Rapyd's Nir Rothenberg on Why Security Needs Constant Testing, Not Annual Checkups

What can a controversial cyber weapon teach us about everyday security? From chemistry labs to cyber weapons development, Rapyd’s CISO/CIO, Nir Rothenberg’s, journey is anything but conventional. In his conversation with Casey on Ahead of the Breach, he cuts through the headlines about Pegasus to get down to the complex realities of intelligence operations and why most companies are focusing on the wrong security threats. 

Drawing from his vast experience, Nir challenges common security assumptions while offering practical wisdom about continuous testing, modern security architecture, and why worrying about nation-state actors might be distracting you from real risks.

Topics discussed:

• Understanding the development, deployment, and oversight of sophisticated cyber capabilities in intelligence operations.
• Examining the importance of context and complete information when evaluating security tools and their real-world applications.
• Exploring the evolution of cybersecurity from IT assurance to a crucial component of modern business operations.
• Building effective security programs that focus on probable threats rather than theoretical risks and nation-state actors.
• Managing security in high-stakes environments while maintaining proper context and perspective about threats.
• Implementing continuous security testing through bug bounties and regular assessments to validate security controls.
• Transitioning from technical roles to security leadership while maintaining practical understanding of threats.
• Balancing security requirements with business objectives in rapidly growing organizations.
• Creating security programs that provide consistent friction and validation rather than annual compliance exercises.
• Understanding the role of offensive security testing in building effective defense capabilities.