Tell us briefly about your background in IT?
I’ve been in IT for longer than I care to remember (it’s more than 20 years!), in a range of roles from 1st line support through to managing high performing consulting teams. Throughout that time, I’ve had a lot of involvement in security, but also a lot on the productivity side, so I understand that balancing both sides is critical in business.
How do you keep up to date with trends in the industry?
Lots of discussions with peers and peer groups including government and law enforcement, dedicated time for me (and the rest of the team) and a thirst for learning. Podcasts and audiobooks are gold!
What does the future look like at CyberScale?
Bright, exciting, scary and fun. I feel like we’re building something that can really make a difference to our client’s ability to deal with an ever-growing business risk without stifling their ability to do business.
What process is most important in creating a secure business environment?
Understanding what you have and why it is important to your business and your clients. It’s not until you’ve done that that you can really make good decisions about where to put your focus.
Where do you see the enterprise IT department in the future?
Ever changing, ever more critical to the business. IT (and security) should be a business enabler, that’s what it’s there for. Automation is huge, but we’ll always need smart people.
What advice would you give to your 21-year-old self over a coffee?
Hey 21-year-old Darren – when you create your web design company in a couple of years, and it seems like it’s not going anywhere – stick with it! You’ll be a bit too early, but it’s going to be huge!
What professional accomplishment are you most proud of?
There’s two – consistently positive feedback from employers and clients over the entire course of my career and building CyberScale from nothing after a huge leap of faith!
What is your go to out of work hobby or past time?
Hard to choose between Sport and Music – but the older I get, the more it tips towards the latter! Live concerts are one of my favourite things to do and I was recently lucky enough to see P!nk and Coldplay live in the same week – both amazing shows!
