Should I become a Virtual CISO? What I wish I had read 30 months ago
12th February 2020
This article is written as advice for aspiring Virtual CISOs (vCISO). This is the third part in a series. If you haven’t read the 18-month and 25-month ones, you should. They’re here: https://fractionalciso.com/18-months-in-what-ive-learned-starting-a-cybersecurity-company/ https://fractionalciso.com/25-months-in-what-ive-learned-starting-a-cybersecurity-company/ Know, like, trust, buy These magic words: “know, like, trust, buy” are the key to success in the Virtual CISO business….
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Just Okay Is Not Okay
16th January 2020
These days, I don’t watch much live TV. The exception is sports. And with football playoffs in full swing, I’ve seen a fair number of commercials along the way. One that has stood out involves a surgeon: Here, too, just okay is not okay. Security is Fundamental to IT MSPs face a big challenge. They support…
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Don’t Click That Link!
19th December 2019
Anyone who says there is no difference between boys and girls, has never coached youth basketball. I coach at our local YMCA — 3rd/4th graders with my son; 1st/2nd graders with my daughter. And let me tell you, I’m not even sure these two populations are of the same species. Here’s a prime example… When…
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Can You Hear Me Now?
21st November 2019
Here is a sentence you have probably never heard: “Alexa, send our company banking credentials to a cyber-criminal.” Nobody, of course, would deliberately invite their smart speaker to share confidential information with bad actors. And the software itself (Alexa, Google Home, etc.) is not designed to do bad things. But, that doesn’t mean bad things…
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Sales troubles? Call the cybersecurity specialist!
29th October 2019
It is so non-intuitive. Yet, each time I try to explain it, I get puzzled looks. This is usually how it goes…. “I help business leaders create a cybersecurity program and story to unblock sales.” “Huh?” But it is true. More often than not our clients make the decision to hire us because they are…
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25 months in: What I’ve learned starting a cybersecurity company
31st July 2019
This is the second part in a series. If you haven’t read the 18 month one, you should. It’s here: https://fractionalciso.com/18-months-in-what-ive-learned-starting-a-cybersecurity-company/ After re-reading my 18-month blog post I couldn’t believe how much has changed with our business and with me in just six months. Okay, seven months but I started writing this post at the…
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IoT Platforms: The Top Six
30th May 2019
I recently finished a small consulting engagement where the client asked me about if they should build an IoT platform. I’ll give you the same advice I gave them, but for free. “Don’t do it.” Let’s talk about the underlying challenges with today’s IoT platforms. It’s a very weird market. Think of it this way:…
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Pen Test. Do I need one?
13th March 2019
“Yes, but…” That is the right answer 95% of the time. Almost every organization needs a penetration test or pen test. Organizations with mature security programs don’t need to ask the question. They already know the answer based on their program and plan. Organizations that are asking that question are operating from the right mindset….
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18 months in: What I’ve learned starting a cybersecurity company
28th November 2018
After twentyish years working for someone else, I quit my corporate job and started a cybersecurity consulting company. While it seemed risky at the time, now I can’t imagine doing anything else. When I first quit, I got questions like, “You have clients lined up, right?” and “What are you really doing?” The answers, “no”…
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