The Cybersecurity Ego Taxonomy

A field manual for identifying species in the wild. Every industry has its egos. Cybersecurity just happens to breed them in captivity—fed on acronyms, sustained by vendor swag, and released into the wild with LinkedIn accounts. What follows is a working taxonomy. You will recognize these species. You may even be one. 1. The Overconfident Generalist Habitat: Panels, podcasts, and any room with a microphone. Call: "In my experience…" (experience = one SANS course and a breach webinar). Speaks in sweeping statements. Uses "zero trust" as a personality trait. Thinks frameworks are Pokémon cards. Threat level: Low. Mostly loud, rarely harmful. 2. The LinkedIn Thought Leader Habitat: Your feed, unfortunately. Call: "This is a leadership lesson." Turns every breach into a motivational speech. Writes like a cybersecurity fortune cookie. Ends posts with "DM me to learn more." Threat level: Medium. Causes eye strain and secondhand embarrassment. 3. The Compliance Crusader Habitat: Conference ro