S6E4: Resilient Cyber w/ Joe Lewis

A Year in the Seat - A CISO's Retrospective

In this episode of Resilient Cyber, Chris Hughes speaks with Joseph Lewis, CISO of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), reflecting on his first year as CISO. They dive into leadership, key challenges, and soft skills necessary to navigate the CISO role.

Key Highlights:

  • Transition to CISO: Joe talks about his unique path from IT operations and private sector experience to becoming a federal CISO. He emphasizes the non-linear path that many security professionals follow on their way to the top.

  • Leadership & Soft Skills: Joe highlights the importance of building strong relationships, effective communication, and empathy as cornerstones of leadership. He stresses how critical it is for a CISO to understand the business context and to foster trust with peers.

  • Challenges in a Federal Role: Joe describes the resource constraints and regulatory challenges in the federal space, emphasizing the need for ruthless prioritization and building a team that aligns with the mission.

  • Managing Stress & Burnout: Joe opens up about the intense stress that comes with the CISO role, offering advice on how to balance personal and professional life while taking care of mental health.

  • Modernization Goals at CDC: Joe shares his focus on modernizing cybersecurity at CDC, including efforts around automated authorization processes, secure CI/CD pipelines, and building agility into the security program.