Anyone who’s met Ed Ko, a co-founder of CampusGuard and newly appointed Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer (CTO), is instantly captivated by his charismatic personality, sharp sense of humor, and extensive expertise in cybersecurity and compliance.
We spoke with Ed to explore what sets CampusGuard apart from other cybersecurity and compliance organizations, what he seeks in potential team members, who he would choose to portray him in a movie, and more.
1. As a co-founder, how have you seen CampusGuard evolve over the last 16 years?
I’ve seen CampusGuard grow from a fledgling business started on hopes and dreams to the remarkable company it is now. Starting with just PCI DSS in higher education, to now being a full-service cybersecurity firm servicing not just higher education, but also healthcare, government, hospitality, SaaS providers, and many others.
2. Why do so many customers keep coming back to CampusGuard to assist with their cybersecurity and compliance programs?
It’s the way we deliver our services. I don’t know of any other firm that builds relationships with its customers the way CampusGuard does. Because of our long-term relationships with our customers, in one case in particular, we were their “institutional knowledge” when their entire team turned over—twice! Without CampusGuard’s approach to delivering service, they would have been back to square one.
3. In your 16-year journey with CampusGuard, what has brought you the most pride or fulfillment?
Seeing our associates grow to be the best that they can be.
4. What characteristics do you look for in potential candidates who want to join CampusGuard?
Signs of having a great work ethic and being a positive person.
5. What makes CampusGuard unique from its competitors?
I know it’s cliché, but CampusGuard is a family. We truly care about each other and do what we can to support each other.
6. How has your career prepared you for your new role as Chief Technology Officer?
Helping shape the growth of CampusGuard and being knowledgeable about the services we provide and the tools we use has given me a great foundation for what technologies and products we need to continue to offer outstanding customer care.
7. How do you prioritize continuous learning and growth in such a fast-moving field?
Everyone successful in technology is a lifelong student. Continuous learning is the name of the game—and not just through classroom or formal settings, but by tweaking, playing, and sometimes breaking things to learn and grow. Just as the technology is changing, we’re right there with it, playing with all the new “toys.”
8. What emerging technology do you believe will reshape the cybersecurity and compliance industries in the next five years?
The adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is happening at an incredible pace. It’s in everything now, from Microsoft Office to everyone’s smartphones. While there is so much good that can come from such a powerful technology, bad actors can exploit it as well to do nefarious things. AI can certainly help defenders, but it is also making the bad actors that much more effective at what they do, too.
9. How do you balance adopting innovative technology with maintaining stability and scalability?
Adopting innovative technology is not and should not be revolutionary. A revolution causes disruption. However, adopting that technology over time in an evolutionary process is how to integrate it into existing practices to gain enhancements with little disruption.
10. What keeps you up at night from a cybersecurity perspective?
The cybersecurity game has always been cat-and-mouse, and it’s up to us to do the best we can to help keep our data safe and to remain vigilant. If we worried about every emerging threat, there’d be a lot of sleepless nights.
11. How can organizations with tight budgets still stay compliant and resilient against cyber threats?
I think there are two different answers to this question—while compliance and security are closely related, they are not interchangeable. For staying compliant within a budget, that’s simple. Find an affordable way to be able to check the box, and Bob’s your uncle. But, to stay resilient against cyber threats? Well, there are a lot of ways to bolster security and improve your security posture.
There is no magic bullet that can immediately add defense in depth, but layering security techniques to build a strong cybersecurity foundation is key. Simple things like ensuring your staff is adequately trained on information security best practices will greatly reduce your cyber risk. Performing regular vulnerability scans (and taking action to remediate areas of deficiency) can also help reduce your footprint.
12. If you weren’t in tech, what would you be doing today?
Working on cars. Turning wrenches has always been fun for me.
13. What is your favorite item of clothing and why?
A red jacket. Red’s my favorite color, and this jacket matches my energy. Also, when wearing it in Vegas, you may get the occasional key thrown your way if you’re near the front of a hotel and someone is looking to park their car.
14. What is the most unique item in your office?
Anyone who’s been on a video call with me has seen the Kool-Aid Man that’s on my wall. He’s been in every office I’ve worked in for the past 25 years. Oh Yeah!
15. If Hollywood made a film about your career journey, who would you choose to portray you, and why?
Ken Jeong (as Leslie Chow from “The Hangover”). From jumping out of a car’s trunk to all of his zany antics, Ken could be the perfect fit for playing Ed Ko. If you were expecting to see John Cho (from “Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle”), think again.
