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CISO Thoughts with
David Lindner

Contrast Security CISO David Lindner provides his top three weekly insights for CISOs, developers and the security community here. These are updated every Friday, so be sure to check back for the latest news on what's top of mind in AppSec and DevSecOps.

The latest insights as of April 4, 2025:

 

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Insight No. 1 — Cyber calm: Lead like a Zen master, fight like a ninja

Remaining calm is a cornerstone of effective leadership during a cyberattack. Staying composed under pressure not only helps you manage the crisis but also shapes how your team and stakeholders respond. A calm demeanor fosters focus and confidence across the organization, enabling a more effective response. As a CISO or security leader, ensure you act as the clear authority, backed by a solid incident response plan with well-defined roles. Taking ownership — without pointing fingers — further strengthens trust and keeps the focus on solutions. In short, pair calmness with decisive action and clear communication to lead successfully through a cyber crisis.

Insight No. 2 — From firewall to fortune teller, CISOs must predict, prevent, prevail

As cyber incidents increasingly disrupt business operations, CISOs are taking on greater responsibility for business continuity. To effectively balance these duties, they should prioritize three key areas: proactive vulnerability detection and attack prevention with technologies such as Application Detection and Response (ADR), adaptive preventative measures to respond to evolving threats, and thorough incident recovery to ensure quick and secure restoration of services. Additionally, CISOs must work closely with leadership and clearly define roles and responsibilities to ensure a coordinated and effective response to cyber-led disruptions.

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drill sergeant

 

 

Insight No. 3 — On-call hell? Drill, don't burn: your team's survival guide

To excel in on-call support and disaster recovery, focus on preparation and balance. Establish a clear on-call process with defined escalation paths and up-to-date documentation, and train your team with regular drills to handle emergencies effectively. Maintain open communication to coordinate with stakeholders and document lessons learned. To keep your team sharp, rotate on-call duties and set realistic expectations, ensuring responsiveness without burnout. This structured yet sustainable approach will boost your team’s confidence and efficiency in managing on-call challenges.

 

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Don’t let your work culture hurt your cybersecurity

Foster a healthy cybersecurity culture by rewarding proactive reporting as opposed to  punishing mistakes. Shift from a blame-heavy mindset to one that values resilience and collaboration, reducing errors, and strengthening defenses.

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Cybersecurity Insights with Contrast CISO David Lindner | 03/28/25

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Cybersecurity Insights with Contrast CISO David Lindner | 03/21/25

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Cybersecurity Insights with Contrast CISO David Lindner | 03/14/25

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David Lindner

Chief Information Security Officer, Contrast Security

David is an experienced application security professional with over 20 years in cybersecurity. In addition to serving as the chief information security officer, David leads the Contrast Labs team that is focused on analyzing threat intelligence to help enterprise clients develop more proactive approaches to their application security programs. Throughout his career, David has worked within multiple disciplines in the security field—from application development to network architecture design and support, to IT security and consulting, to security training, to application security. Over the past decade, David has specialized in all things related to mobile applications and securing them. He has worked with many clients across industry sectors, including financial, government, automobile, healthcare, and retail. David is an active participant in numerous bug bounty programs.

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