Show summary
In Episode 6 of Secure Access, host John Dillard speaks with James Bourie, a former Army Special Forces officer turned security tech founder. Jim recounts how a pivotal 2007 mission in Afghanistan—where his team mapped out intelligence data to expose a major supply route—showed him the power of using technology to anticipate threats. Now the founder of Torchlight, Jim applies behavioral analytics and geolocation data to identify risks before they strike.
This episode offers a compelling look at how security is evolving from reactive to predictive approaches, and why understanding adversary behavior patterns is fundamental to effective protection
Key takeaways
- Bridge the physical-digital divide: "The physical game did not talk to the cyber game," Jim observed about corporate security teams. This siloed approach creates significant vulnerabilities that sophisticated adversaries can exploit.
- Move left of boom: Jim emphasizes getting "left of boom" – understanding patterns and indicators before incidents occur. "The more we can understand intent before it happens, the more we can be proactive about it," he explains.
- Understand adversary behavior: Security teams must develop detailed threat profiles of actors targeting their organization. Jim notes that security professionals need specific understanding of "what techniques they use, what technology they use" to effectively counter threats.
- Data-driven security: Less than 40% of corporate security teams use geospatial data, despite its power to demonstrate actual behavior and intent. "Movement actually demonstrates intent," Jim points out, making it more reliable than social media monitoring alone.
- Human oversight remains crucial: While AI and data analytics offer powerful capabilities, Jim cautions against removing humans from security processes: "I don't see the human coming out of the loop when it comes to security and defense."
Quotes
"Most of the corporate security teams have really good incident response... But how do you start to pick up those early indicators and warnings so that you can prevent something from happening?"
"What if we weren't looking at it at purchasing power buying intent? What if we looked at it from a security standpoint? What if this pattern here is an indicator of something to happen – a potential breach or violent activity?"
"It's like that Wayne Gretzky saying, skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it is now. That really does start with an intimate understanding of who are the threat actors targeting you."
"Adversaries don't care about your organizational chart. If there's a vulnerability, they'll exploit it - whether through physical access or digital channels."
Follow and learn more about Jim
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