What does a malware analyst do? Find out on today’s episode featuring Dr. Richard Ford, Chief Technology Officer of Cyren. Richard talks about breaking into the field, whether a computer science degree is or isn’t essential for the role, and an early program he wrote to brag about his high score to his classmates!

0:00​ - Intro
2:30 - Richard’s cybersecurity origin story
6:07​ - Being an IBM anti-malware researcher in the 90s
9:18​ - How malware has evolved
11:27​ - Major career milestones
18:14​ - Two types of malware analysts
21:42​ - How to get hired as an entry-level analyst
25:45​ - Day-to-day malware analyst tasks
29:40 - Transitioning to an analyst role without any experience
34:30 - What does Cyren do?
37:25​ - Outro

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Dr. Richard Ford is the Chief Technology Officer of Cyren. He has over 25 years’ experience in computer security, working with both offensive and defensive technology solutions. During his career, Ford has held positions with Forcepoint, Virus Bulletin, IBM Research, Command Software Systems and NTT Verio. Dr. Ford has also worked in academia, having held an endowed chair in Computer Security, and worked as Head of the Computer Sciences and Cybersecurity Department at the Florida Institute of Technology. Ford holds a bachelor’s, master’s and D.Phil. in Physics from the University of Oxford. In addition to his work, he is an accomplished jazz flutist and instrument rated private pilot.

About Infosec
Infosec believes knowledge is power when fighting cybercrime. We help IT and security professionals advance their careers with skills development and certifications while empowering all employees with security awareness and privacy training to stay cyber-safe at work and home. It’s our mission to equip all organizations and individuals with the know-how and confidence to outsmart cybercrime. Learn more at infosecinstitute.com.