Defense in Depth

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series What is the most critical step to preventing ransomware? Security professionals may be quick to judge users and say it's a lack of cyberawareness. Could it be something else? Check out this post for the basis for our conversation on this week's episode which features me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series, co-host Geoff Belknap (@geoffbelknap), CISO, LinkedIn, and our guest Rebecca Harness (@rebeccaharness), CISO, St. Louis University. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, VMware In this episode: What is the one critical step to preventing ransomware? The importance of leadership and employee buy-in How to make training and education actually work Should backups be included on this list? What about the supply chain?

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series For four years in a row, Verizon's DBIR, has touted compromised credentials as the top cause of data breaches. That means bad people are getting in yet appearing to be legitimate users. What are these malignant users doing inside our network? What are the techniques to both understand and allow for good yet thwart bad lateral movement? Check out this post for the basis for our conversation on this week's episode which features me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series, co-host Steve Zalewski, and our sponsored guest Sandy Wenzel (@malwaremama), cybersecurity transformation engineer, VMware. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, VMware In this episode: Why are bad people getting inside our networks? Can machine learning help find them? How can we separate lateral movement from credential stuffing? Would using threat modeling and going passwordless help?

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series You've just joined a company as CISO, what's the very first step you would take to improve the security posture of your new company? Check out this post for the basis for our conversation on this week's episode which features me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series, co-host Steve Zalewski, and our guest Olivia Rose, vp of IT and security, Amplitude. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Proofpoint Sixty six percent of CISOs feel their organization is unprepared to handle a cyberattack and 58% consider human error to be their biggest cyber vulnerability. Proofpoint's 2021 Voice of the CISO report explores key challenges facing CISOs after an unprecedented twelve months. Get the report. In this episode: How can new CISOs fast-track their learning process to make better decisions sooner? How much does the CISO need to know about the environment before they start pentesting? Using a " Power Interest Matrix" to help manage the people who influence your work Why aligning with HR is a key move

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series How is ransomware getting into your network? Is the path direct, like via email, or does it take a more circuitous route? Check out this post and this post for the basis for our conversation on this week's episode which features me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series, co-host Steve Zalewski, and our sponsored guest Ryan Kalember (@rkalember), evp, cybersecurity strategy, Proofpoint. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Proofpoint Sixty six percent of CISOs feel their organization is unprepared to handle a cyberattack and 58% consider human error to be their biggest cyber vulnerability. Proofpoint's 2021 Voice of the CISO report explores key challenges facing CISOs after an unprecedented twelve months. Get the report. In this episode: What role do email and phishing actually play? Has working from home really increased the threat? How dwell time has changed things Getting up to speed on sufficient backups

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series Why should security professionals get certifications? Do they actually teach you what you need to know to solve cybersecurity challenges? OR do they act as gateways or approval checks to be admitted into the field of cybersecurity? Check out this post for the basis for our conversation on this week's episode which features me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series, guest co-host Will Gregorian (@willgregorian), head of IT and security, Rhino and our guest Shawn M. Bowen (@smbowen), CISO, World Fuel Services. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Palo Alto Networks First, every company became a software company. Now, every company needs to be a cybersecurity company too. Prisma Cloud from Palo Alto Networks a single security platform that delivers comprehensive protection from code through app, so your company can keep doing what it's supposed to do. Learn more at paloaltonetworks.com/prisma/cloud. In this episode: Are certifications like the CISSP necessary? Even if they are necessary to get hired, are they relevant? Let's say something good about certs. Who benefits most from certs? The candidate or the hiring manager?

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series How are you measuring your progress and success with cloud security? How much visibility into this are you providing to your engineering teams? Check out this post and this post for the basis for our conversation on this week's episode which features me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series, co-host Geoff Belknap (@geoffbelknap), CISO, LinkedIn and our sponsored guest Matthew Chiodi (@mattchiodi), CSO, public cloud, Palo Alto Networks. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Palo Alto Networks If you're doing cloud security right, no one knows if you've done anything. When you do it wrong, well, you end up on Cybersecurity Headlines. Prisma Cloud from Palo Alto Networks helps ensure your security stays in the quietly appreciated group. It's a single security platform that delivers comprehensive protection from code to cloud. Learn more at paloaltonetworks.com/prisma/cloud. In this episode What requirements need to be measured? Measuring against compliance Building a company-specific guardrails framework Measuring team performance by number of opened and closed issues

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series What does a young person, eager to get into cybersecurity, have to show or prove to land their first help desk, tech support role? Check out this post for the basis for our conversation on this week's episode which features me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series, co-host Geoff Belknap (@geoffbelknap), CISO, LinkedIn and our guest Bryan Zimmer (@bryanzimmer), head of security, Humu. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Palo Alto Networks In 1666, Sir Isaac Newton famously used a prism to disperse white light into colors. Today, cloud security professionals use Prisma Cloud from Palo Alto Networks to disperse full lifecycle security and full stack protection across their multi- and hybrid-cloud environments. We think Sir Isaac would approve. Learn more about Prisma Cloud paloaltonetworks.com/Prisma/cloud. In this episode Balancing out certifications and experience If we train you, will you stay, or will you leave? What's your compelling story that shows what you can do? Researching the competition: what are other candidates doing?

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series What do we want the Board and C-Suite to know about cybersecurity? If you could teach them one thing about cybersecurity that would stick, what would that be? Check out this post and this post for the basis for our conversation on this week's episode which features me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series, co-host Geoff Belknap (@geoffbelknap), CISO, LinkedIn and our guest Phil Huggins (@oracuk), CISO, NHS Test & Trace, Department of Health and Social Care. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Proofpoint Sixty six percent of CISOs feel their organization is unprepared to handle a cyberattack and 58% consider human error to be their biggest cyber vulnerability. Proofpoint's 2021 Voice of the CISO report explores key challenges facing CISOs after an unprecedented twelve months. Get the report. In this episode What the Board needs to know to make the CISO's job more effective It's not about the Board understanding cyber – but it is about mitigating risk Security is a shared responsibility: Board & CISOs Using other companies' breaches as Board learning opportunities

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series The demand for CISOs is growing due to increased regulations and cyber threats. Yet, while the demand is there, the supply keeps rotating. Companies think the next CISO is going to fix the problems of the last one. Why is a CISO's tenure so short and why is the hiring process for CISOs so disjointed? Check out this post for the basis for our conversation on this week's episode which features me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series, Steve Zalewski, and Gary Hayslip (@ghayslip), CISO, Softbank Investment Advisers Thanks to our podcast sponsor, RevCult On average, 18 percent of all your Salesforce data fields are highly sensitive and 89 percent of users have access to that data. RevCult is the only solution that helps you understand the data you have in Salesforce, and if you're protecting it. Get a free Salesforce Security Self-Assessment to understand your Salesforce security weaknesses. In this episode: Why a CISO's tenure is so short and why they leave The value of keeping risk management in the CISO's sights The need to clarify the CISO role in the mind of the executive The need to clarify the CISO role in the mind of the CISO

