The Cybersecurity Triangle: People, Process, and Technology — And Why Pizza Is Round, Packed in a Square Box, and Eaten as Triangles

In the world of cybersecurity, there are three core pillars that every organization should be focusing on: people, process, and technology. These three work in tandem to ensure that your organization isn’t the next target of a data breach, ransomware attack, or—heaven forbid—an IT disaster caused by an employee clicking on a suspicious email attachment with the title “HOT DATES THIS WEEKEND!!!”

But let’s take a step back for a moment and consider something equally perplexing: why, in a world so full of logical solutions, does pizza come round, gets packed in a square box, and is always eaten in triangles? It’s a mystery that rivals the enigma of cybersecurity itself—complex, counterintuitive, and full of things that don’t quite add up until you take a deeper look.

The Cybersecurity Triangle:A Perfect Analogy
First, let’s unpack the “people, process, and technology” bit, because it’s a good analogy to the pizza conundrum.

• People are like the dough of a pizza. Without people, there’s no cybersecurity strategy. It’s just a crusty, unbaked idea. You need the right people—your cybersecurity specialists, risk managers, and even those unassuming office admins who set up your password policies. They provide the foundation, the “stretchiness,” if you will, of your security culture. Without proper training and awareness, people are like dough left out in the open—easily compromised and vulnerable to the environment (aka phishing emails, password sharing, or that one guy who still uses “12345” for his login).
• Process is the sauce. It’s the layer that brings everything together. A great pizza can have the finest dough, but without a good sauce, it’s just dry bread. Similarly, in cybersecurity, processes ensure that security isn’t just a reactive afterthought but a constant, baked-in routine. Think of your incident response plan, regular vulnerability assessments, and patch management processes. The sauce makes everything more cohesive and flavorful.
• Technology is the cheese (obviously). Technology binds the process together, providing that extra layer of protection—like the gooey, melty layer of cheese that ensures the pizza doesn’t fall apart. Firewalls, encryption, multi-factor authentication—these are your mozzarella, parmesan, and cheddar working overtime to keep your sensitive data safe and sound, no matter what toppings (read: threats) try to sneak in.

Why Pizza Is Round and Cybersecurity Should Be Proactive
Here’s where the pizza metaphor gets interesting: Why is pizza round? Maybe it’s because it’s supposed to be universally approachable—everyone loves pizza. But here’s the kicker: it’s packed in a square box. Why? Because square boxes are efficient to manufacture, store, and stack. You don’t want to waste space. The pizza inside, however, is trying to “break out” of that square by being round. It’s a paradox.

In cybersecurity, technology is the box. It's square, structured, designed for efficiency. But the threat landscape? It’s round. It’s unpredictable, constantly evolving, and moving in different directions, just like a pizza that’s too big to fit into its neat, little square box. If you’re not proactive about risk—if you only rely on the structure of your technology to protect you—you’re going to end up like that pizza: squished in a box with vulnerabilities that are trying to escape in all directions.

Triangles: A Symbol of Security Decisions
Now, here’s the best part of this analogy—why do we always eat pizza as triangles? It's not because the pizza is begging to be dissected into perfect slices of bite-sized portions (though, I’ll admit, pizza does get extra satisfying when you have the perfect triangular piece in hand). It’s because triangles represent proactive decision-making.

Let’s break it down: when you’re eating pizza in a triangle shape, you’re tackling the problem (the pizza) piece by piece. You can’t just take a whole slice in one bite (unless you’re an absolute savage), but you can make sure each bite is thoughtful, deliberate, and, most importantly, proactive.

That’s exactly how cybersecurity should be. You can’t just install some shiny new software or slap on a firewall and call it a day. You need to break the problem down into smaller, manageable slices. Identify the risks, create processes for handling them, and ensure your people know exactly what to do when things go wrong. You need to be deliberate with every bite. One proactive decision at a time.

So, when it comes to cybersecurity, don’t be like the person who orders pizza, stares at the box, and wonders why it’s round but packed in a square box. Don’t just react to the threats and hope for the best. Instead, be proactive—grab your triangular slice and take a bite out of risk management, one carefully considered decision at a time.

Because in the world of cybersecurity, just like with pizza, you can either be the guy who eats the pizza with reckless abandon and ends up with toppings all over his shirt, or you can be the guy who eats it in a way that shows you’re in control. You’re not just sitting there hoping the pizza (or your organization’s cybersecurity) stays intact. You’re taking charge. You’re the one who’s ahead of the game. You’re the one who gets the last slice—er, I mean, stays secure.

Conclusion: Risk Is Like Pizza—It’s Better When You’re Proactive
In the end, pizza is a lot like cybersecurity. It’s all about balance. You need the right mix of people, process, and technology to ensure things don’t get too messy. And just like pizza, risk management is best when you break it down into smaller, actionable steps. Whether you're avoiding that one guy who always brings "cheesy" security advice to the table or making sure your processes are smooth, always be one step ahead of the game.

So next time you’re enjoying a pizza slice (and wondering why it's round, packed in a square box, and eaten in triangles), think about cybersecurity. Because if you’re proactive about managing risk, you’ll never be the one stuck with a half-eaten pizza—or worse, an unsecured network.
And remember: the only thing more satisfying than a perfectly triangular slice of pizza is knowing your organization’s cybersecurity is safe, sound, and proactive. -- Bet I know what your having this week :)