Hopefully, the first cyber-attack that MacKenzie Brown helps you survive will be a fake one.
Otherwise youll end up calling her and her colleagues atOptiv Securitywhen youve already been compromised by a hack.
As an incident response consultant, Brown helps clients prepare for, or recover from, intrusions from hackers.
And as the founder of the non-profitMs.
GreyHat, Brown provides training and networking for girls and women studying and practicing cybersecurity.
We talked to her about her infosec work and her best security advice.
As in coin flip.
Its really a toss-up between being frantic or in the zone/on auto-pilot.
Rethink what security means for you.
I had no direction after that.
I was asked if I wanted to participate in an IRS audit for information security.
I suppose I could still be the Julia Roberts of infosec.
Take us through a recent workday.
I woke up in my hotel and reviewed client materials.
I work from home when Im not on the road.
My cats arent great at water-cooler talk.
I make a run at immerse myself locally for public speaking engagements and projects.
Whats a typical work process at Optiv?
What apps, gadgets, or tools cant you live without?
Of course the normal social networking feeds and the black hole that is Pinterest.
Just like most, Im sure, I have a love/hate relationship with technology.
If only Buddha quoted, theres an app for that, we would all be a bit more balanced.
Whats your workspace setup like?
My workspace has to be pristine, minus the occasional cat hair and coffee stains.
My desk is filled with some study books and items for inspiration.
I have my laptop and 25" monitor with multiple windows open and Spotify on full blast.
I have a candle with Ada Lovelace on the front and my Pi 3 andPineapple Nanonext to it.
A dirty fish tank that seems to never stay clean.
Finally, I have a board above me that reads Well-behaved women rarely make history.
Whats a piece of security advice you frequently give?
Rethink what security means foryou.
My work shadow partner Curtis Fechner.
How do you keep track of what you have to do?
I am addicted to making lists.
How do you recharge or take a break?
I suck at recharge.
My gym sessions and naps are how I unwind.
Now a true recharge is unplugging and getting away.
In the winter I enjoy snowboarding, or taking a summer day off and going mountain climbing.
Alas, recharge is difficult to schedule.
But, I do think its important to unplug and allow time for just ourselves.
Whats your favorite side project?
The Ms. GreyHat Organization.
We empower women, educate students and develop professionals in all things cybersecurity.
Understanding the risk, and reward, of an always-innovating digital world is a must for everyone.
We do that by providing training courses, hosting workshops, and speaking at conferences.
What are you currently reading, or what do you recommend?
Steal the web connection: How to Own the Boxby Ryan Russell.
I found myself struggling to develop realistic scenarios for tabletop engagements.
In short, I wasnt thinking like a hacker.
When we develop these scenarios for clients, we want it to hit home and hit home hard.
A nefarious mindset is that secret ingredient.
I kept thinking like a security practitioner, very process oriented and all about specific control usage.
But real security incidents arent like that.
They are dirty, unpredictable, and at times even randomly motivated versus targeted.
This book has helped immensely with opening myself to that enemys perspective.
Who else would you like to see answer these questions?
Women in executive level positions.
Those are the types of experiences I like to read, because I want to relate and be inspired.
Whats the best advice youve ever received?
I can always hear my mother saying change the channel.
Even typing it out gives me warmth.
Whats a problem youre still trying to solve?
I find myself saying yes to too many projects or trying to meet unrealistic expectations of others.
I have to remind myself every day that I am exactly where I need to be.
That its ok to say no and accept the things I cannot control or meet.
I have to remind myself to be patient with my own progress and ability.
