SHELTON NEWSHAM

What is your name?

Shelton Newsham

What company do you work for?

Newsham Business Solutions Ltd

What is your position in the company?

Owner

How long have you worked in the industry?

Security 20yrs, information security 7yrs

What do you do and in what circumstances would I come to you for something?

If you need a pragmatic view of your organisation’s information security requirements including physical security or support in internal fraud investigations.

How do you start and finish your work-day?

Review a list of objectives and work my way through, review my list and then plan the next day.

What do you do at work on a daily basis?

Review organisations security, develop new training material and keep up to date with new cyber threat trends.

What’s the biggest misconception people have about your position?

That I’m not a practitioner.

What is the best thing about your job?

Helping people understand information security, cyber and privacy.

What hard skills should someone in your field have?

Understanding controls and frameworks, security controls, Threat knowledge, data protection

What soft skills should someone in your field have?

Leadership and Networking, verbal and written communication, commitment to learning and problem solving.

What’s one professional skill you’re currently working on?

Critical thinking

What’s a mistake you made early on in your career, and what did you learn from it?

Had too narrower view, to fully support organisations you must have an open view, understand the businesses requirements, and provide solutions that provide security, reduce exposure and are acceptable financially.

What was the worst moment in your career?

In law enforcement – losing a victim.

What is the best job decision you’ve ever made?

Moving from Law enforcement into the private sector

If you could edit your career, what would you change?

Nothing, my background has led me to this position.

What concerns you about the future of Cyber?

Leadership’s lack of information security understanding in the face of increased threat actor capabilities

Describe yourself in three words?

Pragmatic, approachable and honest

What did you want to be when you were growing up?

A chef

What behaviour or personality trait do you most attribute your success to, and why?

Pragmatism, I have worked with several organisations and my ability to understand solutions that are reasonable and practical for the business have built trust and success.

What are your best and worst personality traits?

Trustworthy but sometimes impatient

What do you consider your greatest personal achievement?

My son, having dinner with Sylvester Stallone, being recognised as the UK’s leading cyber law enforcement officer of the year by Law enforcement and the number 2 Chief security Officer in the UK by the information security industry

What is the most important lesson that life has taught you?

Someone has always experienced similar situations and may have more insight.

Is there a quote that motivates you?

You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain’t how hard you hit; it’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done. – Rocky Balboa

Which living person do you most admire, and why?

Sylvester Stallone – He overcame adversity, continued to pursue his dream, and achieved more than he could have. His story is inspirational.

Which words or phrases do you most overuse?

Cool, sound