Cybersecurity is such a broad subject that many times, an organization can become stifled when trying to develop a full cybersecurity program. Some organizations that have already put a cybersecurity program in place can also unpleasantly discover gaps in their efforts, making the entire venture seem moot. One way to effectively get started, as well as to prevent gaps, is to build a good foundation upon which a cybersecurity program can grow and mature.

I recently had the opportunity to speak with David O’Leary, Sr. Director of Security Solutions for SHI/StrataScale.  David’s experience dates back to the inception of network and cybersecurity, so he has a lot of real-world experience that can be drawn from to assist any organization in starting, scaling, and maturing their cybersecurity program.  David, can you tell us a bit about your history and where your journey to cybersecurity began?

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David O’Leary: Yes, and thanks for the opportunity to talk with you today. It’s been a great ride into what has developed into cybersecurity. I like puzzles, and I like to put multiple puzzles together at the same time. I also enjoy building automobiles. While this is not necessarily cybersecurity-related, my hobbies allow me to translate that mechanical mindset into my work.This gave me a solid background in methods and processes.

When I was younger, around 20 years old, I was fortunate to work in a data center, building out core infrastructure. I worked on every component of a data center, from routers, to Unix systems, and whatever else they threw at me. I was soaking up this experience and loving it, and it was all good technology. I had my fingers on the keyboard and my hands on the data center. Back then, when you had to build, push things into (Read more...)