Learning Cybersecurity From Unconventional Methods | Zlatko Unger, Head of Security & Privacy at Alation

In this episode of CISO Insiders, we welcome Zlatko Unger, Head of Security & Privacy at Alation, for an exciting and eye-level conversation about her journey into cybersecurity, advice for young cybersecurity professionals just starting out, and how the industry will evolve in 2022 and beyond.

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00:36 Guest Introduction and professional journey

02:30 Icebreakers

04:25 The importance of having interactions with professional individuals in your domain.

08:28 Learning cybersecurity from social media platforms like Twitter and Reddit.

11:07 The single biggest failure and key takeaway from that journey.

14:05 Biggest professional accomplishment.

15:10 Advice for someone who’s getting started in a cybersecurity career.

16:33 Pros and cons of CISO reporting to IT department.

20:30 The best learning resources one can use to move forward in the industry.

22:30 Debunking one common myth about cybersecurity.

24:20 What are the main concerns CISOs nowadays have?

30:40 How the role of the CISO is evolving?

42:08 What should cybersecurity vendors stop doing?

43:10 Closing comments

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Podcast highlights:

What’s the one thing you wished you knew before you started your journey?

• When you’re starting your career in the cybersecurity domain, there are so many factors involved that you wish you knew before you started your journey. One of those is having more interactions with the individuals that are in your domain that can show you what’s on the other side of the curtain and who can give you clarity into the sort of works that you will be doing. It is very important to connect with people who have walked the walk before.

What are the main concerns CISOs nowadays have?

• Every CISO I talk to has ransomware buried somewhere in their mind as a concern. It doesn’t matter what’s the size of the organization and which system they use, the problem of ransomware is still unresolved.

Connect with Zlatko: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zlatkounger/

Connect with Ben: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benbenaderet/