Cybersecurity Insights from the Author of “The Cyber Kill Chain”

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Dennis Houchin, author of the book “Cybersecurity for Executives, Managers, and Leaders: The Cyber Kill Chain” Dennis brings over 40 years of experience in information technology and cybersecurity training.

His book provides an accessible overview of cyber threats and security concepts for business managers and leaders through an engaging ransomware attack storyline.

When asked what inspired him to write this book, Dennis shared that through years of working with management teams and boards, he noticed a gap in understanding between the technical staff and decision makers when it came to cyber risks. While security experts tended to get lost in technical jargon during presentations, executives would tune out and then just ask about budget and timelines afterwards. Dennis wanted to create an easy-to-digest resource specifically for managers and c-suite leaders that would build their competency in evaluating security initiatives.

The book’s narrative format brings to life threats like ransomware that often seem abstract to non-technical readers. Dennis weaves in just enough technical detail to aid understanding without overwhelming readers unfamiliar with cyber terminology. The realistic attack scenario reveals the sophistication of criminal groups leading such attacks, as well as the relative ease with which they can infiltrate systems unprepared for an assault.

From the feedback Dennis has gathered so far from management teams, his book certainly hits its mark in conveying the gravity of cyber risks in an engaging, accessible manner. The vivid attack narrative elicits an emotional response and appreciation of vulnerabilities from a business perspective. It prompts leaders to recognize cybersecurity as a strategic imperative beyond just an IT issue.

As today’s cyber threats rapidly evolve, Dennis emphasized that organizations need involvement from every level to transform their thinking and posture. Security awareness needs to permeate across the board – from c-suite executives weighing investments to frontline employees avoiding risky clicks.

Though his book centers on ransomware, Dennis noted many other attack vectors that merit vigilance. In our discussion, it was clear Dennis wrote this book out of a sense of duty to demystify cyber risks for private and public sector leaders alike. By elucidating technical concepts through storytelling, Dennis bridges communication gaps that can deter informed strategic planning.

The book inspires security to be viewed as an organization-wide responsibility rather than solely for technical teams to handle. It provides a clarion call for leaders to prioritize understanding of threats impacting us all.

I want to thank Dennis again for sharing insights into his informative book and dedication to raising collective cybersecurity awareness! Please reach out if you would like more details on Dennis’ live/virtual trainings that enable hands-on experience with security tools.

Note: the above post is a blog post written entirely by a ‘robot’, that is an artificial intelligence robot that had read my book, then formulated it’s own questions to ask me. It ask me the questions, which I answered, and then summarized the interview in the post. Click here for the original LinkedIn post that describes the setup of this interview.