Today, Derek Harp is excited to interview Eric J. Byres, the Founder of and Chief Technology Officer of aDolus Technology Inc., in another episode of the Security Leaders series. Eric is a pioneer in industrial cyber security. He is a technologist, entrepreneur, author, inventor, outdoor enthusiast, and sailor. 

Eric grew up in North Vancouver and later graduated with a Bachelor of Applied Science Degree from The University of British Columbia, focusing on geological engineering and mining operations. He is widely recognized as one of the world’s top experts in the SCADA security field. As the inventor of the Tofino Security technology, Eric and his partner Joann guided the product through its evolution from an academic research project and startup to a successful acquisition by Belden Inc (NYSE: BDC). Tofino received numerous industry awards and was licensed by industry giants such as Honeywell, Schneider Electric, and Caterpillar. Today it is probably the most widely deployed ICS-specific firewall in the world.   

In this episode of the (CS)²AI Podcast, Eric shares his background and discusses his career trajectory. He also offers many gold nuggets of advice for listeners who would like to do a startup, launch a product, be useful for the industry later on, or use what they already have to add value to the cyber security industry. 

This episode is one you will not want to miss if you are looking to start your career in cyber security or considering starting a company in the cyber security space.

Show highlights:

• Eric started his first business, making and selling root beer when he was about eight years old. He gained some valuable entrepreneurial experience doing that! (2:35)
• His dad bought him a Digi-Comp 1 mechanical digital computer with three bits of memory when he was about eight years old. (5:31)
• Eric's first job after graduating was with a small but prestigious consulting firm that designed mines. They shipped him off to Australia, South Africa, and Columbia. (7:09)
• After three or four years, Eric got out of mining and imbedded himself into the data communications and industrial computer markets. (8:01)
• Eric explains what went on in his early days in control systems. (10:36)
• Writing a peer-reviewed paper for the IEEE on cyber security for control systems while he was at DCIT was a turning point in Eric’s career. (16:30)
• Eric discusses the birth of Tofino Security. (20:35)
• Eric talks about the challenges he faced and offers advice for listeners who would like to follow a similar career path. (22:35)
• Why does he feel that startups have an advantage? (25:48)
• Eric describes the Tofino firewall and explains what is. (26:39)
• Eric talks about his mentors and the advisory roles he has been in. (33:50)
• Eric explains how aDolus came into existence and discusses the complicated software supply chain. (36:40)
• What is an S-bom? How does it differ from a D-bom? (46:02)
• Some advice for listeners who want to start laying the tracks to be on the cutting edge of something or be of value to the cyber security industry. (52:17) 

Links:

(CS)²AI

Eric Byres on LinkedIn

aDolus Technology Inc.

Books mentioned:

The Cuckoo’s Egg by Cliff Stoll

Today, Derek Harp is excited to have Graham Speake, the Director of Industrial Security at Waterfall Security Solutions, joining him on the show! Graham started very early on as an engineer in control systems. He is an interesting and well-rounded individual with a long history in engineering. 

Graham was born in Wales and moved to London when he started working. He has been living in America for the past twenty years. He is a senior Cyber Security professional with broad experience leading global Operational Technology (OT) and Information Technology (IT) cybersecurity programs for protecting mission-critical systems and infrastructure. He is an expert in developing and delivering security training courses and security awareness. He has subject-matter expertise in Industrial Control Systems (ICS) and SCADA cybersecurity, particularly in oil and gas majors, and for risk managing large capital value projects and architecting global solutions for Oil and Gas and Industrial Automation customers. He is a music lover, photographer, and world traveler who has recently become an RV traveler. He is also a husband, father, grandfather, and raspberry pie enthusiast!

In this episode of the (CS)²AI Podcast, Graham talks about his background and career journey and discusses what led him to where he is today. He also offers valuable nuggets of advice for listeners who would like to make a career in or transition into cyber security.

