Exploring Information Security - Exploring Information Security
Timothy De Block
100 episodes
2 days ago
Summary:
In this episode, Timothy De Block sits down with a panel of cybersecurity leaders—Chris Anderson, Roger Brotz, and Mike Vetri—to discuss the realities of moving from "boots on the ground" technical roles to senior leadership. The conversation explores the challenges of letting go of the keyboard, the critical importance of emotional intelligence, and why "empathy" is a high-performance tool in a high-stress industry.
Meet the Panel
Chris Anderson: Security Consultant and Architect known for his "pot-stirring" approach to solving complex organizational security problems.
Roger Brotz: CISO at Arcadia Healthcare with over four decades of experience, starting his journey in 1977.
Mike Vetri: Senior Director of Security Operations at Veeva and former Air Force cyber operations officer.
Main Topics & Key Takeaways
The "Passion" to Lead
The panel dives into the true meaning of leadership, noting that the word "passion" stems from the Latin word for "suffering". Leading a cyber team means being willing to suffer through mistakes and high-pressure incidents alongside your team.
Empathy as a Business Metric
Mike shares a pivotal study indicating that leaders who embrace emotional intelligence and empathy often exceed their annual revenue goals by 20%. Conversely, a lack of empathy directly correlates to high burnout and employee turnover.
Learning to Fail Fast
The leaders recount personal failures, from failing to recognize team burnout during 16-hour-a-day incident responses to the "pride" of holding onto technical tasks for too long. They emphasize that failure is not a roadblock but a necessary inflection point for growth.
Bridging the Gap: Technical vs. Business
A major challenge for new leaders is translating "this is bad" into actionable business risk. Leaders must learn to speak the language of the boardroom, focusing on profit protection and risk management rather than just technical vulnerabilities.
Actionable Advice for Aspiring Leaders
Set Boundaries Early: Don't let your job intrude on your personal life until it's too late; once you establish a habit of always being available, it’s hard to pull back.
Find Your Barometer: Use a spouse or a trusted peer as a "barometer" to tell you when your stress levels are negatively impacting your leadership style.
Work-Life Harmony: Move away from the idea of a perfect "50/50 balance" and strive for harmony where your professional and personal lives can coexist.
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Summary:
In this episode, Timothy De Block sits down with a panel of cybersecurity leaders—Chris Anderson, Roger Brotz, and Mike Vetri—to discuss the realities of moving from "boots on the ground" technical roles to senior leadership. The conversation explores the challenges of letting go of the keyboard, the critical importance of emotional intelligence, and why "empathy" is a high-performance tool in a high-stress industry.
Meet the Panel
Chris Anderson: Security Consultant and Architect known for his "pot-stirring" approach to solving complex organizational security problems.
Roger Brotz: CISO at Arcadia Healthcare with over four decades of experience, starting his journey in 1977.
Mike Vetri: Senior Director of Security Operations at Veeva and former Air Force cyber operations officer.
Main Topics & Key Takeaways
The "Passion" to Lead
The panel dives into the true meaning of leadership, noting that the word "passion" stems from the Latin word for "suffering". Leading a cyber team means being willing to suffer through mistakes and high-pressure incidents alongside your team.
Empathy as a Business Metric
Mike shares a pivotal study indicating that leaders who embrace emotional intelligence and empathy often exceed their annual revenue goals by 20%. Conversely, a lack of empathy directly correlates to high burnout and employee turnover.
Learning to Fail Fast
The leaders recount personal failures, from failing to recognize team burnout during 16-hour-a-day incident responses to the "pride" of holding onto technical tasks for too long. They emphasize that failure is not a roadblock but a necessary inflection point for growth.
Bridging the Gap: Technical vs. Business
A major challenge for new leaders is translating "this is bad" into actionable business risk. Leaders must learn to speak the language of the boardroom, focusing on profit protection and risk management rather than just technical vulnerabilities.
Actionable Advice for Aspiring Leaders
Set Boundaries Early: Don't let your job intrude on your personal life until it's too late; once you establish a habit of always being available, it’s hard to pull back.
Find Your Barometer: Use a spouse or a trusted peer as a "barometer" to tell you when your stress levels are negatively impacting your leadership style.
Work-Life Harmony: Move away from the idea of a perfect "50/50 balance" and strive for harmony where your professional and personal lives can coexist.
