A CISO’s Advice On Learning, Earning, and Dodging Burnout

The New CISO

In this episode of The New CISO, Steve is joined by returning guest Dr. Adrian Mayers, VP and CISO at Premera Blue Cross.

As a veteran CISO, Dr. Adrian reveals his stress management and career tips. He also shares his thoughts on AI and its effect on the current threat landscape. Tune in to this week’s episode to learn more about determining your next career move, giving yourself grace, and why we shouldn’t vilify artificial intelligence.

Listen to Steve and Dr. Adrian discuss evolving technology and approaching the research part of the job:

Welcome Back, Dr. Adrian (1:32)

Dr. Adrian reintroduces himself and his current CISO role to the audience. Steve also reveals why Dr. Adrian is a pleasure to have as a guest and his appreciation for the spark he brings to the conversation.

Cutting CISOs Slack (5:40)

Dr. Adrian unpacks why CISOs deserve grace as the role evolves and the stresses change. Detecting threat actors is a lot of responsibility, which creates tremendous pressure and leads to burnout.

You can do better in your role long-term by understanding your limits and providing accurate expectations for the role.

Working Together (12:33)

Nowadays, taking criminal entities down requires foreign governments and the FBI to work together. Dr. Adrian shares his thoughts on this dynamic and how it takes a village to cover the defensive and offensive bases needed in the digital space.

The Right Research (19:28)

Steve presses Dr. Adrian on how he conducts research related to the job. Dr. Adrian has taken MIT classes and uses many online resources to obtain information.

There are many sources to pull from, but you must use common sense to determine your gaps on various security topics, including AI.

The Benefits of AI (25:02)

Dr. Adrian discusses the benefits of artificial intelligence and how it is a technology that will open up the possibilities of what cybersecurity professionals can do. Although people fear this new tech will replace jobs, it fits the natural order of human progress.

What Comes Next? (28:10)

Steve and Dr. Adrian contemplate the off-ramps of what can come after being a CISO. To move up, you must understand the industry's business side or have enough knowledge to transition into teaching.

Sponsorship is another aspect that CISOs can gain to determine their next career move. Ultimately, Dr. Adrian would like to redefine the work environment to support CISOs on their professional journey.

Keeping Your Eyes Open (36:56)

Steve asks Dr. Adrian how he knows when a CISO should seek new opportunities. How does he manage that internally?

Dr. Adrian believes people should be self-aware enough to understand if they want to move on based on interest or if they want a new professional environment. It is an individual decision.

Do CISOs Need Sports Agents? (45:46)

Steve presses Dr. Adrian on his quote about how CISOs need sports agents. Dr. Adrian means by that quote that security professionals, like many others, need management to guide them and help them find new opportunities.

Links mentioned:

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