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The Smartest Person in the Room: The Root Cause and New Solution for Cybersecurity
Cyberattack—an ominous word that strikes fear in the hearts of nearly everyone, especially business owners, CEOs, and executives. With cyberattacks resulting in often devastating results, it's no wonder executives hire the best and brightest of the IT world for protection. But are you doing enough? Do you understand your risks? What if the brightest aren't always the best choice for your company?
In The Smartest Person in the Room, Christian Espinosa shows you how to leverage your company's smartest minds to your benefit and theirs. Learn from Christian's own journey from cybersecurity engineer to company CEO. He describes why a high IQ is a lost superpower when effective communication, true intelligence, and self-confidence are not embraced. With his seven-step methodology and stories from the field, Christian helps you develop your team's technical minds so they become better humans and strong leaders who excel in every role. This book provides you with an enlightening perspective of how to turn your biggest unknown weakness into your strongest defense.
In The Smartest Person in the Room, Christian Espinosa shows you how to leverage your company's smartest minds to your benefit and theirs. Learn from Christian's own journey from cybersecurity engineer to company CEO. He describes why a high IQ is a lost superpower when effective communication, true intelligence, and self-confidence are not embraced. With his seven-step methodology and stories from the field, Christian helps you develop your team's technical minds so they become better humans and strong leaders who excel in every role. This book provides you with an enlightening perspective of how to turn your biggest unknown weakness into your strongest defense.
237 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 2, 2021
114 people are currently reading
1116 people want to read
About the author
Christian Espinosa
2 books9 followersChristian Espinosa, an esteemed thought leader, is most known as the bestselling author of "The Smartest Person in the Room," which explores the limitations of seeking validation through achievement and the desire to be the brightest intellect in any room.
With a deep desire to inspire others to harness their innate wisdom, overcome perceived barriers, and summon the courage to tread new paths, Christian authored his latest book, "The In-Between: Life in the Micro." This book chronicles his remarkable transformation—from a "me against the world" mindset cultivated during his tumultuous upbringing to his evolution as a compassionate global citizen committed to uplifting humanity.
A dynamic entrepreneur, Christian built and successfully sold Alpine Security, a cybersecurity business. He founded and currently leads Blue Goat Cyber. He also has an array of professional and personal development certifications.
His expertise extends beyond the confines of the corporate world: he's a white hat hacker, a captivating keynote speaker, a perceptive real estate investor, and a connoisseur of heavy metal music and fiery cuisines. He’s also spent time in the Mexican jungle with Mayan Shamans, is a C-License skydiver, and is a PADI divemaster. Whatever Christian tries, he tends to master.
Beyond his impactful professional pursuits, Christian's zest for life knows no bounds. An adventurer at heart, he fearlessly leaps from planes and balloons, conquers towering peaks, explores the globe, imparts wisdom in outdoor wilderness survival, and even takes on the rigorous challenges of Ironman triathlons. Having completed an impressive 24 Ironman triathlons and scaled two of the renowned Seven Summits, Christian Espinosa epitomizes the spirit of transformative leadership and unyielding exploration.
With a deep desire to inspire others to harness their innate wisdom, overcome perceived barriers, and summon the courage to tread new paths, Christian authored his latest book, "The In-Between: Life in the Micro." This book chronicles his remarkable transformation—from a "me against the world" mindset cultivated during his tumultuous upbringing to his evolution as a compassionate global citizen committed to uplifting humanity.
A dynamic entrepreneur, Christian built and successfully sold Alpine Security, a cybersecurity business. He founded and currently leads Blue Goat Cyber. He also has an array of professional and personal development certifications.
His expertise extends beyond the confines of the corporate world: he's a white hat hacker, a captivating keynote speaker, a perceptive real estate investor, and a connoisseur of heavy metal music and fiery cuisines. He’s also spent time in the Mexican jungle with Mayan Shamans, is a C-License skydiver, and is a PADI divemaster. Whatever Christian tries, he tends to master.
Beyond his impactful professional pursuits, Christian's zest for life knows no bounds. An adventurer at heart, he fearlessly leaps from planes and balloons, conquers towering peaks, explores the globe, imparts wisdom in outdoor wilderness survival, and even takes on the rigorous challenges of Ironman triathlons. Having completed an impressive 24 Ironman triathlons and scaled two of the renowned Seven Summits, Christian Espinosa epitomizes the spirit of transformative leadership and unyielding exploration.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 94 reviews
June 20, 2023
DNF.
The book is filled with pseudoscience (NLP, "conceive/believe/achieve", Enneagrams, Paul Pearsall's "The Heart's Code", etc.), buzz words, popular catch phrases, and extensive use of gross generalizations. The author has an extremely low opinion of the people working in cybersecurity, explicitly blaming them and their poor—according to the author—interpersonal skills for the cybersecurity failures we see everyday.
Just a couple of the many similar statements laying the blame entirely at the feet of your IT security staff. A cursory review of the literature—available to anyone with an internet connection—shows credential stuffing and phishing attacks as the reason your data was stolen, not your IT Sec employee's poor social skills.
All you really need to know about this book is the single paragraph titled "Teflon Head" on page 113:
What the hell is the point of this? The author, supposedly a certified high performance coach, is proud to have given a co-worker a pejorative nickname?
The book is filled with pseudoscience (NLP, "conceive/believe/achieve", Enneagrams, Paul Pearsall's "The Heart's Code", etc.), buzz words, popular catch phrases, and extensive use of gross generalizations. The author has an extremely low opinion of the people working in cybersecurity, explicitly blaming them and their poor—according to the author—interpersonal skills for the cybersecurity failures we see everyday.
"Your people and their poor communication skills are the reason your data was stolen..."—p.14
"Cybercriminals win because your technical staff didn't tell you they didn't understand what you were talking about."—p.109
Just a couple of the many similar statements laying the blame entirely at the feet of your IT security staff. A cursory review of the literature—available to anyone with an internet connection—shows credential stuffing and phishing attacks as the reason your data was stolen, not your IT Sec employee's poor social skills.
All you really need to know about this book is the single paragraph titled "Teflon Head" on page 113:
"Many years ago, I used to work with a guy I referred to as Teflon Head.
In meetings, he would ask questions in an attempt to collaborate, but in the end he only listened to and approved of his own ideas. He wasn't collaboralive at all-nothing would stick. We even tried making our ideas seem like his, but that didn't work either. The only thing that stuck to this guy was his nickname."
What the hell is the point of this? The author, supposedly a certified high performance coach, is proud to have given a co-worker a pejorative nickname?
February 15, 2021
not an easy read but the solution is rock solid... hire people that are open to change
December 15, 2022
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟. 25
Review:
Cyber attack, Cyber security - nowadays these words are very well known as we're becoming more digital day by day. From offices to our own home it's become headaches to protect our privacy from the cyber thieves who are always ready to rob you.
And in the book, the author, Christian Espinosa, the founder and CEO of Alpine Security, a cyber security engineer, talks from his own experience on the matter. He talks about the valuable methods for the business owners, companies how to always be aware of the risk to become a cyber attack victim, how to improve cyber security, team relations and your own skills too.
The book is so informative and well written that the book becomes very interesting and engaging to read without being bore. This author speaks in very straightforward way and with basic guidelines that anyone can read and understand even if you are not very known about this topic.
It is a must read, I would say as the subject is very important and essential in current everyday life.
