Former NSA Engineer on Best Cybersecurity Advice & Considering the Human Element in Cyber Breaches

In today's episode of the Brains Byte Back podcast, we speak with Mike Starr, Founder and CEO at trackd, a platform that aims to simplify vulnerability management and patch management. From this episode, you will learn about Starr’s journey from being an NSA engineer to entering the startup world. We also learn about the intriguing story behind the name trackd and how it resonates with both tech enthusiasts and non-nerds alike. To kick off the show Starr shares how he transitioned from his role as an NSA engineer to the startup world after meeting a brilliant individual at a tech gathering in DC. This encounter led him to work on software-defined networking and eventually paved the way for founding trackd. Starr then shares his views on some of the worst cybersecurity advice, including the misbelief in the security of air-gapped networks. He emphasizes the need for tailored security approaches that consider the specific context and needs of each organization. Additionally, he shares the best cybersecurity advice for listeners, which according to him is understanding the problems that need solving and aligning security and IT teams' efforts. He takes it a step further and advocates that collaborative decision-making, treating humans as humans, and bridging the gap between security and IT tools are essential in this process. Also, Starr sheds light on the significance of considering the human factor in cybersecurity breaches. He emphasizes the importance of collaboration and empathy between different teams and how vendors can contribute to fostering a more collaborative culture. And finally shares how trackd aims to expand its network and install base, providing tools and features to eliminate vulnerabilities in enterprises. With a focus on making patching safer and more efficient by aligning it with corporate risk strategies and considering the operators' perspective. Links 🔗 Our Guest🙋: Find out more about Mike Starr here (LinkedIn) - https://www.linkedin.com/in/starrmc/ Find out more about trackd (website) - https://trackd.com/ Read the trackd Blog here -  https://trackd.com/blog/ Brains Byte Back 🧠👨‍💻🎙️: Leave an iTunes review here - https://apple.co/3i60XWu Subscribe on Youtube here - https://bit.ly/3o1M4Z3 Follow us on your favorite podcast platform here - https://bit.ly/3kTfNkY Our Sponsor 💻☎️: Find out more about our sponsor Publicize here - https://bit.ly/3X6p7SB