Rob Hughes — CISO at RSA and Champion of a Passwordless Future

No Password Required Season 7:  Episode 1 - Rob Hughes

Rob Hughes, the CISO at RSA, has more than 25 years of experience leading security and cloud infrastructure teams. In this episode, he reflects on his unconventional career path, from co-founding the original Geek.com and serving as its Chief Technologist during the early days of the internet, to leading security and systems design at Philips Home Monitoring.

Jack Clabby of Carlton Fields, P.A. and Kayley Melton welcome Rob for a wide-ranging conversation on identity, leadership, and the realities of modern cybersecurity. Rob currently leads RSA’s Security and Risk Office, overseeing cybersecurity, information security governance, and risk across both RSA’s products and corporate environment.

Rob explains his dream for a passwordless future. He unpacks why passwords remain one of the largest sources of cyber risk, how real-world incidents and password-spraying attacks have accelerated change, and why phishing-resistant technologies like passkeys may finally be reaching a tipping point. 
 

The episode wraps with the Lifestyle Polygraph, where Rob lightens the conversation with stories about gaming with his kids, underrated horror films, and classic cars.

Follow Rob on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-hughes-816067a4/

Chapters: 

00:00 Introduction to No Password Required

01:43 Meet Rob Hughes, CISO at RSA

02:05 The Role of a CISO in a Security Company

05:09 Transitioning to the CISO Role

08:00 The Early Days of Geek.com

12:14 Launching a Startup During the Dot Com Boom

14:30 The Push for a Passwordless Future

18:21 Tipping Point for Passwordless Adoption

20:20 Ongoing Learning in Cybersecurity

26:09 Managing Stress in High-Pressure Environments

33:46 The Lifestyle Polygraph Begins

34:15 Career Insights in Cybersecurity

36:08 Dream Cars and Personal Preferences

39:58 Underrated Horror Films

41:19 Creating a Cybersecurity Monster