The Winding Path to CISO: Rob Fuller's Leadership Journey
Exploring Information Security - Exploring Information Security
44 minutes 30 seconds
4 months ago
The Winding Path to CISO: Rob Fuller's Leadership Journey
Summary:
In this episode, Timothy De Block sits down with Rob Fuller, Vice President of Cybersecurity, for a candid discussion about Rob's journey into cybersecurity leadership. Rob shares his unique path from the Marine Corps to a Fortune 10 company, revealing the struggles and lessons learned along the way. The conversation delves into the critical role of visibility, the importance of continuous learning, and invaluable advice for those aspiring to leadership roles in the security industry.
Key Takeaways
From "Noob" to VP: Rob shares the humorous origin of his online handle, "Mubix," which came from a mistyped name in an MMORPG. He recounts his initial struggle to transition into leadership, including turning down a director position at General Electric due to perceived lack of experience, until his wife reminded him of his past leadership roles in the Marine Corps and community groups.
Leadership is a Different Career Path: Rob emphasizes that moving into a leadership role requires a complete mindset shift and is a distinct career path from a technical one. He learned a crucial lesson about career advancement: while diligence and relationships are important,
visibility is paramount. He also notes the importance of a manager understanding they are part of two teams: their direct reports and their peer group of fellow leaders.
The Value of Continuous Learning: Rob recommends the book Surrounded by Idiots by Thomas Erikson to understand different communication styles and the importance of adapting in management. He is also actively pursuing advanced degrees and certifications like CISSP and NACD to meet the requirements for director and CISO roles in large companies.
Aspiring to CISO: Rob's ultimate goal is to become a CISO, as he believes it's the only role that allows for the implementation of comprehensive, widespread cybersecurity solutions.
Advice for Career Starters: For those looking to enter cybersecurity, Rob and Timothy advise being open to any IT job, including the help desk, as an entry point. They also stress the importance of actively participating in local groups and conferences like hacker meetups and B-Sides, as this networking and volunteering can significantly increase your chances of getting hired.
Blue Team Experience is Gold: Both agree that blue team (security operations) experience is highly valuable for aspiring pentesters, as it teaches crucial skills like scripting, queries, networking, and evasion techniques that make them more effective in red team roles.
Resources & Links Mentioned
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni
Surrounded by Idiots by Thomas Erikson
Fredericksburg Hackers Meetup
CISSP certification
NACD (National Association of Corporate Directors) certification
Exploring Information Security - Exploring Information Security
Summary:
In this episode, Timothy De Block sits down with a panel of cybersecurity leaders—Chris Anderson, Roger Brotz, and Mike Vetri—to discuss the realities of moving from "boots on the ground" technical roles to senior leadership. The conversation explores the challenges of letting go of the keyboard, the critical importance of emotional intelligence, and why "empathy" is a high-performance tool in a high-stress industry.
Meet the Panel
Chris Anderson: Security Consultant and Architect known for his "pot-stirring" approach to solving complex organizational security problems.
Roger Brotz: CISO at Arcadia Healthcare with over four decades of experience, starting his journey in 1977.
Mike Vetri: Senior Director of Security Operations at Veeva and former Air Force cyber operations officer.
Main Topics & Key Takeaways
The "Passion" to Lead
The panel dives into the true meaning of leadership, noting that the word "passion" stems from the Latin word for "suffering". Leading a cyber team means being willing to suffer through mistakes and high-pressure incidents alongside your team.
Empathy as a Business Metric
Mike shares a pivotal study indicating that leaders who embrace emotional intelligence and empathy often exceed their annual revenue goals by 20%. Conversely, a lack of empathy directly correlates to high burnout and employee turnover.
Learning to Fail Fast
The leaders recount personal failures, from failing to recognize team burnout during 16-hour-a-day incident responses to the "pride" of holding onto technical tasks for too long. They emphasize that failure is not a roadblock but a necessary inflection point for growth.
Bridging the Gap: Technical vs. Business
A major challenge for new leaders is translating "this is bad" into actionable business risk. Leaders must learn to speak the language of the boardroom, focusing on profit protection and risk management rather than just technical vulnerabilities.
Actionable Advice for Aspiring Leaders
Set Boundaries Early: Don't let your job intrude on your personal life until it's too late; once you establish a habit of always being available, it’s hard to pull back.
Find Your Barometer: Use a spouse or a trusted peer as a "barometer" to tell you when your stress levels are negatively impacting your leadership style.
Work-Life Harmony: Move away from the idea of a perfect "50/50 balance" and strive for harmony where your professional and personal lives can coexist.
