Definitive Guide to Data Protection

For Forcepoint and the cybersecurity world, it meant an abrupt pivot to most people working from home and an unprecedented increase in cyber threats. Forcepoint’s focus on human behavior helped pave the way to securing this dynamic shift in the way people work. Employees were challenged to maintain their focus on security in completely new environments and companies were challenged to understand how that affected human behavior and protect data anywhere and everywhere. 

For me, it unfortunately meant instead of starting the 2020 season in the Fall, races were canceled and postponed in order to safeguard the health of drivers, team and our fans. While it was tough not to be on the track, I did stay busy racing around the house and utilizing high tech simulations to keep my skills sharp.

I also took the opportunity to dive deeper into understand how humans behave – as race car drivers. Just as the stress of working from home can influence actions of employees and propel risky cyber behavior, stressors are also a huge factor in auto racing performance. I recently participated in a research project with The Imperial College London to compare how brain and body react to the steep curves and straight segments of the Top Gear race track under wet and rainy conditions. This resulted in a scientific paper: “Neurobehavioral Signatures in Racecar Driving.”

Now in 2021, the championship has come roaring back to life. We’re in the midst of it with a few races under our belt. Rome didn’t go as well as we wanted it to, but we made some good progress in Valencia. Now, I’m setting my sights on Monaco for Round 7 this weekend!

The important role of data is another thing racing and cybersecurity have in common. I know Forcepoint is committed to protecting users and their data across devices no matter where they are working from. In Formula E, we analyze data on every track we drive. On the racetrack, understanding data is key to optimizing efficiency and overall performance. Effective analysis is a competitive differentiator can mean the difference between a first and second place finish.

Here’s a video where I discuss the importance of data with our lead race engineer Markus Michelberger:

As I’ve always said, transformation is the key for longevity in any industry. If we’ve learned anything over the last year, it’s that even if you don’t see disruption coming, it can be around any corner. The stakes have never been higher.