Time with the Boss
Source: St. Louis Business Monthly
October/November 2009
Link to Complete Article

Interviewer: St. Louis Business Monthly
Interviewee: Renee Chronister, CEO, Parameter Security

What is your mission?
To make a positive contribution to the world.

What led you to your industry?
A combination of things, which were: wanting to create a company with strong business ethics where people enjoyed coming to work; providing a unique service that helps people; the need to conduct more in-depth technical reviews; because hackers were making media headlines left and right, I wanted to help businesses improve their information security.

What was the smartest thing your company did in the past year?
The smartest thing Parameter Security did in the past year was ask clients if there were any additional services we could offer them that we are not currently. As a result of this dialogue, we heard a common question: “How do we identify new vulnerabilities when you aren’t hacking our networks to find them?” As a result of this, we created software as a service called Ballista, which helps identify and remediate network vulnerabilities before hackers exploit them by scanning for network weaknesses 24/7, sending software update and patch reminders, providing on-demand security reporting and compliance.

What’s the hottest trend in your industry, and are you going to jump on board?
Social engineering. (Technically, this is not a new trend in the hacking realm, but the general public’s awareness of this tactic has increased.) That means hackers are hacking the people and not the technology. With the increase in social media, hackers use this ever-popular online environment as a means to hack networks by gathering information that seems innocent but can be used to gain access to a business or individual.

What’s the hardest part of your job?
The hardest part of my job is overcoming the “it won’t happen to me mentality” when it comes to hackers. Many people believe: 1) they don’t possess information hackers want, 2) they have an IT person or staff, so they are safe, 3) they have a firewall, 4) their employees won’t fall for “that stuff,” 5) they’re industry-compliant, so they’re safe. All of these are myths and are eventually debunked in one of two ways: after they have been hacked or when they hire ethical hackers who successfully hack their network.

What’s the best part?
The best part of my job is listening to people’s response when I tell them what we do: “We are ethical hackers.” Their reactions are priceless. On a serious note, the best part of my job is helping businesses of all sizes and industries become more secure. By identifying their vulnerabilities and making general recommendations on how to fix them, we help them avoid becoming the next victim of a hack and the next media headline.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
There are two pieces of advice I find most valuable. The first is “Don’t try to be everything to everybody when it comes to service offerings.” This has helped Parameter Security maintain focus and become a leader in the field of information security. The other: “Remember why you started your company, and remain true to yourself.” This always come to mind when I have a hard business decision to make and has assisted greatly in the success of the company.

What has made you successful in your industry and in St. Louis?
While there are many things I’d attribute to the success of my company, there are three that always come to mind. The first is the support and love of family and friends. The second is knowing my weaknesses and supplementing them with people who are strong in those areas where I am weak. And thirdly, having a unique business and service offering.