This is one episode you will not want to miss if you are looking to make a career in the cyber security space or are an engineer and would like to add cyber security to your career path. Stay tuned for more!

Show highlights:

• Graham's early experiences inspired him to do electrical/ electronic engineering at college and then move into working with electronics and electricity in an industrial setting. (3:13)
• The benefits of having an engineering background. (8:05)
• Graham shares his recommendations for engineers who would like to add cyber security to their professional path. (9:08)
• The US government offers free security training through the Idaho National Laboratory (INL). (10:22)
• Graham talks about the mentorship he received and offers advice for finding a mentor and doing a mentorship exchange. (12:07)
• Security only intersected with his journey much later in his career. (17:16)
• 9/11 was a pivot- point in his career. (20:08)
• Graham talks about various types of industrial proprietary communication protocols. (26:04)
• Graham talks about how he got into his interesting role at Yokogawa and how it differed from what he did at BP. (29:58)
• Graham discusses what happened in the security space after being invited to be part of a training course and certification program in 2011. (36:58)
• Learning the basic working vocabulary and terminology is a way to build bridges and get teams from different industries to work together. (42:22)
• Graham explains why he could not say no to working for Waterfall. (54:00)
• Relationships you form early in your career in the security space end up being very powerful later on. (57:40)

Links:

(CS)²AI

Waterfall Security Solutions

Graham Speake on LinkedIn

INL Critical Infrastructure Protection Training

Derek Harp is happy to have Mark Weatherford, the CSO at AlertEnterprise, and the Chief Strategy Officer at the National Cybersecurity Center, joining him today for another episode in the series of security leader interviews!

Mark grew up on a farm in an agricultural community in Northern California and left the farming life to embark on a career in the Navy and travel the world as a technologist, helping companies in cyberspace. Throughout his career, he always planned to get back into ranching. Apart from being a well-known security leader, Mark is a military veteran, technologist, beekeeper, hunter, pilot, and a soon-to-be rancher and gardener. He is also a husband and father.

Mark has had various executive-level cybersecurity roles, including Global Information Security Strategist at Booking Holdings, Chief Cybersecurity Strategist at vArmour, a Principal at The Chertoff Group, Chief Security Officer at the North American Electric Reliability Corporation, and Chief Information Security Officer for the state of Colorado. He was appointed in 2008 by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to serve as California’s first Chief Information Security Officer. In 2011, he got appointed by the Obama Administration as the Deputy Under Secretary for Cybersecurity at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. 

Mark is a well-rounded individual who does a variety of interesting things. In this episode of the (CS)²AI Podcast, he shares his backstory and describes his career journey. He talks about the challenge CISOs face today, explains why relationships are vital, and discusses what it takes to be a good CISO today. He also offers some valuable nuggets of career advice for listeners.

You will not want to miss this episode if you are in a first-time CISO role or considering making a career in cybersecurity. Stay tuned for more!

Show highlights:

• Growing up, Mark was always playing around with electricity, wiring up motors and lights, and often overloading circuits and blowing breakers. (3:20)
• Mark became a cryptologic technician in the Navy and focused on signals intelligence. (4:50)
• In 1994, Mark wrote his grad school thesis on information security. That changed his life and set the stage for his future. (7:59)
• Mark created the Navy’s first operational red team. (10:14)
• Mark explains why a CISO cannot be an expert today. (12:20)
• Mark got hired as the first CISO for the state of Colorado. It was a great learning experience! (15:06)
• Why is becoming a CISO is all about developing relationships? (19:47)
• Mentoring others is one of the most satisfying things Mark has ever done. (25:28)
• Mark had a lot of influence in his role at DHS. (32:01)
• Some advice for people thinking of taking on CISO roles. (35:34)
• What do you need to focus on and learn if you are aiming for a senior CISO position? (38:24)
• What do people in advisory board roles do? (46:08)

Links:

(CS)²AI

Mark Weatherford on LinkedIn

AlertEnterprise

National Cybersecurity Center

Today, Derek Harp is excited to have Mark Bristow joining him for another episode in the interview series on security leaders! Mark is well-known in the cyber security industry. He is the Branch Chief for Cyber Defense Coordination and Operations for threat hunting at the Department of Homeland Security.