Review:
Cyber attack, Cyber security - nowadays these words are very well known as we're becoming more digital day by day. From offices to our own home it's become headaches to protect our privacy from the cyber thieves who are always ready to rob you.
And in the book, the author, Christian Espinosa, the founder and CEO of Alpine Security, a cyber security engineer, talks from his own experience on the matter. He talks about the valuable methods for the business owners, companies how to always be aware of the risk to become a cyber attack victim, how to improve cyber security, team relations and your own skills too.
The book is so informative and well written that the book becomes very interesting and engaging to read without being bore. This author speaks in very straightforward way and with basic guidelines that anyone can read and understand even if you are not very known about this topic.
It is a must read, I would say as the subject is very important and essential in current everyday life.
April 3, 2021
Technology and the Technician
The Smartest Person in the Room: The Root Cause and New Solution for Cybersecurity by Christian Espinosa is a fresh look at cyber security within the workplace.
It is written specifically and directed towards leadership within companies. Specifically, it is a valuable look and perspective provided to CEO's, COO's, CISO's or those personnel or departments charged with securing the valuable data of its customers.
The narrative builds on the reality that customer's data is constantly under seige by cyber thieves. The purpose of unlawfully attaining customer's data is to create dysfunction within the company or simply steal information for nefarious purposes.
The author's premise that preventing cyber attacks is a two fold strategy. The first prong of that strategy is to have technological safeguards in place. The other component, and perhaps the most important, is to realize that people are the real issue at hand.
The author further adds that the root cause of successful cyber attacks lies at the feet of the cypersecurity staff and their huge egos. Supposedly they think of themselves as the "Smartest Person in the Room" and therefore their ego compromises their ability to communicate with others and consequently prevent cyber problems from being averted.
The writing then proceeds to build on this assumption and expounds on a methodology to build on improving the social skills of IT personnel.
The Smartest Person in the Room: The Root Cause and New Solution for Cybersecurity by Christian Espinosa is a unique approach to addressing the ever present danger of cyber instrusions.
The narrative is well-developed and presents to upper management an option that may prove to be the missing component in deflecting and addressing cyper attacks. It is an intriguing and interesting writing that offers an additional component to preventing destructive cyber attacks.
The Smartest Person in the Room: The Root Cause and New Solution for Cybersecurity by Christian Espinosa is a fresh look at cyber security within the workplace.
It is written specifically and directed towards leadership within companies. Specifically, it is a valuable look and perspective provided to CEO's, COO's, CISO's or those personnel or departments charged with securing the valuable data of its customers.
The narrative builds on the reality that customer's data is constantly under seige by cyber thieves. The purpose of unlawfully attaining customer's data is to create dysfunction within the company or simply steal information for nefarious purposes.
The author's premise that preventing cyber attacks is a two fold strategy. The first prong of that strategy is to have technological safeguards in place. The other component, and perhaps the most important, is to realize that people are the real issue at hand.
The author further adds that the root cause of successful cyber attacks lies at the feet of the cypersecurity staff and their huge egos. Supposedly they think of themselves as the "Smartest Person in the Room" and therefore their ego compromises their ability to communicate with others and consequently prevent cyber problems from being averted.
The writing then proceeds to build on this assumption and expounds on a methodology to build on improving the social skills of IT personnel.
The Smartest Person in the Room: The Root Cause and New Solution for Cybersecurity by Christian Espinosa is a unique approach to addressing the ever present danger of cyber instrusions.
The narrative is well-developed and presents to upper management an option that may prove to be the missing component in deflecting and addressing cyper attacks. It is an intriguing and interesting writing that offers an additional component to preventing destructive cyber attacks.
March 12, 2025
DNF
This is a book clearly directed at the leadership of a company and aimed at bashing IT and cyber security professionals. This is a "motivational" self-help book full of gross overgeneralizations. The first two chapters sum up that the issue with cybersecurity today is that those in technical positions within a company have massive egos that prevent them from asking questions or collaborating with others. Combine that with the fact that they don't have soft skills for communication in general, and that's the root of all cybersecurity issues. The author's "life experience" leveraged in this book boils down to stories where he talks about how a coworker failed due to them "posturing" and the author reflecting on the fact that he doubts that individual has grown at all.
The book then lays out the author's methodology and begins repeating itself. Turn to any page in the last half of the book and I'm sure you'll see him mention "NLP presuppositions."
Overall, I think this book is a great way to use pseudoscience to convince C-suite that technical employees are the problem and need to be fixed. This helps develop a company culture of superiority over these technical teams because "many technical employees are insecure, afraid, and posture". They are also evidently "underqualified" while hiring teams are relying too heavily on certifications rather than soft skills.
This is a book clearly directed at the leadership of a company and aimed at bashing IT and cyber security professionals. This is a "motivational" self-help book full of gross overgeneralizations. The first two chapters sum up that the issue with cybersecurity today is that those in technical positions within a company have massive egos that prevent them from asking questions or collaborating with others. Combine that with the fact that they don't have soft skills for communication in general, and that's the root of all cybersecurity issues. The author's "life experience" leveraged in this book boils down to stories where he talks about how a coworker failed due to them "posturing" and the author reflecting on the fact that he doubts that individual has grown at all.
The book then lays out the author's methodology and begins repeating itself. Turn to any page in the last half of the book and I'm sure you'll see him mention "NLP presuppositions."
Overall, I think this book is a great way to use pseudoscience to convince C-suite that technical employees are the problem and need to be fixed. This helps develop a company culture of superiority over these technical teams because "many technical employees are insecure, afraid, and posture". They are also evidently "underqualified" while hiring teams are relying too heavily on certifications rather than soft skills.
December 6, 2022
If we ever look at it from a larger perspective, there is no denying the fact that the most enchanting aspect of any thriller is always the nail biting endeavor, the way certain things build up to the endgame.
And it all depends on perspective as those who adept with what is presented will find that breaking into an encryption key that is almost deemed formidable, or hacking into a computer can be especially enthralling.
The reason behind this is because the threats and dangers that get depicted are so real, and they are easy to transpire in the technology driven world that we are currently living in.
In such regards, ‘The Smartest Person in the Room’ by Christian Espinosa can be seen as a good attempt by the author to bring a book that is not only high octane informative, but also has some intriguing insight into the world of cybersecurity.
The experience of the author in working this field for so many years is quite evident with the way he has narrated some instances on how we can take action in crisis rather than getting overwhelmed by the situations that we are faced with.
There is no doubt that intelligent people do have a certain aura about them that gives them the ability to acquire knowledge, however the book shows us how instead of doing that, we can put the information we have into good use, that will be beneficial to us.
Turning our defects or deficiencies into success is what all of us strive to achieve, and the same has also been explained in this book, hence I am going to give this FIVE STARS ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
And it all depends on perspective as those who adept with what is presented will find that breaking into an encryption key that is almost deemed formidable, or hacking into a computer can be especially enthralling.
The reason behind this is because the threats and dangers that get depicted are so real, and they are easy to transpire in the technology driven world that we are currently living in.
In such regards, ‘The Smartest Person in the Room’ by Christian Espinosa can be seen as a good attempt by the author to bring a book that is not only high octane informative, but also has some intriguing insight into the world of cybersecurity.
The experience of the author in working this field for so many years is quite evident with the way he has narrated some instances on how we can take action in crisis rather than getting overwhelmed by the situations that we are faced with.
There is no doubt that intelligent people do have a certain aura about them that gives them the ability to acquire knowledge, however the book shows us how instead of doing that, we can put the information we have into good use, that will be beneficial to us.
