October is Cybersecurity Awareness month and Simmons Bank’s Kendall Reese SVP, Chief Information Security Officer provides important tips for how to stay safe online and what it takes to have a career in cybersecurity.
Q: As the Chief Information Security Officer of Simmons Bank, can you share the responsibilities of your role and how your career lead you to Simmons?
A: Prior to working in IT, I was an Internal Auditor for a small multi-bank holding company. My experiences back then taught me security principles that guide me to this day. Least privilege access for users and network connections was something discussed all the way back then! I have always been interested in IT Security and have pushed IT Security in all of the various roles I have held over the past 27 years in IT. The last four years have been with Simmons Bank and have been challenging and rewarding. Maturing the program, integrating mergers, fighting a more sophisticated adversary, and the constant evolution of IT in general have kept me and my team very busy.
My primary responsibility is to build the strategy to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of Simmons Bank data. Acting as the facilitator of InfoSec for the Bank, my role is to set the overall direction of the InfoSec program, properly equip my team to carry out our mission, and inform our various stakeholders (associates, bank management, regulators, vendors, and auditors).
Q: Why is the role of cybersecurity so important?
A: Simmons Bank has been entrusted by our customers with their sensitive financial information. They expect us to hold their data safely. The moment customers do not feel we are holding their data safely, they will move their accounts to another financial institution. I bank here too, so I have the same expectation! My team takes their role very seriously and is proud of their performance of this duty.
Q: October is Cybersecurity Awareness month. What are some tips the community can use to spot a scammer?
A: Every month should be Cybersecurity Awareness Month, as much as the bad actors are attacking and breaching organizations all over the world! Spotting the bad actors is getting more difficult as they are getting more sophisticated and polished. No longer can we count on bad grammar and misspellings to spot an email from a bad actor. Now, we have to view the asks made via email and confirm them through other more reliable channels before taking money moving actions, whether it be for work or personal life. Email is not a safe channel and was not ever intended to be.
It’s also important to keep in mind, Simmons Bank will not ask for your account number, social security number or account codes from an email or text message. Be very cautious of messages that ask for this type of data.
Q: Cybersecurity jobs are in higher demand than ever before. What characteristics make a great candidate for a career in cybersecurity?
A: There are several traits we normally look for when we are hiring a new InfoSec Associate. We want them to be lifelong learners, enjoy technology, fit within the Simmons Bank Team culture, but most importantly, be inquisitive. Puzzle solvers that do not accept the surface level answer to a problem, but instead want to understand the root of a problem (and help stop it from happening again) are a great fit for our team!