To speak a common language…

This enigmatic title is not intended to imply that any person in charge of cyber protection of critical infrastructures cannot/would not be able to understand the information and material related to their tasks. Rather, we wish to draw attention to the fact that the importance of the communication, its content and form, which can facilitate – or even hinder – the delivery of expert ‘messages’, is often unduly underestimated.

As experts, we often assume that everyone else knows and speaks the “thief language” of our field.
Well, no.
Not necessarily understand and speak it.

However, it is important for us as experts that our “message” still “gets across”. The solution is to frame the “message” in a form and content that can be “consumed” by a wider range of stakeholders beyond the narrow core of experts.

One of the best examples in this respect is regularly provided by Dragos. Its consistently high quality, concise materials convey their professional “messages” in a “monkeyproof “* way.

Two examples:

  • Dragos recently published its cybersecurity guide for senior executives. It is 19 pages including front and back cover. And that includes a glossary and Dragos’ self-promotion, while conveying a truly essential professional focus.
  • Another equally recent and exemplary piece from Dragos summarises the likely threats to the electricity industry in just 16 pages.

One of the tasks facing SeConSys may be to develop and improve the effective communication of SeConSys “messages” in the domestic context.

* Here we apologise to those who might be offended by the use of quotation marks. It is not meant to offend, but rather to emphasise.


Szívesen vesszük a fentiekkel akár egyetértő, akár azokkal vitatkozó üzeneteket. Ezekre pl. újabb posztban reagálva akár érdemi szakmai eszmecsere is megindulhat.


Translated by DeepL