Memos After Quarantine #68: The King is Gone

It was an August evening in 1977, when two friends came to my parents' house to interrupt dinner with news that just couldn't wait: Elvis Presley had died.

The King was gone.

The next day, I went downtown to the music store, put $10 down on my first acoustic guitar and signed up for lessons. I was so proud of that instrument, that I showed it off that night to my grandparents. "Are you going to be the next Elvis?" my grandfather asked.

Well, here we are however many years later, and tonight I will be performing Elvis songs with my lovely wife at a local American Legion function to honor July 4. Funny how things turn out.

And it was this morning when I awoke to a sad, heavy note from ISMG CEO Sanjay Kalra with news that just couldn't wait: Our colleague Steve King, CISM, CISSP had died.

I'd known Steve since he joined the company back in 2019. We met for the first time over lunch in SF, just before he came aboard to lead the Information Security Media Group (ISMG) CyberTheory advisory service. From day one, his contribution across ISMG was priceless. He'd been a CISO in his career, a CTO, a CEO - think of another C, he likely was that, too. He'd led startups and maintained a startup mentality - "What can we do differently?"

He pushed me and my team. Whether it was news articles on our media sites, blogs, video interviews or stage presentations, he urged me to get beyond the tech speak and ensure our content had a unique voice. Anyone can be first with a news story, but who can be memorable?

?He also pushed our industry. He didn’t want to just sell technology products and solutions; he wanted to solve cybersecurity problems. Toward that end, he produced excellent video and audio interviews with like-minded thought leaders. He was a LinkedIn force, writing short essays that challenged conventional wisdom

?Most recently, he pushed for changing how our sector approaches education and awareness. ISMG's CyberEd.io division very much reflects Steve's vision of how cybersecurity can and should be taught. Bring together the right people with the right ideas and the right technology to share those ideas - challenge convention along the way - great things can happen.

?Privately, we met formally at least once a week, but we more frequently communicated through random emails and texts. He had no patience for bureaucracy or politics, but he had great empathy for people and hope for the future. We talked a lot about what could be, and I look forward to helping to create what he envisioned. Steve was a free thinker and he encouraged me. He loved when I'd write these essays, start with, say, Elvis Presley and end with cybersecurity.

?We put together many memorable video panels, one of my favorites being this one on nation state threats, where we brought industry experts Sam Curry and Tom Kellermann together to share insights.

https://www.bankinfosecurity.com/cybersecuritys-inconvenient-truth-nation-state-threat-a-15205

I'm sad today - not just for me, but for all of us. It isn't that I lost a colleague and a friend; we did. Steve was dedicated to cybersecurity, to ensuring that our businesses, our communities, our nation are more secure tomorrow than they are today. And he had allies and friends across so many walks of life. His LinkedIn community alone is bigger than some cities.

?As I've thought about Steve today, as I've mourned him, I've thought of the song Vincent by Don McLean. The chorus starts with "Now, I understand what you tried to say to me," and it ends with "They would not listen, they did not know how. Perhaps they'll listen now."

?I listened, Steve. I truly did. And if I can carry any of your words forward to help others hear the message, I'll be honored.

?The King is gone.

?Long live the King.