The New CISO

Steve Moore
  • 4.9 (37)
  • BUSINESS
  • UPDATED SEMIMONTHLY
The New CISO

The New CISO is hosted by Exabeam Chief Security Strategist, Steve Moore. A former IT security leader himself, Steve sits down with Chief Information Security Officers to get their take on cybersecurity trends, what it takes to lead security teams and how things are changing in today’s world.

  1. 6 DAYS AGO

    Take a Preemptive Strike on Your Career

    In this insightful episode of The New CISO, host Steve Moore reconnects with Azzam Zahir to explore his career evolution, from cybersecurity leadership to his recent role as a vertical CIO at General Motors. Azzam shares candid reflections on his conscious decision to leave his 12-year tenure, embracing change, and navigating personal growth in leadership roles. Dive into Azzam’s inspiring journey as he discusses: Overcoming Career Burnout: How to recognize signs of exhaustion and take proactive steps toward rejuvenation.Navigating Career Pivots: The importance of calculated risks and stepping beyond the traditional boundaries of cybersecurity.Building Trust Through Relationships: Insights on fostering trust and credibility within organizations to facilitate career growth.Maintaining Mental Health: Practical tips on incorporating wellness into demanding careers, from mental health check-ins to daily habits for balance.The Gartner Hype Cycle of Careers: Azzam's unique perspective on managing career highs and lows and knowing when to make a change. This episode is a must-listen for IT and security professionals considering career transitions, aspiring leaders seeking inspiration, or anyone looking to balance professional growth with personal well-being. Tune in to gain actionable advice and deep reflections from a leader who’s successfully embraced transformation. 0:00 Introduction and Guest Overview 1:43 Announcing a Career Change 5:54 Transitioning from Cybersecurity to CIO 13:03 The Emotional Impact of Cybersecurity Careers 22:36 Prioritizing Health and Wellness 30:10 The Power of Non-Traditional Thinking 35:34 The Gartner Hype Cycle of Careers 41:55 Advice for Career Transitions Links: LinkedIn

    45 min

  2. 12/26/2024

    When and How to Find Your Next Role

    In this insightful episode of The New CISO, host Steve Moore sits down with Sanju Misra, Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) at Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, to explore the pivotal moments that have shaped her impressive career in cybersecurity leadership. Sanju shares her strategies for navigating career transitions, the importance of aligning with a company’s mission, and how to identify the right time to move on from a role. Listeners will gain valuable insights into: How Sanju built her career by embracing challenging projects and maintaining authentic professional relationships.The decision-making processes behind her moves from GE to Praxair, and eventually to Alnylam Pharmaceuticals.The evolution of her leadership style from a technical expert to a business risk executive.Why aligning with a company’s culture and mission is crucial for long-term success.Tips for aspiring CISOs on taking initiative, growing their networks, and articulating risk in business terms. Sanju’s reflections on imposter syndrome, professional growth, and the rewards of working in a patient-focused organization offer both inspiration and practical advice for leaders at every stage of their careers. Tune in to hear her story and discover actionable strategies for thriving as a modern CISO. 0:00 - Introduction and Show Overview 1:10 - Sanju Misra’s Career Path: From GE to Praxair 4:00 - Building Security Programs and Leadership Growth 6:30 - Navigating Mergers and the Role of Culture 10:00 - Transitioning from Technologist to Business Risk Leader 15:50 - Career Advice for Aspiring CISOs 22:00 - Key Takeaways: Communication and Leadership Evolution Links: LinkedIn

    26 min

  3. 12/03/2024

    Don’t Check Every Box of the Job Description

    In this episode of The New CISO, host Steve Moore is joined by Sanju Misra, CISO and IT Risk Leader at Alnylam Pharmaceuticals. Sanju shares her journey from a college side hustle on a typewriter to becoming a security leader in the pharmaceutical industry. Along the way, she reflects on the importance of taking risks, embracing roles outside of your comfort zone, and the power of transferable skills. Listen to Steve and Sanju discuss career transitions, building diverse teams, and why not checking every box on a job description might be the best career move: 00:00 - Meet Sanju 06:15 - The Start of a Tech Journey 18:30 - Taking the Leap 27:00 - Advice for Job Seekers 39:45 - Hiring from Within 51:15 - Networking and Career Growth Links: LinkedIn