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series Check out this post for the basis for our conversation on this week's episode which features me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series, guest co-host Liam Connolly, CISO, Seek. and our guest Ben Sapiro (@ironfog), head of technology risk and CISO, Canada Life. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, RevCult On average, 18 percent of all your Salesforce data fields are highly sensitive and 89 percent of users have access to that data. RevCult is the only solution that helps you understand the data you have in Salesforce, and if you're protecting it. Get a free Salesforce Security Self-Assessment to understand your Salesforce security weaknesses. In this episode: What actions can a manager take to retain staff? What do team members/employees want? How important is team chemistry? Establishing a creative thinking culture

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series https://cisoseries.com/defense-in-depth-salesforce-security/ Thanks to our podcast sponsor, RevCult On average, 18 percent of all your Salesforce data fields are highly sensitive and 89 percent of users have access to that data. RevCult is the only solution that helps you understand the data you have in Salesforce, and if you're protecting it. Get a free Salesforce Security Self-Assessment to understand your Salesforce security weaknesses. In this episode: Where is Salesforce delivering in security controls and where is it falling short? Salesforce security is more than just a single topic Working with 3rd party SalesForce apps

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series https://cisoseries.com/defense-in-depth-cloud-configuration-fails/ Why do we hear so many stories about incidents related to poor or misconfigured cloud services? Check out this post and this post for the basis for our conversation on this week's episode which features me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series, co-host Geoff Belknap (@geoffbelknap), CISO, LinkedIn and our sponsored guest, Brendan O'Connor, CEO, AppOmni. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, AppOmni AppOmni is building the future of SaaS security. We empower our users to enforce security standards across their SaaS applications, and enable them to remediate in confidence knowing they're fixing the most important SaaS security issues first. Contact us at www.appomni.com to find out who - and what - has access to your SaaS data. In this episode: Why configuration drift and 3rd party access are still significant issues Are cloud providers to blame? The dynamic nature of cloud over time – we can't keep up! Who is ultimately responsible?

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series https://cisoseries.com/starting-pay-for-cyber-staff/ What should an entry level cybersecurity person be paid? And what level of education and training should be expected of them? Check out this post for the basis for our conversation on this week's episode which features me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series, guest co-host Naomi Buckwalter (@ineedmorecyber), director of information security and IT at Beam Technologies, and our guest Dan Walsh (@danwalshciso), CISO, VillageMD. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, AppOmni AppOmni is building the future of SaaS security. We empower our users to enforce security standards across their SaaS applications, and enable them to remediate in confidence knowing they're fixing the most important SaaS security issues first. Contact us at www.appomni.com to find out who - and what - has access to your SaaS data. In this episode: Discussing the $15/hour entry level position Why are qualified people applying for low paying entry level jobs? The classic: This entry level position needs prior experience Assessing the value that interns can bring

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. https://cisoseries.com/fear-of-automation/ Why are security professionals so darn afraid of automation? We continue to hold on to the idea that people have to be integral in the real-time decision process to protect ourselves from the technology we deploy to protect us. Check out this post for the basis for our conversation on this week's episode which features me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series, and Steve Zalewski, CISO, Levi Strauss, with our guest Edward Frye (@edwardfrye), CISO, Aryaka Networks and president of Silicon Valley chapter of ISSA. AppOmni is building the future of SaaS security. We empower our users to enforce security standards across their SaaS applications, and enable them to remediate in confidence knowing they're fixing the most important SaaS security issues first. Contact us at www.appomni.com to find out who - and what - has access to your SaaS data. In this episode: Is it a fear of heavy lifting or not knowing what to lift? Is it a fear of change or a fear of cost? Is it a fear of automating human judgment?

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series https://cisoseries.com/defense-in-depth-hiring-talent-with-no-security-experience/ Should you look for the ideal candidate that has all the security talent you want, or should you find the right person and train them with the security talent you want. And if the latter, what is the right person to work in security who doesn't have security experience? Check out this post and this Twitter discussion for the basis for our conversation on this week's episode which features me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series, co-host, Geoff Belknap (@geoffbelknap), CISO, LinkedIn, and our guest Dev Akhawe (@frgx), CISO, Figma. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Sonatype With security concerns around software supply chains ushered to center stage in recent months, organizations around the world are turning to Sonatype as trusted advisors. The company's Nexus platform offers the only full-spectrum control of the cloud-native software development lifecycle including third-party open source code, first-party source code, infrastructure as code, and containerized code. Is there a cyber talent shortage? If so, does the shortage come from the hiring side? The dangers of leaving positions open too long The dangers of focusing on checklists vs. candidate potential

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series https://cisoseries.com/defense-in-depth-security-hygiene-for-software-development/ How do we improve the quality of our software? In the rush to be competitive, security has often taken a back seat to be first to market. What's the formula for fast and secure applications? Check out this post for the basis for our conversation on this week's episode which features me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series, co-host, Geoff Belknap (@geoffbelknap), CISO LinkedIn, and sponsored guest Wayne Jackson, CEO, Sonatype. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Sonatype In this episode: Are we working too fast and under too much pressure to be secure? What types of scanning should we do, and how often? What about open source/third party software in the pipeline? What are the dangers inherent in purchasing "secure software"?

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series https://cisoseries.com/defense-in-depth-how-much-do-you-know-about-your-data/ Do cybersecurity professionals even know what they're protecting? How aware are they of the data, its content and its sensitivity? What happens to your security posture when you do understand the data you're protecting? What can you do that you weren't able to do before? Check out this post for the basis for our conversation on this week's episode which features me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series, and Steve Zalewski, CISO, Levi Strauss, with our sponsored guest, Aidan Simister (@aidansimister), CEO, Lepide. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Lepide Ninety eight percent of all threats start with Active Directory and nearly always involve the compromise of data stored on enterprise data stores. Lepide's unique combination of detailed auditing, anomaly detection, real time alerting, and real time data discovery and classification allows you to identify, prioritize and investigate threats – fast. In this episode: How much do you know about the data you are being asked to protect? Equating the value of the data to be protected with the cost of protection How to find out how data is being used Moving beyond the bare minimum of protection

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series https://cisoseries.com/defense-in-depth-do-startups-need-a-ciso/ Startups are all about proving the value of their product and growth. At the beginning, all of their money is funneled into product and market development. When do they need a CISO, if at all? Check out this post for the basis for our conversation on this week's episode which features me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series, and guest co-host Jimmy Sanders (@jfireluv), head of cybersecurity for Netflix DVD and our guest is Bryan Zimmer (@bryanzimmer), head of security for Humu. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Lepide Ninety eight percent of all threats start with Active Directory and nearly always involve the compromise of data stored on enterprise data stores. Lepide's unique combination of detailed auditing, anomaly detection, real time alerting, and real time data discovery and classification allows you to identify, prioritize and investigate threats – fast. In this episode: Should a company get a CISO right away, or wait until the security program matures? If they get a CISO should they go for "on-prem" or on-demand? Or.... should they just go and seek CISO-level advice from the security community?

