You Can't Fix All Security Gaps — So Focus on Core Fundamentals | Mandy Andress, CISO at Elastic

Mandy Andress brings over two decades of cybersecurity leadership experience to this conversation, including her current role as CISO at Elastic and her 13-year tenure at MassMutual where she led a $50 million strategic security investment initiative. In this episode, Mandy shares candid insights about prioritizing security gaps by focusing on core risks and security fundamentals, the challenges of browser-based threats, and why curiosity and adaptability matter more than technical certifications. 

0:00 Why a cybersecurity lead studied law and accounting first
7:00 How going out of your comfort zone pays off in your career
11:04 Understanding core risks when setting priorities
20:58 Browser security and the security poverty line
30:08 How Mandy got involved with advising and investing in startups
35:03 Building high performing security teams
39:46 Career advice for cybersecurity professionals

🎙️ Listen On:
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/be-fearless-podcast-by-squarex/id1750854064
Spotify: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/getsquarex

🔔 Follow Mandy and Aleksandra on:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mandyandress/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/aleksandra-melnikova-1012/

🔥 Powered by SquareX
Deployed as a lightweight extension, SquareX turns any browser, on any device, into a secure enterprise browser. Find out more about SquareX at https://hubs.la/Q03rPcbf0