Turning our defects or deficiencies into success is what all of us strive to achieve, and the same has also been explained in this book, hence I am going to give this FIVE STARS ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
December 14, 2022
The Smartest Person in the Room is truly a one-of-a-kind book. Cybersecurity is a priority for all business owners nowadays. With developing technology and our ever-increasing reliance on it, the threats and risks are bigger. So, what do we do to fight the dreaded unknown enemy called a cyberattack? Is hiring the best technical minds enough to ensure the safety of our data and systems?
This book answers all these questions and many more related ones. Coming from someone, who started as a cybersecurity engineer and then became a CEO, you can easily trust the book as it's very insightful and full of practical knowledge and advise to deal with the problems in the domain of cybersecurity.
Moreover, it offers an interesting approach by emphasizing on not just technical skills but people skills and leadership skills of the technical team. This book is easy to read and understand, and the author has done a great job by blurring the line between it being a technical book and it being a book for self growth and personality development. Highly recommended!
This book answers all these questions and many more related ones. Coming from someone, who started as a cybersecurity engineer and then became a CEO, you can easily trust the book as it's very insightful and full of practical knowledge and advise to deal with the problems in the domain of cybersecurity.
Moreover, it offers an interesting approach by emphasizing on not just technical skills but people skills and leadership skills of the technical team. This book is easy to read and understand, and the author has done a great job by blurring the line between it being a technical book and it being a book for self growth and personality development. Highly recommended!
December 15, 2022
OMG this book is pretty good, with tremendous insights from first page till the end. I was engrossed the whole time!
The informative, realistic writing style, with clear concepts that translates into an engaging and mind enhancing read. I personally found the book to be a great read.
Innovative seven-step methodology and stories from the field, author helps you develop your team’s technical minds so they become better humans and strong leaders who excel in every role. This book provides you with an enlightening perspective of how to turn your biggest unknown weakness into your strongest defense.
I am in awe of new standpoints that was presented.What's beautifully achieved in this tale is that it includes such intricate journey of many facets life itself in a effortless.
The whole piece is well researched and I applaud the author on writing and presenting us readers with such a relevant and mind enhancing topic, what i appreciated is the approach presented that's encouraging and empathetic rather than clinical which i usually find in books discussing about cybersecurity and team building.
Overall i feel this is one such powerful collection of stories and takeaway for professionala that surprised me in the best of ways, and I think it will continue to stay in my mind for a long time.
The informative, realistic writing style, with clear concepts that translates into an engaging and mind enhancing read. I personally found the book to be a great read.
Innovative seven-step methodology and stories from the field, author helps you develop your team’s technical minds so they become better humans and strong leaders who excel in every role. This book provides you with an enlightening perspective of how to turn your biggest unknown weakness into your strongest defense.
I am in awe of new standpoints that was presented.What's beautifully achieved in this tale is that it includes such intricate journey of many facets life itself in a effortless.
The whole piece is well researched and I applaud the author on writing and presenting us readers with such a relevant and mind enhancing topic, what i appreciated is the approach presented that's encouraging and empathetic rather than clinical which i usually find in books discussing about cybersecurity and team building.
Overall i feel this is one such powerful collection of stories and takeaway for professionala that surprised me in the best of ways, and I think it will continue to stay in my mind for a long time.
July 21, 2021
A timely book on the topic of Cybersecurity, the author takes a look beyond the software towards the people that your company will utilize to manage the technical security of your company and data. Utilizing the secure methodology that encompasses the concepts of awareness, mindset, acknowledgement, communication, monotasking, empathy and kaizen, the author provides a comprehensive plan to better secure your data.
I really liked the book; it was easy to read and understand and the graphics were well done and supported the information without becoming overwhelming. This is certainly a book that is important and relevant today.
I really liked the book; it was easy to read and understand and the graphics were well done and supported the information without becoming overwhelming. This is certainly a book that is important and relevant today.
July 1, 2024
He read a bunch of self help books then summarized them with a slight focus on cybersecurity (what he really meant was smart people without social skills) and he wants the reader to use his book to help bridge the gap of communication between management and technical employees. The more I read books like this the more I think I should write a book cause you barely have to have an original idea. This felt common sense but good for him
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October 11, 2021THE SMARTEST PERSON IN THE ROOM is a valuable asset for any CEO, manager or cybersecurity team. It’s also a fascinating view of exactly what real security entails, both for companies and individuals. Read it for insight, implement the principles and sleep better at night.
Read our full review here:
https://booktrib.com/2021/10/08/homel...
Read our full review here:
https://booktrib.com/2021/10/08/homel...
September 1, 2023
First half of the book, five stars.
The second half of the book is brought to you by the department of redundancy department.
The second half of the book is brought to you by the department of redundancy department.
March 6, 2021
How to Choose the Red Pill,
Christian Espinosa has over 30 years of experience in the Cybersecurity industry. Yet, this book
refrains from using technical jargon, which makes it more understandable for the reader.
This insightful book provides valuable methods for improving cybersecurity, team relations, and
how to develop leadership skills.
The Smartest Person in the Room also points out the issue of technical employees who lack the
required skills could be a cause of any cybersecurity quandaries. The author demonstrates,
from personal experience, that some personalities are not fit for the technical position, despite
being “paper tigers”.
What is great about the book is that Christian Espinosa does not just list a number of issues to
solve, he provides detailed solutions to each problem. While evaluating the system as a whole,
he designed the Secure Methodology that includes seven different steps. Each step is
thoroughly described and explained. He also offers teamwork activities for developing essential
skills in fighting cybercriminals.
The title of the book refers to employees who focus solely on being the smartest person in the
room, and how they will not be a valuable addition to the team. Why? The book will explain
everything.
“The Secure Methodology is a surefire way to ignite the people skills of your technical team so
we can beat cybercriminals and win the war”
- Christian Espinosa, The Smartest Person in the Room
Christian Espinosa has over 30 years of experience in the Cybersecurity industry. Yet, this book
refrains from using technical jargon, which makes it more understandable for the reader.
This insightful book provides valuable methods for improving cybersecurity, team relations, and
how to develop leadership skills.
The Smartest Person in the Room also points out the issue of technical employees who lack the
required skills could be a cause of any cybersecurity quandaries. The author demonstrates,
from personal experience, that some personalities are not fit for the technical position, despite
being “paper tigers”.
What is great about the book is that Christian Espinosa does not just list a number of issues to
solve, he provides detailed solutions to each problem. While evaluating the system as a whole,
he designed the Secure Methodology that includes seven different steps. Each step is
thoroughly described and explained. He also offers teamwork activities for developing essential
skills in fighting cybercriminals.
The title of the book refers to employees who focus solely on being the smartest person in the
room, and how they will not be a valuable addition to the team. Why? The book will explain
everything.
