What is a CISO and what is not a CISO
On today’s episode, we highlight some examples of the strategic thinking that it takes to be a good CISO. I have found that some security engineers don’t have what it takes to be a successful CISO because they can’t resist rolling up their sleeves and doing tactical work.
Tactical work is a great way to make a living, and you will get lots of accolades and satisfaction doing it, but it’s fundamentally different than being a CISO. I caution anyone who enjoys thinking tactically, not strategically, that being a CISO may not be for them.
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Cyber security is all about evolving. The adversary is always coming up with new ways to beat an existing security system, so it’s advisable to always be one step ahead of them, not have them one step ahead of you. Yes, this means more work for a pentester, but if the pentester has to work harder, that means so does the adversary. In this episode, I give two strategic suggestions to deal with the threat of encrypted attacks. One, before deploying any type of new tech, find out whether or not it can scan and detect attacks that are encrypted. Two, have areas in your network that are encryption-free. Any malware file that is encrypted will be immediately detected if you follow these suggestions.
If you want to be a successful CISO, you have to think like a hacker. You have to be strategic, not tactical. If you follow the advice on this episode of The Life of a CISO, you will have an edge over the adversary.
Show Notes:
1:11 Question of the day: What is a CISO and what is not a CISO?
2:12 A CISO doesn’t “take the field”
4:48 Some people don’t have the right wiring to be a CISO
5:31 The CISO is not “The striker” who goes wherever the ball is
7:58 You can be successful being strategic or technical, but you have to decide your passion
8:41 If you want to be a successful CISO, you cannot do both
9:52 On pentesting
11:21 Cyber security is all about evolving
12:48 Is this like a honeypot?
13:48 The real value of decoys is early detection
15:39 What does that mean for a pentester?
18:15 The role of a CISO is to understand problems and put together strategies to fix them
18:56 If we look at most organizations, what is the biggest risk?
20:02 The number one problem is timely detection
20:43 Why don’t organizations detect problems in a timely manner?
23:15 Some have proposed decrypt outbound data. Here’s why that’s a bad idea.
24:39 Strategy tip 1: Ask, can new tech detect encrypted attacks?
26:08 Strategy tip 2: Crypto-free zones
29:28 How the CISO implements these ideas
30:15 Reminder: You can be strategic or tactical, but you can’t do both
About Dr Eric Cole
Eric Cole, PhD, is an industry-recognized security expert with over 20 years of hands-on experience in consulting, training, and public speaking. As the founder and CEO of Secure Anchor Consulting, Dr. Cole focuses on helping customers prevent security breaches, detect network intrusions, and respond to advanced threats. In addition, he is a sought-after expert witness and a 2014 inductee to the InfoSecurity Hall of Fame.
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