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of our lives . Security and GRC are industries where we ’ re seeing AI augment efforts at almost every level . From using it to find security weaknesses in our applications to answering hundreds of security , compliance and privacy questions within minutes , to writing the first draft of a slide deck , to writing and understanding code , and to fueling limitless numbers of tasks with viable results , AI is here to help us go faster and more capable than ever before in our security and GRC efforts .
How do you deal with stress and unwind outside the office ?
A number of things ! First – meditation . I use Sam Harris ’ Waking Up App nearly daily to help calm my mind , become present and ultimately , remove the barrier between intentional , formal practice and ( hopefully always ) being mindful of what I ’ m doing throughout the day . Many of us are lost in thought , not realising that there ’ s a greater awareness to be had as we go about our days .
Second – social connection . I have a close group of friends and family members that are always a safe place for me to create and experience fun memories together .
authentic , and vulnerable . I shamelessly admit that I ’ m a recovering a ** hole , but I ’ ve actually come to realise that I was , more times than not , grappling with dysregulation and ADHD ( and I still battle everyday with how my mind is built ).
I share this context because my style of management has been a journey built on the discovery of how critically important connections are with others as a leader – especially as a CISO . CISOs are key influencers . I ’ ve learned the hard way how some of the negative behaviours and reactions I have had in the past significantly impede the ability to influence .
Ultimately , my management philosophy is what my late friend Brandon Dewitt shared with me years ago : “ Being the smartest person in the room is cheap . When we meet others where they are at , instead of expecting them to meet us where we ’ re at – that ’ s where leadership is born .”
What do you think is the current hot cybersecurity talking point ?
AI , of course ! We ’ re in the midst of seeing how an incredible technology is accelerating every aspect
Third – Electronic Dance Music ( EDM ) shows . I regularly go to shows where my brain is appeased by the lasers , fire , lights , visuals , and , of course , the deafening music and deep bass to the point of overriding the dissonance of stress that always rings in a CISO ’ s ear .
If you could go back and change one career decision , what would it be ?
Creating more boundaries , earlier on in my career , between work and personal time . I can ’ t get the time back that was spent on doing work related things that took away from time spent being present with family and friends . After joining and leaving so many organisations , I realise how expendable and replaceable we all are in our roles , to the point that realising that guarding the time being present with loved ones is worth guarding from the endless demands our workplaces continue to have waiting for us .
What do you currently identify as the major areas of investment in the cybersecurity industry ?
Using AI to augment our day-to-day security operations , security engineering , application security , GRC , and other efforts in this space . Automating these same areas with capable tooling .
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