Mark found his first bug in an ISV system when he was ten years old. As a teenager, he was passionate about technology and spent much of his time discovering what he could do with his computer and the nascent internet. He later earned a Computer Engineering degree from Penn State. 

Mark has been at the forefront of headline-making incident response efforts like the attack on the Ukrainian power grid, intrusions into U.S. election infrastructure, and Russian attempts to gain access to the U.S. power grid. He often does talks on worldwide industrial control systems security issues. He enjoys sharing his knowledge about the protection of critical infrastructure and using his real-life experience to help students relate the information to scenarios in the field. He is also a pilot-in-training and a scuba diver! 

Mark had access to control systems as a young child, and as a result, he developed a breaker mindset quite early on. In this episode, he tells his story, talks about his background and career, and shares his unique perspective on cyber security. He talks about working for the government and offers some nuggets of career advice for people thinking of making a career in cyber security or those currently doing development in systems design and would like to specialize in cyber security. 

If you are thinking of making a career in cyber security, you will learn a lot from today’s interview with Mark Bristow! Stay tuned for more!

Show highlights:

• The role Mark’s father played in him becoming an early adopter of technology (3:11)
• How he found a bug in an ISV system at the age of ten. (5:14)
• Mark figured out how to bypass the safety controls and make the computer drop the space shuttle's engines before they were supposed to. (8:14)
• How Mark transitioned from doing programming to doing cyber security professionally. (11:25)
• Mark explains how programming mattered and helped him in his career journey. (13:23)
• Some nuggets of advice for programmers who want to add something to their career path by specializing in cyber security. (16:02)
• A nugget of advice for what you should do when you receive a job offer. (19:48)
• The mentors and people who opened doors for Mark along his career path. (23:21)
• What is it like working for the government? (24:37)
• Mark explains why he pivoted to become a federal employee. (30:40)
• Everyone in the cyber security industry is open to helping each other and offering advice. (35:51)
• What you can do right now to become sought-after and successful in five to ten years. (37:29)
• Mark explains his job title and talks about what he does. (45:29)

Links:

(CS)²AI

Mark Bristow on LinkedIn

CISA

Today, Jeff Hussey joins Derek Harp for another podcast in the Security Leader interview series. 

Jeff is the Co-Founder, President, and CEO of Tempered. He is a serial entrepreneur who has accomplished a lot throughout his career. He founded and co-founded several companies, including the well-known F5 Networks. He is a professional board member of various businesses- both for-profit and not-for-profit. He has worked hard to make the internet more resilient, hardened, and secure, bring clean water to underprivileged countries, and enrich his community through the arts. He has also been funding and broadening technology innovation and cultivating better living standards for coffee growers in Latin America. Jeff is also a speaker, mountain climber, wine-maker, father, and lover of all things tech!

Starting from a very young age, Jeff has always been passionate about technology and communications! In this episode of the (CS)²AI Podcast, he talks about his background, his love of tech, the various businesses he started, and founding Tempered. He shares nuggets of advice around getting down to the fundamentals of what you are studying, dealing with customers, and networking, and offers some valuable tips for moving forward in the cyber security industry.  

You won’t want to miss this episode if you are starting a career in cyber security or if you are in a similar field and considering a career change! Stay tuned for more!

