As part of our Interconnection Between People, Process and Technology book produced in partnership with Tanium, we spoke to Lauren Wilson, a Senior Leader in Incident Management at a multi-national energy company.

Lauren works in a leadership role at the company's Office of the UK CISO, at an energy company. As a critical part of the UK’s energy infrastructure, the organisation is highly regulated and has a diverse cybersecurity landscape.

Lauren describes herself as a passionate cybersecurity leader. She has over a decade of experience in cyber defence, predominantly in the public sector, but more recently in critical national infrastructure. Specialising in incident response and cyber resilience, she has led the technical, operational and strategic cyber incident management functions for critical organisations,

“building capabilities that not only support during moments of crisis but also strengthen long-term strategic readiness”.

What drives her everyday is the ongoing battle against the expanding attack surface and an evolving threat landscape. She believes that the biggest challenge facing cybersecurity leaders today is the ability to manage the juggle between operational firefighting and the strategic capacity to horizon scan and embed the maturity uplift activities needed to meet future challenges. She argues that these difficulties can only be met through the intersection of people, process and technology.

Perhaps contrary to expectations, Lauren would prioritise investing in process over people and technology as they provide the strong, foundational guardrails that ensure the organisation remains safe.

“While people can be trained and technology deployed, robust processes ensure both are used effectively, consistently and at scale.”

Lauren feels strongly about being part of a wider mission as a cybersecurity leader, to both contribute to a safer cyberspace today and to also strengthen the resilience of organisations for the future.

“Safeguarding our organisations, and in turn the UK, gives us the best chance of securing an increasingly digital and complex world.”

Lauren strongly values collaboration between cybersecurity leaders, not only within the organisation but also beyond, and talks of the importance of breaking down silos.

“As individuals, we are guilty of focusing on the ‘crocodile nearest the boat’, not through ignorance but often the demands of our roles and lives. Creating a psychologically-safe environment is an effective way to take off those blinkers, break down those silos and allow for the vital collaboration needed to succeed.”