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series https://cisoseries.com/defense-in-depth-insider-risk/ By just doing their jobs, your employees are introducing risk to the business. They don't mean to be causing issues, but their simple actions and sometimes mistakes can cause great harm. Is it their fault, or is it security's fault for not creating the right systems? Check out this post for the basis for our conversation on this week's episode which features me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series, co-host, Steve Zalewski, CISO, Levis, and our sponsored guest Mark Wojtasiak (@markwojtasiak), vp, portfolio strategy & product marketing, Code42 and author of Inside Jobs: Why Insider Risk is the Biggest Cyber Threat You Can't Ignore. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Code42 Redefine data security standards for the hybrid workforce. Check out Code42. In this episode: Distractions and fatigue causing split-second mistakes The need for tailored education and training Making it easier for people to make the right choice Identify ways damage could happen, in order to mitigate

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series https://cisoseries.com/defense-in-depth-whats-the-obsession-with-zero-trust/ Why is everyone obsessed with Zero Trust? Is it just a marketing ploy that vendors are using to sell their products? Or, is it truly a methodology that provides better security, especially in today's environment. Check out this post for the basis for our conversation on this week's episode which features me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series, co-host, Geoff Belknap (@geoffbelknap), CISO LinkedIn, Melody Hildebrandt (@mhil1), evp, product & engineering and CISO, Fox. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Code42 Redefine data security standards for the hybrid workforce. Check out Code42. In this episode Does Zero Trust obscure the core principles it's supposed to serve? How does Zero Trust affect the assumptions around cybersecurity's control and ownership of a network What are the real Zero Trust best practices?

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series https://cisoseries.com/defense-in-depth-mentoring/ Companies want security people with experience and they want to grow cybersecurity leaders. It's often hard to find that experience, and while there are certification courses aplenty, courses in cybersecurity leadership are hard to find. One possible solution is mentoring, but that has its own hurdles. Check out this post for the basis for our conversation on this week's episode which features me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series, guest co-host, Geoff Belknap (@geoffbelknap), CISO LinkedIn, and our guest Sean Catlett, CSO, Slack. In this episode The mutual value of being a mentor What obligations does a mentee have? Mentorship: large-scale concepts or day-to-day or both?

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series https://cisoseries.com/defense-in-depth-securing-the-super-bowl-and-other-huge-events/ How do cybersecurity professionals secure a huge event like the Olympics, the Superbowl, or a city's New Year's Eve party? What are the unique considerations that come into play? Check out this post for the basis for our conversation on this week's episode which features me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series, guest co-host Geoff Belknap (@geoffbelknap), CISO, LinkedIn, and our guest Tomás Maldonado (@tomas_mald), CISO, NFL Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Lepide Ninety eight percent of all threats start with Active Directory and nearly always involve the compromise of data stored on enterprise data stores. Lepide's unique combination of detailed auditing, anomaly detection, real time alerting, and real time data discovery and classification allows you to identify, prioritize and investigate threats - fast. In this episode Protecting large events starts long before, like years before How threat actors targeting events differ from than those targeting companies It's not just the target - there's also public safety When it goes live, it GOES LIVE

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series https://cisoseries.com/defense-in-depth-cybersecurity-isnt-that-difficult/ What are you security people complaining about? As compared to 10, 15, 20 years ago, the technical aspects of cybersecurity are not that difficult. We've got the control frameworks, tools, and training that are predecessors didn't have. Check out this post for the basis for our conversation on this week's episode which features me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series, guest co-host Naomi Buckwalter (@ineedmorecyber), director of information security and IT at Beam Technologies, and our guest, John Overbaugh (@johnoverbaugh), vp, security, CareCentrix Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Trend Micro as bold Threat actors want what you're storing in the cloud. Trend Micro's Cloud One platform provides cloud security from a single console, keeping you at your most resilient. Let what happens in the cloud, stay in the cloud. In this episode What infosec was like "back in the day" What's out of alignment: the technology or the culture? Can we really stand on the shoulders of giants amid so much change? Where is individual cyberhygiene in all of this?

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series https://cisoseries.com/defense-in-depth-cloud-security-myths/ The cloud is inherently insecure! The cloud will handle all your security needs. More data breaches happen in the cloud. These are just some of the many many myths of cloud security. Listen as we debunk as many as we possibly can. Check out this post for the basis for our conversation on this week's episode which features me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series, guest co-host Steve Zalewski, CISO, Levis, and our sponsored guest Mark Nunnikhoven (@markna), vp, cloud research, Trend Micro. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Trend Micro Threat actors want what you're storing in the cloud. Trend Micro's Cloud One platform provides cloud security from a single console, keeping you at your most resilient. Let what happens in the cloud, stay in the cloud. In this episode How many cloud myths from years back still endure? Is cloud less secure or more secure now? Who has the responsibility for security? Just because you're in the cloud, does that mean you're protected?

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series https://cisoseries.com/defense-in-depth-what-is-securitys-mission/ What's the mission of your security program? Is it to proactively SECURE THE COMPANY against a compromise of the CONFIDENTIALITY, INTEGRITY, and AVAILABILITY, OR, is it to PROTECT THE COMPANY BRAND by effectively PREVENTing, DETECTING and RESPONDING to cyber-threats? These are the two options for security's mission that we discuss on this week's show. Check out this post for the basis for our conversation on this week's episode which features me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series, guest co-host Steve Zalewski, Deputy CISO, Levis, and our guest, Johna Till Johnson (@JohnaTillJohnso), CEO, Nemertes Research. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Trend Micro The conversation between you and your board of directors is not always a walk in the park. With more cloud projects coming your way, it's time to change the conversation to speak their language and start paving the way for a secure future. For more, go to http://trendmicro.com/CISO In this episode Security mission option 1: protecting the company Security mission option 2: protecting the brand & revenue stream Does one lead to/support the other? Does the degree of cloud presence make a difference? How much of this is technical vs philosophical?

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series https://cisoseries.com/defense-in-depth-vendor-cisos/ It's hard to be a CISO. But, what's it like to be a CISO at a security vendor, doing the hard work while carrying the stigma of being a "vendor"? Check out this post for the basis for our conversation on this week's episode which features me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series, guest co-host Geoff Belknap (@geoffbelknap), CISO, LinkedIn, and our sponsored guest Allan Alford (@AllanAlfordinTX), CTO/CISO, TrustMAPP, and host of The Cyber Ranch Podcast. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, TrustMAPP Does your board want to see yet more heat maps? No, they do not. They want to see that security investments align with business goals, and that their costs are objectively justified. TrustMAPP's data visualization helps you communicate with your board in a way they can understand – and approve. In this episode How to balance being an advocate, an evangelist and an operator Are there really "stigmas" to being a security vendor? What's unique to practicing security while being a security vendor?

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series https://cisoseries.com/defense-in-depth-how-much-log-data-do-you-need You're a CISO struggling with an influx of log data into your SIEM. What's the data you want to keep, and for how long? You want insights, but you also want to keep costs down. Holding onto everything is going to cost a fortune. Check out this post for the basis for our conversation on this week's episode which features me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series, co-host Steve Zalewski, deputy CISO, Levis, and our guest Naomi Buckwalter (@ineedmorecyber), director of information security and IT at Beam Technologies . Thanks to our podcast sponsor, TrustMAPP Does your board want to see yet more heat maps? No, they do not. They want to see that security investments align with business goals, and that their costs are objectively justified. TrustMAPP's data visualization helps you communicate with your board in a way they can understand – and approve. In this episode So, what is the sweet spot for retaining log files? 90 days? 1 year? Should you categorize according to business criticality? How do you separate the "junk" from the valuable data?