Show highlights:

• Jeff explains why he creates his own jobs. (3:53)
• Jeff talks about his passion for tech and communications. (4:33)
• How the first company Jeff started became the first internet service provider in Honolulu. (9:28)
• The increasing internet traffic inspired Jeff to start his next business in 1996. (10:29)
• Jeff discusses his initial foray into security and explains how the security paradigm changed after that. (12:25)
• How his dad used to advise and help him early in his career. (16:30)
• What he did to deepen his knowledge and become more effective in his career role. (18:01)
• Jeff offers some excellent advice for dealing efficiently and effectively with customers. (22:05)
• Jeff talks about his company, Tempered. (25:53)
• Jeff explains what the host identity protocol does and how his company, Tempered, approaches it to create a hyper-secure network. (30:42)
• Jeff shares his views on corporate culture. (34:16)
• Jeff explains what excites him about the Airwall Solution that Tempered brought to market. (42:50)

Links:

(CS)²AI

Jeff Hussey on LinkedIn

Tempered

Books mentioned in the show:

Steven’s TCP/IP Illustrated Volumes 1 and 2

Albert Rooyakkers, the CEO and Founder of Bedrock Automation, joins Derek Harp today for another episode in the Security Leaders series. Albert is a well-known technologist in the cyber security industry. He is also an inventor, a motorhead, and a keen outdoorsman. 

Albert was born and raised in Canada. After finishing high school, he went to the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology to learn about instrumentation and process control. After completing his studies, he spent sixteen years working at Foxboro, where he went from Sales to Applications to Projects and eventually into management. Foxboro later became Invensys and sent Albert to the Middle East. He loved that because the Middle East is a fascinating place!

Albert once described himself as a future enthusiast because the future excites him so much! In this episode of the (CS)²AI Podcast, he discusses his background, education, and career path. He talks about his early work experiences, dives into the founding of Bedrock Automation, and discusses the exciting transition to run Bedrock. He also shares some nuggets of advice for getting ahead in your career and talks about the exciting changes we can look forward to seeing in the future.

If you have spent most of your career working for one or two companies and are thinking about starting a business of your own, you are sure to gain a lot from today’s inspiring conversation with Albert Rooyakkers. Listen in to hear more!

Show highlights:

• Albert worked on big projects while at Foxboro and often traveled internationally. (3:01)
• Albert grew up with family businesses, so he knew starting a business would involve a lot of hard work. (4:10)
• Why did he become a young workaholic while working in their family businesses in Canada? (5:29)
• Albert talks about the best and most rewarding years of his life while starting Bedrock. (7:35)
• What Albert believes is the most comprehensive learning experience imaginable. (8:55)
• Jumping from Invensys to Maxim and then jumping from Maxim to Bedrock. (9:28)
• Some advice for actualizing an idea or design that relates to the company you are in. (13:18)
• Cyber violates the premise of automation. Albert explains how we can solve that right here in the USA. (18:29)
• Building and maintaining relationships is vital. (25:14)
• Great technology moves beyond technology and becomes art. When presented in the right way, that inspires people to use it. (28:31)
• Some advice for overcoming challenges, growing, and evolving along your career journey. (32:57)
• What excites Albert about the future? (38:51)

Today, Derek Harp interviews Fred Gordy in another episode in the Security Leaders series. Fred is the Director of Cyber Security at Intelligent Buildings.

Fred hails from Atlanta, Georgia. He is an author, musician, woodworker, technologist, travel enthusiast, and grandfather. He is also well-known as an evangelist around cyber security for building control systems and building management.

Fred has worked with electronics, computers, IT, and even robotics along his career path. He had his first computer experience back in the days of basic programming in the mid-1980s when he did electronic engineering technology at college. Although his direction as an electronic engineer in technology should have been to get in on a board level, he was always more fascinated with the computer part.

In this episode of the (CS)²AI Podcast, Fred tells his story, discusses his career trajectory, and talks about the highlights of his career. He shares his insights and experience and offers some helpful nuggets of advice for listeners considering a career in the controls space. If you are at the entry-level of our industry and wondering where to go next, you will not want to miss this episode! Stay tuned for more!

