I’m Rewarding Your Successful Use of the Security Budget by Giving You Less of It

Update: 2024-06-04

Digest

This episode of the CISO Series podcast delves into various aspects of cybersecurity leadership, offering valuable insights for CISOs. The discussion begins with the importance of humility and empathy in leadership, emphasizing the need to connect with team members on a personal level to foster a strong and engaged team. The episode then explores the challenges of budget cuts in cybersecurity, highlighting the importance of demonstrating value and prioritizing critical assets. The conversation shifts to interview practices, emphasizing the need for a two-way conversation and a focus on cultural fit beyond technical certifications. The episode also addresses the concept of "offensive security," emphasizing the distinction between legitimate red teaming and potentially illegal hack-back activities. Finally, the episode explores the emerging landscape of AI in cybersecurity, discussing the potential benefits and risks of AI-powered tools and the importance of understanding the underlying technology. The episode concludes with a call to action for listeners to subscribe to the podcast and engage with the CISO Series community.

Outlines

00:00:00

Best Advice for a CISO

This Chapter discusses the best advice for a CISO, including being a humble and empathetic leader, connecting with team members on a personal level, and celebrating victories to defend budgets.

00:19:42

What's Worst: Sock Leader or CEO Failing Fishing Simulations?

This Chapter presents two scenarios: a security operations center leader who doesn't do due diligence on a vendor during a proof of concept and a CEO who repeatedly fails phishing simulations. The hosts debate which scenario is worse, ultimately deciding that the sock leader's lack of due diligence is more problematic.

00:23:33

Offensive Security: Beyond Red Teaming?

This Chapter explores the evolving definition of "offensive security." The hosts discuss whether the term has become too broad and whether it encompasses more than traditional red teaming. They agree that offensive security should focus on proactively protecting the organization's ecosystem rather than simply reacting to attacks.

00:29:41

Evaluating AI in Cybersecurity

This Chapter examines the emerging landscape of AI in cybersecurity. The hosts discuss the potential benefits and risks of AI-powered tools, particularly in financial services. They highlight the importance of understanding the underlying technology and the need for careful evaluation of AI products.

Keywords

CISO

CISO stands for Chief Information Security Officer. This role is responsible for overseeing the security of an organization's information systems and data. CISOs are typically responsible for developing and implementing security policies, procedures, and technologies to protect the organization from cyber threats. They also work to ensure compliance with relevant regulations and standards.

Empathy

Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another person. In leadership, empathy is crucial for building strong relationships with team members, fostering a positive work environment, and motivating employees to perform at their best. Empathetic leaders are able to connect with their team members on a personal level, understand their perspectives, and respond to their needs.

Risk Assessment

A risk assessment is a process used to identify, analyze, and evaluate potential risks to an organization. It involves identifying potential threats, vulnerabilities, and the likelihood and impact of those risks. Risk assessments are essential for informing decision-making, prioritizing resources, and developing effective mitigation strategies.

Red Teaming

Red teaming is a security testing methodology that simulates real-world attacks on an organization's systems and networks. Red teams are typically composed of security professionals who are tasked with finding and exploiting vulnerabilities in the organization's defenses. Red teaming exercises are valuable for identifying weaknesses in security controls and improving the organization's overall security posture.

AI in Cybersecurity

AI is increasingly being used in cybersecurity to automate tasks, improve threat detection, and enhance security operations. AI-powered tools can analyze large volumes of data, identify patterns, and detect anomalies that might otherwise go unnoticed. However, it is important to carefully evaluate AI products and understand the potential risks associated with their use.

LLM

LLM stands for Large Language Model. LLMs are a type of artificial intelligence that are trained on massive datasets of text and code. They are capable of generating human-like text, translating languages, writing different kinds of creative content, and answering your questions in an informative way. LLMs are being used in a variety of applications, including cybersecurity, where they can be used to analyze security data, generate reports, and automate tasks.

Cybersecurity Subreddit

The cybersecurity subreddit is an online community where cybersecurity professionals and enthusiasts can discuss topics related to cybersecurity. It is a valuable resource for staying up-to-date on the latest threats, vulnerabilities, and security best practices. The subreddit also provides a platform for sharing knowledge, asking questions, and networking with other cybersecurity professionals.

