Keith Stocks
VP, Third Party Cyber Risk Management
State Street
Keith Stocks is a VP and leader in global third-party cyber risk management and services, including thought leadership, governance, and program execution for the company, encompassing 3,000-plus vendors, 46,000 employees, and a corporation valued in excess of $17.5 billion.
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Give us a brief overview of the path that led to your current role.
I started in the security career field in the military right out of high school as a security policeman. I was in the right place at the right time, helping procurement migrate off of punch cards.
That day, I was introduced to the dual boot Zenith Z100. Being a security policeman that "knew" computers, it stuck with me through my global military assignments for the next 20 years. During that time, I became well versed in physical security, COMSEC, OPSEC, information security, and executive protection.
I returned home after retiring and became a dot-commer until the big bust. Washington Mutual Bank hired me to develop and manage a third-party cybersecurity assessment program, and the rest is as they say "history."
What is one of your guiding leadership principles?
One guiding leadership principle I have is to empower your people and hold them accountable for their actions. Then, reward them for their performance.
What is the key to success for someone just starting out as a CISO?
The key to success is to hire smarter people than you.
How do you measure success as a leader?
When your team tells you the bad along with the good, and they feel comfortable telling you the bad, that’s how I measure success.
What is the value of being a member of the Evanta community?
I've been a member of the Evanta community for several years. It allows security people to come together, share advice and mingle as peers and non-peers.
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