“The Secure Methodology is a surefire way to ignite the people skills of your technical team so
we can beat cybercriminals and win the war”
- Christian Espinosa, The Smartest Person in the Room
February 3, 2021
Interesting read, not only for CEO's and leaders of technically inclined employees, but also for lay people who have ZERO comprehension of "robot talk" or "geek speak" (i.e. loads of technical jargon). Pleasantly surprised to find this was not THAT incomprehensible, boring book ! Instead, I found very practical and useful knowledge; I'm currently applying aspects of the author's seven-step secure methodology to facilitate much more fluid and effective communication within my own personal and professional relationships. The personal stories and anecdotes made this book much more relatable and interesting to read. I mean, who has never experienced an irritating, know-it-all, bully "Doug"...in the tech world, or elsewhere ?! Christian's strength, courage and wisdom as leader and visionary within the unique world of Cybersecurity seem to emanate from his many personal life struggles. If followed, I believe the tips and suggestions made by this author in the seven-step secure methodology have the potential to transform predominantly left-brained techy people into more empathic, stronger right-brained leaders and human beings (with outstanding communication skills). Purchasing this book as gifts even for some of my non-CEO friends and family !
March 28, 2021
"Transformation is a journey, though. It doesn't happen at a single event or after you read one book. It takes practice, hard work, and time."
I am amazed by this book. It's so good! Even though you can see on the cover 'The root cause and new solution for cybersecurity', this book is not just for CEO, COO or CISO, or for those who have companies or workers. This book is for everyone who wants to change. For everyone who is open-minded and wants to make the world a better place.
We all want to be the smartest person in the room, but if we are, then we're doing something wrong. There's not much to learn if you know everything. We are learning something new every day while we're alive. We just have to open our mind.
I loved this book from the very first page. I like how the author shows us his personal experiences to bring the point and story closer to us. The style is like telling a story and it's so contagius. I enjoyed it so much and I highly recommend it.
I am amazed by this book. It's so good! Even though you can see on the cover 'The root cause and new solution for cybersecurity', this book is not just for CEO, COO or CISO, or for those who have companies or workers. This book is for everyone who wants to change. For everyone who is open-minded and wants to make the world a better place.
We all want to be the smartest person in the room, but if we are, then we're doing something wrong. There's not much to learn if you know everything. We are learning something new every day while we're alive. We just have to open our mind.
I loved this book from the very first page. I like how the author shows us his personal experiences to bring the point and story closer to us. The style is like telling a story and it's so contagius. I enjoyed it so much and I highly recommend it.
February 10, 2021
I have a mixed feeling about this book.
On one side, it contains an interesting guide to NLP, with actionable points that could be applied to every task and challenge in your life.
On the other side, the volume promised a guide to enhance cybersecurity, and this is really stretched on. While I perfectly agree with the premise that the weakest point in IT security is men, not technologies, I do not see much of evidence in the book that this is really due to the lack of communication skills of technical people tasked with security.
In summary, this book is made of seven crucial chapters on the seven steps where you can and should improve your life, with at the end of each a few paragraphs on how this applies to cybersecurity. It doesn't live up to the expectation.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
On one side, it contains an interesting guide to NLP, with actionable points that could be applied to every task and challenge in your life.
On the other side, the volume promised a guide to enhance cybersecurity, and this is really stretched on. While I perfectly agree with the premise that the weakest point in IT security is men, not technologies, I do not see much of evidence in the book that this is really due to the lack of communication skills of technical people tasked with security.
In summary, this book is made of seven crucial chapters on the seven steps where you can and should improve your life, with at the end of each a few paragraphs on how this applies to cybersecurity. It doesn't live up to the expectation.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
January 2, 2022
There are many suggestions, on how to address the cybersecurity crisis; Perceptions in this area, is that we are failing miserably in this area. Unfortunately much of what is here is not new- this may reflect a lack of concrete proposals for addressing problems in this area. Improving the quality of hires, and reforming attitudes, is unlikely to solve the problem.
January 8, 2022
Excellent thesis, totally correct imo, and yet I quit 20% in bc it got redundant
August 8, 2023
THE SMARTEST PERSON IN THE ROOM by Christian Espinosa.
Cyber. In every mind that this word finds, it floods them with futuristic images, robots, computers... technology, artificial intelligence, programming. Everything that cinema and news has exposed us. We see all that technological world as something alien, something out of the ordinary. After all, neither of them knows how to program or code (unless you, the reader, do know and are a professional hacker). What we don't know is that technology is already a worldwide phenomenon. Everywhere we go — unless it's a forest far from society — you'll find some device, whether it's a phone, a computer, or even a television. Technology took over the world. And as a good human that we are, we must adapt.
Before we begin the review, I would like to comment on the title of this book. "The Smartest Person in the Room" is a metaphorical phrase often used to describe someone who is exceptionally knowledgeable, intelligent, or capable within a particular context. It implies that this individual stands out due to their superior intellect or expertise compared to others present. And that's exactly what Espinosa is referring to. Everyone here has two lives, in our world and in the cyberworld. And in both, we must learn to protect ourselves. And not only protect us physically, also mentally and psychologically.
This book really surprised me, I'm not one to read much outside classical literature, but this work... This work left me speechless. I imagined it would be a guide to complex codes and programs, but it turned out to be a book about personal growth coupled with technology. Unbelievable, to be honest. Espinosa has a unique and special point of view.
Throughout the work he explains and argues based on his personal experiences and fears his method against cybercrime, which is called "Secure Methodology system". It consists of [1] Awareness: with the principles of Stoicism, knowing what is under our control and what is not. Knowing the magnitude of our power and dominance, we feel a sense of relief in having independence over external things. [2] Mindset: Our mind is incredibly powerful. Our thoughts, our affirmations, the way we see everything greatly influences how we live. You are the one who decides how to think (: stay stagnant or grow?). [3] Acknowledgement: acknowledgment is a powerful tool that reminds us of our capabilities and motivates us to strive for growth. It fosters positive relationships, empowers individuals, and creates an atmosphere of appreciation. Whether it's acknowledging ourselves or others, this practice has the potential to enrich lives and create a more compassionate and supportive world. [4] Communication: Your body is belying your words. Every tiny movement divulges your private thoughts. That image of you becomes the data they deal with for a very long time. How we express ourselves is VERY important. [5] Monotasking: the practice of focusing on a single task or activity at a time, as opposed to multitasking where one attempts to handle multiple tasks simultaneously. [6] Empathy: the ability to understand and share the feelings, thoughts, and perspectives of others. It involves recognizing and connecting with the emotions and experiences of those around us. Empathy acts as a bridge that connects us to the diverse experiences of humanity. By acknowledging our inner struggles, successes, and failures, we open ourselves up to understanding the depth of emotions and experiences that others go through. [7] Kaizen is a Japanese mindset that encourages a proactive and positive approach to improvement. It is not about seeking perfection overnight but about embracing a culture of continuous learning and growth. By consistently making small improvements, individuals and organizations can achieve meaningful and sustainable progress over time.
In summary, Espinosa's approach underscores the vital role that effective communication plays in enhancing cybersecurity. By fostering empathy, active listening, vulnerability, and trust, organizations can build a stronger defense against cyber threats. This approach acknowledges that cybersecurity is not solely about technology, but about creating a resilient human network that collaboratively addresses security challenges.
Hope you liked my review! Have a nice day! <3
Cyber. In every mind that this word finds, it floods them with futuristic images, robots, computers... technology, artificial intelligence, programming. Everything that cinema and news has exposed us. We see all that technological world as something alien, something out of the ordinary. After all, neither of them knows how to program or code (unless you, the reader, do know and are a professional hacker). What we don't know is that technology is already a worldwide phenomenon. Everywhere we go — unless it's a forest far from society — you'll find some device, whether it's a phone, a computer, or even a television. Technology took over the world. And as a good human that we are, we must adapt.
