My top security topics
One of the best things about working in cybersecurity is that it's always changing. There are always new things to learn and think about. Here are some of the areas of security that I'm thinking about the most right now:Securing the digital supply chainThe evolution of cloud-native securityInternet of Things (IoT) securityThe human element of securitySecuring web3 and blockchainI'll take them one by one this week and share some quick thoughts on why I think they're interes...
Poor man’s Gong
If you’re someone who works with me, you may have noticed that I ask to record our Zoom calls more often than I used to. There’s a reason for this. While I can’t justify the cost of a revenue intelligence platform like Gong for my small shop, I made up my own poor man’s version. Here’s how it works.Download and install Descript. (There’s a free version.)Hit the record button on a Zoom call and pick the “Record on this computer” option.After the Zoom call ends, drag the video file that Zoom sp...
Welcome to the simulation
OK, now that the marketing guy explained what Zero Trust is, let’s get into some ways to give security buyers a plan for it (that hopefully includes some of you). There’s a real danger that this could get boring in a hurry, so here’s what I’m thinking. Over the next few days, I’ll give you my quick take on what I like and don’t like about the three possible starting points I mentioned. I’m not going to regurgitate every detail, but I’ll try to give you the gist. Then, I’m going to make up a f...
I share daily thoughts about cybersecurity and emerging technology. [Subscribe](https://daily.axalane.com) or [hire me](https://axalane.com)
My top security topics
One of the best things about working in cybersecurity is that it's always changing. There are always new things to learn and think about. Here are some of the areas of security that I'm thinking about the most right now:Securing the digital supply chainThe evolution of cloud-native securityInternet of Things (IoT) securityThe human element of securitySecuring web3 and blockchainI'll take them one by one this week and share some quick thoughts on why I think they're interes...
Poor man’s Gong
If you’re someone who works with me, you may have noticed that I ask to record our Zoom calls more often than I used to. There’s a reason for this. While I can’t justify the cost of a revenue intelligence platform like Gong for my small shop, I made up my own poor man’s version. Here’s how it works.Download and install Descript. (There’s a free version.)Hit the record button on a Zoom call and pick the “Record on this computer” option.After the Zoom call ends, drag the video file that Zoom sp...
Welcome to the simulation
OK, now that the marketing guy explained what Zero Trust is, let’s get into some ways to give security buyers a plan for it (that hopefully includes some of you). There’s a real danger that this could get boring in a hurry, so here’s what I’m thinking. Over the next few days, I’ll give you my quick take on what I like and don’t like about the three possible starting points I mentioned. I’m not going to regurgitate every detail, but I’ll try to give you the gist. Then, I’m going to make up a f...
I share daily thoughts about cybersecurity and emerging technology. [Subscribe](https://daily.axalane.com) or [hire me](https://axalane.com)
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Something hasn’t been sitting right with me about the email I sent about buyer personas the other day. I still believe it. But I think it’s a bit of an oversimplification.
So I’m going to take another crack at it over the next couple of days. I still don’t think creating cartoon caricatures of your buyers is a great use of time – especially for startups that need to keep marketing investments tightly focused. But I do think it’s critical to understand the buyer personas involved in the purchase process in detail and have a strategy for each.
For today, let’s start by defining the ensemble. In most enterprise security deals, it looks something like this:
“The Business Decision-Maker” – Most often, the CISO or related executive-level security or risk title.
“The Security Architect” – The person responsible for turning the desired business objectives into reality on the ground.
“The Stress Tester” – A sharp security brain who is too pedantic to get projects executed but is great for throwing at security vendors to test their mettle.
“The Technical Gatekeepers” – Stakeholders who are not necessarily security-focused but own infrastructure your product touches. For example, network, servers, endpoints, application code, cloud infrastructure, etc.
“The Administrative Gatekeepers” – Folks like purchasing and legal that you need alignment with to get into the end zone.
Did I miss anyone?
-Doug
Something hasn’t been sitting right with me about the email I sent about buyer personas the other day. I still believe it. But I think it’s a bit of an oversimplification.
So I’m going to take another crack at it over the next couple of days. I still don’t think creating cartoon caricatures of your buyers is a great use of time – especially for startups that need to keep marketing investments tightly focused. But I do think it’s critical to understand the buyer personas involved in the purchase process in detail and have a strategy for each.
For today, let’s start by defining the ensemble. In most enterprise security deals, it looks something like this:
“The Business Decision-Maker” – Most often, the CISO or related executive-level security or risk title.
“The Security Architect” – The person responsible for turning the desired business objectives into reality on the ground.
“The Stress Tester” – A sharp security brain who is too pedantic to get projects executed but is great for throwing at security vendors to test their mettle.
“The Technical Gatekeepers” – Stakeholders who are not necessarily security-focused but own infrastructure your product touches. For example, network, servers, endpoints, application code, cloud infrastructure, etc.
“The Administrative Gatekeepers” – Folks like purchasing and legal that you need alignment with to get into the end zone.
Did I miss anyone?
-Doug
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