Show highlights:

• Fred had the opportunity to experience control systems when doing an internship while in college. (5:01)
• How Fred inadvertently got exposed to computer control systems early on in his career. (6:27)
• Having had a computer background before moving into the world of control systems allowed him to speak both languages. It helped him a lot in his career. (8:15)
• Fred sees a career role emerging that will require individuals to know the full range of IT and OT. They need to understand computers and control systems. (9:01)
• Fred discusses the work that Intelligent Buildings does in the commercial real estate industry. (13:03)
• How buildings intersected with his career path. (14:22)
• For Fred, there is nothing quite as exhilarating as having the power, capability, and know-how to make a massive piece of equipment work in concert with hundreds of other devices. (15:55)
• Everything Fred has done in his life has in some way built upon itself. It's why he encourages listeners to draw on all their experiences, no matter how small they might seem. (17:40)
• Fred talks about overcoming challenges. (21:40)
• When he started his career, he knew little about what he was doing. He attributes his success to the mentors who helped him, encouraged him, and ignited his inner fire. (28:00)
• Fred discusses ways to get people in different areas of the building-control space to work better together. (36:18)
• Fred believes that the path for people in the controls industry will become easier now, since the advent of the MSI (Master System Integrator). (44:38)

Bayron Lopez joins Derek Harp today for another podcast episode in the Security Leader series. Bayron is the Manager of Operational Technology at Kilroy Realty Corporation, a real estate investment trust company specializing in developing, acquiring, and managing real estate assets, primarily in Seattle, San Francisco, LA, and San Diego. Those four strategic areas encompass about fourteen million Class A commercial real estates. Bayron is responsible for the operational technology and security of those estates. 

Bayron was born in El Salvador and grew up in South Central Los Angeles. While in high school, he had an excellent teacher and mentors who were designing aircraft and large buildings. They exposed him to multiple areas of engineering, including electrical, mechanical, civil, and aerospace. Bayron was very lucky to have that exposure because it was unusual for kids from the South Central Los Angeles neighborhood to get introduced to the world of engineering.

Bayron likes to see an objective outlined and then get things done. He has a degree in engineering and is a keen technologist. He is also a soccer fan and dreamer who likes to look ahead at what is coming up just beyond the horizon. In this episode of the (CS)²AI Podcast, he talks about his background and discusses his educational journey. He explains why he chose to work for a real estate company after graduating and talks about his current position at Kilroy. He also shares some valuable nuggets for people starting in cyber security or those who would like to get involved in the space.

Cyber security is going to become a cornerstone for buildings in the future. If you are thinking about getting into the field, you will gain a lot from this episode! Stay tuned for more!

Show highlights:

• When he was in high school, Bayron decided to become an engineer and find something in that space that worked for him. He talks about the study program he chose. (3:58)
• Bayron explains why he went to work for a real estate company after he graduated. (6:41)
• How the idea of having an Operational Technology Manager came in at Kilroy. (8:45)
• Bayron talks about the challenges he has faced since becoming Kilroy’s Operational Technology Manager. (10:28)
• A strategy for creating a valuable security solution. (13:04)
• Bayron discusses the day-to-day operations in his current position at Kilroy. (15:50)
• The luxury of new builds versus retrofitting onto existing buildings. (19:44)
• Some advice from Bayron for his younger self. (21:23)
• A way in and some words of wisdom for individuals wanting to get into the security of building control systems. ( 22:38)
• There are currently many different opportunities for specializing in the cyber security industry as it pertains to building systems. (26:38)

Derek Harp is excited to have Bryan Singer join him today for an episode in the Security Leader interview series! 

Bryan is a true pioneer in the cyber security space! He has an extensive background in several industries, including manufacturing, DoD, and healthcare. His proven professional skills include system architecture and design, software project management, application development, system administration, network administration, database design and administration, and multi-tier support. Currently, he is Principal Director of Security Innovation at Accenture.

Bryan was born in Mountain Home, Idaho. His father was a pilot in the air force, so they lived in many different places across the country while he was growing up. He spent most of his childhood in Alabama, and he remembers being the coolest kid on the street because he had an Apple 2 Plus computer with two five-and-a-quarter-inch floppy drives. Watching WarGames inspired him to become a hacker, but he soon realized that hacking was not quite what it appeared to be on television!

