684: Farsight Security COO Alexa Raad: 'Adversity is a Gift'

Alexa Raad, COO of Farsight Security. Alexa escaped the Iranian Revolution as a teenager – she, her mother and sister caught the last cargo plane out of the country. She went from a prosperous life in Iran to having almost nothing in an instant. But the experience taught her an important lesson – “The only thing in life you have control over is yourself. Only you can control your actions.” Her parents expected she would become a doctor, but Alexa instead majored in marketing. And with the dawn of the internet, she discovered a passion for technology. She has held senior leadership positions with AT&T, Bell Atlantic and Cybercash and now serves as the COO of Farsight Security. Alexa shares her journey to the C-Suite, the key threats plaguing the security operations center (SOC) and why internet governance cannot be our only shield against bad actors.