On today’s episode we are joined by Jerich Beason, senior vice president and CISO at Epiq. He delves into advice on networking, knowing which job is right for you, and how to build trust as a CISO. 

Advice to Younger Self

Beason says he would have spent more time on relationships. While he had relationships, he wishes he had done more to maintain those relationships across gigs. Keep up contact with people, you never know when you may want to connect down the line. 

So how do you upkeep relationships? Being intentional with your responses is important. Reach out and update those you are connected with. Who you know is extremely important in the job market. Keep in mind those people who have helped you along the way. A simple thank you goes a long way. 

Network

Don’t focus all your energy networking at the top. Network with everyone. It will help with hires and building teams. So who should you reach out to? Network with people who are where you want to be. Also reach out to a peer group. Mentor when you have the chance, as well.

Wasted Time?

Young Jerich wasted time chasing a lot of certifications. An ongoing list of certifications takes a lot of time to obtain, but they do not necessarily stay relevant. Be deliberate about the ones you go after. His most valuable certifications are IT focused. 

Epiq Cyberside Chats

Beason hosts a podcast of his own which he discusses. It is relatively new with goals of working to be a leader in the industry of cybersecurity. 

New Opportunities

You have a current position but are offered a new opportunity. What do you do? How do you make that decision? Beason walks us through his experience choosing a new job and what influenced his decision. He thought about his personal brand and what he wants to do as a CISO. 

He had open discussions with his boss about being torn in his decision. It was a brief discussion but helped provide clarity in the situation. 

Personal Branding

Think about what success means to you and what you want to achieve. How do you want to look back on your career? 

Trust

As the first CISO in the company, much of his role early on was teaching people what a CISO was. He gained the trust of people in the company over time. He helped rebuild trust in the business. Strategy can only be successful if there is trust behind it. 

How do you know if you have trust? Trust is a combination of character and competence. Beason tries to demonstrate trust by showing that his goal is to help the organization succeed. 

Reaching out to top customers is extremely important. Communicating changes both short term and in strategy is necessary.  

Three Phases

1). Foundation to work on preventing attacks

2). Play with more cutting edge technologies to build on foundations

3). Reach back and have transparency

Be Knowledgeable 

You have to know about what you are protecting in order to succeed. Having a complete picture is essential. Utilizing technology to gain visibility can be useful. Beason feels as if he has knowledge of 99% of their devices. 

Recommendations

Beason recommends several books that have helped him along his journey as a CISO. He suggests several books on trust including “Speed of Trust.”

Being a New CISO

To Jerich, being a new CISO is different in every scenario. Being able to speak the lingo and have a seat at the table is important as is understanding security fundamentals. Most importantly, recognize the changing nature of the job.  

Links:

Exabeam Podcasts

Epiq Global