Cyber Security Effectiveness Podcast

Some form of modern technology can be found in almost every part of the world now, but some areas that lag behind may not have the resources needed to implement necessary security tools. Having grown up in the Argentinian mountains where there are few computers, Veronica Valero Sarachos, researcher at Czech Technical University, recognizes these issues and strives to give back to communities like hers by working with them to help detect threats. 

Human perception and how we process thought can make all the difference in understanding and predicting attacks. Cybersecurity expert Anita D'Amico, founder and CEO of CodeDX, uses her background in clinical psychology to lead a career conducting research studying decision-making, how human factors affect vulnerabilities, and how perception determines a specific response to an attack. 

Threat models have grown to enormous complexity since the boot virus days and show no signs of slowing down. How does this affect cybersecurity at the workplace and at home? Brian talks with Lysa Myers, Security Researcher at ESET, and gets her take on adapting research, tools, and specialization to keep up with the fast pace.

No one's path to finding a career in cybersecurity is the same, but most can agree that it all starts with education, whether formal or informal. Podcast guest Dr. Meg Layton, Director of Engineering/Cyber Security Services at Symantec, finds her passion in helping others discover their own cyber path and effectively translate their technical skills to aspects of the business.

Headline-worthy breaches seem to be hitting organizations far too often, causing organizations to second-guess their current security controls and procedures. While it's a good thing to make sure you're prepared, Heather Engel, Managing Partner at Strategic Cyber Partners, recommends assessing the situation from a risk perspective. She and Brian talk about cybersecurity measures as crucial to the organization as a whole, how to evaluate types of risk, and the art of managing it.

Patient safety is always top-of-mind for healthcare organizations and while the world has seen magnificent strides in the form of medical technology, maintaining security standards is now more important than ever. Marie Moe, Sr. Security Consultant at mnemonic and professor at NTNU, has dealt with the repercussions first hand. She shares a personal story about how poor encryption and security practices affected her own pacemaker device and advocates for further movement toward software security standards in medical devices.

The history of human warfare tells us that the recipe for victory is often a concoction of technology, strategy, and intelligence. Today's guest, Sandra Joyce, is the SVP of FireEye, the world's largest non-government cyber intelligence organization. She and Brian discuss significant trends, what to consider before publishing hard-earned intel, and the cleverest adversary tactics to date.

Awareness for mental health has risen to record heights over the past few years but it is still fairly slow in reaching the cybersecurity industry. Even in an exciting career, long work hours, a seemingly constant sense of urgency, and often high dependency on certain roles can be a cause of extreme stress if not well managed. Rick McElroy, Head of Security Strategy at Carbon Black, advocates for mental health resources within the workplace and emphasizes the importance of unplugging, exploring hobbies, and finding your support tribe.

The threat landscape is a mighty beast in and of itself -- vast and, perhaps more importantly, constantly changing. In this episode, Brian chats with industry thought leader John Pironti about using threat and security models to consistently monitor landscapes, test scenarios, and why you should prioritize risk management.

A thorough understanding of the core fundamental principles is critical for those building a career in cybersecurity. Adam Fletcher, CISO at Blackstone, argues that cloud security now falls into that list -- goals like developing a policy or translating a tool to cloud requires extensive knowledge, experience, and leadership skills. He and Brian discuss case-by-case scenarios and how to expand and develop your team given the industry-wide talent shortage.