The cybersecurity industry has evolved tremendously over the past 30 years , but the one thing that never gets old ^{is hearing how cybersecurity products}

have helped protect customers . The public often only hear about the negative stories , like breaches that lead to reputational or financial damage , but there are so many positive stories out there from customers who deployed cybersecurity solutions successfully and there is always a sense of achievement when you hear that .

A close second memorable achievement would be having one of my products , the Luna hardware security module , featured on a Mr Robot episode !

What first made you think of a career in cybersecurity ?

I started programming software in middle school and became fascinated with computers . At university , I studied computer engineering and quickly saw how an IT system could be compromised . I ’ ve spent most of my career building defences to protect various IT systems and communication products .

What style of management philosophy do you employ with your current position ?

My management style is very collaborative and consensus building . I like to empower my team to be independent and to make decisions for themselves . It ’ s my philosophy to build team confidence and let them know that it ’ s okay to fail , as long as we learn from the experience . I ’ m always here to support when needed .

What do you think is the current hot cybersecurity talking point ?

Ransomware has definitely taken centre stage based on the recent Colonial Pipeline and JBS attacks that made worldwide headlines and impacted many daily lives . The recent US Presidential Executive Order has also raised public awareness around cybersecurity and ransomware prevention best practices , including guidance around the use of data-at-rest encryption and Multi-Factor Authentication .

Operational Technology ( OT ) has also increasingly become the target for cybercriminals as more organisations bring their systems online as part of Digital Transformation projects . Bringing down a pipeline or powerplant can not only be disruptive from an operational and economic perspective , but it can also cost lives . Businesses should work to understand what is connected and who has access to data , before securing access through protocols like access management and fail-safe solutions . www . intelligentciso . com

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