We Turn Our Backs on Cybersecurity Rock Stars

We Turn Our Backs on Cybersecurity Rock Stars

November 20, 2018

CISO | Security Vendor Relationship Series

This week's podcast episode

We Turn Our Backs on Cybersecurity Rock Stars

What you'll learn:

On this week's podcast, co-host Mike Johnson, CISO of Lyft, and our guest Kelly Shortridge, independent analyst, discuss the following:

  • Security's ability to enable the business depends on the business. There are certain businesses for which adding security into products and services can actually be a revenue generator. For other businesses, such as those that are consumer oriented, it's not usually an easy equation. Enabling the business in those cases often means setting up systems to avoid mistakes and business disaster.

  • Single Sign On (SSO) is a successful example of security enabling the business. When security simplifies the business, that translates into increased productivity and that brings business value.

  • Security people need to talk to the business. Often when security struggles it's because they're not talking to the business. Improved communications will result in deeper use and appreciation of security.

  • People are the weakest link in security (but not in the way you think). It's commonly believed that users are the weakest link in a security program. But it's really not. It's the people who are responsible formulating the security program. At each step, security people need to communicate with different departments in the business. If they don't know how to explain each other's needs, the security program suffers.

  • Cybersecurity rock star culture is toxic. The adoration and "do no wrong" attitude towards certain cybersecurity professionals is actually damaging our ability to listen to other voices.

Vulcan Cyber-Remediate vulnerabilities

Special thanks to this week's podcast sponsor, Vulcan Cyber

Vulcan Cyber is your automated vulnerability remediation solution. Put an end to manual-only patch management and reduce vulnerability risk with a cloud-based solution that bridges the vulnerability remediation gap. Automate and orchestrate the vulnerability remediation process with Vulcan Cyber.

Mike Johnson, CISO of Lyft on the board's responsibility for security

12 Specific Techniques to Build Relationships with CISOs

This is probably the most common question I'm asked, so it made sense to just write an article about it. 

Here were the two most contested suggestions from the article:

Sponsor a dinner and bring your smartest to the table

: There is a lot of animosity over the vendor dinner, and I believe that's mostly because it's not just a dinner. There are far too many salespeople in the room, and that alone makes it feel like a sales push.

Social media is for building relations, not sales

: Since there's also a lot of animosity about receiving cold emails and phone calls, private and public messages via social media are more warmly accepted because pitches tend to be shorter.

and make sure you jump into

as well.

NEW SPONSORSHIP PACKAGES

Thanks to you, the CISO/Security Vendor Relationship Podcast's success keeps growing and so do our sponsorships. While we sold out 2018 a while ago and we are selling 2019 sponsorships.But that's not all. We've got plenty more packages around topic takeovers, round table webinars, live podcasts, videos, and this very newsletter.Interested? Just connect with me on LinkedIn or REPLY to this email.

Chenxi Wang, managing general partner of Rain Capital on diversity by design

Best Moments from “We’d Feel Safer if This Legitimate Email Was a Phishing Attack”

Best Moments from “We’d Feel Safer if This Legitimate Email Was a Phishing Attack”

Here are three of the best moments from the most recent episode of the CISO/Security Vendor Relationship Podcast, “We’d Feel Safer if This Legitimate Email Was a Phishing Attack.” Highlighted in this video: Diversity for startups, the non-inclusivity of cybersecurity, and the board’s InfoSec responsibilities.

Mike Johnson, CISO of Lyft, on blockchain's current value in cybersecurity

SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST

Got a podcast catcher? Search for "CISO" and chances are you'll find the CISO/Security Vendor Relationship Podcast. If it doesn't come up, go ahead and click on any of these links to subscribe to the feed.

If you're already a subscriber, THANK YOU! If you like the show, please tell all your friends on social media and write a review on iTunes.