The “Make It Happen” Attitude

In many defense and government environments, a “make it happen” mindset is celebrated—it reflects commitment, adaptability, and perseverance under pressure. But when it comes to security, that attitude can quietly become counterproductive. When teams push to deliver results at any cost, they often bypass safeguards, skip validation, or accept unverified configurations in the name of mission urgency. What starts as dedication to success can end as a self-inflicted vulnerability. The intent is noble, but the outcome is often fragile systems built on improvisation rather than assurance.

“In security operations, discipline beats improvisation — every time.”

Security Protects the Mission — Not Just the Data

Security is more than firewalls, passwords, or sweep checklists — it’s the foundation of mission assurance. Every safeguard exists to preserve our ability to plan, decide, and act without interference. When security fails, the mission itself is compromised.

The “Just Make It Work” Mentality

Operational urgency often pushes teams to bypass security in the name of progress. But when we rush to “just make it work,” we may trade reliability for speed—and build fragility into the mission. A system that works today but is compromised tomorrow doesn’t advance the mission; it endangers it.

“If you cut security to save the mission today, you may lose both tomorrow.”

The “Do More with Less” Trap

Efficiency is important — but security on a shoestring isn’t efficiency; it's a risk. When teams are asked to “do more with less,” they often end up accepting higher exposure without realizing it. Under-resourced security forces organizations into reactive mode — responding to failures instead of preventing them.

“Every shortcut taken now becomes a vulnerability discovered later.”

Re-Centering the Focus

Remember:

• Security isn’t a cost center — it’s an enabler of mission continuity.
• Protecting data is necessary, but protecting capability is essential.
• True security ensures that, even under stress, the mission continues to function, communicate, and adapt.

“Protect the mission, not just the data.”

Case Studies: When “Just Make It Work” Fails the Mission

These examples show how pressure for speed or savings can quietly erode security — and ultimately compromise the mission itself.

OPM Breach (2015) — Shortcuts in the Name of Continuity

The U.S. Office of Personnel Management prioritized uptime and legacy system compatibility over modernization. When Chinese actors exfiltrated background-check data on 21 million people, the fallout compromised federal personnel visibility and CI operations.

The “Just keeping it running” mindset cost the government its personnel trust backbone.

Colonial Pipeline (2021) — Efficiency Over Resilience

A single compromised password led to ransomware shutting down fuel deliveries across the East Coast. Years of deferred investment in network segmentation and incident response planning amplified the impact.

One password halted a mission that supplied half the nation’s fuel.

NASA JPL (2019) — Under-Resourced Security

A low-cost, unmanaged device on an internal network went undetected for months, allowing mission data to be stolen. Resource constraints and the pressure to stay on schedule left critical systems under-monitored.

The “Do more with less” philosophy left a hole big enough for an intruder to slip through.

USS Fitzgerald (2017) — Operational Tempo Without Readiness

Crew fatigue, undermanning, and ignored system alerts contributed to a fatal collision. Investigators cited an ingrained “get it done” culture that replaced discipline with haste.

When readiness is sacrificed for output, even the most capable systems fail.

Marriott / Starwood (2018) — Business Continuity vs. Assurance

A compromised reservation database inherited during acquisition remained online to “avoid disruption.” Four years later, 500 million guest records were exposed.

Integrating before verifying turned a business priority into a global breach.

Key Takeaway

Every shortcut that saves time today steals resilience from tomorrow. Security is not an obstacle — it’s the safeguard that keeps the mission alive when everything else goes wrong.