Building Strength through Struggle and Adversity in Cybersecurity

In this episode of the Detection at Scale podcast, Jack speaks to Daniel Wiley, Head of Threat Management and Chief Security Advisor at Check Point Software, to discuss the intricacies of balancing technology and human analytics in cybersecurity. 

Daniel shares his experiences in building three successful internal startups at Check Point and emphasizes the importance of continuous learning throughout one’s career. He also touches on effective incident response strategies for small- to medium-sized businesses, and the vital role of adaptable data schemas in managing large-scale security operations. 

Topics discussed:

• The highs and lows experienced in the cybersecurity startup journey, including the importance of quick decision-making and team-building.
• Strategies for developing effective IR playbooks tailored for small- to medium-sized businesses to handle security threats efficiently.
• The integration of machine analytics and human expertise to manage and interpret large volumes of cybersecurity data.
• Managing 24/7 global SOCs, including the challenges of shift rotations and ensuring analysts are not overloaded.
• Techniques for determining which data is crucial for cybersecurity efforts and how to handle terabytes of data per second.
• The necessity of ongoing education and staying updated with the latest in cybersecurity to maintain effectiveness in the field.
• The significance of hiring the right team from the start and making swift, decisive personnel changes when necessary.
• Check Point's focus on maintaining high operational margins and its impact on the business's success and sustainability.

Resources Mentioned: 

• Daniel Wiley on LinkedIn
• Check Point Software website
• The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz
• Cyber for Builders by Ross Haleliuk