Before we begin the review, I would like to comment on the title of this book. "The Smartest Person in the Room" is a metaphorical phrase often used to describe someone who is exceptionally knowledgeable, intelligent, or capable within a particular context. It implies that this individual stands out due to their superior intellect or expertise compared to others present. And that's exactly what Espinosa is referring to. Everyone here has two lives, in our world and in the cyberworld. And in both, we must learn to protect ourselves. And not only protect us physically, also mentally and psychologically.
This book really surprised me, I'm not one to read much outside classical literature, but this work... This work left me speechless. I imagined it would be a guide to complex codes and programs, but it turned out to be a book about personal growth coupled with technology. Unbelievable, to be honest. Espinosa has a unique and special point of view.
Throughout the work he explains and argues based on his personal experiences and fears his method against cybercrime, which is called "Secure Methodology system". It consists of [1] Awareness: with the principles of Stoicism, knowing what is under our control and what is not. Knowing the magnitude of our power and dominance, we feel a sense of relief in having independence over external things. [2] Mindset: Our mind is incredibly powerful. Our thoughts, our affirmations, the way we see everything greatly influences how we live. You are the one who decides how to think (: stay stagnant or grow?). [3] Acknowledgement: acknowledgment is a powerful tool that reminds us of our capabilities and motivates us to strive for growth. It fosters positive relationships, empowers individuals, and creates an atmosphere of appreciation. Whether it's acknowledging ourselves or others, this practice has the potential to enrich lives and create a more compassionate and supportive world. [4] Communication: Your body is belying your words. Every tiny movement divulges your private thoughts. That image of you becomes the data they deal with for a very long time. How we express ourselves is VERY important. [5] Monotasking: the practice of focusing on a single task or activity at a time, as opposed to multitasking where one attempts to handle multiple tasks simultaneously. [6] Empathy: the ability to understand and share the feelings, thoughts, and perspectives of others. It involves recognizing and connecting with the emotions and experiences of those around us. Empathy acts as a bridge that connects us to the diverse experiences of humanity. By acknowledging our inner struggles, successes, and failures, we open ourselves up to understanding the depth of emotions and experiences that others go through. [7] Kaizen is a Japanese mindset that encourages a proactive and positive approach to improvement. It is not about seeking perfection overnight but about embracing a culture of continuous learning and growth. By consistently making small improvements, individuals and organizations can achieve meaningful and sustainable progress over time.
In summary, Espinosa's approach underscores the vital role that effective communication plays in enhancing cybersecurity. By fostering empathy, active listening, vulnerability, and trust, organizations can build a stronger defense against cyber threats. This approach acknowledges that cybersecurity is not solely about technology, but about creating a resilient human network that collaboratively addresses security challenges.
Hope you liked my review! Have a nice day! <3
October 31, 2023
DNF, but didn't need to.
The book has a few helpful insights muddied with filler and overgeneralization.
The book is a self-help book. Definitely not the impression you get when you pick the book up, but I didn't mind this, and interesting that it takes a spin at cybersecurity. The problem lies in his bias and writing style, along with being repetitive. It's clear the author watched some TED talks and other motivational literature and decided to make his own.
He makes very good points in the beginning about flaws in frameworks and certifications, only to make the rest of the book about his own framework, which he already explains in depth within the first chapter or so. I stopped reading after the chapter on Mindset, Step 2/7, realizing the rest of the book is repeating what he's already said, and maybe adding an extra example here and there. He also keeps throwing NLP every few pages, drilling yet another framework in your mind right after explaining how unnecessary frameworks can be. Much of what he shares, including NLP, is pseudoscience.
It's also odd to realize that their company (changed from Alpine to CISO Global) used to promote boot camps to take certifications that the author says aren't good evaluations of technical skill. Even if some of their courses advertised hands-on practice that he encourages in the book, they only train 3-5 days, costing thousands. That's not enough time (and too much money) for useful retention.
Ignoring his points for a moment, the style is very bland. He has the typical introduction and outline, his body separating ideas by chapter, and conclusion. It's written like an essay, a format I'm all too familiar and strongly disapprove in self-help books. Each chapter seems to be its own essay format, explaining what he's talking about, give some supporting details, and a review of what he just talked about. It's my take on why this book feels repetitive, as noted by other reviews.
Some of his examples made him feel very out of touch. For someone whose methodology preaches awareness, he has several examples of employees and completely destroys their character. There's Doug, a former employee the author bashes countless times throughout the whole book. There's also Karen, who asked for a raise. The author explains her being oblivious to the company's needs, but he never writes about understanding her needs, coming off as direct hypocrisy. Another former employee he refers to as Teflon Head, which is just unprofessional.
There's good points provided, but it can all be found in the first chapter. Have a growth mindset, great. Have soft skills, fantastic. Unfortunately, this book left me wanting to write my own about the flaws of self-help books and what to look out for. I'll settle with this review instead.
The book has a few helpful insights muddied with filler and overgeneralization.
The book is a self-help book. Definitely not the impression you get when you pick the book up, but I didn't mind this, and interesting that it takes a spin at cybersecurity. The problem lies in his bias and writing style, along with being repetitive. It's clear the author watched some TED talks and other motivational literature and decided to make his own.
He makes very good points in the beginning about flaws in frameworks and certifications, only to make the rest of the book about his own framework, which he already explains in depth within the first chapter or so. I stopped reading after the chapter on Mindset, Step 2/7, realizing the rest of the book is repeating what he's already said, and maybe adding an extra example here and there. He also keeps throwing NLP every few pages, drilling yet another framework in your mind right after explaining how unnecessary frameworks can be. Much of what he shares, including NLP, is pseudoscience.
It's also odd to realize that their company (changed from Alpine to CISO Global) used to promote boot camps to take certifications that the author says aren't good evaluations of technical skill. Even if some of their courses advertised hands-on practice that he encourages in the book, they only train 3-5 days, costing thousands. That's not enough time (and too much money) for useful retention.
Ignoring his points for a moment, the style is very bland. He has the typical introduction and outline, his body separating ideas by chapter, and conclusion. It's written like an essay, a format I'm all too familiar and strongly disapprove in self-help books. Each chapter seems to be its own essay format, explaining what he's talking about, give some supporting details, and a review of what he just talked about. It's my take on why this book feels repetitive, as noted by other reviews.
Some of his examples made him feel very out of touch. For someone whose methodology preaches awareness, he has several examples of employees and completely destroys their character. There's Doug, a former employee the author bashes countless times throughout the whole book. There's also Karen, who asked for a raise. The author explains her being oblivious to the company's needs, but he never writes about understanding her needs, coming off as direct hypocrisy. Another former employee he refers to as Teflon Head, which is just unprofessional.
There's good points provided, but it can all be found in the first chapter. Have a growth mindset, great. Have soft skills, fantastic. Unfortunately, this book left me wanting to write my own about the flaws of self-help books and what to look out for. I'll settle with this review instead.
February 7, 2023
Advice packed with experience! Very smart authoring and gripping narrative.
The author outlines how technical employees struggle with interpersonal skills and insecurity.
Author goes on to explain his 7-step methodology, to help security professionals to communicate better and reduce risk overall, but for anyone that would like to work on becoming more confident and fulfilled with the life we are given.
- The first step is awareness: if you’re not aware of your interactions in the world–your blind spots, your world view, then it is going to be hard to change.
- Without having a growth mindset, then you’re not going to want to take the other steps in the methodology. And the growth mindset is really realising that if I have a high IQ, for instance, I can also develop my EQ skills. They’re not mutually exclusive. A lot of people like to use that as an excuse to not develop people skills, basically.
