Intelligent CISO Issue 15 | Page 64

for such tasks. However, what they often don’t realise is that a lot of these vendors actually fail to meet the stringent data protection standards that the organisations themselves must adhere too, leaving them at risk of breaching compliance regulations. Taking the time to thoroughly vet external partners is critical for any CISO looking to avoid financial/reputational damage, as well as major embarrassment in the event of a security breach. 64 Remembering to think like the enemy on a regular basis Unlike CISOs, hackers are not bound by corporate rules or protocols and their only goal is to identify and exploit any vulnerability they can find in an organisation’s defences. Furthermore, their general lack of formal qualifications means they tend to behave in unpredictable ways, employing outside-the-box thinking and novel tactics to remain undetected by conventional security tools. In order to get on the same wavelength, CISOs need to understand the hacker mindset. This requires stepping away from the distractions of day-to-day operations and just taking the time to conduct personal research, speak with colleagues or liaise with law enforcement agencies about the latest tactics and tools being used. Cybersecurity is one Issue 15 | www.intelligentciso.com