Black Hat USA 2024, an internationally recognized cybersecurity event providing the most technical and relevant information security researchm is now in its 27th year.  The event is taking place August 3-8, 2024, returning to the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, NV with a 6-day program. 

VMblog received an exclusive interview with Theresa Lanowitz, Chief Evangelist AT&T Cybersecurity/Agent for LevelBlue, a leading provider of managed network security services, managed detection and response (MDR), strategic consulting, and threat intelligence.  Make sure to add them to your MUST SEE list.

VMblog: Before we get into it, can you give us a quick overview of the company?  What should folks know?

Theresa Lanowitz:  LevelBlue is a new joint venture between AT&T and WillJam Ventures committed to providing businesses with top-tier managed security services. Our goal is to let companies innovate without compromising on security. We offer everything from managed security services and expert consulting to round-the-clock SOC support and cutting-edge threat intelligence. In our latest LevelBlue Futures Report, 56% of C-suite leaders say that computing complexity has made it impossible to assess how an attack impacts the organization. This underscores a significant issue: as technology evolves, so do the threats, making it harder for businesses to protect themselves. That's where LevelBlue comes in, helping businesses stay secure and agile in a rapidly changing digital landscape.

VMblog: Is this your first time sponsoring Black Hat?  If not, how many times have you sponsored before? And, what keeps you coming back?

Lanowitz:  AlienVault and AT&T Cybersecurity has been sponsoring Black Hat for 10 years, and I'm excited to be back here again, representing LevelBlue. Each year, Black Hat allows me to immerse myself in the latest cybersecurity trends, innovations, and insights. The conference consistently delivers cutting-edge research and opportunities to connect with other industry leaders and peers from around the globe.

VMblog: What is your message to Black Hat attendees coming out to the show this year? If they take back one message about your company, what should it be?

Lanowitz:  My message to Black Hat attendees is this: cyber resilience, encompassing the entire IT estate, including the business, as it pertains to computing and its ability to recover from an unexpected interruption, from a cyber incident to natural and man-made disasters, is key to navigating today's complex threat landscape and aligning the business and cybersecurity. The reality is that the era of dynamic computing, computing taking place beyond the perimeter or outside the organization, is increasing risk, and businesses are less resilient than they should be. Despite multiple high-profile cyberattacks this year alone, the research from our LevelBlue Futures Report indicates that although cybersecurity can facilitate safer innovation, most respondents admit that their cybersecurity efforts are either siloed or treated as an afterthought. Cybersecurity needs to be recognized as part of business operations. Many organizations confuse cyber resilience with cybersecurity. Resilience goes beyond just implementing security controls; it involves having a comprehensive strategy to ensure your business can withstand and recover from any type of attack or catastrophic event. If there's one thing to remember about LevelBlue, it's that we're committed to building and enhancing your cyber resilience.

VMblog: The market is a crowded space. What is it about your company and technology that sets you apart from the competition?  What are your differentiators?

Lanowitz:  What sets LevelBlue apart is how we make cybersecurity simpler and more effective for businesses. Instead of juggling multiple security products that often cause more challenges, our Managed Security Services offer a comprehensive, all-in-one solution. We provide strategic advisory services, continuous monitoring, and proactive security measures so businesses can focus on what they do best. Our Unified Security Management (USM) platform and Extended Detection and Response (XDR) tools give businesses centralized visibility and quick responses to threats. SecureIQLab found that LevelBlue has an impressive 97.6% detection accuracy. Our XDR reduces false positives and ensures that you only get alerts on real threats.

We also have four global Security Operations Centers (SOCs) that work around the clock to monitor threats and provide fast detection and response. Plus, our Open Threat Exchange (OTX) platform, with insights from over 100,000 global experts, offers free, real-time threat intelligence, making cybersecurity a collaborative effort.

VMblog: Is your company launching anything new at the show? Can you give us an overview of it?

Lanowitz:  Yes! We're excited to announce the launch of the LevelBlue Executive Accelerator: C-Suite Cyber Resilience Responsibilities today. Using data from our latest LevelBlue Futures Report, this new research dives into the dynamics among C-suite executives, shedding light on the issues that hinder risk reduction, complicate compliance, and create barriers to cyber resilience. We found that while CISOs are often responsible for technology implementation, they don't always get the strategic support they need. The LevelBlue Executive Accelerator aims to enhance cyber resilience by providing best practices and an actionable roadmap specifically designed for CIOs, CTOs, and CISOs.

