With the launch of CXO REvolutionaries on April 20, 2021, we knew we had a unique opportunity. On this site, you can learn from a growing group of zero trust and digital innovation executive champions, join a community forum, and utilize assessments and tools, C-level events, peer circles, and thought leadership publishing. We were both thrilled and anxious since there was nothing quite like it.
After a year of CXO content and programs, we’ve learned a lot about the wide range, popularity, and importance of cybersecurity and IT topics. Below we highlight the top ten most-read articles over the past 12 months.
1. Security Service Edge (SSE) reflects a changing market: what you need to know
When research firm Gartner introduced Security Service Edge (SSE) as a new market segment to help technology leaders evaluate the convergence of security solutions for the platform and cloud era, you were not alone in questioning the arrival of yet another acronym offshoot. Who better ask than a former Gartner analyst? Zscaler VP, Transformation Strategy/Field CTO, Sanjit Ganguli, analyzed the ins and outs of SSE, what it means for SASE, and what leaders should look for in a solution. This most-read primer laid the groundwork for a much heftier examination,The 7 Pitfalls to Avoid When Selecting an SSE Solution.
2. Stop trying to make firewalls happen: What IT can learn from Tesla about disrupting the status quo
When is it necessary to abandon the status quo and create a new one? According to Zscaler Director of Transformation Strategy Tony Fergusson, about cybersecurity, right now. He recommends IT leaders look to Tesla for inspiration. He detailed Tesla's status-quo-breaking innovation and challenged IT leaders to stop trying to fix unfixable legacy security technology. The zero trust security model writes Fergusson, rejects the castle-and-moat status quo, and represents "an elegantly simple" path forward.
3. Raising the bar for cybersecurity education: Announcing the new CSA Zero Trust Advancement Center
The CSA Zero Trust Advancement Center, launched on March 8th, is a first-of-its-kind educational program designed to teach zero trust best practices. CSA Charter Member Zscaler joined Okta and Crowdstrike to support the new venture's founding and mission. Zscaler EVP for Customer Experience and Transformation Kavitha Mariappan detailed the new program, which she calls "a new north star" in zero trust education.
4. Unlocking competitive advantage with a zero trust multicloud strategy
Organizations migrating to the cloud can reap the most significant benefits by transforming into the cloud and adopting new architectures rather than just "lift and shift." SASE and ZTA play a big role in making the most of such migrations to multicloud environments, according to Martyn Ditchburn, Director of Transformation Strategy at Zscaler.
5. The secret behind a successful zero trust project is no secret at all; it’s the human element
The success of complex projects like moving to the cloud and adopting zero trust is not just about matching technology to business objectives but also overcoming inertia, up-skilling, creating the right team, and communicating a compelling technology vision for the future. The popular article, authored by CXO REvolutionary Greg Simpson, also appeared recently on the CSA blog.
6. 5G and zero trust: An introduction for CXOs
Unlike wireless generations before, 5G gives enterprises deployment options and new ways to work with telcos and cloud providers to deliver compelling new customer experiences. At the same time, it expands the attack surface exponentially, requiring a commensurate cybersecurity strategy. This guide by Ken Urquhart, PhD, Global VP of 5G Strategy at Zscaler, spells out the 5G opportunity, key considerations, and decisions that every IT and security leader will face sooner or later.
7. What F1 cars can teach us about 5G and top speed
This insightful article authored by Zscaler VP, Emerging Tech & 5G Nathan Howe about 5G and the true nature of top speed. Using a Formula 1 race car analogy to break down the ins and outs of network speed, Howe explains how 5G utilizes Open RAN, MEC, edge computing and more to deliver the next generation of connectivity.
8. Merger & acquisition integration: How a zero trust exchange accelerates time to value
M&A is the new R&D, yet rarely do these journeys happen quickly or smoothly. At least you can collapse the IT part of an M&A integration from quarters or even years to just weeks. Zscaler Field CTO Pamela Kubiatowski shows how organizations rapidly integrate acquisitions by simplifying the end-user experience with ubiquitous connectivity to authorized applications with minimal change management requirements. The key ingredient: Cloud-delivered zero trust architecture.
9. Fed agencies must empower CISOs as clock ticks to designate zero trust leads
The OMB zero trust memorandum issued in late January is a leap forward to shoring our national cybersecurity posture. Shifting agency leadership mindset and company culture stand in the way between the status quo and modernized cybersecurity, as Zscaler CISO-Americas Danny Connelly examines in this piece.
10. You need deception technology. And it’s not why you think
Cyber deception is the missing piece of the defensive security puzzle and can give your security operations center the upper hand. This informative primer on deception technology explains its importance and value to a security strategy. The article by Kevin Fiscus, Principal Instructor, SANS Institute, analyzes cyber, physical, and mental attack surfaces and how active defense can optimize a Security Operations Center (SOC).
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