(CS)²AI- Security Leaders – Brad Raiford

Derek Harp is excited to have Brad Raiford joining him on the show today! Brad is a Director in the Cybersecurity Services Practice at KPMG. His primary focus is divided between operational technology, ICS, data, the expanding industrial world of the internet of things, the internet of everything, and how the impact of 5G will change the course of manufacturing and production systems.

Brad was born in Galveston, Texas, and spent most of his childhood in Saudi Arabia because his dad worked for Ramco. He has a degree in Computer Information Systems from Texas A&M University and a Master’s in Computer Engineering from Johns Hopkins University. 

Brad was introduced to technology very early on because his dad loved trying out the latest technology. They got linked to the internet at the beginning of the 1990s. From there, Brad’s interest in technology continued to grow. When he was ten or eleven years old, he and his brother started building computers, and they even designed their entire home network a couple of years later.

In today’s episode of the (CS)²AI Podcast, Brad talks about how he developed an interest in technology as a young boy and how he got introduced to internet security. He also shares some nuggets about how you need to think and what you need to understand if you are interested in making a career in the technology or cyber security space.

Be sure to stay tuned for more! You definitely won’t want to miss this episode!

Show highlights:

• How Brad first got introduced to technology. (2:50)
• How he started learning about internet security and firewalls (6:38)
• Why Brad has always viewed cyber as a lens through which to digest technology. (7:24)
• A simple question that Brad always likes to ask new hires or people interested in the technology space. (10:07)
• How the industrial part of cyber security intersected with his career path. (15:48)
• What you would need to have in place to join an OT team at KPMG. (18:38)
• Where industrial control systems came into Brad’s career. (22:59)
• The three mentors Brad has had in his life. (26:35) 
• The biggest challenges he has experienced in his career. (31:30)
• Knowing how and when to say “no”. (34:09)
• The greatest single skill anyone can have. (35:38)
• Staying abreast of new things. (41:16)