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governing entities and that will always be done at the Edge and not in some large aggregation environment .
With an aggregated policy framework , the user would come in from outside the firewall intrusion prevention security layer and the request would be interrogated and allowed if it passed policy requirements . Zero Trust flips the model so that users can only gain access to an environment if they have already received authorised credentials and they are known .
What do you currently identify as the major areas of investment in your industry ?
The next round of innovations will focus on increasing the collaboration between companies and governments to ensure critical infrastructure keeps us communicating and doing business while also respecting privacy , protecting sensitive data and meeting stronger regulatory requirements .
There will also be a massive increase in investment in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning to augment static authorisation frameworks . With these technologies , organisations will be able to tell when something that was previously authorised has departed from its normal behaviour and can no longer be trusted .
In the 10-year horizon , we will start to see real commercial availability of quantum cryptography , which will create an even more difficult barrier to overcome from an adversary perspective . Quantum technologies generally are still in their infancy today , but they will be of significant interest to government entities because the overall benefit with respect to closing security gaps and blocking adversaries is tremendous .
How do you deal with stress and unwind outside of the office ?
Throughout my career , I have carved out at least an hour a day to play music . It is so far removed from everything else I do that it helps me recharge . Music opens your mind to new ideas and helps you appreciate deeper connections – and that ’ s key to success as an executive in a company that prioritises technological innovation .
advanced to the executive realm sooner . In the startup realm , I might have had an opportunity to maximise the financial outcomes . So , I don ’ t regret any of my decisions , but if asked to advise someone I ’ d say you ’ ve got to choose one road .
What are the region-specific challenges when implementing new technologies in Europe ?
In Europe , the biggest challenge is accommodating the requirements of the regulatory landscape with respect to GDPR . It ’ s a good thing because it requires the right kind of behaviour from everyone in the chain – from enterprises to testers .
Western governments have become heavily reliant on components and material that is sourced in mistrusted environments and it becomes exceedingly difficult to secure the supply chain in a manner where a compromised vector isn ’ t inadvertently authorised to be instantiated in the root of products – right in the silicon itself . Therefore , governments will need to invest to ensure they retain full control over the supply chain .
What changes to your job role have you seen in the last year and how do you see these developing in the next 12 months ?
The big thing that has changed my role is COVID-19 . In my new job , I spent months not meeting anybody . You do everything in a virtual realm . It was unusual and a bit disorienting at times .
The irony of this era , as we became physically disconnected , is that companies were able to respond with an unprecedented level of digital connectivity . To the casual observer , it looked like our critical network infrastructure just adapted to the changing needs of a completely remote workforce overnight . But in fact , network infrastructure has been continually developed against a backdrop of worst-case scenario testing since the early 1990s .
What advice would you offer somebody aspiring to obtain a C-level position in your industry ?
If you could go back and change one career decision , what would it be ?
I ’ ve spent my career splitting my time between large stable organisations and small , fledgling start-ups with hopes of repeating the great outcome we had at Xedia . If I ’ d stayed in a big company , I ’ d have
If you want to get to C-level , you have to be committed to a professional and equitable way of treating people , because that is how you build trust . Without trust , you will find it difficult to succeed , let alone advance in your career . Be impeccable in your ethical approach to business , be organised and thoughtful , give credit where credit is due and have fun with the people you ’ re working with . p
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