Events , Next-Generation Technologies & Secure Development , RSA Conference

The Role of Automation, Mini Platforms and Cyber Investments

The shortage of skilled cybersecurity professionals poses a formidable challenge for organizations striving to defend against evolving threats. "People don't think about this as a profession," said Jay Leek, managing partner, SYN Ventures. He attributed that to a lack of early awareness among students.

See Also: Why the Future of Security Is Identity

Leek stressed the importance of technology in combating cyberthreats. With the rapid evolution of the threat landscape, human response times cannot match the speed of the adversaries as they exploit vulnerabilities, he said.

"Prevention-first focus helps alleviate the 'people' need because anytime you are doing anything within tech to respond, you have to have people to do it or maybe have some kind of generative AI," he said. "If it doesn't work, then we fall back to a human-oriented approach. We're investing in technologies that don't create more work."

In this video interview with Information Security Media Group at RSA Conference 2024, Leek also discussed:

• Using mini platforms to address multiple security challenges with a unified solution;
• Investing early in category-creating companies to drive disruptive innovation in cybersecurity;
• How experienced practitioners-turned-entrepreneurs drive the direction of the industry.

Leek is an entrepreneur who founded a series of successful companies, including AirDefense, CipherTrust, CoreHarbor, SecureIT and Zscaler. He has more than 25 years of security industry expertise in domains such as engineering, sales, marketing and management.