We all work with deadlines. Sometimes a task is urgent, a customer is waiting, or something needs to be completed before the end of the day.
But urgency should never become a reason to bypass an established process or security control.
When Urgency Creates Risk
Under pressure, it can be tempting to:
- Skip an approval because “we can sort it out later.”
- Share information through an unapproved channel because it is faster.
- Install or use an unapproved tool to get the job done.
- Grant access without following the required process.
- Act on an urgent request without properly verifying it.
- Ask someone to “just make an exception this once.”
These shortcuts may save a few minutes, but they can create security, compliance, financial, or operational risks.
Why the Process Matters
Approvals, verification steps, access controls and IT policies are not there to make work difficult. They help ensure that the right person is doing the right thing, with the right information and authorization.
Attackers also know that people make quicker decisions when they are under pressure. An urgent request should therefore make you more attentive, not less.
Before You Skip a Step
Ask yourself:
Am I following the right process?
Do I have the required approval?
Am I taking this shortcut simply because I am under pressure?
If the normal process cannot meet a genuine business emergency, escalate through the appropriate channel rather than bypassing it.
Remember
A deadline may explain the urgency, but it does not remove the risk.
Get it done — but get it done the right way.
🔐 CyberDesk – Protecting Our Digital Workplace
