This week I had the honor of speaking to privacy professionals at an evening event hosted by Protected Trust and the IAPP (International Association of Privacy Professionals).   The purpose of this event was to educate professionals, business leaders, and executives on the future trends of cybersecurity and why so many companies are losing this battle.

Our discussion centered around transformational technologies being adopted by organizations around the world such as cloud, BYOD, and collaborative tools – and the need to enhance the detection of web threats and attacks coming in through messaging and mobile devices.

At the end Protected Trust offered attendees a complementary security assessment as well as information on a number of hosted services that protect sensitive messaging and documentation.

As I attend these events I think I learn more than just about anyone as I take the time to meet business leaders.  Talking with CIOs and CEOs about their business can give us all great insight into the needs of the businesses we work with.  I think too often the products get in the way of having an exchange of ideas or really hearing the challenges a CIO faces.  What are CEOs really thinking about on a day-to-day basis, and what kind of input do they really need from a technology provider?  As you have opportunity to meet individuals like this, take time to prepare ahead of time.  Consider three to four questions that provide for interesting conversation and learn to interact with the leaders of the businesses you serve.

© 2013, David Stelzl