When we hear about Machine Learning being added to a tool , the question is ‘ why has it suddenly arrived ’?

While attackers are constantly adapting their techniques to bypass advanced security systems , technology vendors globally are meeting them head on through continued innovation in their product portfolios .

And while there are many exciting , innovative security solutions on the market right now , we also know there is an issue with tool sprawl and alert fatigue for the teams managing them all .

For CISOs , it can be difficult to navigate this environment . Which tools should they invest in , and which vendors should they choose to spend their budget with ?

It ’ s about more than a decent sales pitch . CISOs crave authenticity , transparency and credibility . They want long-term relationships , a consistently open dialogue and a sense of partnership .

To find out more , at Infosecurity Europe this year , we spoke with two UK CISOs to get their take on how these partnerships can be best established .

If a solution meets the demand of what her team needs , next , it ’ s about digging past the sales hype to understand if a tool really does what it says on the tin , via testing .

If it ’ s a good fit and the product is bought , it ’ s important to Sarah that it ’ s well-used and not just left under a desk to be ignored .

“ The other part is that I always want vendors to be partners . I want to be able to be honest with them if things aren ’ t working and for them to be honest with us about how their roadmap is going and how things are working . And it needs to be a longevity trust partnership .”

In recent times , many vendors have announced their plans to – or released – solutions with AI and Machine Learning functionality and , while innovation is , in general , welcomed , this emergence is also something to look closely at during the sales cycle .

“ When we hear about Machine Learning being added to a tool , the question is ‘ why has it suddenly arrived ’?” Lawson said .

“ Is it because it ’ s always been there or are you just trying to overemphasise it ? And I think that that tends to erode trust .

First and foremost , says Sarah Lawson , CISO at UCL , is the need for a ‘ clear output ’ from vendors .

“ With the best will in the world , there are only so many things I ’ m going to be able to buy in any given year . And there are only so many things coming up for renewal . So , as much as I may love some of the products out there , I ’ m not going to buy them all ,” she said .

“[ It ’ s about ] being really clear about their journey , what they ’ re trying to achieve , what the product ’ s for , and salespeople acknowledging that I can ’ t buy everything every year . I have a limited budget .”

She added though , that conversations happening now may lead to a purchase one to three years later so it is sometimes a ‘ long game ’ of getting to know a vendor before making an investment .

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