Lessons from the Frontlines

“Reading this book feels like sitting down with a trusted mentor who has lived through every security challenge you can imagine. Assaf writes with the simplicity and authenticity of someone who’s been in the trenches, made hard calls, and learned from both wins and setbacks.” —ROSS HALELIUK, Security Industry Expert “Building and sustaining security in major enterprises is much more than a technical discipline. Rather, it’s an intense leadership challenge balancing influence, grit and team building. Assaf’s personal journey revealed in this book contains lessons for all security professionals—whether you are starting out or an established leader you will love this.” —PHIL VENABLES, Former CISO at Goldman Sachs and Google Cloud, and a VC Partner Master the human skills that effective cybersecurity leaders need with actionable advice from a 25+ year veteran of the industry In Lessons from the Frontlines: Insights from a Cybersecurity Career, Chief Security Officer at Qualtrics, Assaf Keren, draws on over 25 years’ experience in cybersecurity to offer clear, actionable guidance for leading cybersecurity teams. Keren tackles the most pressing problems security leaders face, including execution under pressure, burnout, organizational resistance, and the gap between technical rigor and business reality. He shows you how to address these challenges by replacing permission-seeking with intent-based action, communicating risk with realistic hope, and building teams that thrive amid nonstop change. The book develops personal foundations (curiosity, grit, optimism), core leadership competencies (execution, change management, business and finance acumen, diplomacy, and communication), the human side of leadership (mental health, self- care, community), and strategic scale (leading diverse organizations, product thinking in security). Real-world stories—from incident command to rebuilding global security operations, and a case study on generative AI adoption—pair with frameworks you can apply immediately. Perfect for current and aspiring CISOs, security directors, and team leads, Lessons from the Frontlines is also a must-read for all technical and business professionals interested in achieving or understanding cybersecurity leadership roles. Transform your approach to cybersecurity leadership with specific, actionable techniques from a 25+ year veteran of the industry In Lessons from the Frontlines: Insights from a Cybersecurity Career, a 25+ year veteran of cybersecurity leadership, Assaf Keren, delivers an essential new approach to leading cybersecurity teams. Keren combines engaging, real-life stories drawn from decades spent in the industry – including his current role as Chief Security Officer at Qualtrics and former Chief Information Security Officer in PayPal – with hands-on, specific frameworks for implementing effective solutions in an environment that doesn’t tolerate error. Lessons from the Frontlines goes beyond generic theory and high-level concepts. It dives deep into practical strategies for working cybersecurity professionals, explaining how to develop the personal characteristics you’ll need to succeed, build leadership competencies your teams will expect from you, address your own mental and physical health needs so you can deal with the challenges you’ll face, and apply all these lessons at scale in organizations of any size. The author walks you through:

• How to move from permission-seeking approaches to intent-based action that allows you to execute solutions in dynamic environments in real time
• Strategies for maintaining optimism and a healthy outlook that permits you to endure difficult periods and excel in adversity
• Techniques for building proactive, forward-thinking, and creative solutions that achieve more than reactive and defensive responses to threats

Perfect for practicing and aspiring cybersecurity executives, Lessons from the Frontlines is a must-read strategy guide for all cybersecurity practitioners and professionals interested in rising to – or excelling in – cybersecurity leadership roles. ASSAF KEREN is the Chief Security Officer at Qualtrics and the former Chief Information Security Officer at PayPal. He has more than 25 years’ experience working in the cybersecurity industry as a practitioner and leader and has been involved in military intelligence, startups, Fortune 500 companies, and boards of directors.