Alexa Raad is chief operating officer of Farsight Security, based \nin San Mateo, California. Farsight Security is a provider of real-time \nactionable Internet threat intelligence solutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In this exclusive interview, Raad discusses methods of curbing \ncybercrime by tracking bad actors through the trails they leave in the \ndomain name system. She also offers some encouraging advice to women and\n girls interested in breaking into the cybersecurity field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Farsight Security COO Alexa Raad<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Alexa Raad<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Chief Operating Officer<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Farsight Security<\/p>\n\n\n\n
TechNewsWorld: What is Farsight Security\u2019s mission?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Alexa Raad: We believe that everyone is entitled to a safer Internet,\n and so everything we do starts out with that mission in mind. What we \ndo is provide Internet defenders with very valuable data that they can \nuse to get some context around nefarious acts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As an example, if you think about Internet threats like phishing and \nbotnets and malware \u2014 all of those start with a DNS \u2014 a domain name \nsystem. And so every kind of nefarious act leaves footprints and \nfingerprints in the DNS. That\u2019s something that cannot be faked. We \nprovide information that is contextual.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Aspose Ad<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To give an example, a lot of the new domain names that are registered\n are typically registered with bad intent, meaning criminals are going \nto use them to commit some sort of act, like phishing attacks, etc. When\n a domain name is registered, it\u2019s fine, but when traffic starts going \nto those sites, it becomes much more dangerous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When people start actually going to a phishing site, it raises the \nthreat level. We have a global sensor network that picks up these \nresolutions. We collect this data, but without any \npersonally-identifiable information, which is important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That information allows people to see what\u2019s actually got some \ntraction, and we also add additional information for guilt by \nassociation. If a phishing site is actually hosted where there are lots \nof other bad actors or bad sites, that provides you with some context. \nYou start to follow that and get a better picture of that attack than \nyou would otherwise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We provide real-time and historical information, and both are \ncontextual. The real-time data is important, because you have to fight \nthese battles in near real time. The historical information is important\n because you want to know if this was the first time we ever saw this \nURL or domain name. A lot of these patterns repeat themselves. It is \nunlikely that a site was bad six months ago and all of a sudden it\u2019s \nreformed. Having that contextual information is important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
TNW: Why do you have a passion for cybersecurity? Why do you think it\u2019s an important and vital field?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Raad: I believe in the mission of cybersecurity. I want to leave our \nkids with a safer Internet. The Internet is such a utility \u2014 we all rely\n on it, and we have to have some modicum of expectation that the \nInternet is safe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The DNS is a fabric that\u2019s equalizing. Regardless of where you are on\n the Internet, you have a voice. We\u2019re learning that if Internet is not \ntaken care of, there will be unintended consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
TNW: What are some of the key cybersecurity issues today? What are some prevalent or common problems that we face?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Raad: There\u2019s an increasing number of attacks with the Internet of \nthings. The number of Internet-enabled devices is increasing, and all of\n these connected devices provide vectors for cybersecurity attacks. The \nrace is on for cheaper devices, but the race isn\u2019t necessarily on to \ncreate more secure devices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
TNW: What advice would you give to girls and women wanting to get into the cybersecurity field?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Raad: It\u2019s the ideal field for women. To be really good in \ncybersecurity, you have to have an inquisitive mind, be a \nproblem-solver, and see things holistically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For a problem that\u2019s complex, you need to think holistically, you \ncan\u2019t compartmentalize. You have to think, how would a criminal look at \nyour DNS architecture? Women tend to think holistically, and if you do, \nyou will excel in this field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The other piece of advice I would give is that you have got to be \nyour own champion. Don\u2019t wait for anyone to propose something to you or \nto give you the promotion that you deserve. You have to speak up. You \nhave to be your own advocate, and you have to lay out the business case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you want to be promoted, for instance, you have to say, this is \nwhat I\u2019ve done, this is what I\u2019ve accomplished, this is what I can do \nmore of, and this is why it\u2019s in your own best interest to promote me. \nThere is an imbalance in the number of women in power, and it\u2019s also at \nthe executive level. Very few women are CEOs or in the c-suite or on the\n board, and there is a lot that women can offer and do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Whether it\u2019s because companies recognize the need to hire more women \nor they have a policy to do so, the opportunities for women are there. \nThe security industry is growing. There aren\u2019t enough people to fill the\n jobs available, and a lot of them are high-paying, with good benefits. \nYou just need to be your own champion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
TNW: What new cyberthreats are emerging, and how can businesses prepare themselves to face them?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Raad: You see a lot of ransomware. Just a few weeks ago I was at my \ndentist, and he told me that he had just been the victim of a ransomware\n attack, and he ended up paying it. You wouldn\u2019t have thought he would \nbe the victim of an attack like that, but someone in his organization \nhad clicked on a link, and all of his patient records were frozen until \nhe paid the ransom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You will see more of this because it pays well, and it targets people\n who aren\u2019t well-versed in security hygiene. We\u2019ll see more and more of \nthe security issues and attacks that come because of insecure devices \nlike wearables and Internet-connected devices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There isn\u2019t an incentive for manufacturers to create more security. \nThe economic incentive is more toward creating devices that are cheaper \nand more affordable than more security, but it really has to be both. It\n requires both better engineering and better policy<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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