Being able to start my own company , Popcorn Training , and seeing our products being rolled out and used by South Africa ’ s top enterprise institutions was amazing . And then receiving global recognition for it by Gartner and ultimately being offered to get acquired by industry leader , KnowBe4 . There were many other milestones but those three are moments I ’ ll never forget .

What first made you think of a career in cybersecurity ?

I fell into it when I was a student after being offered the opportunity by Siemens to choose between three topics to focus my thesis on : Mobility , CRM or Information Security . Back then I found security the most exciting one of the three and I have never looked back .

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

Conscious management . I feel strongly about the power of mind-body connection , serendipity and choosing what comes from the heart . This is reflected in the projects I get involved in , the research I do as well as the people I surround myself with . When it feels right , it usually is . When I don ’ t feel good about something , I try to stay away from it .

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

Security culture has gained a lot more traction – the importance of the human factor in building strong security defences . Some fringe but hot topics are the Metaverse and Web 3 security , protecting against new threats such as deep fakes .

How do you deal with stress and unwind outside the office ?

I spend my spare time doing Yoga , going on runs or hiking in nature . I also like alone time as well as having fun with my kids .

If you could go back and change one career decision what would it be ?

I wouldn ’ t change any of it as it made me who I am today . However , I would like www . intelligentciso . com

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