10/27/2025
Security Fatigue: The 2016 Warning We Ignored
Back in 2016, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) published an article titled “Security Fatigue Can Cause Computer Users to Feel Hopeless and Act Recklessly.”
https://www.nist.gov/news-events/news/2016/10/security-fatigue-can-cause-computer-users-feel-hopeless-and-act-recklessly
At the time, it described something subtle but serious - how constant security warnings, password resets, and breach notifications were wearing people down. Users were getting so overwhelmed that they simply stopped caring.
Nine years later, that security fatigue has evolved into something worse... breach fatigue.
We’ve reached a point where people expect their data to be stolen. It’s not if a breach/hack will happen... but when.
Even when you do everything right with unique passwords, MFA, endpoint protection, yet your information still gets compromised somewhere else. The breaches are bigger, the threats more sophisticated, and the sense of control smaller than ever.
So if we take a look back, you know, back to when security defaults were actually secure. I’ve been in this industry long enough to remember when the default settings leaned toward security, and not convenience.
In the mid-to-late ’90s, firewalls came preconfigured to “deny all” by default. You had to deliberately open what you needed, and that discipline made environments safer by design.
Endpoint security worked the same way. Antivirus software and desktop firewalls blocked nearly everything until you customized the rules. Gateways, email filters, and network appliances followed the same logic. Things were actually simpler.
Then something changed.
Somewhere along the way, the industry decided it was easier to sell “plug-and-play” than “secure-and-configure.” Vendors chased simplicity and market share - and the default quietly flipped from deny all to allow all.
It’s no wonder users are fatigued. They’re doing their part, but the system is stacked against them.
In the chase for convenience and profit, we've basically traded discipline for dependency - and in the end security took the hit.
I know some of my fellow infosec pros might not like hearing this, but hey… sometimes the truth is a hard pill to swallow.
Today, the focus needs to shift back to empowerment and resilience:
✅ Build systems that *assume* compromise.
✅ Minimize the blast radius through real Zero Trust principles.
✅ Automate the basics but simplify the rest.
We may not be able to stop every breach, but we can stop this ongoing security fatigue from turning into security surrender.
Okay folks, it's your turn - what’s the "old-school" security habit or principle you miss the most?
Dennis London
President and Founder
London Security Solutions
After updating your password for the umpteenth time, have you resorted to using one you know you’ll remember because you’ve used it before?