If you ask most people to define the term "cyberattack," they may talk about viruses, malware, and ransomware threats. If you ask who the attackers are, they may attribute them to individual or nation state hackers. If you inquire about the goals of the attacks, answers may include destroying/corrupting data or exfiltrating data. And, if you ask how to defeat cyberattacks, typical suggestions are firewalls and antivirus software.
Of course, all of this is true. But, the problem is that these answers leave a gaping hole when it comes to the continuum of attack surfaces and corresponding cybersecurity responses. As a result, it’s becoming increasingly common to describe cyber targets that rely only on perimeter defenses, like firewalls, antivirus, and anti-malware software, as “hard and crunchy on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside” — these are not desirable attributes for a cybersecurity solution.