Netflix’s Dan Cao and Brex’s Josh Liburdi on Balancing Big Platforms and Bespoke Tools

In this special episode of Detection at Scale, Jack welcomes security experts Dan Cao, Engineering Manager of Security Incident and Response at Netflix, and returning guest Josh Liburdi, Staff Security Engineer at Brex. They discuss the rise of developer-centric security solutions and the ongoing balance between utilizing big platforms like CrowdStrike and bespoke tools — the build versus buy dilemma. 

They highlight the importance of fundamental skills and critical thinking in security engineering, emphasizing the need for continual learning and adaptability. Dan and Josh also share insights on building effective security teams and the significance of mentorship and team culture in fostering innovation and resilience in an evolving tech landscape. 

Topics discussed:

• The shift towards security operations and incident response that prioritize developer involvement and custom coding solutions.
• How to effectively integrate large security platforms like Crowdstrike with tailored, in-house security tools.
• The need for critical and abstract thinking skills in security engineering to solve complex problems.
• Strategies for leveraging team strengths and addressing skill gaps to create robust security teams.
• The role of mentorship and a positive team culture in fostering growth and innovation within security teams.
• The importance of mastering the basics of technology and cybersecurity as a foundation for advanced problem-solving.
• The need for security professionals to stay adaptable and continually update their skills in a rapidly evolving tech landscape.
• The difficulties small security teams face when managing and integrating diverse security tools and platforms.
• The effectiveness and limitations of using commercial security solutions for large and small organizations.

Resources Mentioned: 

• Dan Cao on LinkedIn
• Josh Liburdi on LinkedIn