The Psychology of Complexity: Why Teams Skip Proper Network Security
We like to think of our networks as sleek, well-oiled machines. Firewalls humming, policies enforced, segmentation perfect. Reality? Somewhere between chaotic spaghetti and oh no, did we just leave the subnet wide open?
Security is not just a technical problem. It is a human problem. Humans have a knack for taking the path of least resistance, especially when the proper way looks like a labyrinth.
Complexity is the Enemy
Every extra rule, every additional approval, every multi-step configuration creates friction. Friction slows teams down. When you are under pressure to deliver, friction becomes the first target for shortcuts.
The official, secure route is often slower, harder, and less visible than a shortcut, making the easier route feel safer even if it is not.
Cognitive Load and Decision Fatigue
Every network change, every access request, every exception request adds up. Eventually, brains go on autopilot: just give them access, we will fix it later. That later rarely comes.
Our brains are wired to reduce effort. When the steps to secure a network are complex and unintuitive, the brain opts for shortcuts. This is not laziness it is survival. In most organisations, shipping on time wins over perfect security.
Decision fatigue does not just affect individuals. The more approvals and reviews piled on top of each other, the more likely someone will approve something without fully thinking it through.
Social and Organisational Pressure
Humans are social creatures and security decisions rarely happen in isolation. Peer pressure, management deadlines, and entrenched habits all play a part.
Peer pressure: Everyone else is approving exceptions, so I will too.
Management pressure: We need this live by Friday.
Cultural shortcuts: We have always done it this way.
Even well-intentioned security policies get sidelined when organisational incentives reward speed over caution. Teams often ignore a policy not because they do not care but because the culture makes cutting corners the easiest way to survive.
Hidden Risks We Ignore
Complexity does not just lead to shortcuts. It hides risks in plain sight. Misconfigured subnets, exposed APIs, default passwords. The more complex the system, the easier it is to overlook the small things that can spiral into catastrophic breaches.
Ironically, the simpler the solution, the easier it is to enforce. Simplicity takes effort, foresight, and sometimes the courage to push back against the tide of just ship it. Automation, templates, and pre-approved patterns reduce friction and make the secure choice the obvious one.
The Human Cost of Complexity
Behind every misconfigured firewall or open port, there is usually a human story. Teams that skip steps often feel trapped between two imperatives, do it right or do not block the business. When the pressure is on, business priorities often win.
Organisations that ignore the psychology of complexity end up in a reactive cycle, patching breaches, auditing logs, retraining teams, and still seeing the same mistakes repeat. Security is not just about tools, it is about understanding why people do what they do.
Practical Takeaways
Reduce cognitive load: Templates, automation, and clear decision paths make the secure choice the obvious one.
Focus on high-impact controls: Perfect segmentation is nice, but MFA, secrets management, and network visibility are non-negotiable.
Reward caution, not shortcuts: Celebrate teams that resist the urge to bypass policies. Make security a positive metric, not a blocker.
Communicate the human cost: Show teams what happens when complexity overwhelms the system not as blame, but as a learning tool.
Iterate and simplify: Complexity grows quietly. Regularly review policies, workflows, and network design to strip unnecessary friction.
Complexity is not evil. Complexity is human. Recognising the psychology behind why teams skip proper network security gives us the power to design systems that are both usable and safe without slowing everything to a crawl.