Get 5 Zero Trust Insights from Microsoft’s Ann Johnson

“Zero Trust is fundamental to cybersecurity,” said Ann Johnson, Corporate VP of Security Business Development at Microsoft, on this week’s episode of The Segment: A Zero Trust Leadership Podcast. But it’s not always easy for organizations to know where to start or what to do.

That’s why Ann encourages security teams to focus on the three grounding principles of Zero Trust:

1. Explicitly verify everything that happens in every session

2. Implement least-privilege access for all users

3. Always assume breach

The good news? Ann believes most organizations, whether they know it or not, are already on a Zero Trust journey.  

“They’re doing some pieces of this already, and it’s really just having the program maturity,” Ann explained.  

For our season finale, I sit down with Ann to get her thoughts on how organizations can continue to bolster their cyber resilience with Zero Trust initiatives in addition to exploring AI, board conversations about cybersecurity investment, and so much more.

Haven’t heard my other episodes with the Zero Trust experts? Listen here.    

The Segment episode 12: Ann Johnson, Corporate VP of Security Business Development at Microsoft

At Microsoft, Ann Johnson leads strategic partnerships and mergers and acquisitions for cybersecurity. Ann is a 22-year cybersecurity industry veteran with tenure at RSA Security, Qualys, and Microsoft. She is a recognized global speaker, an author, and an outspoken advocate for diversity and belonging in tech and throughout the world. Additionally, Ann advises and serves on the Board of Directors for many organizations, including the Seattle Humane Society, Human Security, and the Executive Women's Forum.

Listen for these top 5 insights from our discussion:

• 4:32 – An egalitarian approach to cybersecurity
• 11:01 – “The greatest thing the industry can do is improve visibility”
• 13:50 – 3 steps to Zero Trust
• 25:00 – What’s driving Zero Trust adoption?
• 28:00 – Talking cyber resilience to the Board
• 34:36 – Becoming a better CISO

That’s all for Season 1 of The Segment! Catch up on past episodes with Zero Trust experts

Subscribe to The Segment: A Zero Trust Leadership Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

And keep an eye out for Season 2! Coming to you in early 2024.