What does it mean to build in security from the ground up?

This essay reflects on security as a systems requirement, recounting early public-engagement efforts and arguing that while “security from the ground up” is appealing rhetoric, practical security hinges on reusable, modular mechanisms (e.g., TLS, Kerberos) and disciplined development practices (e.g., SDL). It contrasts historical design goals of isolation/resource sharing with modern threat-aware engineering, framing security as a powerful motivator centered on preventing failures.