Lightning Round with Jeremy Brown

What is the most exciting part of working in cybersecurity today?

Jeremy Brown, Vice President of Threat Analysis at Trinity Cyber, was recently named Security Innovator of the Year by SC Media at the 2021 SC Awards. Brown was recognized for his outstanding leadership and innovative approach to threat analysis. We asked Brown some quick questions at the time of this honor, discussing how he got into this line of work and what keeps him motivated.

Favorite pop-culture depiction of the cyberworld: The NCIS scene with multiple people counter-hacking a hacker on one keyboard. That’s the kind of energy I need to stop bad guys.

Recent award: Security Innovator of the Year, 2021 SC Awards

Pet name for your technology system? The Iron Man suit

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Here, Brown answers a few quick questions on working in cybersecurity today.

What drew you to Trinity Cyber?

For me, it was all about the chance to push boundaries and solve big challenges for customers and our industry. Cybersecurity in general is more than ready for a leap of innovation that uncovers the strategies and techniques attackers employ. As we started building our core technology from the ground up, I knew it was something truly new in the industry and that there was an opportunity to build a great team around it.

Tell us about an experience that prepared you for this role.

I remember being called into a SOC [security operations center] to help with a malware incident as it happened in real time. Lights were flashing, people were yelling—it was like something out of a Hollywood movie. I could explain down to the level of bytes what was going wrong and why part of the network was under attack based on what we’d learned about the attacker’s techniques. However, the technologies at our disposal just couldn’t keep up, and we were forced to watch the attacker succeed.

What's the most exciting part of working in cybersecurity right now?

It’s actually understanding and deconstructing how innovative attackers are. I’m constantly amazed while playing the game of chess that happens in real time between attackers and defenders in the cyber arena. It really motivates me to stay focused on what’s possible, and to constantly question what defenders think of as cutting edge. Plus, I get to defend networks with our own revolutionary tech every day. That’s something that just puts a smile on my face.

What do you want to be able to say about your work at Trinity Cyber?

At the end of the day, I strive to look back and see a team that is unconstrained in their ability to stop network attacks before they happen. I want our technology to feel like a natural extension of the defender, analyst, or SOC team as they protect real people on real networks—rather than getting in the way of business and life on the internet. That preventive capability just hasn’t existed before Trinity Cyber, and I’m here to keep advancing what’s possible.

What's the hardest part of your job?

Context switching. It’s so important these days, especially in our world. But like many people, I struggle with days when I have to play three to four different roles. However, time management and setting realistic expectations around what I can personally deliver are my tools in the fight, and building a team that works every day to stop advanced attackers is what keeps me motivated.

If you could tell people one thing about Trinity Cyber, what would it be?

Welcome to a cybersecurity world with less noise in it. Many cybersecurity teams I’ve encountered are facing massive alert fatigue. They’re constantly being inundated by alerts for false positives due to outdated technology that can’t provide prevention. Trinity Cyber is the first company to actively detect and neutralize threats before they reach your system—and it will change the way your organization operates. Trust me, your team will thank you!

You were just named Security Innovator of the Year by SC Magazine. How do you feel about this recognition?

I’m thrilled to be counted among the ranks of industry innovators. It’s been a lot of work building a team around our technology—but it’s really my ability to prevent the outcome of attacks over the network that makes me proud. Breaking down attacks, figuring out the right preventive action, and implementing that in our system is something that has real impact for our clients.

How do you make sure that your team is constantly innovating?

It’s about putting the right people in the right place with the right resources and letting their creativity show. A major part of my philosophy is to spend time training people to rethink how attacks work and how we can prevent them based on the techniques used. Our system enables analysts to shine, especially those who can problem solve and find patterns and structure in the techniques attackers use to penetrate networks.

What are some of the biggest blocks to innovation in cybersecurity today?

Our industry has a huge talent shortage and a high barrier to entry. I’m certain that with better K—12 exposure and smoother transition into STEM fields in college, specifically in cyber defense, we can help address that gap. We need to teach students how to critically analyze problems and help them break down technical issues into manageable and understandable chunks. This solves systemic knowledge gaps that lead to quick solutions—like blocking indicators of maliciousness—rather than persistent solutions—like understanding and preventing attacker techniques. With a deeper bench of talent, our industry will accelerate the innovation cycle.