January 24, 2023

Security Teams Can’t Do It All with Rob Wood CISO @ CMS

by Hacker Valley Studio

January 24, 2023

Security Teams Can’t Do It All with Rob Wood CISO @ CMS

by Hacker Valley Studio

Show Notes

In this episode of Hacker Valley Studio, Rob Wood, Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) at CMS, discusses the challenges of data silos within organizations. Rob explains that security teams often operate in silos, with different departments focusing on various aspects of security, such as incident management, compliance, and penetration testing. One way to improve this is by flattening the organizational structure and finding ways to work together in the same data environments, using the same data tools. This would allow teams to collaborate better and share information, improving overall security.

In the episode, Rob also highlights the importance of supportive leadership and culture in driving change and the impact of the mission in his work. Ron picks up on two key elements - people and communication - as important in cybersecurity and business, as breakdowns often happen due to lack of communication. Chris mentions how he is hard on leaders who create toxic environments or use fear and intimidation to lead their teams. He also notes that he is starting to see a different kind of leader in the technical space, one that knows a lot, and is intelligent but also knows how to talk to people and make them feel seen. The conversation then shifts to where this change in leadership is coming from.

Rob Wood suggests that it is the next wave of leaders coming in, as there are more leadership opportunities available. He also notes that there are many people moving into security from diverse fields, creating a polymath effect of blended disciplines. This helps humble people and allows them to be more human. He also mentions that his own career path was not traditional, as he studied sports management in college and transitioned into an internship in cybersecurity.

Be sure to subscribe to Hacker Valley Studio, the premiere cybersecurity podcast for cybersecurity professionals.

--------------

Links:

Stay up to date with Rob Wood on LinkedIn

Join our Patreon monthly creative mastermind

Connect with Ron Eddings on LinkedIn and Twitter

Connect with Chris Cochran on LinkedIn and Twitter

Purchase an HVS t-shirt at our shop

Continue the conversation by joining our Discord

Check out Hacker Valley Media and Hacker Valley Studio

Read more

Listen Now

Security Teams Can’t Do It All with Rob Wood CISO @ CMS

January 24, 2023 Hacker Valley Studio

00:00:00

Recent Episodes

September 19, 2023
by Hacker Valley Studio

It’s a classic technologist conundrum: Should I build or buy the solution I need to solve a problem? The “Build vs. Buy” conundrum is faced by technology teams worldwide. To help approach this riddle, Chris Cochran speaks to two industry veterans, Sl...

September 12, 2023
by Hacker Valley Studio

Embrace the AI Revolution in Cybersecurity! Ron Eddings explores the dynamic world of AI, from cybersecurity automation to anomaly detection. Learn how AI is being used by practitioners and creators to stay one step ahead of the adversary and the com...

September 5, 2023
by Hacker Valley Studio

For this week's episode, we brought back a fan favorite Security Teams Can't Do It All. This episode features guest Rob Wood, CISO at CMS, who discusses the challenges of data silos in the workplace and the importance of supportive leadership.   Link...

August 29, 2023
by Hacker Valley Studio

In this episode, host Ron is joined by the CISO at Corvus Insurance, Jason Rebholz, to talk about the life of being a cybersecurity content creator. From his drive to create cyber content for technical and non-technical audiences to the sometimes har...

August 22, 2023
by Hacker Valley Studio

In this episode, hosts Ron and Chris are joined by special guest Eric Avigdor, VP of Product Management at Votiro. With humility as the focal point, Eric details his journey as a Product Manager — sharing his unique approach to leadership and custome...

August 15, 2023
by Hacker Valley Studio

Host Chris Cochran is joined by Marty Overman, Senior VP at Imperva, to discuss the importance of self-awareness and transparency in cybersecurity leadership. The two emphasize the need for leaders to recognize their strengths and weaknesses and unde...

August 1, 2023
by Hacker Valley Studio

In this episode, host Ron is joined by Jamie Blasco, co-founder and CTO at Nudge Security, to discuss the opportunities of SaaS as well as the security implications of AI. Jamie also considers the importance of striking a balance between productivity...

July 25, 2023
by Hacker Valley Studio

How do you effectively persuade team members and stakeholders to take action, convey the importance of new projects, or request additional resources? Communicating technical security information often leads to disconnection or worse, falls on deaf ea...

July 18, 2023
by Hacker Valley Studio

In this episode, Chris and Ron Eddings are joined by Jeff Man, a legend in cybersecurity. The conversation begins with Jeff sharing his experiences as a member of the first NSA red team and his involvement in groundbreaking projects. He discusses his...

July 11, 2023
by Hacker Valley Studio

In this episode, Chris and Ron interview Derek Wood from Duality Technologies, a leading privacy technology company to discuss the concept of homomorphic encryption and its significance in data security, privacy, and governance. Homomorphic encryptio...