GO PHISH
WE ‘GO PHISHING’ WITH DAVE LEWIS,
GLOBAL SECURITY ADVOCATE FOR
AKAMAI TECHNOLOGIES, ABOUT LIFE INSIDE
AND OUTSIDE THE OFFICE.
What would you describe as your
most memorable achievement in
the cybersecurity industry?
had
I’ve been very fortunate in that I’ve
many achievements throughout the
nant
course of my career. The most poig
ld
wou
t
even
le
orab
mem
a
example of
from
have to be when I receive emails
I’ve
that
me
people who either tell
er
managed to help influence their care
seek
who
e
thos
or
ion
fash
e
in som
I
guidance. These are the moments
re
whe
s
nce
insta
are
e
cherish as thes
itive
pos
ing
mak
I’m
that
I can see
measurable impacts on people.
What first made you think of a
career in cybersecurity?
quite
My career in cybersecurity started
s
Year
g.
innin
by accident in the beg
rd
ago I was working for a major reco
an
nd
atte
to
n
asio
occ
had
I
and
l
labe
ter
mas
The
y.
industry awards ceremon
only
of ceremonies made a joke that the
were
hair
grey
people in the room with
and
CEOs. I scanned around the room
that
ed
over
disc
I
rin
chag
my
much to
this was in fact the case.
It was at that point that I realised I
.
needed to look at a new career path
in a
lled
enro
was
I
s
ward
after
long
Not
re I
computer graduate programme whe
ent
lopm
deve
ion
licat
learned rapid app
and discovered that I had an aptitude
for gaining access to
poorly secured systems
on the school network.
I worked to develop
these skills and when
I was placed in my
first role after that
programme, I managed
to have my role moved
into the computer
security team which,
on
at that point in time, was only one pers
for a large financial institution.
What style of management
philosophy do you employ with
your current position?
My career in
cybersecurity started
quite by accident in
the beginning.
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Issue 04
idual
In my current position I am an indiv
s,
year
25
last
the
over
but,
tor
tribu
con
iple
mult
I’ve had opportunity to hold
managerial roles. My philosophy was
and
a simple one. I wanted to enable
ul.
essf
succ
be
to
s
team
my
r
empowe
of
ish
flour
to
My goal was to allow them
e
anc
guid
ide
prov
their own accord and
their
ugh
thro
r
eithe
ired
only when requ
my
questions or if the situation merited
was
nt
inter vention. Micromanageme
never
an idea that I
subscribed to and
l in
I discovered that my staff would exce
red
owe
emp
were
their positions if they
to do so.
What do you think is the current
hot cybersecurity talking point?
point
For me the current security talking
the
not
is
is one of security debt. This
that I
popular opinion of the day but one
on.
ussi
disc
er
furth
of
need
feel is in dire
pting
acce
to
rt
reso
ies
pan
com
n
Too ofte
security debt as a risk exception to
the
a process and then do not revisit
of
said
be
can
issues later on. This
ems
missing patches, misconfigured syst
unts
acco
l
leve
e
rativ
inist
adm
and even
that are granted and not properly
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