In this episode of the (CS)²AI Podcast, Bryan shares his superhero backstory, talks about his career journey, and discusses the valuable lessons he learned early on that he could apply later in his career. He also shares some helpful nuggets for people either considering a career in cyber security or crossing over from other areas in IT or OT. If you are interested in cyber security, stay tuned. You will not want to miss this informative episode!

Show highlights:

• Bryan talks about when he first got an itch for hacking. (1:23)
• Immediately after high school, he joined the army. He worked in Intelligence and got exposed to computer and network security, now known as cyber security. (3:40)
• Bryan started his career doing software development. (4:58)
• Bryan describes his first experience of dealing with a compromise. (7:00)
• Having a deep systems background has been helpful when diagnosing other problems later in his career. (8:43)
• What Bryan tells people when they ask him how he got involved in cyber security. (9:34)
• How he ended up being Chairman of the ISA-99 Security Committee. (12:34)
• Bryan discusses mentorship and explains how he managed to connect with mentors in the world of industrial safety. (17:12)
• How to get involved in the standards bodies early on in your career. (21:51)
• The advice Bryan would give to his younger self. (29:34)
• Some helpful advice for facing challenges. (33:14)
• The impact of the pandemic on the cyber security industry. (34:01)
• Bryan discusses the things he chose to do in his career, outside of what his job required. (35:52)
• Bryan co-authored two books. (36:14)

Links:

(CS)²AI 

Accenture

Bryan L Singer on LinkedIn

Resources:

The books Bryan co-authored: 

Cybersecurity for Industrial Control Systems: SCADA, DCS, PLC, HMI, and SIS

Hacking Exposed Industrial Control Systems: ICS and SCADA Security Secrets & Solutions

Today, Daryl Haegley joins Derek Harp for another episode in the Security Leader interview series! Daryl was a military officer and then became a civilian in DOD (Department of Defense) operations. He is now the Director of Mission Assurance and Cyber Deterrence for the DOD. 

Daryl has always been fascinated with technology. He links his fascination to the intrigue he felt when watching Star Trek episodes with his father and brothers as a child and seeing how much simpler technology can make people’s lives. 

Even though Daryl became one of the early cyber security pioneers, technology did not lead him to where he finds himself today. 

In this episode of the (CS)²AI Podcast, Daryl tells his story, talks about his journey, discusses his choices, and explains how his career path led him to where he is today. He discusses some of the practices he employed along his career path that could be valuable when selecting a specific line of work. He also talks about how individuals in the military can increase their value to the outside world and explains where people can get formal or informal security training. 

You will not want to miss this episode if you are leaning toward a career in the cyber security field, so stay tuned for more!

Show highlights:

• The path leading Daryl to where he is today did not proceed through technology. (4:42)
• After completing his RTC in the Navy, Daryl thought he was done with school, but he went on to get three master’s degrees. (6:36)
• Daryl talks about crossing over from college RTC to become a cryptologist. (7:45)
• An important lesson he learned from history is about defense. (9:01)
• Today, Daryl still references some of the lessons he learned from his early experiences in his naval career. (11:44)
• Some advice for how individuals who are still in military service can strengthen their resumes and increase their value to the outside world. (14:24)
• Daryl discusses some areas where individuals can get either formal or informal security training. (15:53)
• Daryl talks about control systems and explains how they first intersected with his career. (16:55)
• Daryl shares some highlights of his career and discusses some of the things he would do differently today. (20:19)
• How mentorship has played out on his career path. (24:01)
• Daryl talks about the sharing of information between government entities and non-government entities. (28:32)
• Daryl discusses his involvement in the cyber security certification model being rolled out. (29:43)
• There are engineering classes at Georgetown University and George Mason University that include courses for individuals who want to study cyber security. (33:22)
• The career areas within cyber security that Daryl believes will be in demand five years from now. (35:17)