Episode 022 - Heather Vescent - Strategic Foresight and The Cyber Attack Survival Manual

This week on the I Love Data Centers podcast: Strategic Foresight and The Cyber Attack Survival Manual, I interview author and bona fide futurist Heather Vescent. Heather and I met nearly a decade ago at a VC event in Los Angeles. Our mutual passion for innovation, technology, strategic thinking, design and education has kept us connected over the years through various projects. She is the only person I know to have received a Masters in Strategic Foresight, such that she can call herself a Futurist and have the credentials to back it up. Recently, Heather co-authored "The Cyber Attack Survival Manual: Tools for Surviving Everything from Identity Theft to the Digital Apocalypse". The book became my top recommendation and gifted book the moment I finished it. It is a must read for both complete noobs to all things Cyber Security and advanced hackers. I could sing Heather’s praises for days, but in short, she is a badass and her energy is contagious. Heather Vescent is founder of The Purple Tornado, a transmedia futures studio, whose clients include US & UK governments, SWIFT, Disney, mid-size companies and start-ups. Her research explores trends in the future of cybersecurity, digital identity, money, economies, augmented intelligence, relationships, and war. It been covered in the New York Times, CNN, American Banker, CNBC, Fox, and the Atlantic. She is an author of the Cyber Attack Survival Manual: From Identity Theft to The Digital Apocalypse, published by Weldon Owen. Show Notes: 1:12 Interview Starts 3:00 Heather’s background 5:57 What is a Futurist? 14:31 How Heather became a Futurist 15:24 The Future of Money project 25:08 How data may be stored in the future 27:35 Future technological possibilities 37:26 Going to Mars 43:59 The Cyber Attack Survival Manual 57:48 What is the cyber term “Pineapple” and how are they used? 1:04:51 The importance of internet and cyber education 1:12:12 When was the first time you remember stepping into a data center? 1:14:45 What is the biggest misconception people have about what you do or the industry at large? 1:15:04 What is one thing that you believe is true that most people would think you are insane for believing? 1:16:00 What is the most interesting thing that you have learned in the past few months? Links: Cyber Attack Survival Manual: amzn.to/2i2Jz5K Future of Cybersecurity List: https://app.convertkit.com/landing_pages/325779/ http://www.heathervescent.com/ https://twitter.com/heathervescent https://www.linkedin.com/in/heathervescent/