SMBC Capital Markets

SMBC Capital Markets is a global financial services firm that provides a wide range of investment banking, capital markets, and advisory services to clients around the world. The firm is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, and has offices in major financial centers worldwide.

Wild Ventures

Wild Ventures is a venture capital firm that invests in early-stage technology companies. The firm focuses on investments in areas such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and fintech. Wild Ventures is headquartered in San Francisco, California.

Sayara

Sayara is a data security platform that helps organizations discover, classify, and manage their data. The platform uses an agentless approach to data discovery, which allows it to scan data across any environment, including cloud, SaaS, and on-premises. Sayara's classification engine is based on its own LLM and has an accuracy of 95%. The platform also provides data governance capabilities to help organizations ensure that their data is being used in accordance with their policies.

Q&A

What are some of the key qualities of a successful CISO?
A successful CISO should be a humble and empathetic leader who prioritizes building strong relationships with their team members. They should also be able to connect with team members on a personal level and understand their perspectives. Additionally, they should be able to demonstrate the value of their work to the business and prioritize critical assets.
How can CISOs effectively manage budget cuts in cybersecurity?
CISOs should be able to clearly demonstrate the value of their work and prioritize critical assets. They should also be able to communicate the potential risks associated with budget cuts and work with the business to develop a plan for mitigating those risks.
What are some red flags to look for during a cybersecurity job interview?
Red flags during a cybersecurity job interview include interviewers who focus solely on technical certifications rather than practical experience and interviewers who fail to actively listen to the candidate's responses. It is also important to consider the overall cultural fit of the organization and ensure that the candidate's skills and experience align with the company's needs.
What is the difference between traditional red teaming and "offensive security"?
Traditional red teaming involves simulating real-world attacks on an organization's systems and networks. Offensive security, on the other hand, encompasses a broader range of activities that aim to proactively protect the organization's ecosystem from attacks. It involves continuously testing controls and identifying vulnerabilities before they can be exploited.
What are some of the potential benefits and risks of using AI in cybersecurity?
AI can automate tasks, improve threat detection, and enhance security operations. However, it is important to carefully evaluate AI products and understand the potential risks associated with their use, such as the possibility of AI tools being used by bad actors or the potential for AI to make mistakes.
How can organizations evaluate AI-powered cybersecurity tools?
Organizations should carefully evaluate AI-powered cybersecurity tools by considering the following factors: the tool's accuracy, its ability to integrate with existing systems, its ease of use, and the potential risks associated with its use. It is also important to understand the underlying technology behind the tool and ensure that it is built on a solid foundation.
What are some of the emerging trends in AI in cybersecurity?
Emerging trends in AI in cybersecurity include the use of AI to automate tasks, improve threat detection, and enhance security operations. AI is also being used to develop new security tools and techniques, such as AI-powered firewalls and intrusion detection systems.
What are some of the challenges associated with using AI in cybersecurity?
Challenges associated with using AI in cybersecurity include the need for large datasets to train AI models, the potential for AI to make mistakes, and the difficulty of explaining AI decisions. It is also important to consider the ethical implications of using AI in cybersecurity.
What are some of the best practices for using AI in cybersecurity?
Best practices for using AI in cybersecurity include carefully evaluating AI products, understanding the underlying technology, and considering the potential risks and ethical implications of using AI. It is also important to ensure that AI tools are used in a responsible and transparent manner.
What are some of the future directions for AI in cybersecurity?
Future directions for AI in cybersecurity include the development of more sophisticated AI models, the use of AI to automate more tasks, and the integration of AI into existing security systems. AI is also expected to play a key role in addressing emerging cybersecurity threats, such as those posed by quantum computing.

Show Notes

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series.

This week’s episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), operating partner, YL Ventures. Joining me is my guest, Aamir Niazi, executive director and CISO, SMBC Capital Markets.

In this episode:

Communicating security accomplishments
Spotting red flags in an interview
What does offensive security look like today?
Where Gen AI is fitting into cybersecurity

Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Cyera

Cyera’s AI-powered data security platform gives companies visibility over their sensitive data, context over the risk it represents, and actionable, prioritized remediation guidance.  As a cloud-native, agentless platform, Cyera provides holistic data security coverage across SaaS, PaaS, IaaS and On-premise environments. Visit www.cyera.io to learn more.