- acknowledging the work done to get to where I currently am. With highly technical people, it is a challenge to develop technical skills, although, they should be acknowledged for where they’ve gotten to from a technical perspective and the skills they have.
- Communication is a massive topic within itself. Within the world of cybersecurity though, communication is extremely important. There’s a lot of speaking over people’s heads in cybersecurity and there’s a lot of poor listening if you’re trying to explain a problem. If a highly technical person is trying to explain a problem to a board of directors and the board of directors is not receiving the message, then the communication is not effective.
- The fifth step is mono-tasking. I am a big fan of mono-tasking. In the world today, we like to talk a lot about multi-tasking. But the reality is, with multi-tasking we end up doing a lot of things but getting nothing done. In order to move the needle with cybersecurity and to be a better communicator, we need to mono-task and be present when we are listening to somebody.
- One of the challenges with highly technical staff is empathy. And in our world today, we focus a lot on our differences rather than what we have in common or our similarities. It’s hard to have empathy with people when you purely focus on the differences.
- Kaizen is just a Japanese word for constant and never-ending improvement. When we’re looking at the secure methodology, it’s really a journey to improve your team’s ability to win the cybersecurity war and also improve their ability to be better human beings. It’s not a panacea, it’s a journey, and that the journey is going to be different for everybody. It is important to understand you’re not going to master these skills from day one.
The author outlines how technical employees struggle with interpersonal skills and insecurity.
Author goes on to explain his 7-step methodology, to help security professionals to communicate better and reduce risk overall, but for anyone that would like to work on becoming more confident and fulfilled with the life we are given.
- The first step is awareness: if you’re not aware of your interactions in the world–your blind spots, your world view, then it is going to be hard to change.
- Without having a growth mindset, then you’re not going to want to take the other steps in the methodology. And the growth mindset is really realising that if I have a high IQ, for instance, I can also develop my EQ skills. They’re not mutually exclusive. A lot of people like to use that as an excuse to not develop people skills, basically.
- acknowledging the work done to get to where I currently am. With highly technical people, it is a challenge to develop technical skills, although, they should be acknowledged for where they’ve gotten to from a technical perspective and the skills they have.
- Communication is a massive topic within itself. Within the world of cybersecurity though, communication is extremely important. There’s a lot of speaking over people’s heads in cybersecurity and there’s a lot of poor listening if you’re trying to explain a problem. If a highly technical person is trying to explain a problem to a board of directors and the board of directors is not receiving the message, then the communication is not effective.
- The fifth step is mono-tasking. I am a big fan of mono-tasking. In the world today, we like to talk a lot about multi-tasking. But the reality is, with multi-tasking we end up doing a lot of things but getting nothing done. In order to move the needle with cybersecurity and to be a better communicator, we need to mono-task and be present when we are listening to somebody.
- One of the challenges with highly technical staff is empathy. And in our world today, we focus a lot on our differences rather than what we have in common or our similarities. It’s hard to have empathy with people when you purely focus on the differences.
- Kaizen is just a Japanese word for constant and never-ending improvement. When we’re looking at the secure methodology, it’s really a journey to improve your team’s ability to win the cybersecurity war and also improve their ability to be better human beings. It’s not a panacea, it’s a journey, and that the journey is going to be different for everybody. It is important to understand you’re not going to master these skills from day one.
October 2, 2023
A career in technology requires acumen in a specific domain. However, as one’s career builds, people skills (so-called “soft skills”) come more to the fore. Suddenly, being the “smartest person in the room” is of limited benefit. Indeed, it can be a handicap because that means that you don’t have anyone to counterbalance your ideas and to collaborate with. Cybersecurity CEO Christian Espinosa tries to guide those in technology how to transition from someone proficient at a skill (principally, cybersecurity) into a team player who can lead.
In my opinion, this book tries to do too much. It tries to help those in technical professions to develop self-knowledge and a people-oriented side. In my opinion, this book’s main strength consists in this theme. Another competing theme is around the field of cybersecurity specifically. Frankly, this theme just muddies the waters. Many examples come from this field – which is fine – but Espinosa tries to make a statement to change the future of this field. To me, that attempt falls short. This book needs to focus on either the first theme or the last theme. Instead, it tries to do both and loses much strength in the effort.
As a software developer, I read this book hoping to learn a thing or two about how to work with cybersecurity folks better. I learned tools to help them improve their teamwork, but it directly didn’t help me learn to work with them better. It didn’t teach me much about cybersecurity either, other than that Espinosa sees this field as dominated by socially insecure people. Many other technical fields could share this observation, honestly, including my own. I wish he would have focused on one central concept in depth. Instead, the work did too much for my reading.
In reality, this book addresses the relatively small audience of cybersecurity workers who also read self-improvement books. It contains much that could reach the broader audience of all workers involved in technology, but it constantly tries to return to a central argument that the field of cybersecurity needs to change. That tendency limits its potential and reach. And that’s unfortunate because with a little retooling, Espinosa could teach all technical workers how to become better people. That’s something many more, including myself, could learn from if only this book were slightly retooled.
In my opinion, this book tries to do too much. It tries to help those in technical professions to develop self-knowledge and a people-oriented side. In my opinion, this book’s main strength consists in this theme. Another competing theme is around the field of cybersecurity specifically. Frankly, this theme just muddies the waters. Many examples come from this field – which is fine – but Espinosa tries to make a statement to change the future of this field. To me, that attempt falls short. This book needs to focus on either the first theme or the last theme. Instead, it tries to do both and loses much strength in the effort.
As a software developer, I read this book hoping to learn a thing or two about how to work with cybersecurity folks better. I learned tools to help them improve their teamwork, but it directly didn’t help me learn to work with them better. It didn’t teach me much about cybersecurity either, other than that Espinosa sees this field as dominated by socially insecure people. Many other technical fields could share this observation, honestly, including my own. I wish he would have focused on one central concept in depth. Instead, the work did too much for my reading.
In reality, this book addresses the relatively small audience of cybersecurity workers who also read self-improvement books. It contains much that could reach the broader audience of all workers involved in technology, but it constantly tries to return to a central argument that the field of cybersecurity needs to change. That tendency limits its potential and reach. And that’s unfortunate because with a little retooling, Espinosa could teach all technical workers how to become better people. That’s something many more, including myself, could learn from if only this book were slightly retooled.
December 3, 2022
In the field of cybersecurity, Christian Espinosa has over 30 years of expertise. However, this book avoids employing technical jargon, which helps the reader grasp it better. This enlightening book offers helpful advice on how to enhance team dynamics, cybersecurity, and leadership abilities.
In his book The Smartest Person in the Room, Christian Espinosa discusses how exhibitors in the specialist field of digital protection might work on their exhibits. The author explains all of the reasons why the company has to develop while outlining all of the ways in which it may be taken to the next level. Although it is mostly based on the specific business, it also contains many beneficial ideas and suggestions that may be used by representatives of other callings.
In the field of cybersecurity, Christian Espinosa has over 30 years of expertise. However, this book avoids employing technical jargon, which helps the reader grasp it better. This enlightening book offers helpful advice on how to enhance team dynamics, cybersecurity, and leadership abilities. Espinosa succeeds in keeping his story simple and his language incredibly clear throughout each chapter, making the book understandable for both the technical personnel and business executives who are its target consumers. For those readers, the information offered is applicable and helpful.
