Root to CISO Podcast

Estimated Reading Time: 3 minutes

I got to spend some time chatting with Kris Rides, co-founder of Tiro Security and host of the very popular Root to CISO podcast.

In Part 1 of the podcast, we spoke about how my career did not begin with a cybersecurity degree or a perfectly defined career path and how I worked in programming and banking, worked across application development and data center operations, and eventually found myself responsible for securing an early online stock-trading platform. We also have a wonderful discussion around challenging the idea that a cybersecurity degree, certification, or a long list of credentials automatically makes someone job-ready. We discuss why hands-on experience matters, why cybersecurity professionals need to keep learning as the threat landscape changes, and why CISOs should invest in structured internship programs to develop the next generation of cybersecurity talent.

In Part 2 of the podcast, we spoke about having the ability to adapt to different industries, technologies, regulations and responsibilities throughout a career. From the early days of cybersecurity consulting to protecting Dow Jones and The Wall Street Journal, building the security program for a new stock exchange, and leading security across multiple countries, each move requiring the ability to understand a new environment and respond to a different set of challenges. We spoke about how experience shows why succeeding in cybersecurity is not simply about what you know today. Professionals need to remain curious, get hands-on with technology, understand how different businesses operate, build relationships within the industry and be willing to keep learning as their responsibilities change.