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series https://cisoseries.com/defense-in-depth-should-finance-or-legal-mentor-cyber Cybersecurity leaders are constantly looking for ways to improve how they think about risk, and how they communicate risk. But they're not the only ones. Others have been managing risk long before CISOs existed. So, who could be the best mentor to help a CISO gain better insight into business risk and how to communicate about it: the chief financial officer, or the legal department's general counsel? Check out this post for the basis for our conversation on this week's episode which features me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series, guest co-host Geoff Belknap (@geoffbelknap), CISO, LinkedIn, and our guest, David Schellhase (@davidschellhase), general counsel, Slack. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, TrustMAPP TrustMAPP delivers Security Performance Management, giving CISOs a real-time view of the effectiveness of their security program. TrustMAPP tells you where you are, where you're going, and what it will take to get there. TrustMAPP gives organizations the ability to manage security as a business, quantifying and prioritizing remediation actions and costs. To learn about the MAPP methodology, download the white paper at https://trustmapp.com/mapp-paper/ In this episode Which executive could a CISO learn more about risk? Determining ROI of finance, legal and other execs Analyzing why its so important to establish the ideal mentorship relationship

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series https://cisoseries.com/defense-in-depth-data-destruction How do you deal with data at end of life? Holding onto data too long can be very costly and increase risk. So how do you get rid of it... safely? Check out this post for the basis for our conversation on this week's episode which features me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series, guest co-host Shawn Bowen, CISO, Restaurant Brands International (RBI), and our sponsored guest, Frank Milia, partner, (@ITAssetRecvry), IT Asset Management Group. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, IT Asset Management Poorly managed IT asset disposal, lack of due diligence, and a disposal program without clearly defined responsible parties has now resulted in millions of dollars in regulatory penalties. Is it clear who is responsible for the performance of your data disposition practice? IT Asset Management Group's free program guide includes tips for establishing stakeholders at your organization and expectations for all practitioners. Download the program guide today at itamg.com/CISO In this episode Is the risk of holding onto data greater than the value of keeping it? Should client data be considered a "toxic byproduct"? When disposing of client data, how much destruction is enough? What legal and regulatory requirements should be considered before destroying data?

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series https://cisoseries.com/defense-in-depth-how-to-make-cybersecurity-more-efficient/ You're a new CISO told to hold headcount even and find the resources to do 20% more work. We're already maxed out. So how do we do more? Coming up next we're getting smart and more efficient with security. Check out this post for the basis for our conversation on this week's episode which features me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series, guest co-host Steve Zalewski, Deputy CISO, Levis, and our guest, Mike Morgan, (@theywerecones) head of information security, infrastructure director, Foster Farms Thanks to our podcast sponsor, IT Asset Management Group Poorly managed IT asset disposal, lack of due diligence, and a disposal program without clearly defined responsible parties has now resulted in millions of dollars in regulatory penalties. Is it clear who is responsible for the performance of your data disposition practice? IT Asset Management Group's free program guide includes tips for establishing stakeholders at your organization and expectations for all practitioners. Download the program guide today at itamg.com/CISO In this episode Improving processes right from the beginning of the pipeline Looking for waste - and knowing what "waste" is Doing more with less means at some point, something important will break Delegating and crossing over skills Watching out for IT sprawl and "new fangled" solutions

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series https://cisoseries.com/defense-in-depth-does-a-ciso-need-tech-skills Does a CISO need technical skills to be an effective cybersecurity leader? Many CISOs don't have them. Are they still effective and does it affect their ability to lead? Check out this post for the basis for our conversation on this week's episode which features me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series, and guest co-host Ben Sapiro, (@ironfog), CISO, Great-West LifeCo, and our guest, Zach Powers, CISO, Benchling. Thanks to our episode sponsor, IT Asset Management Group Poorly managed IT asset disposal, lack of due diligence, and a disposal program without clearly defined responsible parties has now resulted in millions of dollars in regulatory penalties. Is it clear who is responsible for the performance of your data disposition practice? IT Asset Management Group's free program guide includes tips for establishing stakeholders at your organization and expectations for all practitioners. Download the program guide today at itamg.com/CISO. In this episode Why having the skills helps with realistic expectations Being able to see through the nonsense The value of staying passionate about the profession

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series https://cisoseries.com/defense-in-depth-how-do-you-know-if-youre-good-at-security/ What metrics or indicators signal to you that an organization is "good at security"? Check out this post for the basis for our conversation on this week's episode which features me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series, guest co-host Geoff Belknap (@geoffbelknap), CISO, LinkedIn, and our guest Justin Berman (@justinmberman), former CISO, Dropbox. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Imperva Face it, your data is everywhere! Imperva Data Security unifies compliance, security and privacy needs for any data store while saving you time and money. No matter where data lives, get confidence about what is happening with data, where it's stored and who's accessing it. Start a free trial now. In this episode How do go about measuring risk Assessing the ratio of critical/high severity issues to issues closed The difference between a reactive or proactive threat management policy

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series You're a new CISO at a new org given a headcount of ten to build a cybersecurity team. What's your strategy to build that team? Check out this post for the basis for our conversation on this week's episode which features me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series, guest co-host Steve Zalewski, Deputy CISO, Levis, and our guest JJ Agha (@jaysquaredx2), CISO, Compass. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Imperva Face it, your data is everywhere! Imperva Data Security unifies compliance, security and privacy needs for any data store while saving you time and money. No matter where data lives, get confidence about what is happening with data, where it's stored and who's accessing it. Start a free trial now. In this episode The importance of assessments and gap analyses Why you need to leveraging your network Educating and empowering teams Introspection and self-awareness as a leader

