GO PHISH
WE ‘ GO PHISHING ’ WITH NICK HAYES , DIRECTOR OF CYBER SOLUTIONS , SURECLOUD , WHO TELLS
US ABOUT LIFE BOTH IN AND OUTSIDE THE OFFICE .
wWhat would you describe as your most memorable achievement in the cybersecurity industry ?
Getting into the industry in the first place was a great achievement for me and something I was really proud of at the time . I didn ’ t have a background in
cybersecurity when I first started looking into it nine years ago and I was totally self-taught for the first couple of months until I landed my first position as a junior at a security consultancy company .
After that , finding my first critical vulnerability on a client test was one of the most memorable and exciting moments . Nowadays , as I ’ m in a leadership position , I get the most enjoyment about the development of others coming in on a similar journey and seeing them get the rewards from their hard work .
What first made you think of a career in cybersecurity ?
After I ’ d finished my degree in electronic engineering , I realised that wasn ’ t an area I wanted to pursue a career in . I then started a graduate scheme at an industrial control company and one of the areas they ’ d asked me to specifically look into was cybersecurity . I absorbed everything I could and found it so interesting and totally threw myself into it before feeling I had picked up enough knowledge to try for a role as a full-time penetration tester , which I was successful with . I feel like I was lucky in terms of being in the right place and the right time and I owe a lot to my first manager in this industry for taking a chance on me .
What style of management philosophy do you employ with your current position ?
I very much err on the side of trusting and empowering my team . I don ’ t agree with micromanagement generally . Obviously , you have to make sure you ’ re aligned on things and work together on decisions but I ’ m very much a person that will let people learn and find their own ways of getting the job done and provide coaching afterwards .
What do you think is the current hot cybersecurity talking point ?
In recent months , there ’ s been a lot of discussions and commentary around critical vulnerability management ,
I owe a lot to my first manager in this industry for taking a chance on me .
especially around the current state of play around third party supply risk . Notably there have been a number of recent instances which have made mainstream news too , such as Solarwinds compromise and PHP vulnerabilities to name but two . A business is only ever as secure as its third-party suppliers and if those suppliers are careless with the data , or targeted by bad actors , the knock-on effects for security , compliance and ultimately revenue and reputation can be severe .
Additionally , right now , the ‘ hybrid office ’ is also a hot topic – how can organisations continue to secure their infrastructures and assets while maintaining flexible working patterns and conditions ?
How do you deal with stress and unwind outside the office ?
We ’ ve all been a bit restricted with lockdown , but the gyms are finally back open , so I ’ ve been able to enjoy outdoor classes a couple of times a week , as www . intelligentciso . com
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