Tamika Bass - AI Threats and Leadership Strategies
Critical Stats
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tamika-bass-ccp-cbcp-cisa-crisc-hcispp-a362b735/
Started their cybersecurity journey in: 2018
Favorite zero-day: Log4J
Favorite song: “No Weapon” by Fred Hammond
Introduction
Tamika has over 15 years of experience in IT security, governance, compliance, business continuity, and disaster recovery. I have known her for several years now, and she is committed to utilizing her comprehensive skills to ensure the organization's robust defense against cyber threats and vulnerabilities—something every organization needs in today’s high-threat environment.
Tamika is a mover-and-shaker!
We selected Tamika because she is a mover-and-shaker! She is a triple threat - an advisor, an educator, and a public speaker. Tamika provides expert counsel to IT and executive leadership, guiding them on best practices and technologies to strengthen the organization's security posture. She is an adjunct professor who imparts information security and management knowledge to students. Tamika is also a highly effective, sought-after public speaker who speaks across the US. To put it simply, she is making waves in the industry!
Without further ado, we asked Tamika our standard set of 5 questions to rule them all, and here are her responses:
Five questions to rule them all!
1. What is the biggest problem we are dealing with in cybersecurity?
One of the biggest cybersecurity challenges we are dealing with is AI-powered attacks (deepfakes, automated phishing). Cybercriminals are using AI to scale, automate, and personalize their attacks, making it difficult to detect and defend against them.
2. How can we address the fact that AI-powered attacks are here to stay?
The biggest thing is to take a multi-layered proactive approach (aka defense in depth) that includes AI detection tools (the kind that target deepfakes and phishing) and continuous training of our end users. There is a balance that needs to be struck between product innovation and cybersecurity. We must allow the business to innovate but build some guardrails around it.
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3. What are three actions a CEO can take to protect their company from cyberattacks?
Support cybersecurity initiatives and make them a priority at the board level. Actively champion cybersecurity initiatives by integrating them into the organization's strategic plan (that includes at the board level) and ensuring they receive adequate funding and resources.
Support the vision to “Build a Security Aware Culture.” Promote a security-aware culture by leading by example and advocating for comprehensive cybersecurity training and awareness programs across all levels of the organization.
Ensure there is an incident response plan and require it be tested. Mandate the development and regular testing of a comprehensive incident response plan, including tabletop exercises and simulated attacks. Require regular reports on the results of these tests and ensure that lessons learned are incorporated into the plan's continuous improvement.
Pro-tip: You and board members should actively participate in these tests to understand the organization's response capabilities firsthand and identify potential weaknesses.
4. What are the best resources for learning more about cybersecurity?
I have three resources I would recommend:
LinkedIn Learning - They have excellent content that is super easy to understand.
SANS Institute - They offer very valuable resources and several delivery methods.
Pluralsight - They offer outstanding training, including boot camps that lead to various certifications.
5. What is one piece of advice for those wanting to pursue a cybersecurity career?
My response to this is always the same: Do your research in cybersecurity to understand your interests better so that you know who you need to talk to. Then start a dialog!
May the Force be with you. Now go forth and share this article with your Jedi and Sith besties!
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Cyber 101 | The Solopreneur | SMB | BoD
