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Integrity is key . Whether it ’ s communicating with customers or my team , I pride myself on being open and honest and truly believing in what I am putting on the table .
successful and satisfied , which in turn makes the business successful . I strive to ensure my team feel empowered to progress and get to where they want to .
What do you think has emerged as the technology trend of 2024 and why ?
This year we have seen a significant focus on identity theft – which is ultimately at the beginning of the cyber ‘ attack chain ’. Attackers now realise it ’ s more effective , faster and cheaper to steal credentials and log in than trying to hack through technical controls . Once they have compromised just one identity , they can move laterally through corporate networks . In other words , identity is the new attack surface , and ultimately , the new cyber-risk perimeter .
What do you currently identify as the major areas of investment in your industry ?
It would be amiss not to mention Artificial Intelligence ( AI ) and the role it plays in the cybersecurity industry . There ’ s no doubt that AI in the hands of cybercriminals can supercharge social-engineering threats .
However , as AI-driven threats evolve , humans alone can no longer scale to sufficiently secure against such attacks . From a defensive point of view , AI / ML will be critical components of a robust cybersecurity strategy and organisations should look to invest in solutions that encompass this technology .
How do you deal with stress and unwind outside of the office ?
I spend most my time outside the office with my family ( who have all moved across to Paris with me ), whether it ’ s spending quality time together on the weekend , coaching their football games or learning new languages together . Water-based activities are my passion – from scuba-diving to fishing , which comes from being raised on the coast of Louisiana . I also enjoy skiing – especially the apres-ski .
If you could go back and change one career decision , what would it be ?
My career has been built on risk taking – with many start-ups , which have had outcomes from shutting down to IPOs . Though a good question , I don ’ t regret even the ones that didn ’ t pan out . Ultimately , I have had a blessed career with more successes than failures , and the successes are a result of the failures . So , no regrets , only learnings .
What are the region-specific challenges when implementing new technologies in Europe ?
Technology vendors cannot simply look at Europe as a single market . The European market is unique due to the vast array of cultures , ways of working and ways of securing deals . Each country has varying laws and regulations , meaning the region is more complex than global counterparts and each country needs to be addressed in a unique way . To overcome these challenges , we work with great people in all markets across the region , tailoring what has been already proven to be a great strategy , and tweaking it to the individual needs of different regions and countries within Europe .
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 ?
It ’ s no secret that the current global economic situation is impacting many sectors – and the technology industry is not immune . This climate is a difficult one for CISOs and security teams too – some may be seeing their budgets cut or are having to lose team members .
A big priority for me is to continue to support our customers as we navigate this very complicated security landscape .
What advice would you offer somebody aspiring to obtain a senior position in your industry ?
Integrity , transparency and honesty ( three words that wouldn ’ t necessarily come straight to mind when thinking of cybercriminal activity where the end goal is to scam victims ). But as anyone looks to progress a career in this industry , these aspects are of upmost importance .
We are in a crowded industry , with many vendors claiming they can do the same thing – you must be able to put yourself in a customer ’ s shoes and demonstrate how you can really help them and stand by that , rather than simply trying to close another deal . �
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