Three Questions for Kirk Habel, Head of the POLARIS Cybersecurity Program:
“We Don’t Want to Be the Ones Slowing Things Down”
Mr. Habel, LANXESS has just released its first cybersecurity podcast. How did your team come up with the idea for the new format?
Kirk Habel: I like listening to podcasts in my free time, for example during my commute to work. You can gain a lot of knowledge on a topic in a short period of time – and conveniently while doing other things. So we had the idea of using the format for ourselves, really just to give us an opportunity to delve deeper into topics that are also covered by the media – such as current cases of hacker attacks or the disclosure of data leaks. Through this new format, we want to highlight a specific topic each episode, and then explain: How is LANXESS dealing with it? And what specific steps can individuals take to protect their data, both professionally and personally?
What’s the first episode about?
It’s on the topic of zero trust. Many people have probably heard this term before. My coworker Ulf Wermann and I discuss how we can protect our data when AI-based tools and cloud solutions mean that something like an internal network no longer really exists. That’s why we are currently implementing a series of technical changes at LANXESS to ensure that users can be uniquely authenticated. We don’t want to be the ones slowing down business processes, but we always have to weigh the benefits and risks of new tools, etc. against each other. Through this podcast, we want to raise awareness of this delicate balance.
What role does artificial intelligence play in the field of cybersecurity in general?
It is both a blessing and a curse, so to speak. Microsoft uses AI to block thousands of phishing emails every day, preventing them from even reaching our Outlook inbox at all. That is, of course, an amazing benefit. On the other hand, attackers are also increasingly becoming faster and more adept with the help of AI. A professional wouldn’t need more than two minutes to create a virtual Kirk, who could then call a coworker and ask for a password. That’s why, in the age of AI, we must question things with even more skepticism: Who is asking me for what data, and what am I sharing via which channels? If anyone ever has any doubts, our cybersecurity team is always available and grateful for feedback. After all, this is the only way for us to gain a comprehensive picture of the cybersecurity risks our company is currently exposed to.
Tip:
The new cybersecurity podcast will be available via Xlearn starting in late July. Anyone interested in this topic is also welcome to join the cybersecurity community in MS Teams. To do so, scan the QR code to the left (only works with LANXESS devices) or use the access code “cuophka”.