Insider Insights: Cybersecurity and Collaboration | A Brand Story Conversation From Black Hat USA 2024 | A LevelBlue Story with Theresa Lanowitz | On Location Coverage with Sean Martin and Marco Ciappelli

Welcome to Hacker Summer Camp Sean Martin kicks off the episode with his signature enthusiasm, welcoming listeners to another live broadcast from the renowned Hacker Summer Camp—Black Hat USA 2024 in Las Vegas. He introduces Theresa Lanowitz, a prominent figure in cybersecurity, who shares the latest developments and insights from her venture, Level Blue.

Sean Martin: “Welcome to a new episode coming to you from Hacker Summer Camp. We’re here in Las Vegas for Black Hat USA 2024, and I’m thrilled to be joined by Theresa Lanowitz. Theresa, how are you?”

Simplifying Cybersecurity with Level Blue Theresa discusses the origins and mission of Level Blue, a collaborative initiative between AT&T and World Gem Ventures. She outlines how Level Blue serves as a strategic extension to organizations, simplifying cybersecurity through consulting, managed security services, and innovative threat intelligence via Level Blue Labs.

Theresa Lanowitz: “We aim to simplify cybersecurity by helping you protect your business intelligence through our consulting services, predict your security investments through managed services, and mitigate risk with our Level Blue Labs threat intelligence team.”

The conversation shifts to how Level Blue addresses the complexities in IT, offering practical solutions and actionable intelligence to meet these challenges head-on.

Key Insights from the Level Blue Futures Report Theresa reveals exciting updates about their flagship thought leadership piece, the Level Blue Futures Report. Launched at RSA in May, this report anchors their yearly research agenda. Additionally, she introduces the C-suite Accelerator, focusing on the evolving roles of CIOs, CISOs, and CTOs in fostering cyber resilience.

Collaboration Among CIO, CTO, and CISO Sean and Theresa explore the dynamics between the CIO, CTO, and CISO roles. Theresa elaborates on how, despite their shared objectives, these roles often face conflicting priorities. She highlights the importance of these roles being equal partners within an organization to ensure cohesive responses during critical events, thereby enhancing overall organizational resilience.

Theresa Lanowitz: “The CIO, the CISO, and the CTO must be equal partners. If they’re not, achieving cyber resilience becomes very difficult.”

The Pandemic's Impact on Cybersecurity Reflecting on the pandemic’s effects, Theresa notes how it accelerated digital transformation, underscoring the crucial need for resilient cybersecurity measures. Despite some progress, she observes that cybersecurity often remains siloed, underfunded, and secondary in many organizations. She stresses the importance of aligning cybersecurity goals with business objectives to create a more integrated and effective approach.

Proactive vs. Reactive Budgets Theresa emphasizes the significance of proactive budgeting in cybersecurity, contrasting it with the more common reactive approach. Proactive budgets, she argues, allow for better alignment of cybersecurity initiatives with business goals, which is vital for preempting breaches and addressing regulatory compliance.

Theresa Lanowitz: “If you can align cybersecurity initiatives with business goals, you’re going to be proactive rather than reactive.”

The Role of Trusted Third-Party Advisors Theresa advocates for the involvement of trusted third-party advisors, such as consulting and managed security services. These advisors bring valuable external perspectives and experience, which are crucial for driving innovation and ensuring robust security measures.

Sean Martin: “By working with a trusted partner, you’re not giving up your creative ideas but rather ensuring they play out effectively and securely.”

The Human Element in Cybersecurity As the discussion winds down, Sean and Theresa agree that, at its core, cybersecurity is about people. Theresa underscores the need for cross-functional communication within organizations and with trusted third-party advisors to achieve comprehensive and effective cybersecurity.

Sean Martin: “It always comes back to the people, doesn’t it?”

Conclusion The episode wraps up with Sean expressing gratitude for Theresa’s insights and encouraging continued exploration of research and innovation across various sectors. He invites the audience to explore the Level Blue Accelerator Report for actionable insights.

Learn more about LevelBlue: https://itspm.ag/levelblue266f6c

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Guest: Theresa Lanowitz, Chief Evangelist of AT&T Cybersecurity / LevelBlue [@LevelBlueCyber]

On LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/theresalanowitz/

Resources

Learn more and catch more stories from LevelBlue: https://www.itspmagazine.com/directory/levelblue

View all of our Black Hat USA  2024 coverage: https://www.itspmagazine.com/black-hat-usa-2024-hacker-summer-camp-2024-event-coverage-in-las-vegas

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