The CEO of Secureworks, Wendy Thomas, has been in Australia this week, meeting with customers as Australian companies rethink their approach to trust and security as the pace of technological innovation and its impact accelerates – our video interview is below.
Secureworks is a global cybersecurity company, working with many large multinationals, with thousands of customers in more than 50 countries.
A competitor to CrowdStrike and other security companies on the global scene, Secureworks saw Wendy Thomas take the helm as CEO in 2021, having been with the company since 2008.
Even before Wendy was CEO, she was the driving force in Secureworks transformation into a SaaS Company, leading the development of the Taegis XDR platform as Chief Product Officer. This investment was the result of customer feedback and growing demand in the global market to automate detection and response, with an open platform approach that delivers superior cybersecurity outcomes.
Secureworks is seeing strong demand in Australia, as organisations bolster their cyber maturity, shift away from point solutions and seek to scale their scarce cyber talent in the battle against cybercrime.
After all, the adoption of new technology is highly dependent on trust, and this is something Wendy sees too, stating: “How do we ensure the security and trustworthiness of the information we consume and the systems we use? As the world morphs around us this poses some important questions.”
To learn more about Secureworks, discover what she is doing in Australia, get her thoughts on the CrowdStrike incident, the opportunities and dangers of AI, her views on the top cyber priorities for Australian businesses right now, including the Australian Government’s ambitious 2030 strategy, and more, watch the video interview embedded immediately below, after which is an AI generated summary of our discussion. Please watch and read on!
Here is an AI generated summary of the video interview, but for the full effect, you’ll need to watch the video above!
1. Introduction to Secureworks
Wendy Thomas, CEO of Secureworks, introduces the company, highlighting its 25-year leadership in cybersecurity, its global customer base, and its cloud-native platform Taegis.
2. Recent Global IT Outage
Discussion on whether Secureworks issued customer updates that could have caused the recent global IT outage, with Wendy clarifying that Secureworks does not push updates that modify the kernel driver.
3. Cybersecurity Priorities in Australia
Wendy discusses the top cybersecurity priorities for Australian businesses, emphasising the importance of a proactive national cybersecurity strategy and cooperation between public and private sectors.
4. AI in Cybersecurity
The role of AI in cybersecurity is explored, including its power in processing large amounts of data for detection and remediation, and the risks associated with AI being used by cybercriminals.
5. End-User License Agreements
Discussion on the limitations and responsibilities outlined in end-user license agreements, with Wendy emphasising the importance of setting realistic expectations and maintaining high standards.
6. First Personal Computer
Wendy shares a memory of her first personal computer, a Texas Instruments model, and her early fascination with technology.
7. Advice Received
Wendy recounts advice from her grandfather about the importance of making others feel smarter and more capable after interacting with them.
8. Final Message
Wendy’s final message emphasises the importance of individual actions in enhancing cybersecurity and preventing cybercriminals from succeeding.
Please watch the video interview above, it’s a great discussion!
