In today’s episode of (CS)²AI Podcast, Derek Harp is joined by Dr. Eric Cole, PhD, an industry-recognized security expert with over 20 years of hands-on experience in consulting, training, and public speaking. As the founder and CEO of Secure Anchor Consulting, Dr. Cole focuses on helping customers prevent security breaches, detect network intrusions, and respond to advanced threats. In addition, he is a sought-after expert witness and a 2014 inductee to the InfoSecurity Hall of Fame.

Dr. Cole is the author of several books, including Advanced Persistent Threat: Understanding the Danger and How to Protect Your Organization; Hackers Beware: The Ultimate Guide to Network Security; and Insider Threat: Protecting the Enterprise from Sabotage, Spying, and Theft; and Hiding in Plain Sight. With over 20 patent applications, he is on the cutting edge of cyber security research and development. Eric will share his incredible journey from interning for the CIA as a hacker to becoming a successful entrepreneur in the cybersecurity space, and share actionable tips about the practices that led him on the path to success and fulfilment while doing what he loves most. 

From his cybersecurity wisdom, he will also help us understand how cybersecurity fits within this new landscape that we call life and how we can position ourselves and our businesses to take advantage of that. At the least, this episode will help you take an assessment of your inventory of skills and other resources so you can survive through the current challenging environment brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic, so stay tuned.

Show Highlights

• From being a professional hacker for the CIA to an entrepreneur in the cyber security space (01:58)
• His constant love for technology, from a programming and functionality perspective, throughout his life (06:42)
• Making the choice to work while going to school and how it equipped him with what he needed to succeed in life (11:42)
• The importance of approaching people who can help you find opportunities and achieve goals (14:09)
• How powerful old school methods of reaching out are, compared to the more modern methods like email (17:22)
• Looking at challenges as opportunities to keep winning even in the most difficult of times (19:40)
• The experience Eric has had with following his heart versus chasing money (22:14)
• Helping people understand the actual issues that bring about cybersecurity breaches  (30:20)
• Reading widely, exercising and eating well to keep his performance at the highest level (32:03)

Links and Resources

• More about (CS)²AI
• Secure Anchor Consulting
• Online Danger By Dr. Eric Cole

This podcast is brought to you by: Waterfall Security Solutions, Fortinet, Network Perceptions, Industrial Defender, Tripwire and Q-Net Security.