I got into security because, years ago, I wrote some quite popular games and left a message on them saying "Please give me a job," asking for payment in cheesy biscuits. Alan Solomon, founder of AV company Dr Solomon, sent me a packet of biscuits and offered me an interview. Apparently, his children loved my games.
Q: What do you like most about your job?
Every day is different. When I found out about Zotob recently and the Microsoft vulnerability, I was working rather than being in the garden enjoying the sun – but it's a challenge. You never know what each new development is going to bring.
Q: What annoys you?
It's frustrating how many companies ignore simple advice. There are things out there, often free, that can protect them. It's really ignorance. A policy that blocks emails containing executable code would do so much.
Q: Who's influenced you?
Alan Solomon had a great way of describing complex security problems to people who do not understand normal security babble.
Q: How do you describe your job to normal people?
My brothers have no idea what I do. I tell them I'm working for a company that tries to keep computers running against the bad guys. But people don't understand the scale of the problem – an unprotected computer will be infected within 12 minutes online. Our task is huge.
iTnews Executive Retreat - Security Leaders Edition
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