A few years ago, I took a gig as Public Information Officer for our X-Force group. I remember when I was offered the post. The first words out of my mouth to the exec offering me the job were, “I can’t work for you. I have no idea what your team does. All I know is it sounds incredibly cool.”
Well, he eventually talked me into it (obviously) and between us, I’ve never regretted being convinced. I got it right on one point out of the gate, though — and that was the notion that it’s an intriguing area of the business, and in a way like no other. The reason, I think, is it stands at the intersection of technology, crime and law enforcement, and public policy. And because of that, we have the opportunity to make the world both safer and better. Not many areas in tech can make those same claims to fame.
For those of you who are like I was at first, if I had to sum it up I’d tell you that X-Force is essentially IBM Security’s cyber threat intelligence and response unit. We hunt threats, get paid to break into companies who want to know where they’re vulnerable, collect intelligence, and apply all that when we go out to thwart the bad guys (and gals) and remediate organizations who are under attack.
Not every day is like something out of a spy novel, but many of them are. And many connections I’ve made along the way have similar yet unique tales to tell of their own. Now I’m bringing those stories to the airwaves on Into the Breach, where you get to hear them firsthand.
Some highlights include:
- A former BBC journalist who chronicled the adventures and eventual capture of two teenage hackers
- A combined private sector and law enforcement agency perspective on what threat intelligence is revealing about the cybercrime economy
- The alarming potential risks of operational technology and why it’s critical we secure it
- How the tech structure of cryptocurrency helps cybercriminals elude capture and what role regulation might play in helping law enforcement track them
The miniseries brings to life a set of tales that thrill and inform — and maybe the best part is we do it in a way that makes cyber understandable to everyone. Even for people like my former self a few years back, who don’t know much about the cyber space other than, “it sounds incredibly cool.”
It is.
So join me, and together we’ll venture Into the Breach.
PS. You can subscribe to the series on Apple or Spotify. Oh, and have interesting story ideas? Message me here!