60 Seconds with Stuart Golding

Tell us briefly about your background in IT.?

I don’t come from an IT based background; I began in retail. I had never had a job in IT before, I actually entered the sector to avoid redundancy. I was lucky enough to get my first contract with a large company, WHSmith, through which I met Darren. After 16 months, I decided to set up my own business which I am still the CEO of to this day.?

How do you keep up to date with trends in the industry??

There are a few different ways that I like to keep updated, reading is a massive part of this as well as socialising. Whether it be attending forums, such as Infosec or GTX, or talking to my peers in the industry, I can always learn a lot from what others have to say.??

What does the future look like at CyberScale??

CyberScale is a great place to work, and we are looking forward to the next phase of growth. CyberScale’s services are crucial to every organisation who uses a computer and data. We need to continue to educate businesses, especially micro and small businesses who need to understand their?business to justify an investment in cyber security.?

What process is most important in creating a secure business environment??

Being aware that you need to create a secure business environment is always a good place to start. The first crucial step though is recognising what data you store and where it comes from. Afterwards, you should do a gap analysis as well as a risk assessment to identify any vulnerabilities.??

Where do you see the enterprise IT department in the future??

In the future I can foresee a lot of large companies outsourcing security and managers etc. I feel security should not report into IT but alongside it, have a separate seat at the table, separate budget and be seen as an IT problem not a business problem. Cyber threats keep doubling and tripling, IT has a huge function to deliver, and the industry will continue to grow.?

What advice would you give to your 21-year-old self over a coffee??

From a professional standpoint I would tell myself to be more proactive throughout my career, my career has come to me, and I am definitely happy with what I have achieved but some parts haven’t been quite as good as others.??

What professional accomplishment are you most proud of??

One of my main achievements is my CISM qualification which is governance, risk and compliance led. I did this as the start of Covid-19, as I had been in the industry for 12 years at that point so thought I should have the qualification. I felt I needed to prove to myself I knew what I was doing and could guarantee what I was telling customers and clients was right. Setting up my business and keeping it going for the best part of 15 years and still going strong with it is also a great success of mine.?