🧠 Ask the Expert: Richard Stiennon on Cybersecurity, Ransomware, and Resiliate®
Renowned cybersecurity analyst Richard Stiennon shares his insights on emerging threats and why he believes Resiliate® is a game-changer.
🔍 Q and A with Richard Stiennon
What was your career path into cybersecurity?
I started out as a car-seat engineer, and in 1995 I joined Netrex—a managed security service provider and Check Point reseller—where I conducted hands-on security assessments and designs. Around 2000 I transitioned to Gartner as their network security/firewall industry analyst, which really launched my analyst career. [YouTube]How did your practitioner experience inform your analyst role?
Having performed security assessments and solution designs for large enterprises like Ford, I bring real-world insight to my research. That hands-on background helps me ground analyst reports in practical experience rather than just theory. [YouTube]What was your vision when you first joined Gartner?
I realized there was a need for a “DataQuest for cybersecurity”—a data-driven research platform that aggregates and analyzes all available security data instead of relying solely on anecdotal insights from individual analysts. [YouTube]How do you categorize the spectrum of cyber threats?
I see a hierarchy of threats: from opportunistic hacktivists to organized cyber-criminals to sophisticated nation-state actors. I also believe that the advent of cryptocurrency has directly fueled today’s ransomware scourge. [YouTube]What first caught your attention about Resiliate’s technology?
Ahmed Masud’s idea—to turn file systems into self-protecting, neural-network–like data structures—didn’t fit any existing security category. That originality immediately grabbed my interest. [YouTube]Why focus defense at the data layer?
Since attackers aim to encrypt or corrupt data, embedding protection within the data itself lets it automatically defend against encryption, accidental deletion, or corruption. I think that offers a fundamentally stronger safeguard. [YouTube]How does Resiliate’s rollback capability work?
Unlike perimeter defenses such as link-blocking or memory-monitoring, Resiliate embeds snapshots directly in the data. To recover from a ransomware event, you simply revert to a prior snapshot—rendering the attack moot. [YouTube]Can data-layer defenses keep pace with 24/7 ransomware attacks?
With ransomware groups striking “24×7×365,” targeting any organization with valuable assets or cyber-insurance, perimeter controls alone aren’t enough. Embedding resilience at the data level provides a crucial last line of defense. [YouTube]What new attack vectors are emerging in ransomware campaigns?
Beyond low-level “script kiddie” skirmishes, high-value targets like casinos and consultancies now face multi-million-dollar extortion. I’ve also seen novel IoT entry points—such as aquarium sensors or elevator controls—being weaponized. [YouTube]Ultimately, how does Resiliate prevent unauthorized writes or encryption?
No matter how attackers gain ingress, they’ll try to encrypt file systems. Resiliate intercepts any unauthorized or novel write operation at the data layer, blocking encryption before it ever begins. [YouTube]How does Resiliate differ from traditional ransomware defenses?
I’ve seen the traditional approach focus on “really, really good security” to prevent ransomware—tightly policing links, downloads, and endpoints—but Resiliate gives you a whole new layer of defense at the file-system level, so even if perimeter controls fail, your data itself remains protected. [YouTube]What operational advantages does Resiliate offer in terms of alerting and incident response?
I like that Resiliate is always on and static from the end user’s perspective: there’s no patient zero, no spread, and no flood of alerts to chase. Once deployed, it just works—so you can cut back on late-night threat hunting and relentless incident response. [YouTube]Why focus defense at the data layer rather than on devices or the network?
To me, it’s simple: everything we do in security architectures is ultimately about protecting data—whether that’s PII, health records, or proprietary IP. Resiliate secures the data itself, reducing our reliance on identity controls, firewalls, or endpoint agents, because even if those layers falter, Resiliate’s got the data covered. [YouTube]What is the deployment and management experience like for Resiliate?
I find it incredibly easy: after deployment, there’s no extra noise. You get telemetry and management capabilities, but in day-to-day use you don’t have to lift a finger—Resiliate is working all the time in the background without generating tickets or alerts. [YouTube]How do you see international efforts affecting ransomware in the next few years?
I expect that as nations like those in the EU crack down through coordinated law enforcement, we’ll see a drop in ransomware headlines—particularly if countries like Russia stop sheltering cyber-criminals. But ransomware will remain possible (especially from Iran, North Korea, and lone actors), so the need for a resilient, data-layer defense will still be just as strong. [YouTube]Does Resiliate require constant signature updates or threat-intelligence feeds?
Not at all. There’s no signature-based engine here—you turn your data into a self-defending neural net that recognizes attacks on its own. It’s like inoculating your files against corruption or encryption without needing ongoing signature research. [YouTube]What future opportunities do you see for Resiliate beyond ransomware protection?
The core solution is already there—it just needs to be deployed. From what I’ve seen, Resiliate can naturally expand into a comprehensive data-security platform, capitalizing on its ability to defend and manage data across many use cases. [YouTube]Which industries stand to benefit most from Resiliate’s capabilities?
I’d point first to sectors where downtime is measured in millions per minute—financial services, healthcare, state and local government, and tribal casinos. They simply can’t afford to be offline, so Resiliate’s instant rollback and continuous protection are a perfect fit. [YouTube]Beyond security, how does Resiliate help with compliance and financial justification?
That’s the cherry on top: Resiliate not only secures your data but also streamlines compliance requirements. By embedding auditing and protection directly in the file system, you ease regulatory burdens—and that alone can justify the investment. [YouTube]