Cybersecurity as a strategic business partner

Going against the grain with cybersecurity information sharing

When it comes to cybersecurity information sharing, often mum‘s the word. Fearful of oversharing or exposing cyber issues, many organizations are reluctant to trade insights and communicate information on cyber issues. But could protecting their reputation have a detrimental effect on the organization and its consumers?

In this episode of the Resilient podcast, Wendy Kanna explores how information sharing in cybersecurity is crucial to getting ahead of threats. Through collaboration and the sharing of vulnerabilities between companies—and even competitors—she believes organizations can be better equipped to prevent cyberattacks and security incidents.

Wendy also stresses the importance of partnering with the business. It’s critical, she says, to change the perception that the cyber function is in the business of “no.” Positioning cyber as a strategic business partner requires her team to help the organization and leadership understand cyber risks, make rationalized decisions based on those risks, and educate them on how to mitigate similar risks in the future. Wendy believes that open communication can help organizations assemble a “cyber army” of ambassadors who can play a key role in increasing program maturity and making cybersecurity second nature.

Born and raised in the Philippines, Wendy explains the cultural challenges of being a female cyber leader in Japan and how she navigates through a culture that values loyalty and “lifelong employment.” She also shares how her curiosity and drive has led her to success in cyber, an unfamiliar field she landed in after college.

Just really being curious, curious (about) the environment that you're moving toward. It's not about what you have learned in school or what you actually have as your skill set. But if you are really open to (learning) in the environment that you're in, I think you'll be successful.

A natural team leader, Wendy values honesty as a virtue and believes transparency is a building block of trust within her team. Passionate about mentorship, Wendy says helping people blossom into something they never thought they could be is the ultimate success.

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Resilient is an award-winning podcast series that features authentic, engaging, and thought-provoking conversations with leaders. Hear interviews and personal stories about how CEOs, senior executives, government officials, board members, and people outside of the business world embrace complexity to lead, navigate, and disrupt to accelerate performance. And discover what they learned about resilience amid risk, crisis, and disruption.

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