CybeReady’s Hi-5 brings together InfoSec leaders for peer-to-peer sharing via 5 questions and insights.

Panos Panayiotou is a Cybersecurity strategist and advisor with over 20 years of experience in the security space. He served as the acting CISO of the Bank of Cyprus for over 8 years, and two years ago he was appointed as a member of the Board of Advisors for the CyberSecuirty Program at the Europen University of Cyprus and as a member of a working group for the development of CSP Cybersecurity certification at the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA).

What is the biggest challenge security leaders face today and how are you looking to tackle it?

The openness of our data coupled with the increased threat landscape is one of the biggest challenges today.

In your view, how important are security awareness programs, and what’s a CISO’s main role in making them effective?

Truly important. Even though organizations focus mostly on technical measures, it usually starts from the weakest link – which is the human in this case.

When it comes to recruitment – what approach do you take to attract and keep the best talent, and what would be your best tip for a new hire?

A good environment and space for development is the key to attracting and keeping the best talents.

Finally (just for fun): if you could have dinner with any renowned figure (dead or alive), who would you choose and why?

Never thought of it, really….