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First 90 Days Of CISO: Navigating Cybersecurity Conversations; Bridging Business Needs, Relationship Building By Bikash Barai and Matthew Ireland

Posted by Gaya M on May 9, 2024 at 7:29pm in Blog

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In the complex world of cybersecurity, bridging the gap between technical experts and business stakeholders is paramount for effective communication and collaboration. However, business leaders often find themselves lost in a sea of acronyms and technical jargon, making it challenging to grasp the importance of cybersecurity initiatives. This discussion explores strategies for aligning cybersecurity language with business priorities, emphasizing the need for relationship-building and insightful questioning to uncover valuable insights.

 

 

 

 

Here is the verbatim discusssion:

So let's matt get into a deeper into another topic which is very interesting which is how to align with the business language now when you go to business they really don't care about dlp and casbi and esmand carter or sas and dust and is and cyber security is the land of alphabet soup right you have like so many acronyms and nobody cares for those right so so how to bring in uh business alignment how how to change our language because a lot of times i hear the cso saying oh those guys don't understand security and and stuff like that and i think um it's very unfair to expect them to learn security they do what they do very well it's probably important for us to communicate it to them in the right way and of course you can use some tools etc but you can't find everything at the end of the day you need to sit across the table and have a chat with that guy and learn how to of course first build the relationship because if you don't build relationship they are not going to be with you but even after that having the ability to ask insightful question so what are the things do you do so how do you get that data where is that data so understanding it through so you have to become uh like a sherlock holmes and do that right conversation but not like the sherlock holmes who would go and uh just ask all these crazy questions but through a very relationship driven manner more like a probably psycho psychoanalyst or some psychotherapist kind of approach and then figure things o understanding it through so you have to become uh like a sherlock holmes and do that right conversation but not like the sherlock holmes who would go and uh just ask all these crazy questions but through a very relationship driven manner more like a probably psycho psychoanalyst or some psychotherapist kind of approach and then figure things so so that's very very important and a lot of times people miss that and as a result what happens is like you you build a fort but then you build the fort either on the wrong hill or on one part of the hill or partially and stuff like that so that becomes super important.
 
 

 

Highlights :

Aligning Language with Business Priorities: Business stakeholders are often disengaged by technical jargon and acronyms commonly used in cybersecurity discussions. To effectively communicate with them, cybersecurity professionals must translate complex concepts into language that resonates with business objectives and concerns.

Building Relationships: Establishing strong relationships with business stakeholders is essential for fostering collaboration and trust. By taking a relational approach akin to a psychotherapist, cybersecurity professionals can create a conducive environment for open dialogue and information sharing.

Asking Insightful Questions: Rather than bombarding stakeholders with technical inquiries, adopting a thoughtful, investigative approach can yield valuable insights. By asking targeted questions in a relationship-driven manner, cybersecurity professionals can uncover the intricacies of business operations and data handling practices.

 

 

In the realm of cybersecurity communication, success lies in the ability to bridge the gap between technical expertise and business priorities. By aligning language with business objectives, building relationships, and asking insightful questions, cybersecurity professionals can effectively convey the importance of security initiatives and collaborate with stakeholders to strengthen defenses against cyber threats. Embracing a relational, psychotherapist-like approach ensures that cybersecurity efforts are built on solid foundations, leading to more robust and resilient defenses in the ever-evolving landscape of cyber threats.

 
 
Speakers:
 

Bikash Barai is credited for several innovations in the domain of Network Security and Anti-Spam Technologies and has multiple patents in USPTO. Fortune recognized Bikash among India’s Top 40 Business Leaders under the age of 40 (Fortune 40-under-40).Bikash is also an active speaker and has spoken at various forums like TiE, RSA Conference USA, TEDx etc.

Earlier he founded iViZ an IDG Ventures-backed company that was later acquired by Cigital and now Synopsys. iViZ was the first company in the world to take Ethical Hacking (or Penetration Testing) to the cloud.

 

https://twitter.com/bikashbarai1

https://www.linkedin.com/in/bikashbarai/ 

Matthew Ireland serves as the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) at NTT Research, where he leads cybersecurity initiatives to safeguard the organization's digital assets and infrastructure. With a wealth of experience in cybersecurity, Matthew brings expertise in aligning security practices with business objectives and fostering collaboration across diverse teams. As CISO, he is dedicated to implementing robust security measures and staying ahead of emerging cyber threats to protect NTT Research and its stakeholders. serves as the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) at NTT Research, where he leads cybersecurity initiatives to safeguard the organization's digital assets and infrastructure.

With a wealth of experience in cybersecurity, Matthew brings expertise in aligning security practices with business objectives and fostering collaboration across diverse teams. As CISO, he is dedicated to implementing robust security measures and staying ahead of emerging cyber threats to protect NTT Research and its stakeholders.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mdireland/

 

 

 

 

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