VMblog: Who does the report survey, and what does it aim to achieve? What were some of the key findings?

Lanowitz:  The 2024 LevelBlue Futures Report was designed to uncover the barriers to cyber resilience and explore how business leaders are tackling these challenges. The Executive Accelerator is specifically tailored for C-Suite members, helping them get strategically involved with cyber resilience efforts.

Understanding their business priorities is crucial for shaping effective cybersecurity strategies and ensuring alignment among CIOs, CTOs, and CISOs, and their respective teams. This is a key step towards bolstering cyber defenses, especially with the support of the CEO and the Board.

The research, conducted by FT Longitude in March 2024, is based on a quantitative survey of 1,050 C-suite and senior executives across 18 countries and seven industries, including energy, financial services, healthcare, manufacturing, retail, transportation, and US SLED (state, local government, and higher education). The respondents held various cybersecurity-related roles, with 32% at the C-level and the rest in senior positions.

One key finding is that 73% of CISOs are concerned about cybersecurity becoming unmanageable, requiring risky tradeoffs, compared to 58% of CIOs and CTOs. Additionally, 73% of CISOs feel more pressure to implement AI strategies, versus 58% of CIOs and CTOs. Another significant point is that 66% of CISOs believe reactive budgets hinder proactive cybersecurity measures, compared to 55% of CIOs and 53% of CTOs.

VMblog:  Black Hat attendees are known for being security professionals at the forefront of the industry. What specific challenges do you anticipate they'll be facing, and how will your solutions help them overcome those challenges?

Lanowitz:  The landscape of cybersecurity challenges continues to evolve every year. I anticipate challenges in two areas. One is the assessment and management of cybersecurity risks within supply chains. According to our Executive Accelerator Report, CIOs (74%) and CISOs (73%) are more likely to find it challenging to assess the cybersecurity risk from their supply chain compared to CTOs (64%). Our solutions address this by offering comprehensive risk assessment tools that provide visibility into the entire supply chain. We facilitate continuous monitoring and real-time alerts for suspicious activities, ensuring that third-party vendors and partners comply with stringent security standards.

The other challenge is ensuring robust cloud security. Despite the broad consensus among CIOs, CTOs, and CISOs on the benefits of cloud computing for cybersecurity resilience, there remains a constant need to adapt to new threats and vulnerabilities. LevelBlue's managed network security solutions support highly secure access needs for workers on and off the corporate network. We also provide consulting services to support the strategy, planning, and assessment of an organization's cloud security architecture and to help identify vulnerabilities and configuration errors. 

VMblog: What are some of the top priorities security leaders should be considering for 2024?

Lanowitz:  Improving cyber resilience should be at the top of every security leader's agenda in 2024 and beyond. Strengthening compliance and governance frameworks should not be overlooked. Adopting best practices in cybersecurity governance and ensuring all compliance requirements are met without compromising security is important. Given the current push to implement AI, CISOs should integrate AI into their security strategies thoughtfully. Doing so can significantly enhance threat detection and response capabilities. However, this means carefully selecting AI tools with the most significant security benefits and making sure they're deployed effectively. Another top priority should be conducting thorough external risk assessments to help understand and mitigate supply chain risks. Ensuring that external partners adhere to your organization's security standards can significantly enhance your overall security posture.

VMblog: Looking ahead, what excites you most about the future of cybersecurity, and how do you see your company playing a role in shaping it?

Lanowitz:  I'm excited to see the continued growth of cybersecurity businesses and platform vendors shifting towards delivering cybersecurity-as-a-service (CSaaS). We're moving away from simply providing technology solutions that risk becoming commodified. Instead, there's a growing emphasis on becoming trusted business partners who offer strategic value. CSaaS is on the rise, with 32% of organizations opting to outsource their cybersecurity needs rather than managing them in-house. LevelBlue is at the forefront of this. We operate as an integrated part of our clients' teams, providing transparency and visibility into their security posture, and are setting the standard for cybersecurity today. We aim to continuously innovate to stay ahead of emerging threats, address current cybersecurity challenges, and anticipate the evolving needs of the future to stay one step ahead of evolving cyber threats.

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