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emphasizing the importance of security skills and fostering cross-functional training. Develop clear career
paths for employees to nurture talent, retain top performers, and enable continuous development.

Create growth opportunities to maintain team motivation and engagement. You can achieve this by
establishing learning programs, offering certifications, and providing avenues for professional
advancement within the security domain. Recognizing and rewarding accomplishments, both individually
and as a team, further encourages a strong commitment to security excellence. Your objective should be
to maximize the amount of time that employees spend working at the intersection of expertise, passion,
and company needs.

Implementing a Holistic Approach Under a Single Umbrella Strategy

A modern approach to tech sector security requires a holistic approach that unifies your IT, Enterprise
Security, and Product Security under a single overarching strategy. Overcoming challenges and breaking
down silos through relationship-building and trust-building efforts are essential for success. Additionally,
structuring teams with the right people in the right roles, coupled with growth opportunities, ensures the
continuous evolution of a robust security program that can effectively safeguard against emerging threats
in the dynamic tech landscape.

By redefining the role of the CISO as a business executive focusing on security, your organization can
achieve a cohesive voice advocating for comprehensive security initiatives across the board.

About the Author
Sean Malone is the Chief Information Security Officer at Demandbase. In his
role, he is responsible for the information security and IT functions. Prior to
joining Demandbase, Malone led information security, delivery, product, and
R&D for VisibleRisk, which was acquired by BitSight Technologies. Prior to that,
he was Head of Cyber Defense for Amazon Prime Video, and previously spent
ten years in offensive information security, performing red team engagements
and cyber defense consulting for major financial institutions, casinos, gold
mines, social media platforms, and similar high-value targets. Malone holds an
MS in Information Security & Assurance, as well as the CISSP, CISM, CISA,
CCISO, AWS Solutions Architect, and AWS Security Specialty certifications.
He’s active in the security community, including presenting research at Black
Hat, DEF CON, and other conferences. He has a patent pending for his work
on assessing security programs and quantifying cyber risk.

Sean can be reached online at https://www.linkedin.com/in/seantmalone/ and at our company website
https://www.demandbase.com/.

Cyber Defense eMagazine – August 2023 Edition 20
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