How to Avoid the Single Point of Confusion Pitfall

This article was originally featured in SecurityInfoWatch

An over-reliance on one data point or an inability to integrate multiple data points creates its own kind of Bermuda Triangle. We call this a single point of confusion or SPOC.

In 1945, the U.S. military began investigating the mysterious disappearance of a squadron of aircraft lost in the area now known as the Bermuda Triangle. In the immediate aftermath, a rescue plane disappeared. And in the ensuing decades, ships and aircraft alike vanished. The mystery has fueled numerous theories, some bordering on the fantastical – aliens, giant whirlpools, and supernatural influences all have been blamed for the disappearances.

More likely explanations point to less exciting factors like human error, weather, and an unusual magnetic feature that impacts compasses. For pilots in the 1940s, compasses were essential. In the Bermuda Triangle, they were a single data point of confusion on which too many decisions were based.

I see an analogy in the security space. An over-reliance on one data point or an inability to integrate multiple data points creates its own kind of Bermuda Triangle. We call this a single point of confusion or SPOC.

Pilots have learned to integrate better data offered by more tools. Security teams can too.

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