Keeping Your Head Out of the Tiger’s Mouth with Proactive Cybersecurity

Written by: Jeffrey Wheatman, Senior Vice President, Cyber Risk Strategist at Black Kite

I recently started a conversation on LinkedIn with a simple challenge: 

Let’s play a game. Churchill famously said, “You cannot reason with a tiger when your head is in its mouth.” How can we apply this to cybersecurity? Best answer wins a cool prize. – LinkedIn post November 5, 2024

The quote, “You cannot reason with a tiger when your head is in its mouth” by Winston Churchill captures a critical truth for our field: Once a cyber threat is inside an organization, responding can be both difficult and costly. 

The tiger in this analogy isn’t just about external threats—it also represents internal complacency, outdated strategies, and assumptions that can weaken our defenses. So, in a cybersecurity context, the goal is to keep our heads out of the tiger’s mouth in the first place through proactive planning and smart strategy.

The comments came pouring in, each with a unique perspective on how Churchill’s words apply to cybersecurity. Here’s my take on the common threads.

Takeaways on Proactive Cybersecurity Measures

Digital Walls and Rocket Ships

Many folks pointed out that cybersecurity teams often fall into a reactive approach, focusing on building digital ‘walls’ rather than proactively identifying and mitigating risks. The consensus was that a more effective approach requires preparation: comprehensive training, detailed Incident Response (IR) plans, and adopting a Zero Trust model, which means verifying every user and device, inside or outside the network. This proactive mindset—almost like thinking with a predator’s mentality—helps teams anticipate and counteract threats before they strike. 

One commenter nailed it, saying that if we stick to outdated thinking, it’s like building walls while hackers are coming at us with ‘rocket ships.’ It’s a losing game.

Decision Hygiene

The need for “decision hygiene” is another prominent theme. Just like you wouldn’t want to find yourself reasoning with a tiger after it’s already clamped down, you don’t want to be making high-stakes cybersecurity decisions in the heat of a crisis. By practicing decision hygiene—maintaining clear, structured, and data-driven processes—we avoid scrambling in the moment and can address threats calmly, with a clear head. 

In other words, it’s about having those strong processes in place beforehand, so we’re not forced into reactive decision-making when a serious threat strikes. In essence, decision hygiene keeps our heads out of the tiger’s mouth by ensuring we’re prepared and focused on the right priorities from the start.

This way, we don’t end up over-committing resources to minor issues while leaving high-impact threats under-addressed. With good decision hygiene, organizations can stay focused on what actually matters, avoid knee-jerk responses, and act quickly and effectively when it counts.

Pop Culture Defenders

A few responses took a creative turn, comparing cybersecurity defenses to iconic pop culture characters and tools. For example, some likened proactive defenses to the constant force fields in Star Wars, always activated to fend off incoming threats. Another comparison was to Inspector Gadget’s arsenal—using least-privilege access and multi-factor authentication like versatile gadgets to contain breaches and stop threats from spreading.

These analogies reinforce the idea that, just like you wouldn’t wait until the tiger’s jaws are closing, effective cyber defenses are already in place, always at the ready, actively preventing unauthorized access. With these proactive measures, we don’t have to negotiate or respond reactively in the heat of a crisis; instead, we’ve fortified our defenses well in advance, keeping us a step ahead of potential threats.

People, Process, and Tools

Many contributors noted that a strong cybersecurity strategy isn’t just about having the right technology—it also relies heavily on people and processes. While technology is essential, the human element can make or break our defenses. To keep our heads out of the tiger’s mouth, we need ongoing training to build a ‘security-first’ mindset across the organization, combined with continuous improvement in our response strategies.

Some responses mentioned the importance of tabletop exercises and realistic simulations, which help teams rehearse for real-world threats so that response pathways are second nature. This preparation ensures that, if a crisis does strike, we’re not caught off guard and scrambling for a plan—we’re ready to act decisively and effectively. One contributor even suggested keeping ‘breath mints’ handy, a lighthearted reminder that sometimes quick thinking and creativity are key to defusing unexpected threats. 

In the end, it’s the blend of people, process, and tools that keeps us well-prepared, so we’re never forced into that vulnerable, “head-in-the-tiger’s-mouth” situation.

Zero Trust

A strong theme that emerged was the call for a Zero Trust approach, which many argue is essential in today’s digital landscape. Zero Trust operates on the principle that trust is a vulnerability that hackers are quick to exploit. Instead of assuming any user or device is safe, Zero Trust requires verification at every access point, minimizing the chances of a threat slipping through.

Zero Trust is about never letting our guard down, even for internal users, because each unchecked access point could be the one that opens us up to a threat (and gets us in the tiger’s mouth). Contributors also emphasized that, along with Zero Trust, practices like decision hygiene, unbiased judgment, and systematic evaluation help keep cybersecurity strategies robust and ready for anything, keeping the ‘tiger’ at bay through vigilance and careful control.

Resilience is Key

Resilience came up as a central theme, with many contributors stressing the importance of an Incident Response (IR) plan that goes beyond basic defenses. An effective IR plan isn’t just about defense—it’s about being ready to respond swiftly and limit damage if a breach occurs, preventing the tiger from “closing its mouth.” In other words, resilience means planning and preparation so thorough that, even if a threat gets through, we can regain control quickly.

This approach to resilience includes everything from off-site backups and disaster recovery plans to training teams on threat recognition and response. When IR plans are tested and team members know exactly what to do, they’re prepared to act effectively under pressure. With resilience as a core principle, we’re not just avoiding the tiger’s mouth—we’re positioning ourselves to bounce back stronger if a crisis does arise.

Maturity in Cybersecurity Practices

A recurring theme in the responses was the importance of leaders embracing maturity in cybersecurity strategies. True maturity means treating preparation as an ongoing cycle of improvement, because without preparation, leaders may find themselves negotiating with attackers or regulators from a position of weakness, limited by their lack of preparedness. One response highlights that maturity in cybersecurity leadership is about positioning an organization so it never has to negotiate from a vulnerable state.

Prior Preparation Prevents Poor Performance – Don’t Let the Tiger Catch You

If there’s one lesson to take away from the discussion, it’s the five P’s: 

• Prior 
• Preparation 
• Prevents 
• Poor
• Performance

In cybersecurity, proactive, preventive measures are worth far more than the costs of being caught off guard. The tiger metaphor drives this home: Once an attack is underway, there’s no time to negotiate or reason. Instead, preparation, constant vigilance, and real-time adaptability keep the tiger’s jaws from ever closing.

Ultimately, the conversation highlights the value of a proactive, vigilant mindset in cybersecurity. By focusing on decision hygiene, Zero Trust, and proactive planning, organizations can protect themselves from the sharp teeth of cyber threats before they ever get close. As Churchill’s analogy suggests, success in cybersecurity isn’t about reasoning with the threat—it’s about ensuring it never gets the chance to strike.

For those looking to dive deeper into shifting from reactive to proactive cyber risk management, check out our ebook, From Reactive to Proactive: Transforming Cyber Risk Management. It offers strategies and insights to help organizations strengthen their defenses and stay one step ahead of threats.