Keeping business data and digital assets safe and secure is harder with more and more potential weak spots being identified. Today, hacking is becoming more sophisticated and there are industries springing up around data theft and sabotage prevention. IT security may build a bigger fortress around data & networks and limit access wherever it can make a breach unlikely but, a determined cybercriminal can find a way around it. Therefore, to ensure Cyber security, aligning with a skilled leader in cyber security solutions is a huge advantage for the organization.
Eron Heard is one such skilled and innovative leader. He has worked on various large cybercrime and cyberterrorism initiatives for Government and business entities. Eron is the Chief Revenue Officer at Cyber Forza, a company with unparalleled expertise in designing and executing critical cyber security protection solutions globally.
“I like to learn as much as I like to lead”.
Eron has used his 25+ years of IT experience to help everyone, from Small Business to large Multi-National Enterprise organizations, to understand the industry need for a more agile, unified, scalable, integrated and interoperable methodology in the pursuit of overcoming a constantly changing, brutally persistent and highly skilled global adversaries.
Below are the highlights of the interview between Eron and CIO Look wherein he shares his journey and valuable insights about Cyber security solutions through Cyber Forza:
Brief us about your role at Cyber Forza and your journey as a business leader.
I am currently the Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) with an ownership position at Cyber Forza. After serving in the US Air Force and earlier attending Loyola University in Chicago with emphases in Business and Communication, I have over two decades of experience in the IT sector.
Have held Sr. Sales, Director, General Manager, SVP, Executive Director and CEO level positions at Norstan, Toshiba, Inter-tel, Fujitsu, Source One, Sentinel Technologies, Carousel Industries, Altura Communication Solutions and Cyber-Tek.
What people, what books, what life factors have influenced and impacted you?
I was raised in an upscale Chicago suburb in a positive, ‘can do’ household with a father, mother and 3 siblings. My father was part of the honor guard detail for President Kennedy and the 2nd man carrying his casket and has always maintained an entrepreneurial spirit. My sisters are in the entertainment business and have thrilled audiences from Broadway to The Australian Theater Company. My brother has also had a successful career as an entrepreneur. My mother has been our backbone and gave us the love and support to believe that despite being raised as a minority in the 70’s, we can achieve anything we put our minds to.
These are the people on this planet that have always been my inspiration and continued driving force towards success. I am in the process of writing 2 books but those that have influenced me: Way of the Superior Man, When – The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing, Selling the Invisible, Farsighted – How we make the decisions that matter the most.
What is the operating philosophy and cutting-edge services/solutions that the company has been built on?
Cyber Forza’s operating philosophy and mantra is “Disrupting Cyber Security Through Intelligence.” Adaptive AI Cyber Security Architecture focuses on monitoring for emerging attacks with a continuous feedback loop of intelligence-gathering, learning, and improving. Adaptive AI enhances the security posture by preventing threats as they evolve. Cyber Forza has built solutions and services to address this market.
What is your vision for the company for the next five years?
It is an exciting time at Cyber Forza! As the market continues a deeper adoption into the use of Cloud computing solutions, this requires a move from traditional hardware only based offerings. This is the area where Cyber Forza’s Next Gen, Unified AI-Cloud platform provides maximum impact into the network security market and is the single solution needed to power your entire enterprise as a “Core” Cybersecurity Infrastructure. Our technically superior product is scalable from 1 to 1M+ users and is a cybersecurity tool for use in Terrestrial, Aerospace, Defense & Commercial Satellite and Space Program applications. Cyber Forza is positioned to begin sales activities within 100 countries beginning Q1 2021.
The market is estimated to reach $230 billion (US) by 2021. Advanced cyber-attacks will never go away, and it is the need to defend these attacks which will continue to drive the market. We feel the future is very bright for Cyber Forza and the best days are ahead for the direction of our company.
We’ve developed an Integrated technology that can provide greater network situational awareness, faster response, require fewer tools & resources and provide significant cost savings.
We are here to help!
According to you, which upcoming/current technology is going to be a disruptive force for security industry in a near future?
The evolution of the intelligent digital mesh & digital technology platforms and application architectures means that security must become adaptive. In the vast landscape of cyber security companies, our Silicon Valley based business has taken an integrated & holistic approach to network security and developed a “Market Disruptive” technology that is unparalleled in the industry.
Cyber Forza has developed an Innovative NextGeneration Cloud Cyber Intelligent Security Software (CISS) Cyberspace Security and Defense Platform. CISS technology is the single solution needed to power your entire Enterprise as a “Core” cybersecurity Infrastructure.
Our team leveraged years of experience and research related to NASA, defense satellites, networks & advanced microprocessor design to develop this robust solution. We are the first company in the industry to apply Adaptive & Cognitive Artificial Intelligence Algorithms & innovative security methodologies and created a completely integrated, “End to End”, Cloud based, Unified Multi-Threat/Multi-Layer cybersecurity protection and Threat Hunting application. Built on a breakthrough, the CISS Adaptive AI Platform serves as the foundation for Enterprise-Wide External, Internal and End Point infrastructure protection. The company’s advanced products, CISS Defender (External), Interceptor (Internal & SIEM), Forza Client (End Point) and Vulcanor (Risk & Vulnerability) protect, quickly and accurately identify what is benign and what is a threat. Our technology prevents a secured network’s “attack surface” from simultaneous multithreat or Remote Worker Endpoint Security intrusion, Ransomware, and advanced malicious code from ever executing on a targeted system. By integrating all network security components to include SOC, SIEM and SOAR capabilities into a “State of the Art” Unified Artificial Intelligence Platform, Cyber Forza provides solutions and services that are truly predictive and preventive against the most sophisticated global threats.
As a leader, describe a challenge you overcame.
Learning what I call “The Art of the Lost Deal”. How to support your team that has put their heart and soul into the identification, sale and closure of a large transaction they have dedicated over a year into to only to have it fail through no fault of their your own. How do you encourage them to come back and sell the next day with the same level of energy and enthusiasm?
How do you sustain your leadership spirit in this changing technological era?
I live by the credo that “It’s not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change”. From a business perspective, you must remember that we are all in this together and that the business success playing field has been flipped upside down for everyone. We are all playing on the same remote worker landscape for the foreseeable future.
Push your teams not to lose hope and to be more creative and strategic in your approach to your existing and potential client opportunities. Now is a great time to tighten up internal processes and procedures to insure maximum production. We will get through this and we will be better because of if it in the long run. Interpersonal family and business relationships will flourish and become more substantial. Clients will continue to require your services.
What advice would you like to give to the emerging business leaders?
Focus on Culture, Creativity, Liquidity and Longevity and this begins with an emphasis on your People Process and Procedures. Build a business based on service with highly trained teams, a well thought out business strategy and you can win and win big!