Name: Hayato Kiriyama
Title: Senior Security Solutions Architect
Employer: Amazon Web Services Japan K.K.
Degree: MBA, Master’s of Science
Years in IT: 14
Years in cybersecurity: 8
Cybersecurity certifications: CISSP

How did you decide upon a career in cybersecurity?

Around 2010, I was involved in developing an application for Data Loss Protection at IBM. Such a data-oriented approach looked quite different to me because it was connected with the value of data in the business. It was this kind of business-oriented security which I wanted to research and develop further.

Why did you get your CISSP?

When I was working as a sales engineer, I needed a comprehensive knowledge of cybersecurity to be able to speak with decision-makers from our customers’ IT departments. I got the CISSP so that I would be able to use the common language of cybersecurity to communicate well with them.

 

What is a typical day like for you?

I have been obsessed with customers’ successes in business by cloud-native security. My daily job is to liaise with the customers, from CxO to security engineers, to help them solve their problems, and to deliver presentations to become a thought leader of cloud security.

 

Can you tell us about a personal career highlight?

I am sure that a career highlight of mine was the (ISC)² ISLA Asia-Pacific achievement in 2018, recognizing my cloud security awareness improvement project. Backed by the disruptive technology of cloud, I evangelized that cloud security would bring innovation and transformation to everyone’s business.

 

How has the CISSP certification helped you in your career?

Not only has the CISSP helped me develop security-related skills, but has also provided me with many opportunities to meet people who are passionate about making the world better from the cybersecurity perspective.

 

What is the most useful advice you have for other security professionals?

Personally, I believe that the business-oriented approach is the most effective way to get across to the majority in the world. Besides, technical dive-deep is required in many cases to support our messages. We should acquire both business acumen and technical expertise in order to become a successful security professional.