Currently working as EMEA Information Security Manager at Canon, Sebastian has been in IT and Security for over 20 years, covering a multitude of roles ranging from Security Architect and Consultant, to Software Developer and Security Auditor, giving him a unique multi-faceted view on today’s security challenges. He has led multiple security improvement programs, while continuously asking himself: “Hmm, I wonder if we could do this in another way?”

What if I told you that Security is here to help? (a.k.a. The 7 habits of highly effective Security leaders)

For a long time, Security has been seen as the adversary of the Business, something to overcome rather than rely on. This leads to the paradoxical situation of organizations hiring highly skilled InfoSec practitioners, but not leveraging them at their full potential. 

While the problem is not new, the ways to address it remain often empirical. In a case of “when you can’t beat them, join them”, I propose in this talk an approach based on one of the most influential business management books, Stephen Covey’s “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People”. Elegant in their simplicity, these seven principles lend themselves neatly to InfoSec leadership as well, and offer a powerful framework for a systematic approach for reconciling Security with the Business.