The Beauty of a Proactive Defense

In 1985, the Chicago Bears were unstoppable. It wasn’t due to a particularly amazing offensive strategy – actually, it was the opposite. Their defense was among the best of all time. The Bears used the defensive technique known as the “46 defense”, crafted by legendary defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan.

During Super Bowl XX, they faced off against New England in the New Orleans Superdome. The Bears swept the game handily, finishing off at 46-10. They only allowed seven sacks and only one rushing first down – a record that still holds strong to this day.

Cybersecurity may not have the glitz and glam of football, but it shares many of the same principles. When you’re defending your data, you need to put pressure on cyberattacks with a proactive defense. You have to stop cyberthreats before they have a chance to even come close to a first down.

So how do you do that?

Step One: Get a Defensive Coordinator

Well, maybe not literally. Your business needs someone that has seen what’s out there and knows how to build an effective defense. After all, Buddy Ryan wasn’t new to coaching when he trained the Bears. He had time to practice and perfect his technique on the Jets in 1968 and the Vikings in 1976.

Much like Ryan, we’ve been in the game for a long time. With over 25 years of experience, we have what it takes to improve your cybersecurity. Cybercrime damage costs are projected to hit $6 trillion annually by 2021 so you’ll want to start building your defenses ahead of time. Luckily, partnering with us allows you to leverage the knowledge and wisdom of experienced cybersecurity experts that know what to look for.

Step Two: Review the Plays

Buddy Ryan developed the 46 defense specifically to put pressure on the opposing offense (and especially the quarterback). Ryan developed the defense by noticing that most teams executed play-action passes, which usually slipped right by most other defenses.

But with his 46 defense in place, he forced the quarterbacks to throw the ball. Once in the air, the skillful Bears defense was always able to effectively negate any forward progress.

When we establish your cybersecurity strategy, we’re cautious to make it as well-rounded as possible. Our cybersecurity experts are always aware of the capabilities of the most recent cyberattacks and viruses, and what they need to do to counter them. After all, it’s impossible to stop cyberattacks without proper research.

Step Three: Practice Makes Perfect

In football, it’s impossible to flawlessly execute plays and strategies without first practicing them. It’s the exact same case for good cybersecurity. The best strategies are constantly testing for weak points, failures, and loopholes. We work diligently to run the “play” again and again, until we’re sure that your business is fully protected against what the internet’s cybercriminals have to offer.

In fact, the 46 defense didn’t start out as perfect. It was created in 1978; it took Buddy Ryan a whole 3 years to get it right. Even so, he continued to build and improve his strategy from 1981 to 1985, when they won the Super Bowl.

Cybersecurity with Affinity

There’s no Super Bowl for cybersecurity (that we’re aware of), but we’re confident we’d be in it if there was. Our entire team of professionals want to work with you to protect your business, your data, and your employees.

If you’re ready to find out what a good defensive coordinator can do for your cybersecurity strategy, have a chat with us.