CISO: Surviving the digital jungle - When nature inspires cybersecurity

At the GS Days in Paris, Sébastien Heitzmann gave an original and powerful talk on the role of the CISO (Chief Information Security Officer). With an evocative title - "CISO: surviving the digital jungle, nature-inspired strategies to fully play your role in cyberspace" - he took us on an expedition where cybersecurity and biology meet to deliver lessons that are as surprising as they are useful.

Looking back on our participation in the GS Days

The GS Days were an opportunity to dive into the daily life of CISOs and better understand their world. Cybersecurity is everywhere, sometimes perceived as burdensome, but indispensable. The profession is constantly evolving, and it is clear that they need real support to keep up. We saw it firsthand: their job is a jungle! As a software publisher, we want to make their lives easier with practical and effective solutions, so they have less technical trouble to juggle.

Lunch was a time for interesting discussions and a friendly moment, notably with Marc Brami, who, for his last participation (he is now retired!), did not miss the chance to share a few anecdotes!

We attended several notable talks at the GS Days. The day began with a presentation of 17Cyber and SenCy-Crise by Jérôme Notin, followed by a round table moderated by Haude Costa, bringing together experts such as Mylène Jarossay and Claire Baudiment, and more.

After these fascinating discussions, one question struck us: How can a CISO really survive in the digital jungle? That is when Sébastien Heitzmann, manager of Kiwi Backup, took the floor to immerse us in the story of Georges, a CISO who had just joined a company.

Georges, the CISO thrown into the corporate jungle

It all starts with an anecdote: Georges (aka Lucas?), a former filmmaker for National Geographic, becomes the CISO of a company. Newly appointed, he attends his first executive committee meeting and discovers a very particular fauna: executives who are not always security-aware, users who see security as a constraint, and an information system as exposed as defenseless prey.

Georges then undertakes an asset mapping, a vulnerability analysis, and the implementation of continuous monitoring. He quickly realizes that not everyone shares the same vigilance: weak passwords, unlocked sessions, and a lack of employee training. The reality on the ground is sometimes harsh, and he understands that he will have to use animal strategies to assert himself, convince, and above all, protect his environment.

Surviving as a CISO: lessons from nature

1. Pufferfish and the pack effect: asserting yourself through size and cohesion

Like a pufferfish that inflates itself to impress its predators, the CISO must make themselves visible and indispensable. They cannot work alone: to carry weight in strategic decisions, they must rely on a team. Collaboration between IT, business, and management teams is essential to reduce the attack surface and implement strong cybersecurity.

2. Meerkat: collective vigilance

Meerkats survive only thanks to constant monitoring of their environment. In the digital world, early detection of cyberattacks relies on security monitoring and a clear distribution of roles among the company's stakeholders. Raising employee awareness and training them to detect weak signals (phishing, suspicious behavior) is a crucial step.

3. Thorns and spines: enforcing the rules

Just as some plants and animals use thorns to deter predators, the CISO must impose strict cybersecurity rules. They must ensure that best practices are followed: strong passwords, system updates, access restrictions. The goal is to create a defensive infrastructure that is deterrent enough to limit vulnerabilities.

4. Thanatosis: feigning to better anticipate

In nature, some animals play dead to escape a predator. In cybersecurity, this technique can be transposed to honeypots – fake databases or infrastructures designed to trap and observe cybercriminals. The CISO can thus identify attack techniques and better anticipate future threats.

5. Autotomy: sacrificing to better regenerate

Like a lizard that sheds its tail to escape, a CISO must sometimes accept cutting off a compromised system to preserve the rest of the information system. Autotomy applied to cybersecurity also involves network segmentation, privilege limitation, and the implementation of resilience mechanisms to enable rapid recovery after an attack.

6. Camouflage and mimicry: the art of invisibility

The chameleon changes color to avoid being spotted. Likewise, the CISO must make critical infrastructure less visible: hiding open ports, limiting responses to network scans, or using honeypots to divert attacks. They must also know how to adapt their message and stance to effectively raise awareness among teams and win their support.

7. Fight or flight: managing crises strategically

Faced with an imminent threat, some animals choose to fight, while others prefer to flee. The CISO must also adopt a strategy adapted to the risks: immediately strengthening defenses against an ongoing attack, or temporarily isolating part of the system to limit the damage. Implementing an incident response plan is essential to manage these critical situations effectively.

8. Social organization: the strength of the collective

Like ants, bees, or wolves, cybersecurity relies on a well-defined collective organization. The CISO must structure their teams with clear roles, establish effective communication, and encourage skill specialization. Working as a pack makes it possible to anticipate threats and improve responsiveness to cyberattacks.