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series (https://cisoseries.com/defense-in-depth-are-our-data-protection-strategies-evolving/) As we're evolving from putting data on premises to the cloud, are our data protection strategies evolving as well? There are issues of securing data, knowing where it travels, and privacy implications of data. How are we handling all of that? Check out this post for the basis for our conversation on this week's episode which features me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series, co-host Allan Alford (@allanalfordintx), and our sponsored guest, Chris Brown, senior director, data security at Imperva. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Imperva. Face it, your data is everywhere! Imperva Data Security unifies compliance, security and privacy needs for any data store while saving you time and money. No matter where data lives, get confidence about what is happening with data, where it's stored and who's accessing it. Start a free trial now. In this episode Cloud platforms and exposure make it easier to deploy with less oversight, making mistakes easier. There's a need for a change of mindset of product and marketing leaders to consider consequences of taking in different data types in the design phase. There's also a need for SIEM tools and access management.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series (https://cisoseries.com/defense-in-depth-should-cisos-be-licensed-professionals/) Many professionals are required to obtain a license before they can do their job legally. The demands of cybersecurity professionals, especially CISOs, has become more critical as evidenced by the increasing number of regulations demanding a person oversee security and privacy controls. Should CISOs be licensed to maintain a minimum standard? Check out this post for the basis for our conversation on this week's episode which features me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series, co-host Allan Alford (@allanalfordintx), and our guest Patrick Benoit (@patrickbenoit), vp, global head of GRC and BISO, CBRE. Thanks to this week's podcast sponsor, F5 External threats to your organization's security are constantly evolving. Your apps need broad and preventive protection from bot attacks that cause large-scale fraud, higher operational costs, and problems for your users. And they need to be optimized for secure operation internally. Silverline Shape Defense helps you stay ahead of cyber threats and fraud. Get a free trial. Highlights from this episode of Defense in Depth: Almost universally, nobody liked the idea of requiring a CISO to have a license in order to practice. But, with that said, the subject stirred up a hornet's nest of discussion. Main complaint is the job changes so drastically depending on what industry you're in. Many argued that a license won't translate into success. Hard to tell how to put a license around someone who is managing risk, but doesn't own the risk.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series (https://cisoseries.com/defense-in-depth-inherently-vulnerable-by-design/) Much of what we do as practitioners is to prevent inadvertent security problems - oversights, zero-days, etc. What about inherent and unavoidable problems? When the very design of the thing requires a lack of security? What do you do then? Check out this post for the basis for our conversation on this week's episode which features me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series, co-host Allan Alford (@allanalfordintx), and our sponsored guest is Dan Woods, vp of the Shape Intelligence Center, F5. Thanks to this week's podcast sponsor, F5. External threats to your organization's security are constantly evolving. Your apps need broad and preventive protection from bot attacks that cause large-scale fraud, higher operational costs, and problems for your users. And they need to be optimized for secure operation internally. Silverline Shape Defense helps you stay ahead of cyber threats and fraud. Get a free trial. On this episode of Defense in Depth, you'll learn: The mere act of conducting business requires you to have certain procedures that would make you vulnerable. Simple things like taking customer information to create user accounts and processing credit cards. That's inherent to doing business, and by opening that up, it makes you vulnerable. A lot of this inherent vulnerability comes down to having users or customers and needing to authenticate them. When you start a business you're also accepting the inherent vulnerability and you have to ask yourself to what level can the business function having that vulnerability abused? It's all about risk appetite. Two factor authentication sure is nice, but there has to be multiple "behind the scenes" authentications going on to verify identity continuously. As you're collecting all these additional data points you can use that information to ask the user to verify. Provide discounts to customers and users for good security practices. Insurance companies do this with people who prove safe driving practices. It could be a win-win for everybody. For example, with Mailchimp, they give you a discount if you enable 2FA. Why not offer a discount for a really long and complicated password? One of the major issues is the password reset process happens through email. Email wasn't designed for critical authentication. Many hacks happen through the reset process via email.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series (https://cisoseries.com/defense-in-depth-imposter-syndrome/) For CISOs and other security leaders, suffering from imposter syndrome seems inevitable. How can you ever be really confident when there's an endless stream of threats and a landscape that changes without your knowledge? Check out this post for the basis for our conversation on this week's episode which features me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series, co-host Allan Alford (@allanalfordintx), and our guest David Peach (@realdavidp), CISO and head of privacy, The Economist Group. Thanks to this week's podcast sponsor, F5. CISOs are dealing with the increasing sophistication of cyber attackers that are taking advantage of their applications. Find out how F5 helps organizations expand their security and see the unseen by watching the F5 Security Summit webinar. View it here. On this episode of Defense in Depth, you'll learn: Imposter syndrome is a feeling of not being as good as you purport to be or others perceive you to be. Almost all security professionals, especially CISOs, have moments of imposter syndrome. The root of the problem is underestimating your contributions. Imposter syndrome can debilitate a security professional. But the opposite is also dangerous. If you don't question your ability and think you alone can solve things and others perceive that you can do that as well, that's a disaster waiting to happen. The relentless change of technology and threats can overwhelm a professional and feel that they can't keep up. There's a sense of you will always be behind. It's not a sprint, nor a marathon. Security is an infinite game. There's no winning and no moment of relief, but looking at it as a journey you can see success along the way. There is an outside pressure that CISOs know more than they actually do, and at the same time they don't want to disappoint management, the business, or the team. Imposter syndrome can be seen as a positive when it leads to self awareness and improvement. Be smart enough to know how little you do know and accept it, but still stay on that journey to keep learning more. You can't teach the person who thinks they know it all. The flipside is you rarely get congratulated for your work as a security professional.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series (https://cisoseries.com/defense-in-depth-why-dont-more-companies-take-cybersecurity-seriously/) With every cybersecurity breach, we still don't seem to be getting through. Many companies don't seem to be taking cybersecurity seriously. What does it take? Obviously not scare tactics. Check out this post for the basis for our conversation on this week's episode which features me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series, co-host Allan Alford (@allanalfordintx), and our guest Ben Sapiro, global CISO, Great-West LifeCo. Thanks to this week's podcast sponsor, Sonatype. On this episode of Defense in Depth, you'll learn: Even with attacks and breaches on a constant march, far too many companies operate under the "it will never happen to me" ostrich strategy. Problem with the "I'm too small to attack" defense is you probably also have minimal security protections which also makes you far easier to attack. Far easier to penetrate 100 low defense targets than one huge target with high defenses. Watching other companies survive a breach makes one feel as if they'll be just as resilient. Many companies not showing interest in cybersecurity may simply not be doing appropriate risk-based analysis. A company in a highly regulated industry has no choice but to take cybersecurity seriously. Businesses that are highly built on trust and have a low barrier to exit often understand the need to take cybersecurity seriously. They are always cognizant of reputational risk. Many feel that they are powerless against the onslaught of attacks and even if they do take cybersecurity seriously and spend money defending themselves it will all be a giant waste of effort. Many people simply don't feel attached to any type of cybersecurity effort. If you're not vested in it, why care about it? Those of us in cybersecurity forget what it feels like to not know anything about cybersecurity. On this episode of Defense in Depth, you'll learn: Even with attacks and breaches on a constant march, far too many companies operate under the "it will never happen to me" ostrich strategy. Problem with the "I'm too small to attack" defense is you probably also have minimal security protections which also makes you far easier to attack. Far easier to penetrate 100 low defense targets than one huge target with high defenses. Watching other companies survive a breach makes one feel as if they'll be just as resilient. Many companies not showing interest in cybersecurity may simply not be doing appropriate risk-based analysis. A company in a highly regulated industry has no choice but to take cybersecurity seriously. Businesses that are highly built on trust and have a low barrier to exit often understand the need to take cybersecurity seriously. They are always cognizant of reputational risk. Many feel that they are powerless against the onslaught of attacks and even if they do take cybersecurity seriously and spend money defending themselves it will all be a giant waste of effort. Many people simply don't feel attached to any type of cybersecurity effort. If you're not vested in it, why care about it? Those of us in cybersecurity forget what it feels like to not know anything about cybersecurity.