolve, how scalable systems can be built, and the challenges of achieving this. It highlights the engineering requirements for handling large data pipelines, applying machine learning, and ensuring system reliability.
By addressing these critical aspects, the book stands out as a unique guide that bridges the gap between cybersecurity advancements and the engineering principles necessary to support them. It offers actionable insights to implement scalable and reliable security solutions that meet the demands of today’s sophisticated threat landscape.
- Sumit Ahlawat has over a decade of experience in news media. He has worked with Press Trust of India, Times Now, Zee News, Economic Times, and Microsoft News. He holds a Master’s Degree in International Media and Modern History from The University of Sheffield, UK. He is interested in studying Geopolitics from a historical perspective.
- He can be reached at ahlawat.sumit85 (at) gmail.com
