Last updated at Thu, 20 Jul 2017 19:00:04 GMT
I'll start by admitting that this blog post is a little overdue. I started at Rapid7 on December 1st of last year and I have literally hit the ground running. That's no excuse for being late but a good indicator that I have landed in the right place. I'm not the kind of person that changes jobs on a whim (no pun intended) so I'm happy to go in a bit more detail on why I joined Rapid7 and why I'm so excited about this.
I've been in this business for almost 18 years now and enjoyed doing security architecture, developing and running Managed Security Services, doing penetration testing, working as a security analyst, getting to the nitty gritty on application security ... you name it, I've done it. I've also been involved in numerous community events and initiatives: co-organizing the BruCON conference in Belgium, working on projects like PTES (the Penetration Testing Execution Standard) and being a volunteer board member at (ISC)2 for the past 3 years. You could say that I'm an idealist, hence I often think about where security in an enterprise environment should/could go and what the ways are to get there. Being able to do that with and at Rapid7 just makes it more awesome.
"Security is what we practice, but Risk is the language we choose to communicate" -- this probably describes best how I look at what I do on a daily basis. It should be no surprise that I wasn't impartial to what Nick Percoco started to build with the Strategic Services team at Rapid7 last year. When Nick agreed that it was time to bring Strategic Services to EMEA, the decision to join was not a difficult one.
TEAM
The team I'm allowed to join is composed of excellent professionals all focused on helping our clients to engineer security into their critical business systems and processes. I am nothing short of impressed with the knowledge and expertise we all bring to the table and the way we share that with our clients. We have a growing team that is passionate about making our clients and each other better.
LEADERSHIP
Rapid7 has been a leader in its own right for quite a while. What excites me specifically is the clear vision of our leadership team on the security industry and what Rapid7 should do. This allows the Rapid7 teams, whether they are working on products or delivering services, to be excellent. Vision and drive is contagious, no doubt, and the foundation that Corey and his team have laid, makes me confident that we will not only be successful but also keep pushing the envelope on interesting problems our industry struggles with today.
PROBLEMS
This sounds like a negative thing, but it isn't. If there is one thing that makes me happy to wake up in the morning, it's a problem. Preferably a difficult one. Being able to attack hard problems on a daily basis keeps me challenged and on edge. Rapid7 provides an environment where I can work with like-minded people to identify and solve problems. In the first place with our clients but by extension also with and for our community and industry. What is there not to like?
EUROPE/EMEA
I'm specifically excited to be introducing Rapid7's Strategic Security Services in this region. Unlike any other territory, security leaders in EMEA face a unique set of challenges. Whether they are rooted in complex regulatory requirements or the diversity that defines our region, I believe that our team is ready to support security executives in their battle against today's threats and to help them build efficient and reliable security programs. No matter what vertical or business they are in.
In closing, I joined Rapid7 because this endeavor matches what I am passionate about. Being able to work for an organization that shares my passion is, for me, the cornerstone of professional development and I'm beyond excited to be here for the long haul.
