Protecting People and Society: 30 Years of Cybersecurity with CSS/CISO Joseph Carson

In this episode, Zaira speaks to Joseph Carson, Chief Security Scientist and Advisory CISO at Delinea. With nearly thirty years in the industry, Carson discusses how he's seen cybersecurity evolve, how ethical hacking is a skill and a mindset rather than a crime, and why security should focus not on protecting computers but protecting people and society. 

Topics discussed:

• Joseph's nearly thirty-year background in security, from managing mainframes, learning COBOL, and programming with hole punches, to his security work today that has included architectural designs, cybersecurity awareness training, and ethical hacking.
• How creating better security starts by understanding the humans behind the machines, and how security isn't about protecting computers but about protecting society.
• How Joseph got started with hacking, and why hacking is a skill and a mindset that helps make people safe.
• How the cybersecurity industry can help its image by talking less about how scary the work can be and instead show how fun it can be.
• The value of learning from failures while ethically hacking, understanding that you may not find the answer the first time, and learning the fundamentals to help you understand how to pivot.
• The evolution of the state of cybercrime, from hacktivists curious about what they could do, to today's business of organized cybercrime — and why ransomware is the "perfect weapon" for immediate impact.
• The importance of closing skills gaps and hiring from diverse backgrounds to strengthen security teams, as well as the importance of providing psychological support to teams managing high-stress environments during and after attacks.

Resources Mention: 

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josephcarson/
• Twitter: @joe_carson
• KELA (Cybercrime Threat Intelligence): https://www.kelacyber.com/
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