Welcome to the IT Pro Panel Profile, where we talk to the CIOs, experts and IT leaders that make up the IT Pro Panel, and discover their top tech, pet peeves and IT inspirations.
It’s not unusual to see cyber security professionals with experience in the intelligence industry; many infosec engineers and threat researchers have previously worked for agencies like the FBI, Interpol, GCHQ and others.
For example, Ian Thornton-Trump, AmTrust International’s EMEA Head of Cyber Security, served with the Canadian Armed Forces for two years as part of its military intelligence branch, as well as spending time working with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police as an intelligence analyst.
He also held senior positions at SolarWinds and Ladbrokes, and even runs his own threat research lab based in the UK. In other words, Ian has some serious security chops.
Ian Thornton-Trump
Head of Cyber Security - AmTrust International
Describe your role in 20 words or fewer.
My role is to improve the effectiveness of AmTrust’s security landscape, managing operational security controls, forensics, and incident response.
What was your first computer?
So the first computer I has was a ZX-80 - a generic thing hooked up to a television with a cassette deck for storage. I call it a proto-computer really but not at all user-friendly. It wasn’t long before I was on an original IBM PC with the two 8.5in disk drives.
What do you like most about working in IT?
I love the humour and the passion folks bring to the job!
If you could magically get rid of one piece of technology forever, what would it be, and why?
I’d scrap any Android device more than four years old - mostly because it can no longer be secured.
What future tech innovations are you most excited about?
The potential for using machine learning and AI to decrypt SSL and TLS sessions in real time.
Who’s your biggest inspiration in the world of tech?
Alistair Forbes - founder of Hounddog technologies which became GFI Software, then LogicNow and was finally sold to SolarWinds for half a billion dollars.
If you're a senior IT decision-maker and you'd like to apply to be part of the IT Pro Panel, please email panel@itpro.co.uk
-
M&S suspends online sales as 'cyber incident' continuesNews Marks & Spencer (M&S) has informed customers that all online and app sales have been suspended as the high street retailer battles a ‘cyber incident’.
-
Manners cost nothing, unless you’re using ChatGPTOpinion Polite users are costing OpenAI millions of dollars each year – but Ps and Qs are a small dent in what ChatGPT could cost the planet
-
PyPI attack: Targeting of repository 'shows no sign of stopping'News Greater collaboration and understanding of attackers’ tactics is key to mitigating open source security threats
-
Capita's handling of cyber attack shows companies still fail at breach reportingAnalysis Capita initially told customers there was “no evidence” of data having been compromised in the March cyber attack
-
Malware being pushed to businesses by search engines remains a pervasive threatNews High-profile malvertising campaigns in recent months have surged
-
There's only one way to avoid credential stuffing attacksOpinion PayPal accounts were breached last year due to a credential stuffing attack, but can PayPal avoid taking responsibility?
-
Five things to consider before choosing an MFA solutionIn-depth Because we all should move on from using “password” as a password
-
Cyber security suffers from a communication problemNews Negative language around ‘human failures’ is eroding trust between security teams and broader business functions - it has to stop
-
Does LastPass really deserve a last chance?Opinion After several disastrous security incidents and a communications breakdown, it’s time to leave LastPass for pastures new
-
What is the spell-jacking vulnerability and how can your business avoid exposing data?
In-depth Spell-jacking vulnerabilities are threatening to unwittingly leak data to third parties, undermining any drive to protect privacy