To all employers and workers wishing to enhance their careers, I heartily suggest this book. To read this book, you do not need to work in the cybersecurity industry. All non-technical personnel who desire to develop their interpersonal skills and professional life should read this book.
Book Review By Biswajit Samal
In his book The Smartest Person in the Room, Christian Espinosa discusses how exhibitors in the specialist field of digital protection might work on their exhibits. The author explains all of the reasons why the company has to develop while outlining all of the ways in which it may be taken to the next level. Although it is mostly based on the specific business, it also contains many beneficial ideas and suggestions that may be used by representatives of other callings.
In the field of cybersecurity, Christian Espinosa has over 30 years of expertise. However, this book avoids employing technical jargon, which helps the reader grasp it better. This enlightening book offers helpful advice on how to enhance team dynamics, cybersecurity, and leadership abilities. Espinosa succeeds in keeping his story simple and his language incredibly clear throughout each chapter, making the book understandable for both the technical personnel and business executives who are its target consumers. For those readers, the information offered is applicable and helpful.
To all employers and workers wishing to enhance their careers, I heartily suggest this book. To read this book, you do not need to work in the cybersecurity industry. All non-technical personnel who desire to develop their interpersonal skills and professional life should read this book.
Book Review By Biswajit Samal
July 21, 2021
Insightful!
"The Smartest Person in the Room" by Christian Espinosa was a very interesting read. I have always known that virtual criminals, or cybercriminals as they are referred to in the book, existed. And I understand that, logically, anyone is susceptible to cybercriminals of all sorts, I have never really thought of myself as a possible target. Espinosa helped me understand that just because I do not see myself as a target does not mean that I still could not become one. He explains where the problem originates, or at least, where it originated. He offers explanations and insights for many different things, and among them is how we are not fully prepared for the cybersecurity breach that could happen at any time. Espinosa also offers past experiences of when he was a professor teaching cybersecurity and using real scenarios he had gone through working as a professional in the field for more than thirty years. It saddened me, but did not surprise me that people do not always want to put in the hard work to learn what actually goes on out there in the real world. I have always been interested in the cyber world and always bow to those who can actually do the job and do it well. I love the fact that he requests for the technical staff to be just a bit more appreciated. I have to agree. The technical staff, in my opinion, do not receive enough credit for what they do. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants some insight into the technical world of cybersecurity or if they just want to gain some knowledge.
"The Smartest Person in the Room" by Christian Espinosa was a very interesting read. I have always known that virtual criminals, or cybercriminals as they are referred to in the book, existed. And I understand that, logically, anyone is susceptible to cybercriminals of all sorts, I have never really thought of myself as a possible target. Espinosa helped me understand that just because I do not see myself as a target does not mean that I still could not become one. He explains where the problem originates, or at least, where it originated. He offers explanations and insights for many different things, and among them is how we are not fully prepared for the cybersecurity breach that could happen at any time. Espinosa also offers past experiences of when he was a professor teaching cybersecurity and using real scenarios he had gone through working as a professional in the field for more than thirty years. It saddened me, but did not surprise me that people do not always want to put in the hard work to learn what actually goes on out there in the real world. I have always been interested in the cyber world and always bow to those who can actually do the job and do it well. I love the fact that he requests for the technical staff to be just a bit more appreciated. I have to agree. The technical staff, in my opinion, do not receive enough credit for what they do. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants some insight into the technical world of cybersecurity or if they just want to gain some knowledge.
September 25, 2021
This book looks at the cybersecurity industry and lays out the core problem that is hardest to fix, and then walks through the solutions to that problem.
At the heart of things, many cybersecurity professionals are what some might call, "not outdoor kids". It's not meant to be mean or rude. It is just that there is something about the industry that attracts certain types of individuals. And then the industry feeds on itself and leads to an environment where being right and having all the answers is the most important thing for an individual. Knowledge and being smarter than others is sometimes the only strength people feel they have.
Christian wants to put the human element back into the profession. Get people to look at themselves and their organizations. Are we putting certificates and being smarter than everyone else above all else?
In this book, there is a journey through steps of self-discovery, empathy, active listening, and root cause analysis in order to solve the human problem that plagues the industry.
It is very well-written, with insights from industry research and real-life examples from Christian's decades in the industry.
I highly recommend it for anyone looking to make a difference in cybersecurity, IT, tech, business, or really any industry. The themes lean towards cybersecurity, but the core solutions can be applied to any person or organization that suffers from individuals sacrificing effectiveness for saving face or looking smarter than everyone else in the room.
At the heart of things, many cybersecurity professionals are what some might call, "not outdoor kids". It's not meant to be mean or rude. It is just that there is something about the industry that attracts certain types of individuals. And then the industry feeds on itself and leads to an environment where being right and having all the answers is the most important thing for an individual. Knowledge and being smarter than others is sometimes the only strength people feel they have.
Christian wants to put the human element back into the profession. Get people to look at themselves and their organizations. Are we putting certificates and being smarter than everyone else above all else?
In this book, there is a journey through steps of self-discovery, empathy, active listening, and root cause analysis in order to solve the human problem that plagues the industry.
It is very well-written, with insights from industry research and real-life examples from Christian's decades in the industry.
I highly recommend it for anyone looking to make a difference in cybersecurity, IT, tech, business, or really any industry. The themes lean towards cybersecurity, but the core solutions can be applied to any person or organization that suffers from individuals sacrificing effectiveness for saving face or looking smarter than everyone else in the room.
December 3, 2022
Book Review ~ 📚
Book : The Smartest Person in the Room: The Root Cause and New Solution for Cybersecurity
Author : Christian Espinosa
We live in a highly digitized world and our daily lives develop on the internet and are permanently at risk of a cyberattack. This is particularly worrying for businesses and companies. To be totally honest, I don’t know much about cybersecurity but as soon as I knew this term, I wanted to learn something in order to avoid problems with my personal information such as cyber-attacks which are very common nowadays.
If you are a business owner, CEO, or executive, this is the book for you. Is a brilliant guide on how to utilize talent within organizations to yield best results. The author guides from experience as throughout his career he worked with highly talented people and from his journey of cybersecurity engineer to a CEO.
Overall it is a simple and easy to understand guide for the ultimate executives of cybersecurity world on how they can be aware of their shortcomings, acknowledge it and work on making an improvement. What is nice of this book is that it goes into such details that even a beginner can understand it. The explanations provided by the author are simply great and despite the fact that it’s mostly addressed to companies everything can be adapted to personal lives. Let me finish by saying that I plan to read more on this topic and I couldn’t have made a better choice with this first title.
⭐ Rating : 4.5/5 🌟⭐
⭐ Must Recommended 🌟
Book : The Smartest Person in the Room: The Root Cause and New Solution for Cybersecurity
Author : Christian Espinosa
We live in a highly digitized world and our daily lives develop on the internet and are permanently at risk of a cyberattack. This is particularly worrying for businesses and companies. To be totally honest, I don’t know much about cybersecurity but as soon as I knew this term, I wanted to learn something in order to avoid problems with my personal information such as cyber-attacks which are very common nowadays.
If you are a business owner, CEO, or executive, this is the book for you. Is a brilliant guide on how to utilize talent within organizations to yield best results. The author guides from experience as throughout his career he worked with highly talented people and from his journey of cybersecurity engineer to a CEO.
