....with Jason Legge
Head of Security Consulting APAC, at Huntsman Security Huntsman Security’s Cyber Security Platform has built its reputation on its ability to monitor and combat defence-grade cyber attacks. This proven technology is deployed in some of the most secure and sensitive environments around the world. Jason Legge has been with Huntsman since 2013. His role is to help customers get the most out of the Huntsman platform. Jason is passionate about cyber risk reduction, and believes recent advances, which slash the time from threat detection to resolution, have started to tilt the balance in favour of the ‘good guys’. How did you get into the security industry? After graduating in electrical and electronic engineering, I worked in a consultancy role in the procurement of IT and telecommunications systems. I then joined Siemens, working in ICN, mainly with computer networks and fibre optics. After some time designing computer systems, I undertook several cyber security roles within the UK Government, before finally moving into a high-level security role. Along the way, I boosted my security expertise with courses like the Certified Ethical Hacker and International Information Systems Security Certification, which taught me strategies to monitor and stop attacks.
I used Huntsman technology extensively for about seven years while I was with the UK Government. Its speed and accuracy really helped support our security objectives, and the technology delivered exactly what it promised. So when the opportunity came up to work with Huntsman, I jumped at the chance.
that rely on us, is the increasing scale and number of cyber attacks – today every business, whether they know it or not, is under attack from outsiders trying to steal valuable information. The problem is that there are not enough security specialists in the industry to cope with this rising level of attacks. And you can’t just rely on every shiny new toy to solve your security issues. Effective security involves design and discipline – it requires the correct balance of technology, people and processes for the best outcome.
What do you like about your job?
What are the biggest changes you’ve seen?
I like the challenge the security industry presents. It’s ever-changing, so you have to constantly adapt and learn. It’s impossible to know everything and that’s why technology that you can rely on is an important part of any cyber resilience program. I get a sense of achievement when I can hunt, investigate and resolve a suspicious threat. My role with Huntsman allows me to make a real difference, which is very rewarding.
Perspective and context is paramount in any form of security. As a result there has been a flood of vendors providing valuable threat information to support analysts in their pursuit of resolving threats that matter. However, dealing with this manually is an overwhelming and endless task. The result is that businesses are increasingly exposed to risk for unacceptably long periods. Automation of this verification process is now emerging using technologies such as the Huntsman platform. These technologies use high-speed machine-based learning to manage routine threat investigation and verification, which allows analysts to hunt and investigate only the threats that matter.
How did your current position come about?
What are the biggest challenges facing the industry? The obvious challenge for us, and the businesses
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Another big change has been in the executive suite where there has been a significant increase in interest levels in cyber security. It’s no longer seen as just a tech or IT issue, but an ever-present business risk that can threaten any organisation, and must be managed. Where do you see the industry heading? I believe we need more collaboration – by means of sharing contextual information within trusted environments – between governments and security providers, as well as companies themselves. What’s a threat in the finance industry one day could well be a risk in the critical infrastructure industry tomorrow. What do you do when you’re not working? I love playing competitive sport. My main activities are cycling and field hockey, which I try to squeeze in around work and spending valuable time with my family. jlegge@huntsmansecurity.com