365 Technologies President Michael Anderson Earns CISSP Certification

365 Technologies works hard to ensure our team stays up-to-date and current with the latest security threats in order to provide the most effective IT services possible. We understand the challenges associated with operating a modern business while ensuring the security of your IT systems and data. Fortunately, our team of IT security experts is here to mitigate the risks, so you can focus on running your business.

We are proud to announce that our President, Michael Anderson, recently earned his Certified Information Systems Security Professional certification (CISSP). This difficult-to-obtain certification is considered the “gold standard” in cybersecurity. In addition to clearing the CISSP exam, applicants must have a minimum of five year’s experience across eight different cybersecurity domains.

Why Did Michael Pursue The CISSP Certification?

The CISSP certification demonstrates an IT professional’s ability to define the architecture, design, management, and/or controls that assure the security and reliability of business environments. As the leader of our team, Michael will oversee the development of our managed security offerings.

While there are a number of different cybersecurity designations available, the CISSP approaches things from a management perspective. While it requires an understanding of the various technologies involved, its focus is on how we (as cybersecurity professionals) advance and protect the mission of the business.

“In my role at 365, this is especially relevant — we want to be working closely with our clients to keep them secure, but also want to enable their business success,” says Michael.

What Was The Hardest Part Of Preparing For The CISSP Exam?

Michael will be the first to tell you that he is not a trained technician. While he has a penchant for the management and strategy components of this type of work, dealing directly with the more technical aspects of cybersecurity was a challenge he worked hard to overcome.

“While I’m surrounded every day by some excellent IT professionals, much of the very technical material was new for me,” says Michael. “I loved getting to understand more about the different tools and technologies that we put in place for our clients.”

What Important Lessons Did Michael Learn In This Certification Process?

Three takeaways that Michael notes specifically include:

1. The CIA Triad: In cybersecurity, we talk about the CIA triad — Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability. Everything we do is about protecting those three things.
2. Defence-In-Depth: Businesses can’t rely on a single security control to protect them. Security solutions need to be layered and overlapping to provide the best protection against threats.
3. Supply Chain Security: Companies need to look at their entire supply chain when considering cyber risk. It’s not enough to only secure your network — you have to think about clients,  vendors, and every integration into their systems. We have seen many examples of supply chain attacks where a trusted relationship is exploited by the bad guys.

What Comes Next For 365 Technologies?

Michael is excited to both share his new skills and knowledge with clients, as well as contribute to the local cybersecurity community.

“I’m excited to be working with the Cybersecurity Centre of Excellence at MITT here in Winnipeg,” says Michael. “I’ll be working with the leadership there to develop courses for other aspiring CISSPs.”

From top to bottom, our team of IT professionals treats security as a top priority so that your business will benefit from a support provider that goes above and beyond to protect your business-critical systems and data. You can rest assured knowing you’re working with a team of IT security professionals who have extensive and certified knowledge in security support.