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series (https://cisoseries.com/defense-in-depth-data-protection-and-visibility/) Where is your data? Who's accessing it? You may know if you have an identity access management solution, but what happens when that data leaves your control. What do you do then? Check out this post for the basis for our conversation on this week's episode which features me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series, co-host Allan Alford (@allanalfordintx), and our sponsored guest is Elliot Lewis (@elliotdlewis), CEO, Keyavi Data. Thanks to this week's podcast sponsor, Keyavi Data. Our Keyavi breaks new ground by making data itself intelligent and self-aware, so that it stays under its owner's control and protects itself immediately, no matter where it is or who is attempting access. Keyavi is led by a team of renowned data security, encryption, and cyber forensics experts. See for yourself at keyavidata.com. On this episode of Defense in Depth, you'll learn: In general, all of security is based on detecting threats and stopping threats. When those two fail, and they do, what's your recourse to protect your data? What if when your data leaves your control either accidentally or through a malicious breach, you were still able to see your data wherever it went and your data could communicate back to you its status, allowing you to control access to your data? There are so many scenarios when data leaves you, it's impossible to protect for all scenarios. Asset inventory is first step in the CIS 20. Just trying to get an asset inventory of equipment is difficult. An inventory of data is near impossible especially when you may be pumping out a terabyte of data a day. Ideal situation is to protect data proactively, as it's being created. The ultimate goal is to have visibility of your data in perpetuity, for the life of the data, and you can decide when to destroy it even when it's no longer within the confines of your greater network and ecosystem. Governing your network, your applications, the rules, and the data is half the battle. Data visibility also allows you to make informed decisions as a business and can provide the answers your legal team will need in case there's a breach. You want the data protection and visibility schema to be platform and ecosystem independent. If data is taken out of the ecosystem, then the protection and visibility is moot. A good precursor to this is digital rights management or DRM. They have figured out how to manage data from being copied and manipulated and they can place controls on it. The limiting factor though is it's platform dependent.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series (https://cisoseries.com/defense-in-depth-whats-an-entry-level-cybersecurity-job/) Naomi Buckwalter, director of information security at Energage analyzed one thousand random information security job posts on LinkedIn. The most notable trend she found was that 43% of the posts had CISSP and 5-year experience requirements for entry level positions. Are companies trying to lowball cybersecurity professionals, or do they simply not know what an entry level cybersecurity job is. Check out this post for the basis for our conversation on this week's episode which features me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series, co-host Allan Alford (@allanalfordintx), and our guest is Joseph Carrigan (@JTCarrigan), senior security engineer at Johns Hopkins University Information Security Institute, and co-host Hacking Humans podcast. Thanks to this week's podcast sponsor, Keyavi Data. Our Keyavi breaks new ground by making data itself intelligent and self-aware, so that it stays under its owner's control and protects itself immediately, no matter where it is or who is attempting access. Keyavi is led by a team of renowned data security, encryption, and cyber forensics experts. See for yourself at keyavidata.com. On this episode of Defense in Depth, you'll learn: There has been an ongoing trend for companies to post "entry level but experience required" job listings for cybersecurity professionals. This is self-defeating for companies because the positions don't get filled. And for true entry level people, they get discouraged. They feel it's impossible to get into the industry. This can drive them away from cybersecurity which hurts the entire industry. Others would argue that we shouldn't even have this conversation because there is no such thing as an entry level position. Like there are no entry-level doctors. You must have some type of training or experience to do this job. There's no doubt that CISOs fight more for headcount than they do overall dollars. And if they get a limited headcount, they're going to want to get as much talent as they possibly can with that limited number of positions they can fill. Security is a layer on top of IT, engineering, or development. For that reason it can be seen as mid-level experience or above, simply because security is a specialization. Is this behavior of shooting so high for an entry-level cybersecurity role causing the cybersecurity skills gap? Best way to prove your value to a hiring cybersecurity professional is to setup your own home lab. The skill that is hard to put on a resume or to explain in a job listing is non-linear thinking. But that's essentially what you're looking for with an entry-level cybersecurity hire.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series (https://cisoseries.com/defense-in-depth-securing-digital-transformations/) Digital transformation. It's definition is broad. Meaning securing it is also broad. But there are some principles that can be followed as companies undergo each step in a deeper dive to make more and more of their processes essentially computerized. Check out this post for the basis for our conversation on this week's episode which features me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series, co-host Allan Alford (@allanalfordintx), and our guest is Paul Asadoorian (@securityweekly), founder & CTO, Security Weekly, and chief innovation officer, Cyber Risk Alliance. Thanks to this week's podcast sponsor, Keyavi Data. Our Keyavi breaks new ground by making data itself intelligent and self-aware, so that it stays under its owner's control and protects itself immediately, no matter where it is or who is attempting access. Keyavi is led by a team of renowned data security, encryption, and cyber forensics experts. See for yourself at keyavidata.com. On this episode of Defense in Depth, you'll learn: Digital transformation is about relying on computing technology for more integral processes and aspects in our daily work lives. Lots of debate on the definition of digital transformation and as well securing digital transformations. Definition: A targeted change to process and technology for the benefit of the people. Definition: increasing levels of interoperability of information. We heard the recurring argument of the need for security to have a seat at the table at the beginning of a digital transformation, and not at the end. But at the same time reality sunk in and it was argued that security doesn't get to dictate that. And if security tried to, it would create a greater wedge with the business. When security is brought in at the end though, security has no option but to disrupt the business. Then no one is happy. Digital transformation simply introduce new risks, often greater risk. If the point is to integrate more of your processes, then that integrates the risk as well. If you're undergoing a true transformation, you are looking at core processes and saying, "What new tech facilitates, streamlines, and/or actualizes these core processes?" You no longer have to settle for shopping for a solution and then smashing your processes up against it. Your security tools should also undergo a transformation. That includes a transformation in monitoring as well.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series (https://cisoseries.com/defense-in-depth-leaked-secrets-in-code-repositories/) Secrets, such as passwords and credentials, are out in the open just sitting there in code repositories. Why do these secrets even exist in public? What's their danger? And how can they be found and removed? Check out this post for the basis for our conversation on this week's episode which features me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series, co-host Allan Alford (@allanalfordintx), and our sponsored guest is Jérémy Thomas, CEO, GitGuardian. Thanks to this week's podcast sponsor GitGuardian. GitGuardian empowers organizations to secure their secrets - such as API keys and other credentials - from being exposed in compromised places or leaked publicly. GitGuardian offers a threat intelligence solution focused on detecting secrets leaked on public GitHub and an automated secrets detection solution which tightly integrates with your DevOps pipeline. On this episode of Defense in Depth, you'll learn: Putting passwords and other credential information inside of code simply happens. It is done by developers for purposes of efficiency, laziness, or simply forgot to take it out. Given that exposing secrets is done by developers, these secrets appear in code everywhere, most notably in public code repositories like GitHub. Exposed credentials can appear in SIEMS as it's being exported from the developers' code. There is a shared responsibility model and cloud providers do have some ability to scan code, but ultimately code you put in your programs is your responsibility. Scanning public code repositories should be your first step. You don't want to be adding code that has known issues. Next step is to scan your own code and get alerts if your developers are adding secrets (wittingly or unwittingly) in their code. If you alert in real-time, it fits naturally within the DevOps pipeline and they will improve their secure coding skills. Another option to deal with exposed secrets is to sidestep the problem completely and put in additional layers of security, most notably multi-factor authentication (MFA). A great idea, and yes, you should definitely include this very secure step, but it doesn't eliminate the problem. There are far too many authentication layers (many automated) for you to put MFA on everything. There will always be many moments of exposure.