GO PHISH
WE ‘GO PHISH’ WITH RICHARD MCLOUGHLIN,
CEO AND CO-FOUNDER, NOWCOMM,
WHO TELLS US ABOUT THE EVER-CHANGING
CYBERSECURITY INDUSTRY.
What would you describe as your
most memorable achievement in
the cybersecurity industry?
Helping to create, develop and inspire
our team of IT security experts here at
Nowcomm. It has been the most fulfilling
experience to start with a blank piece
of paper over 13 years ago, to now
having the successful partnerships and
company-wide accreditations for the team
and company that we have become.
What first made you think of a
career in cybersecurity?
The first thing that made me think of
a career in the industry was probably
the movie War Games (remember the
noughts and crosses ending!). I was
a computer geek from the first time I
I was a computer
geek from the first
time I touched a
Sinclair ZX81 back in
the early 1980s, so
it was always on the
cards since then.
touched a Sinclair ZX81
back in the early 1980s, so
it was always on the cards
since then.
What style of
management
philosophy do you
employ with your
current position?
Perhaps it’s best to
ask members of my
team on this one!
Basically, I try to keep
it simple; it’s really
not rocket science,
so you shouldn’t
treat it as such.
My approach is to
offer and perform a supportive
leadership structure.
Rather than a traditional top-down
management approach that delegates
and drops tasks on to the team to
complete, I like to hear what’s happening
around the business. Then I can plug
the right people together while we scale.
It also encourages groups of people to
discuss projects which they wouldn’t
otherwise have engaged on together.
My role is to enable the success
of every member of our team. The
result of this is successful and
empowered team members and
therefore happy customers.
What do you think
is the current hot cybersecurity
talking point?
Cybersecurity itself is the hot topic
because it isn’t just a single entity.
Effective cybersecurity is multi-layered
and multi-faceted and I don’t mean
simply the various technology options.
This is a disciple that is based on
people, process and technology.
A very prevalent consideration is
how to achieve and maintain strong
cybersecurity when employees are
working remotely away from the office.
The Coronavirus outbreak of 2020
is adding to the increasing trend of
a remote workforce and effective
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