Security Trends in 2023 and Beyond

Happy New Year, Afternoon Cyber Tea listeners! After a short break, we got back in the studio and have been recording with an incredible line-up of experts and thought leaders to discuss the latest cyber strategies, trends, and technologies. I cannot wait for you all to hear what we have in store.?

?We kicked-off the year strong with my longtime friend and colleague Chris Young. Chris joined to give us his perspective on current cyber trends and to tell us why he is excited about the future of technology. He did not disappoint.?

?If you do not know Chris, he has decades of leadership at companies like Intel, McAfee, and RSA. Chris is now Executive Vice President of Business Development, Strategy, and Ventures at Microsoft, with a unique vantage point of where the overall technology industry is headed.? My conversation with Chris covered a lot of ground – from his journey to Microsoft to career mentors to AI and more. Here are a few highlights from our discussion that resonated with me – the full episode is available here .??

?The importance of the security ecosystem

Security is one of the most challenging responsibilities of businesses and organizations around the world. It is also a team sport that requires the contribution of many. I asked Chris his perspective on the role ecosystems play in helping create a safer place for all. Chris underscored the importance of coming together to solve problems, saying “No company can solve all the problems themselves. That’s true in any space. I think it's especially true in security. Nobody's got 100% of the solution, partially just because, security is a living, breathing problem. It changes all the time. It changes faster, I'd argue, than other elements of the technology landscape. And that's one of the reasons why ecosystem work is super critical to security.”?

?The role startups play in security

In my current role I have the amazing opportunity to meet startup founders and leaders regularly. I find the energy and grit required to launch a company nothing short of amazing – especially in cybersecurity. I wanted to hear from Chris his point-of-view on the startup community, to which he replied with enthusiasm, “Startups are the lifeblood, I think, of our industry. They keep us moving forward, solving problems in new and different ways. And as we all know, having spent a lot of time in this industry, you always have a need for a new and different approach to solve a problem. Why? Because the attackers are likely ahead of you with some new and different approach that they've implemented.”?

?A reason for optimism in security

If you are a frequent listener of Afternoon Cyber Tea, you have undoubtedly heard me talk about my optimism?for the future of the cybersecurity industry. I really do believe that despite all of the challenges we have collectively faced, we have been able to stay one step ahead of criminals a majority of the time. I asked Chris how he felt about the future, and unsurprisingly, he also has a positive outlook, saying, “I've remained a cyber optimist through all of it because I also look at the incredible things that we can do with technology, the incredible role that technology plays in our lives. I think as we continue to see technology become more pervasive in our lives, it says as much about the good things we can do with cybersecurity and the trust that we build as it does about the risks that we have to remain vigilant against as we look out into the future.”?

?My conversation with Chris was engaging and thought provoking, and I hope you will give it a listen. For the full episode and more Afternoon Cyber Tea, visit www.afternooncybertea.com . New episodes are released every other Tuesday and are available on the Cyberwire and most major podcast platforms.?