How to WORK as a Chief Information Security Officer (CISO)? 🖥️ How to BECOME a CISO? 🚀

Everyone says they want to work in cybersecurity, but few realise how many branches fit under that one word. One of the least understood is the CISO, that security lead who in many companies people can’t decide whether to treat as an enemy or an ally. To clear it up I sit down with Daniel Puente.

Daniel is from Terrassa and got into this through an uncle of his who was into computing, by way of a Spectrum, an MSX and an Amiga (all of them, he laughs, ending in Plus). He’s an engineer and a criminologist, holds certifications like the CISM and 27001, and co-hosts the podcast Concisos with a colleague. He tells me that to be a CISO you don’t need to know everything in depth, but rather to be a good translator between the techies and the board. He’s worked in healthcare, in a software factory and now in the betting world, and he argues that without support from the top a CISO ends up being the one who gets ignored.

We talk about salaries without exaggerating (no Teslas), about the culture of fear used to win over executives, and about where to start if you’re aiming for the role. His advice, focus on training in what you’re genuinely passionate about, because the rest follows on its own.