Gil Vega, Veeam | VeeamON 2020
Channel: SiliconANGLE theCUBE
Date: 2020-06-17

Gil Vega, CIO at Veeam, talks with Stu Miniman for VeeamON 2020.

#VeeamON #Veeam #theCUBE

https://siliconangle.com/2020/06/17/new-ciso-expected-to-play-central-role-in-veeams-data-protection-business-veeamon/

New CISO expected to play central role in Veeam’s data protection business

Among the executive changes made by Veeam Software Corp. in the first half of 2020 was the hire of a new chief information security officer.

In an acknowledgement of a CISO’s importance to the business today, the position reports directly to Veeam’s chief executive officer. However, Veeam’s board of directors will be working closely with the new executive, which is an evolving trend as well.

“It’s a first-time position for the company, which has taken this topic very seriously,” said Gil Vega, the new CISO at Veeam. “Here at Veeam, my function is governed by the board of directors, as it is at most large companies. In the boardroom, cybersecurity is essentially the number one operational risk now with a lot of focus across all the functional areas of the company.”

Vega spoke with Stu Miniman, host of theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s livestreaming studio, during the VeeamOn event. They discussed Vega’s role in positioning Veeam for future government business and the importance of understanding the full scope of cloud security services. (* Disclosure below.)

Leveraging government experience
Although Vega brought experience from previous positions in the private sector, he also served as a senior cybersecurity leader for a number of U.S. government agencies, including the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security. His familiarity with the government will be a key part of his new role for Veeam as well.

“I have a pedigree with the U.S. government, and I understand what the requirements are to do business there,” Vega said. “Veeam is now a U.S. company, and the idea here is to drive growth in North America. One of the key components of that growth has to be the U.S. government.”

As he settles into his new position, Vega is mindful of Veeam’s central role in the cloud data discussion.

“There are certain things happening in the cloud that are completely different from on-premises situations as it relates to cybersecurity, and you have to have a real good understanding of how those are differentiated,” Vega said. “The most important thing is making sure you understand exactly what security services your cloud provider is providing and don’t assume they are going to meet your requirements. You’ll have to work with the cloud vendors to augment those in a way that make it more acceptable for your risk profile and business.”

Watch the complete video interview below, and be sure to check out more of SiliconANGLE’s and theCUBE’s coverage of the VeeamOn event. (* Disclosure: TheCUBE is a paid media partner for VeeamOn. Neither Veeam Software Corp., the sponsor for theCUBE’s event coverage, nor other sponsors have editorial control over content on theCUBE or SiliconANGLE.)