Dominic Vogel is the Founder and Chief Security Strategist of Cyber.SC, a company that provides practical and process oriented cyber security advisory services to Startups, Investors, and SMEs.
Dominic has an established track record as a cyber security leader. He has a wide-range of experience overseeing numerous projects including security strategy development, policy development, endpoint security, and threat management in a multitude of industries (financial services, logistics, transportation, government, telecommunications, and critical infrastructure).
Hello Dominic. Thank you for participating in this Q&A session. We would like to start by exploring your origin story. Please give us an overview of your background and career before you launched your company Cyber.SC?
Dominic: I love origin stories!!! I've been working in cyber security my entire professional career. Before I became an entrepreneur I spent my career in various corporate cyber security roles. I worked my way up the corporate ladder to eventually becoming responsible for the cyber security in a financial institution. I was burning out in corporate and could feel my passion dwindling. I made the call to become an entrepreneur. That ended up being a decision that ultimately led to me challenging every assumption I had about myself - a journey of self-discovery soon occurred!
What initially attracted you to entrepreneurship and how did this lead to the launch of your company Cyber.SC?
Dominic: I got tired of working for micro-managers and people who drained me of my positive energy.
The lure of entrepreneurship offered the opportunity for me to own my success on my own terms.
This path led me to forming Cyber.SC - an advisory firm dedicated to serving small and midsize organizations. I wanted to work with the lifeblood of the economy. People who cared about what they did, and why they do it. Securing their business growth is paramount to what we do!
Has your entrepreneurial journey been influenced by any past or present business leaders?
Dominic: Allan Weiss and his series of "million dollar consulting" books has had a profound impact on my entrepreneurial journey. Weiss is a big proponent of value based priced outcomes. That mindset was absolutely critical in moving away from fixed-hours mentality. Reading and being open minded to continually learning about entrepreneurship and leadership has been absolutely paramount in my evolution not only as a business owner but as a human being as well!
What key challenges have faced in your entrepreneurial journey and how did you navigate them?
Dominic: The biggest challenge I've faced is learning to say no. I would take on clients and projects that I knew weren't the right fit. I took on clients that I knew were going to make life difficult. It took me years to get comfortable saying no!
Over the last decade there has been an escalation in cyber crime and the use of ransomware. What’s your view on why this is happening?
Dominic: Over the past decade we have seen the rise of the professionalization of cybercrime. We are no longer up against amateurs. We are up against professional criminals. Every single criminal syndicate organization invests heavily in cyber crime. Cyber crime has surpassed the drug trade as being the most profitable crime on the planet. This coupled with the rise of digital transformation and a digital economy has led to pretty much every single business being a target for cyber crime. It no longer is just something that big banks need to worry about. Cyber risks are existential risks for businesses.
What mitigations can organisations put in place to protect themselves against ransomware and cybercrime in general?
Dominic: It comes down to doing the basics and doing them well. Low cost risk reduction controls like multifactor authentication can go a long way in reducing your organization's cyber risk.
Before we conclude this interview please tell us what your view is on the alleged Cyber Cold War between the US, Russia and China?
Dominic: The digital cold war is an extension or evolution of the physical cold war between these countries. With our economies so reliant on the digital world it only stands to reason that digital/cyber risks would fit into the equation. Instead of launching nuclear weapons, theoretically one of these counties could launch a cyber attack that could cripple the nation's economy. That could do significant damage without incurring the threat of nuclear retaliation.
Thank you Dominic for participating in this Q&A session, we wish you all the best?
Dominic: Thank you!!!! I absolutely LOVE meeting new people and forming friendships!!! If my story resonated with you reach out to me via Linkedin at https://www.linkedin.com/in/domvogel/
This article was original featured in Issue 9 of The Business Anecdote Magazines. You can read the magazine below ⬇️ ⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️