Overall it is a simple and easy to understand guide for the ultimate executives of cybersecurity world on how they can be aware of their shortcomings, acknowledge it and work on making an improvement. What is nice of this book is that it goes into such details that even a beginner can understand it. The explanations provided by the author are simply great and despite the fact that it’s mostly addressed to companies everything can be adapted to personal lives. Let me finish by saying that I plan to read more on this topic and I couldn’t have made a better choice with this first title.
⭐ Rating : 4.5/5 🌟⭐
⭐ Must Recommended 🌟
January 26, 2023
The perfect book to understand how is the data industry nowadays and everything that’s going on with the company’s who are trying to avoid hacking and misuse of their clients data. It’s a really interesting book and it’s main focus is to informe about the cyber criminals and the cyber war.
It shows how complicated it is for the companies dealing with this cyber thieves and also how every CEO and high range administrative must be concerned, because their clients are trusting them their personal information and they have to assure their data is safe and well use.
Christian expose how the companies are losing the cybe rsecurity war and clarify how is not a technological problem, it’s about the people in charge of the data protection, how it’s always an ego thing and isn’t thinking about the company wellbeing and their clients.
There are some tips to help you to get what are those key points you have to work in your team to get to win this war, and it’s more about the softs skills. He found this tips by his own experience, he notice that being “the smartest person in the room” isn’t what’s important, having certainty and significance didn’t help his personal and professional growth, thinking you now everything is all about ego and will not give you happiness.
A great book for those company leaders who what to encourage and help their team personal and professional growth, this book would help you to understand how developing your staff mind and communication would make them closer to win the cyber security war. Highly recommended.
It shows how complicated it is for the companies dealing with this cyber thieves and also how every CEO and high range administrative must be concerned, because their clients are trusting them their personal information and they have to assure their data is safe and well use.
Christian expose how the companies are losing the cybe rsecurity war and clarify how is not a technological problem, it’s about the people in charge of the data protection, how it’s always an ego thing and isn’t thinking about the company wellbeing and their clients.
There are some tips to help you to get what are those key points you have to work in your team to get to win this war, and it’s more about the softs skills. He found this tips by his own experience, he notice that being “the smartest person in the room” isn’t what’s important, having certainty and significance didn’t help his personal and professional growth, thinking you now everything is all about ego and will not give you happiness.
A great book for those company leaders who what to encourage and help their team personal and professional growth, this book would help you to understand how developing your staff mind and communication would make them closer to win the cyber security war. Highly recommended.
December 3, 2022
A new perspective on workplace cyber security may be found in Christian Espinosa's book The Smartest Person in the Room: The Root Cause and New Solution for Cybersecurity.
The way the book was written made it especially engaging. There were several stories that the inventor used to explain his conjectures. It was instructive to read about the writer's interaction with Karen, how he informed us about the problem, and how he handled it. He demonstrated how we shouldn't be quick to judge and how to approach the everyday problems we encounter with inspiration.
This book is for you if you are a business owner, CEO, or executive. is an excellent manual on using talent inside businesses to produce the greatest results. The author draws on his own experience as a CEO and on his time as a cybersecurity engineer, during which he collaborated with several very skilled individuals.
Overall, it is a straightforward and basic guidance for top cybersecurity executives on how they may be aware of their faults, admit them, and seek to improve. This book has the advantage of going into enough depth so that even a novice may grasp it. The author's explanations are excellent, and everything can be applied to personal life even though it's mostly aimed at businesses. Let me conclude by adding that I'm going to read more on this subject and that I couldn't have picked a better first title.
Book Review by Satyajit Samal
The way the book was written made it especially engaging. There were several stories that the inventor used to explain his conjectures. It was instructive to read about the writer's interaction with Karen, how he informed us about the problem, and how he handled it. He demonstrated how we shouldn't be quick to judge and how to approach the everyday problems we encounter with inspiration.
This book is for you if you are a business owner, CEO, or executive. is an excellent manual on using talent inside businesses to produce the greatest results. The author draws on his own experience as a CEO and on his time as a cybersecurity engineer, during which he collaborated with several very skilled individuals.
Overall, it is a straightforward and basic guidance for top cybersecurity executives on how they may be aware of their faults, admit them, and seek to improve. This book has the advantage of going into enough depth so that even a novice may grasp it. The author's explanations are excellent, and everything can be applied to personal life even though it's mostly aimed at businesses. Let me conclude by adding that I'm going to read more on this subject and that I couldn't have picked a better first title.
Book Review by Satyajit Samal
December 4, 2022
'The Smartest Person In The Room', by Christian Espinosa is a book that discusses and provides a great insight of the root cause and new solution for Cybersecurity. "Cyber-Security", it is an application of technical process, which helps to control and protect systems, networks, programs, devices and data from Cyber-Attacks.
In today's era, we live in a highly digitalized world and our daily life develops on internet, which has become very essential for day-to-day life, therefore it is often at risk of Cyber-Attacks. To reduce the risk of Cyber-Attacks and protect against the unauthorised exploitation of systems, networks and technologies, comes Cyber-Security Team.
This book provides valuable methods for improving team dynamics, cybersecurity and leadership abilities. This book also has several stories which the inventor uses to explain the conjectures. Learn from Christian's own journey from Cybersecurity engeneer to company CEO. Christian Espinosa has more than 30 years of work experience in the Cyber Security industry.
The book is ingeniously plotted and organized very well. The importance of Cybersecurity plays a major role in any organisation and as well as in an individual basis, which is explained very well. The author has used lucid language and easy writing style to increase awareness, alter mindset, improve communication which is helpful in spreading general awareness to others related to it. I liked reading this book and highly recommend it to all.
In today's era, we live in a highly digitalized world and our daily life develops on internet, which has become very essential for day-to-day life, therefore it is often at risk of Cyber-Attacks. To reduce the risk of Cyber-Attacks and protect against the unauthorised exploitation of systems, networks and technologies, comes Cyber-Security Team.
This book provides valuable methods for improving team dynamics, cybersecurity and leadership abilities. This book also has several stories which the inventor uses to explain the conjectures. Learn from Christian's own journey from Cybersecurity engeneer to company CEO. Christian Espinosa has more than 30 years of work experience in the Cyber Security industry.
The book is ingeniously plotted and organized very well. The importance of Cybersecurity plays a major role in any organisation and as well as in an individual basis, which is explained very well. The author has used lucid language and easy writing style to increase awareness, alter mindset, improve communication which is helpful in spreading general awareness to others related to it. I liked reading this book and highly recommend it to all.
December 4, 2022
Christian Espinosa's book The Smartest Person in the Room teaches you how to use the brightest brains at your firm for both your and their advantage. Christian's career from cyber security engineer to company CEO might be used as inspiration. Christian Espinosa has extensive knowledge of the cyber security field. This book offers helpful strategies for enhancing team dynamics, cyber security, and skill development. This book's excellent structure and organization will make it easier for readers to comprehend how little oversights made by staff members can lead to unanticipated problems. The general goal of the book is to assist the reader in understanding the fundamentals, the technological end techniques that must be used to rescue the business, and the distinctive characteristics of the data. Because the author doesn't use any obscure or technical terms, the book is suitable for all non-technical people. The author urges readers to actively complete the exercises for creating a winning attitude that are outlined throughout the book. To all employers and workers wishing to enhance their careers, I heartily suggest this book. An excellent book outlining the reasons cyber security isn't as effective as it might be. Explains how people tend to want to be the smartest person in the room and how this prevents more talented candidates from being hired.
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