Most organisations describe IT security as protection. Firewalls block intruders. Antivirus detects malware. Security teams respond to alerts. But this framing understates its role. In a digitised economy, IT security is not simply defence. It is infrastructure. Without it, digital commerce, remote work, online banking, and cloud computing would stall under the weight of mistrust. Trust in physical markets once relied on visible cues — locked doors, physical guards, insurance