In the second instalment of our 5 Minutes With series, Team Leader, Dan Sullivan, sat down with Tessian’s Vojtech Mares, sharing his thoughts on the ever changing world of cybersecurity, and specific challenges businesses and individuals face within their Cloud Email Security. 

 

Can you share a bit about yourself and what you do? 

I moved to London to pursue studies in games technology, and today, I’m proud to call London my home and live here with my family. My career in tech began as a C# engineer with a finance start-up, but as I grew into my role, I discovered a passion for building teams and helping gifted individuals create exceptional products. Currently, I lead two teams, both devoted to protecting our customers’ inboxes from malicious actors by analyzing threats and constructing advanced ML models. My professional journey has been an incredibly fulfilling one. At JustGiving, I helped those in need; at JustEAT, I enabled large-scale food delivery to a massive customer base. And now, at Tessian, I take pride in protecting customers’ inboxes from malicious content. 

 

What does a day look like in your role?

As an Engineering Manager, I enjoy the dynamic and ever-changing nature of my work. My days are typically filled with a variety of tasks, including stand-ups, assessing any urgent matters that require attention, and holding regular 1:1 meetings with colleagues to stay up-to-date on their progress and goals. In between meetings, I devote my time to strategic planning, identifying areas where we can improve operational efficiency and optimize our resources.    

 

What are some of the biggest challenges you face as a cybersecurity professional, and how do you stay ahead of emerging threats? 

Staying ahead is the biggest challenge in today’s rapidly evolving landscape. The emergence of new threats makes the conventional rule-based/block list approach to security less effective since they demand pre-emptive detection before we can respond. We have optimized our system to deploy new rules or indicators within a matter of minutes. The utilization of advanced ML models enables us to identify new, unseen threats. Another challenge is the safeguarding of Personal Identifying Information (PII). As working with customer data means a well-defined, robust process, getting the right balance is crucial to ensure that people can effectively perform their duties. 

 

What challenges do you see emerging in the email security space, and how is Tessian preparing to address them?  

Threat actors are constantly refining their tactics to bypass legacy security systems like secure email gateways. Tessian Cloud Email Security intelligently prevents these advanced email threats and protects against data loss by using machine learning combined with threat intelligence and data science research. 

 

With the increasing adoption of cloud technologies and remote work, how can organisations ensure their cybersecurity strategies keep up? 

As a minimum, enforce strong authentication and access controls, such as multi-factor authentication and role-based access, and make sure all your software is always up to date. Security is a team sport, so define security best practices and share them with all employees. Tessian offers ‘in the moment’ training, alerting the end user when suspicious or misdirected emails are seen.  

 

Finally, what advice would you give to organizations looking to improve their email security posture, and how can they evaluate and choose the right solution for their needs?

My advice would be to align with your organisation’s overall objectives, which means working with the wider business, particularly the C-Suite. Security isn’t just about products, however, it’s about support from partners like Tessian. From a technical perspective, the move to the cloud means complex legacy security stacks are rapidly becoming a thing of the past. Today, products like Microsoft 365 E5 offer a strong foundation on which users can add Tessian for a fully comprehensive security strategy for both inbound and outbound threats. But at the end of the day security is about two things: risk and trust, and every organization differs on how much they’re prepared to accept.

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As companies grapple with challenging and dynamic market conditions, the importance of retaining employees has never been more paramount. While attracting new talent is crucial to remain competitive, businesses can look inward and capitalise on their existing workforce. 

Preliminary findings from our 2023 Tech Industries Census shows that 92% of respondents say that Training & Development is a key consideration when looking at opportunities for their next role. In addition, a recent LinkedIn survey showed that investing in employees’ learning and growth can result in a longer tenure and increased job satisfaction. These results underscore the significance of providing professional development opportunities to tech employees. 

By implementing strategic Learning & Development programmes, companies can boost employee engagement and job satisfaction while reducing the risk of turnover and workforce instability. Emphasising upskilling and internal mobility is not just a driver of organisational success; it also serves as a testament to a company’s commitment to its staff and its reputation as a desirable workplace for top tech talent. Business leaders who prioritise these practices demonstrate their commitment to the long-term success of their organisation. 

As tech professionals increasingly value personal development, companies are advised to scrutinise their progression offerings to better attract both new and former employees, colloquially known as ‘boomerang employees.’ This trend of rehiring ex-employees is gaining momentum, with LinkedIn reporting that 4.5% of all new hires in 2021 were boomerang employees, up from 3.9% in 2019. This hiring approach can expedite the onboarding process, allowing returning staff members to contribute to business success more quickly. Additionally, they bring a renewed knowledge base, key market intelligence, and a fresh perspective to the organization. 

For managers and leaders, boomerang employees provide valuable insight into a company’s strengths and weaknesses, revealing why employees leave and what entices them back. Therefore, leaders and hiring teams should assess the potential benefits and consequences of rehiring employees who quit earlier in the pandemic, particularly since hiring and retention are top business priorities. 

There are several compelling reasons to consider boomerang rehiring, including reduced time to productivity and cost savings. However, it is critical to determine whether this aligns with a company’s long-term hiring strategy before making any decisions. This is where the expertise of talent professionals comes in.  

At Arrows, we are dedicated to providing innovative and transformational talent solutions for the hypergrowth era. As Europe’s leading tech and data talent partner, we are proud to offer agile solutions that help organizations shape the future of work. Reach out to our team here to learn more about how we can help you.