an ounce of prevention
an OWNTS uv prih-VEN-shun
ən aʊnts əv prɪˈvɛnʃənListen
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Syllable breakdown
Dictionary meaning
taking small precautionary measures to prevent a problem is far more efficient and less costly than dealing with the full consequences after the problem occurs; the full proverb is an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, attributed to Benjamin Franklin and used by him in the context of fire prevention in colonial Philadelphia; in cybersecurity and risk management the phrase encapsulates the economic and strategic case for investing in proactive security controls rather than waiting to respond to incidents after damage is done
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