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series (https://cisoseries.com/defense-in-depth-measuring-the-success-of-your-security-program/) How does a CISO measure the performance of their security program? Sure, there are metrics, but what are you measuring against? Is it a framework or the quality of protection? How do you tell if your program is improving and growing? Check out this post for the basis for our conversation on this week's episode which features me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series, co-host Allan Alford (@allanalfordintx), and our sponsored guest is Chad Boeckmann (@SDS_Advisor), CEO, TrustMAPP. TrustMAPP delivers continuous, automated Security Performance Management, a real-time view of your cybersecurity maturity. TrustMAPP tells you where you are, where you're going, and what it will take to get there. TrustMAPP lets you manage security as a business, quantifying and prioritizing remediation actions and costs. On this episode of Defense in Depth, you'll learn: The process is very systematic. Start with knowing your risks, how you're going to track them, and the controls you're going to put them in place to manage them. Simple to say, hard to do. Security risk is just one of a multitude risks a business faces. Data's whereabouts is a moving target. Having confidence in its location and protections is key to managing overall risk. Constantly be asking who has access to the data and what communications processes are you using to share that information between humans and machines. Discuss with leadership as to how you will judge success and what metrics you will use. C-suite will need to lead the discussion with security providing guidance as to what they can and can't measure. If you're measuring security's performance this is a great opportunity for security to tell its story and prove its value, ultimately setting it up for increased budget and participation from others. An informal metric for success could be how often is security getting invited to informal meetings. Overall positive sentiment of security by non-security employees. How well are you able to build (are people eager to work with you?) and maintain your staff? Another "out of the box" metric to consider are opportunity costs. How many contracts are you losing because you were incapable of meeting a potential customer's security standards? Strong debate as to what is the goal of a security program: Risk reduction or risk management? It's very possible that you are currently managing risk well and the additional cost to reduce risk is not necessary.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series (https://cisoseries.com/defense-in-depth-privacy-is-an-uphill-battle/) Privacy is an uphill battle. The problem is those gathering the data aren't the ones tasked with protecting the privacy of those users for whom that data represents. Check out this post for the basis for our conversation on this week's episode which features me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series, co-host Allan Alford (@allanalfordintx), and our guest is Dave Bittner (@bittner), host, The CyberWire Podcast. Thank to our episode sponsor, TrustMAPP. TrustMAPP delivers continuous, automated Security Performance Management, a real-time view of your cybersecurity maturity. TrustMAPP tells you where you are, where you're going, and what it will take to get there. TrustMAPP lets you manage security as a business, quantifying and prioritizing remediation actions and costs. On this episode of Defense in Depth, you'll learn: Marketers, the ones often collecting the data, have no incentive to not gather more. The only thing holding them back, barely, are newly growing privacy regulations. Security professionals are tasked with protecting privacy but they're not usually on the front lines of data collection and are often brought in after the data has been collected. The public has become numb to the abuse of their privacy. A little is being chipped away at the time that they either don't know they're being abused or it appears to be so slight they don't even care. They see the benefits of sharing far outweighing the negatives. GDPR is large and very difficult to comply with. And although it only affects site visitors from Europe, most site owners are deploying GDPR controls system-wide for all visitors for fear of making a mistake while at the same time realizing that similar regulations will launch in other parts of the world.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series (https://cisoseries.com/defense-in-depth-legal-protection-for-cisos/) What's the legal responsibility of a CISO? New cases are placing the liability for certain aspects of security incidents squarely on the CISO. And attorney-client privilege has been overruled lately too. What does this mean for corporate and for CISO risk? Check out this post for the basis for our conversation on this week's episode which features me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series, co-host Allan Alford (@allanalfordintx), and our guest is Evan Wolff, partner at Crowell & Moring. Thank to our episode sponsor, TrustMAPP. TrustMAPP delivers continuous, automated Security Performance Management, a real-time view of your cybersecurity maturity. TrustMAPP tells you where you are, where you're going, and what it will take to get there. TrustMAPP lets you manage security as a business, quantifying and prioritizing remediation actions and costs. On this episode of Defense in Depth, you'll learn: We repeatedly joke about Davi Ottenheimer's comment that the CISO has held the moniker of "designated felon" in American risk mitigation. Big piece of advice that was repeated throughout the episode is to have an employment contract. In the employment contract you want an exit strategy that allows you to leave if you think a situation is not tenable or the company is asking you to do something that you believe to be unethical. It gives you an opportunity to leave without any blame assigned. The cc field is your friend. If you don't want to be seen as the only one "in the know" take advantage of making sure key people are also in the loop. We heard one unbelievable story of an employment contract where it was clear that the CISO would be the "designated felon" should there be any breach. This was put in place to protect the executive team. The contract offered financial security for two years post breach. We all agreed this was insane and had never heard of anything like that before. Be wary of being forced to take on personal ownership of security issues. A CISO is responsible, not accountable.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series (https://cisoseries.com/defense-in-depth-xdr-extended-detection-and-response/) Is XDR changing the investigative landscape for security professionals? The "X" in XDR extends traditional endpoint detection and response or EDR to also include network and cloud sensors. Having this full breadth, XDR can contextualize alerts to tell a more cogent story as to what's going on in your environment. Check out this post for the basis for our conversation on this week's episode which features me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series, co-host Allan Alford (@allanalfordintx), and our guest is Dave Bittner (@bittner), host, The CyberWire. Thanks to our sponsor, Hunters. Attackers always find new ways to bypass organizational defenses. While their traces hide in the data, they're also extremely difficult to detect. Hunters.AI is a context-fueled XDR solution that harnesses top-tier threat hunting expertise and ML to autonomously detect, investigate and correlate attack findings across cloud, network, and endpoint. On this episode of Defense in Depth, you'll learn: XDR extends traditional endpoint detection and response or EDR to also include network and cloud sensors. XDR is viewed as a comprehensive solution that rolls up all your critical feeds, sensors, and analytics. Having this full breadth, XDR can contextualize alerts to tell a more cogent story as to what's going on in your environment. If you've got a greenfield security program (essentially it's non existent), XDR is a no-brainer. But for everyone else, which is most of us, rolling out XDR is not as clear cut a decision. How does it integrate with your existing tech stack? Lots of question as to why do you need a SIEM if you have XDR? But, most responded that the two technologies are complimentary. Where XDR becomes redundant is if you have SIEM + SOAR + XDR + NDR. XDR's real power is the ability to give you some of the investigative details rather than just telling you that somebody breached a certain endpoint. But it can connect the dots and explain that a certain breach also resulted in a certain action. This greatly reduces the time your SOC needs to spend investigating cases. Don't though be fooled with solutions that sell purely on reducing time and effort. You're only going to have that if you have useful integrations.