    32 min

  4. 11/07/2024

    How to Tackle Tough Interviews and Career Transitions

    In this episode of The New CISO, host Steve Moore welcomes Ryan Shaw, Director of Information Security at Bond Brand Loyalty. Ryan shares his unique journey from working in kitchens and warehousing to becoming a leader in cybersecurity. He reflects on the importance of career change, battling imposter syndrome, and the challenges candidates face in a tough job market where companies often hunt for "unicorn" candidates. Listen to Steve and Ryan discuss the transition into IT security, why hiring practices need to evolve, and the importance of mentorship for both personal and professional growth: 00:00 - Ryan Shaw’s Journey: From Warehousing to InfoSec Leadership 03:00 - Career Pivot: Entering Technology 06:00 - Overcoming Imposter Syndrome in IT 09:00 - The Importance of Mentorship and Support 13:00 - Navigating the Challenges of Job Hunting 17:00 - Advice for Better Hiring Practices in Security 20:00 - Building Visibility and Breaking Into InfoSec 24:00 - What It Means to Be a Security Leader Links: LinkedIn

    42 min

  5. 10/17/2024

    Taking the First Step Toward Your Career Dreams

    Summary: In this episode of The New CISO, host Steve Moore speaks with Nicola Sotira, Head of CERT at Poste Italiane, about his journey from technical expert to business leader, all while following his dreams. Nicola shares the importance of mentorship, the value of building strong teams, and how he applied a Viking mentality to overcome challenges in his career. Listen in as Nicola reflects on leaving a prestigious role in Italy to embrace new opportunities abroad and what aspiring leaders can learn from his story. Whether you're thinking about making a career change or simply looking for advice on leadership, Nicola’s insights will inspire you to take action and move toward your dreams. Listen to Steve and Nicola discuss: 00:00 -Nicola Sotira's Career Journey and Mentorship 03:37 - Balancing Business and Technical Roles 06:40 - Adapting to Technological Disruption 08:47 - Taking Risks: Moving to Sweden at Age 40 15:12 - Leadership Lessons from Peter: The Viking Mentality 18:17 - Hiring and Building a Strong IT Security Team 23:23 - Making Work Fun and Following Your Passion 28:52 - Advice for Aspiring CISOs: Follow Your Dreams Links: LinkedIn

    30 min

  6. 09/26/2024

    What Legacy Tech Can Teach New Leaders

    Episode Summary: In this episode of The New CISO, host Steve Moore is joined by Nicola Sotira, head of CERT at Poste Italiane. Nicola shares his journey from working on cryptographic devices in the pre-internet era to leading security teams today. His early work with assembly language, hardware security, and cryptanalysis offered unique challenges, but it also taught him the value of persistence, creativity, and mentorship. Steve and Nicola discuss the evolving role of hardware in cybersecurity and the importance of securing the supply chain. Listen in to hear about the lessons Nicola learned from breaking hardware before it was sold and how they continue to inform his approach to security today. Listen to Steve and Nicola discuss the importance of hardware security, debugging code, and supply chain risks: 00:00 - Nicola Sotira: Career in Cryptography 04:46 - The Realities of Debugging Without Modern Tools 07:58 - Key Lessons from Early Hardware Security Work 12:43 - The Importance of Hardware in Cybersecurity 16:26 - Supply Chain Security Risks and Real-World Examples 23:00 - Criminal Collaboration and Emerging Cyber Threats Links: LinkedIn

