Today, Ron Brash joins Derek Harp for another great episode in the series on security leaders! Ron is the VP of Technical Research and Integrations at aDolus Technology. 

Ron Brash is a household name when it comes to ICS/OT cybersecurity and embedded vulnerability research. He was instrumental in creating the datasets for the S4 ICS Detection Challenges, received the Top 40 under 40 award for Engineering Leaders 2020 from Plant Engineering, was an embedded developer at Tofino Security, advised several large asset owners in a variety of industries for OT security, and brought several products to market, including consumer neuroscience devices and several industrial networking appliances.

Ron grew up in a rainforest on Vancouver Island, on the west coast of Canada. He is a problem-solver, a wake-boarder, a mini-Chihuahua-owner, a do-it-yourselfer, a geek, a sharer of information, and an all-around adventurous guy with water sports. 

In this episode of the (CS)²AI Podcast, he shares his backstory, discusses his career path, and talks about what he is doing in the industry. He also offers some nuggets of advice around sequential education and degrees, sound resume advice, and some great career tips. 

You will not want to miss this episode if you are considering starting a career in cybersecurity or breaking into that industry and want to know the best way to approach your education. Stay tuned for more!

Show highlights:

• Ron talks about where he comes from and shares his backstory. 
• What he learned from his first paid job, working in a pizza shop.
• Ron’s parents had computers for their business, so that was where his first intersection with technology happened. 
• He got into technology because he joined a tech program at his local university that put gifted high school students into certificate and diploma programs for free.
• Ron knew he had to protect himself by planning and starting to save early on.
• Ron’s ICS career started after a chance encounter with Eric Byres, one of the grandfathers of cybersecurity.
• It is important to separate your personal life from your professional life.
• Ron shares how he approached his education. 
• A resume tip to better your chances in interviews, and some great career tips. 
• Ron discusses the best way to approach university education and explains what your job is when you do a master’s degree.
• What he gained from getting his master’s degree.
• Some advice for people considering sequential education and degrees to further their careers.
• The benefits of doing a SWOT analysis before embarking on a specific career path.
• Ron dives into giving and receiving mentorship.
• Some advice for anyone doing a startup.
• How to set yourself up for a successful future.