In the first instalment in our Expert insights series on cyber threats and security for 2022, and with Sean Slattery of Caribbean Solutions Lab, he discusses, among other things: the changes in the threat landscape that occurred in 2021; cyber insurance, zero-trust models, what are the pros and cons of security-as-a-service; and three things organisations should be doing in 2022 to improve their network/IT security.

 

This episode is also available on SoundCloud, Apple iTunes, Google Play Music, Spotify, Amazon Music (NEW!) and on Stitcher!

The safety of our digital systems and networks continues to be a major point of concern among businesses and organisations. Increasingly, we are becoming aware of the cyber threats and incidents that have been occurring, as they are not just crimes to make money. These days, cyber-attacks are becoming part of countries’ warfare tactics. For example, and as recently as last week, the Ukraine accused Russia of being behind the cyberattack of its two largest banks, its defence ministry and army (Source: The Guardian).

Even as individuals, we are still plagued with ransomware, but more frequently, we are experiencing various types of phishing and extortion rackets, all of which can have us feeling under threat and overwhelmed. Further, and as much as we are getting used to operating digitally, many of us are still not aware of the extent to which dangers abound, and consequently, we are not as equipped as we should be to navigate the choppy waters that come with living and working online.

This podcast episode is the first update of 2022 in our longstanding Expert Insight series on cyber threats and security. As per usual, we invite security experts to share their views and knowledge – their insights – on network intrusion and security, generally and in the Caribbean region.

 

Introducing our guest

Sean Slattery

Sean Slattery is the Founder and Chief Technology Officer of Caribbean Solutions Lab (CSL), a cybersecurity service provider, based in the Cayman Islands. CSL has clients throughout the Caribbean region and in North America, and offers comprehensive IT security, training and professional services.

Sean has deep experience in IT, having started with a background in Computer Science, and working his way across a gamut of IT roles. He has spent over a decade focusing primarily on cybersecurity. His specialities include:  firewall enterprise; web gateway; e-policy orchestration;  enterprise mobility management;  and application control.

 

 

Insights into our conversation

Sean is always a wonderful guest to have on the Podcast, as he is passionate about cybersecurity and is also very knowledgeable. Thanks to his background as a trainer, and as much as cybersecurity can be highly technical, he is able to communicate in a way that tends to be very relatable. 

Two of the big takeaways from this conversation with Sean – and it does give you a sense of how the security space might be evolving – is first, there seems to be a shift away from brands and brand loyalty, to a more brand agnostic posture, with a focus more on whether the products are effective. Second, greater emphasis is being placed on intrusion detection and proactive threat hunting, and security teams are not solely relying on firewalls and other applications to detect breaches.

Below are some of the questions posed to Sean during the course of our conversation:

  1. To start, give us a quick recap of what has been going on in the Caribbean region, with regard to cybersecurity threats and incidents?
  2. As we continue in some kind of remote working arrangement, have the threats evolved from what you had been observing over the last couple of years?
  3. There seems to be a growing conversation about security-as-a-service. What is it, and what might be some of the pros and cons of this service?
  4. Over the past few years, what are some of the security trends you have noted in relation to how the role and function of security vendors, contractors, etc., have evolved?
  5. In organisations, what should be the primary goal of cybersecurity?
  6. To what degree are zero-trust models being adopted in the region?
  7. What are important skills cybersecurity applicants ought to possess to better ensure their marketability and suitability for security-related roles?
  8. What might be three (3) key things organisations should be doing in 2022 to improve their network/IT security?

 

We would love to hear from you!

Do leave us a comment either here beneath this article, or on our Facebook or LinkedIn pages, or via Twitter, @ICTPulse.

Also, if you or a member of your network is interested in joining us for an episode, do get in touch.
Let’s make it happen!

 

Below are links to some of the organisations and resources that either were mentioned during the episode, or otherwise, might be useful:

 

 

Image credits:  S Slattery;  Gerd Altmann (Pixabay); Darwin Laganzon (Pixabay); Privecstasy (Unsplash)

Music credit: The Last Word (Oui Ma Chérie), by Andy Narrell

Podcast editing support: Mayra Bonilla Lopez