    28 min

  7. 09/05/2024

    What CISOs Get Wrong: Advice From a Cybersecurity Entrepreneur

    In this episode of The New CISO, host Steve Moore sits down with Larry Pfeifer, CEO and President of Metrics That Matter, for a deep dive into the evolving role of the CISO and the increasing importance of cybersecurity insurance. Larry offers valuable insights drawn from his unconventional career in cybersecurity, sharing advice for CISOs and entrepreneurs alike. From the need for CISOs to shift from awareness providers to business decision-makers, to the surprising connection between cybersecurity and insurance, this episode is packed with thought-provoking discussions. Listen to Steve and Larry explore the intersection of risk, metrics, and cybersecurity decision-making, and how customer service strategies from the Ritz-Carlton are being applied to improve client relations in cybersecurity. 00:00 - Introduction: Board Level Metrics in Cybersecurity 01:02 - Larry Pfeifer's Journey in Cybersecurity 01:56 - Cybersecurity’s Future: Insurance and Risk 03:56 - The Challenges of Cybersecurity Insurance 08:04 - Key Lessons for CISOs and Risk Management 12:00 - Client Management Post-Breach 17:30 - Optimizing Cybersecurity Investments 21:05 - Entrepreneurship: Realities and Advice Links: Larry Pfeifer on LinkedIn

    26 min

  8. 08/15/2024

    Why the Best Salespeople Are Engineers

    In this episode of The New CISO, host Steve is joined by Larry Pfeifer, CEO and President of Metrics That Matter. Although Larry is not a CISO, he has worked in many adjacent fields, including the US military, university IT research, sales engineering, and more. As a result of his vast experience, Larry has a unique lens on cybersecurity. Listen to the episode to learn more about Larry’s fascinating career journey, what salespeople and IT professionals have in common, and why he decided to start his own business. Listen to Steve and Larry discuss what makes working in IT at a university invaluable and when to talk about the vendor selection process: Meet Larry (1:39) As a CEO and entrepreneur, Larry does many different things in his daily life. His professional origins started in his high school Apple IIe classes, and later, he worked with new computer technology in the military.  Overall, Larry compares his career journey to Forest Gump, acknowledging the exciting and extensive path he’s taken. After Service (6:39) Larry details his next moves after completing his military service. He helped run an educational network at a university, which led to him being interviewed on Leonard Nimoy’s technology show. Although there was no position like “CISO” at the time, Larry also led a checkpoint on Salaraboxes, among other cyber-related projects. Sound Advice (11:30) Steve presses Larry on whether it is worthwhile for students to work in education networks at a university. Larry believes that if you have the opportunity, you should take advantage of it. After all, it’s high-paying, flexible, and allows you to do real, hands-on work. Becoming an Entrepreneur (15:04) Larry shares how he broke into sales engineering and started working for the Philadelphia Stock Exchange, among other places. He went from a career in IT research to sales engineering to becoming a salesman, adding another layer to his professional skills.  He also stresses the importance of discussing vendors and helping his peers determine what they like about their services, what they don’t like, and their costs. This interest led him to become the CEO of his own information-sharing business. Building a Brand (26:27) Reflecting on the beginning of his entrepreneurial journey, Larry shares how he worked with potential clients and narrowed in on his focus. Now, Larry is the CEO of a business that serves as a cyber-security platform. To do this job well, he understands the industry thoroughly. The Right Metrics (33:32) Through Metrics That Matters, Larry aims to simplify the cyber-security process by providing information that reports on a business’s weak points and what they could do better. Larry’s company fills in the technology gaps of CISOs, though he also knows there is no silver bullet to perfect cyber security. You must understand your environment and what your environment needs to secure your business properly. Links: LinkedIn

    40 min
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4.9
out of 5
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About

The New CISO is hosted by Exabeam Chief Security Strategist, Steve Moore. A former IT security leader himself, Steve sits down with Chief Information Security Officers to get their take on cybersecurity trends, what it takes to lead security teams and how things are changing in today’s world.

Information

  • Creator
    Steve Moore
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2025
  • Episodes
    124
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 517748
  • Show Website
    The New CISO

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