Head of Security Interview

We asked Barry Reynolds, Head of Security, a few questions to share with you a little bit about himself, his role and the importance of businesses adhering to secure policies and procedures. Barry is a CISM (Certified Information Security Manager) and certified ISO 27001 lead implementer and has been at Wireless Logic for three years. 

Before we find out about your recent appointment, can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

I am married with two sons and live in North Hampshire. I play golf regularly (putting myself through pain and heartache on a weekly basis). I try to play bass guitar when I get the chance, and have started to get into Photography recently. This may eventually replace my golf hobby and thus end my agony!

I also provide voluntary cyber security and risk assessment assistance to the charity Air Ambulances UK.

How long have you been at WL and what were you doing until you recently started your new role as Head of Security?

I’m in my third year at Wireless Logic, with my first year being heavily focused on helping the company achieve ISO 27001 certification. I then took the role of Head of Security and Compliance (managing additional ISO certificates for 22301, 14001 and 50001) before being appointed Head of Security. Before Wireless Logic I worked at several technology organisations, starting at Sun Microsystems back in 1989 as an Sun OS (and then Solaris) systems Administrator, Research-in-Motion as EMEA NOC Manager, as well as IT Director roles at Seagate and Keysight Technologies.

Can you tell us what your role involves?

I work closely with our technology teams across the group to continually assess and mitigate risk, KPI performance, collaborate and agree on best practice, and to trial and adopt common and effective security technologies. It’s all about continual improvement. Security is moving so fast, there’s no time to pause.

Why is it important that businesses adhere to security policies and what does is mean for our customers?

Obviously, security policy adherence (or lack of) can impede a business from a compliance perspective or, in extreme cases, from even existing. The threat of ransomware is ever-present, for example, so the human element is key. I do think, however, that the onus is on security practitioners to ensure the policies are easy to understand, and security communication and training is relevant and interesting for employees.

How will your role support the wider WL Group?

WL has grown organically and through acquisition, so its key that we continue to share ideas, drive best practice, adopt common tools, and continue to improve through constant change. Continuing to build on our cross-group security team foundation is key to that. We are also looking to offer differentiating services this year across the group by increasing our security resources to better assist our customers with their IOT devices security needs. We see this is a key opportunity in helping our customers navigate their way safely through their IOT journey.

How do we as a group adhere to current and new compliance requirements i.e the UK telecommunications security bill?

By working as closely as possible with the appropriate bodies and experts to ensure we are compliant.

Why is it important for WL to continue to assess additional globally recognised accreditations, especially when already have certifications in ISO 27001, 9001, 23001?

Certain geographies and/or industries, such as financial services or healthcare, can have different requirements when it comes to security certifications. As the organisation grows, those compliance requirements of certain geographies and/or industries can come into play, which can mean additional certification programs needing to be run. It’s all part of the continual improvement cycle, and successful certifications reflect even more positively on our overall security posture.

If you have any questions with regards to our accreditation, please feel free to contact the Wireless Logic Information Security Governance team.

Call us on 0330 056 3300