Rob Huberty, Chief Op. Officer/Co-Founder, ZeroEyes: Best Advice

This installment of the Best Advice Q&A series comes from Rob Huberty, chief operating officer and co-founder of ZeroEyes. He offers up the best advice he’s ever gotten, the advice he shares with young security industry professionals and whose words inspire him most.

Security Sales & Integration: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

Rob Huberty: “Let your heart be broken.”

I was given this piece of advice in high school by a Jesuit missionary. He told a story of building water wells and having gangsters repeatedly destroy them. Even though it was devastating, the journey and the effort were still worth it.

There are times we have goals in our life that are so big, we are afraid. We might not possess the courage to go all the way through life knowing we may be hurt. We wear armor around ourselves, and we stay guarded. It is better to go out on a limb, knowing that the limb might break.

SSI: What advice would you give to those looking to achieve success in the security industry?

Huberty: Have an open mind and be like a sponge absorbing information.

When I was a new guy in the military, I learned not to take preconceived notions into new environments because everything can change quickly. Just because something was done one way in the past, that doesn’t mean that’s the only way to do it in the future. Be intellectually curious and learn with an open mind.

SSI: If you could point to one person in the security industry and tell up-and-comers, “Make sure to listen to what they have to say,” whom would you pick and why?

Huberty: There are many incredible people in the security space. Instead of listening to any one person, it is best to listen to a wide perspective and act like a sponge. The best security people have seen multiple environments in their career. They should have had to solve both small and large problems. They should have pragmatic solutions and be open-minded.

Great security people rarely say words like “always” and “never.” Very often they say, “It depends.” They should not be over-reliant on technology nor should they be afraid of technology. When they speak, it should make sense in more environments than just security.