In the 1800s, a guy named John Gorrie had a brilliant idea: he was going to revolutionize refrigeration. Instead of using the common vapor-compression method that actually worked, he decided to build a machine that created ice using compressed air. He spent years designing, refining, and perfecting his creation.

And when it was done? It barely worked. It was slow, inefficient, and completely impractical. By the time he finished, better refrigeration technology was already in place, and Gorrie’s “innovation” was dead on arrival.

Here’s more if you are interested.

Now, you might be thinking, “Cool history lesson, Bruce, but what does this have to do with cybersecurity?”

Simple. If you’re reinventing security instead of using proven standards, you’re wasting time—and you’re setting yourself up to fail.

There’s No Special Sauce in Security

Some MSPs think security is about assembling a “unique” tech stack—picking different tools, tweaking settings, and creating their own secret recipe for cybersecurity. That’s a huge mistake.

Security isn’t about creativity. It’s about doing the right things, the right way, every single time.

This is why standards exist. Whether it’s NIST, CIS, or any of the 38+ standard sources we use, these frameworks were built to ensure you don’t miss anything critical.

And here’s why this really matters:

At Some Point, a Breach Will Happen

It doesn’t matter how good you are. Someone is going to get past your security. And when that happens, your clients—and their lawyers—are going to ask:

“Did you do everything you were supposed to?”

If your security program is based on a recognized standard, you can defend your decisions. You can show that you followed best practices, implemented proper controls, and did exactly what was necessary to protect your client.

If you just threw together a custom security stack with no real methodology? You’re on your own.

Build Your Defense Now—Not After the Breach

Here’s the brutal truth: Anyone can sue you for anything. If you’re not documenting the why behind your security program right now, you’re already at risk.

So stop reinventing security. Use standards. Document everything. Protect yourself before the lawyers start asking questions.

Want to see how to build a bulletproof, standards-based security program? Let’s talk. Book a free consultation, and we’ll get you moving in the right direction—before it’s too late.