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series (https://cisoseries.com/defense-in-depth-calling-users-stupid/) Many cybersecurity professionals use derogatory terms towards their users, like calling them "dumb" because they fell for a phish or some type of online scam. It can be detrimental, even behind their back, and it doesn't foster a stronger security culture. Check out this post for the basis for our conversation on this week's episode which features me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series, co-host Allan Alford (@allanalfordintx), and our guest Dustin Wilcox, CISO, Anthem. Thanks to our sponsor, Hunters. Attackers always find new ways to bypass organizational defenses. While their traces hide in the data, they're also extremely difficult to detect. Hunters.AI is a context-fueled XDR solution that harnesses top-tier threat hunting expertise and ML to autonomously detect, investigate and correlate attack findings across cloud, network, and endpoint. On this episode of Defense in Depth, you'll learn: Security people have notoriously had a "better than them" attitude towards their users who they view as the ones causing all the problems and making their lives more difficult. Calling users stupid for making a "mistake of effort" even if it's behind their back does not foster a bond with the security team. It fosters the us vs. them attitude. Security professionals will have a lot more success if they understand why users do the things they do. Once there is that understanding, then cybersecurity will better be able to design systems that accommodate users. About a third of your users confidently believe they're following the right cybersecurity procedures. That discrepancy is not the fault of the users, it's the fault of cybersecurity's education of users. Security can always be more effective in offering up the right tools and the correct education. Security awareness must begin with good service and process design. Phishing tests are pointless to determine security effectiveness. That's because no matter how low your click rates go, someone can always create a more creative test that will send them soaring back up again. If your defense in depth strategy is so poorly designed that your company can be compromised by the simple click of a phish, then you've got a poorly configured security stack. Security professionals' jobs exist because of their users. If there was no organization and users, then there would be no need for security professionals. Quoting Albert Einstein: "If you judge a fish by his ability to climb a tree, he will live his whole life thinking he is stupid." Look at user mistakes as an education moment, not an opportunity to put them down. If you educate them, they'll go onto educate others as well. Mistakes can actually be very beneficial.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series (https://cisoseries.com/defense-in-depth-is-college-necessary-for-a-job-in-cybersecurity/) Where is the best education for our cyber staff of the future? Where does college fit in or not fit in? Check out this post for the basis for our conversation on this week's episode which features me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series, co-host Allan Alford (@allanalfordintx), and our guest Dan Walsh, CISO, Rally Health. Thanks to our sponsor, Hunters. Attackers always find new ways to bypass organizational defenses. While their traces hide in the data, they're also extremely difficult to detect. Hunters.AI is a context-fueled XDR solution that harnesses top-tier threat hunting expertise and ML to autonomously detect, investigate and correlate attack findings across cloud, network, and endpoint. On this episode of Defense in Depth, you'll learn: Years ago most would say a college degree is necessary, but it appears the ROI for exorbitant college education simply doesn't deliver like it used to. Tons of valuable online courseware can deliver a targeted education for individuals wanting to start a career in cybersecurity. If organizations believe these first two statements to be true, then why are they putting down a college degree as a requirement for jobs in cybersecurity? Is requiring a college degree a false and elitist narrative that doesn't drive better cybersecurity talent? With such a stringent requirement, it detracts many people, including women and minorities, who may not have college degrees to pursue cybersecurity roles. Most college courseware in computer science is often quickly outdated. But that doesn't speak to all colleges. Some that specialize in cybersecurity are doing their best to stay current. Those arguing the need for college explain it teaches critical thinking and the desire to always keep learning. Does the lack of having a college degree prevent an individual from moving up the ranks in cybersecurity leadership? The college degree requirement may be arbitrary or it may be there because of management's jealousy. They had to have a college degree when they joined so everyone else should as well. A college degree doesn't necessarily mean you'll be a great technician.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series (https://cisoseries.com/defense-in-depth-when-red-teams-break-down/) What happens when red team engagements go sideways? The idea of real world testing of your defenses sounds great, but how do you close the loop and what happens if it's not closed? Check out this post for the basis for our conversation on this week's episode which features me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series, co-host Allan Alford (@allanalfordintx), and our sponsored guest, Dan DeCloss, founder and CEO, PlexTrac. Thanks to this week's podcast sponsor, PlexTrac. PlexTrac is a revolutionary, yet simple, cybersecurity platform that centralizes all security assessments, penetration test reports, audit findings, and vulnerabilities into a single location. PlexTrac vastly improves the risk management lifecycle, allowing security professionals to generate better reports faster, aggregate and visualize important analytics, and collaborate on remediation in real-time. On this episode of Defense in Depth, you'll learn: Don't make the mistake of red teaming too early. If you don't have your fundamental security program in place, you'll be testing out non-existing defenses. If you're just starting to build up your security program, conduct a vulnerability scan and do some basic patch management. A red team exercise exists to discover risks you didn't even know about and couldn't have predicted in your threat model exercises. Have a plan of what you're going to do after the red team exercise. Just discovering you've got problems with no plan to remediate them will not only be a waste of money, but will also breed discontent. Don't red team just to fill out an audit report. You can do a vulnerability scan for that. Consider moving the red team to purple to actually help the blue team remediate the findings. If you don't have a plan for remediation you'll find yourself running the same red team and filling out the same report. Prioritize! The red (now purple) team can greatly help along with those who've assessed business risks. First to remediate are the ones that are high impact and easy to execute. The rest is determined by an analysis of likelihood and impact.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series (https://cisoseries.com/defense-in-depth-what-cyber-pro-are-you-trying-to-hire/) Do companies hiring cybersecurity talent even know what they want? More and more we see management jobs asking for engineering skills, and even CISO jobs with coding requirements. What's breaking down? Check out this post for the basis for our conversation on this week's episode which features me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series, co-host Allan Alford (@allanalfordintx), and our guest Liam Connolly, CISO, Seek. Thanks to this week's podcast sponsor, Salt Security. Salt Security protects the APIs at the core of SaaS, web, and mobile applications. By using patented behavioral protection Salt Security automatically and continuously discovers and learns the granular behavior of each unique API and stops attacks. In 2020 Salt Security was named a Gartner Cool Vendor in API Strategy. On this episode of Defense in Depth, you'll learn: The poor focus of cybersecurity job listings often exposes either the poor understanding or lack of maturity of a company's information security program. We often see management cyber jobs asking for engineering skills and vice versa. Job listings can also portray the "last guy" syndrome. Those are the job listings that tack on desired skills the last person did not have. When you see too many requirements it comes off as a wish list. It's not what is required, it's more of a question as to how many boxes can a candidate check off. There can be serious harm to a company's ability to hire if they throw down too many requirements or even optional items. People who are truly required for the position you want may never apply because they'll be scared off by the other skills required or desired. CISOs are often hired by non security people and as a result they don't have a full understanding of what type of CISO they want. As a result it's often hard to find two similar CISO job listings. While CISO technical competencies are desired, it's clear that once hired a CISO will not be showing off their technical expertise. As a result, there's a lot of debate as to how much technical skill a CISO really needs. The job requires management, influencing, and communications. Many hiring teams have a hard time parsing out the types of security people they need to build out a security team. That's why you get a single job listing that appears to want to hire five different types of security people. If a CISO isn't given the budget and authority to hire a staff to fill all the necessary gaps for the company's security program, they will become fed up and leave. That starts the whole process again. Many debate that job titles in job listings are just there to massage the ego. But if compensation doesn't match the title, then they realize the title is just for show.