Episode 59: From B-52 Bomber to Cybersecurity CEO: Carl Herberger's Journey Through Military Aviation, Corporate Security, and Building DDoS Defense

Join host Den Jones as he sits down with Carl Herberger, CEO of Corero, for a fascinating conversation that spans from military aviation to cybersecurity leadership.

Carl shares his unique journey from flying B-52 bombers to becoming a Pentagon cyber warfare pioneer, then transitioning to corporate security roles at Campbell Soup Company before founding multiple security companies.

This episode explores the critical importance of DDoS protection and cyber resiliency in today's threat landscape.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:

- Early Life and Military Background

• Carl discusses his German-American upbringing and path to military service
• Key quote: "I was born in the US, but because my father was an electrician for, at the time, Transworld Airlines, he got laid off in the mid '60s, late '60s when I was born" 

- B-52 Aviation Career

• Details about his eight years as a B-52 aviator and the demanding nature of military flying
• Key quote: "Being a military flight crew member, it is fundamentally rewires your brain. You learn things that maybe many other professions don't learn. You must fundamentally know everything about the machine" 

- Military Aviation Mindset

• How military aviation shaped his approach to risk and decision-making
• Key quote: "It's what you don't know or you didn't research, that's what will kill you. It's as simple as that" 

- Pentagon Cyber Warfare Role

• Transition from aviation to becoming part of the initial cadre of cyber warriors in the mid-90s
• Key quote: "They were putting together a cadre of people and they put together disciplines that they believed would have sensibilities about this idea" 

- Life Philosophy and Career Approach

• Discussion about being open to unexpected opportunities and following your heart
• Key quote: "Your brain will never make you happy, never. There's no place in the world and no scenario in the world with thinking will make you happy. Only your heart will make you happy" 

- Personal Story Philosophy

• Carl's perspective on life as an ongoing story you author daily
• Key quote: "Every person is a story and you are the author. And the coolest thing about that journey is like any movie that you watch" 

- Campbell Soup Company Experience

• His role as CISO covering diverse brands and business models
• Key quote: "Campbell's what people didn't realize, and they still own many of these businesses, they own a lot of product. I mean, Pepperidge Farm, you're probably familiar with" 

- Transition to Entrepreneurship

• Moving from cost center to revenue-generating business roles
• Key quote: "No matter what I did as a CISO, I would still always be a cost to the business... I was never going to be really fundamentally revenue relevant to Campbell's" 

- The DDoS Problem

• Why most CISOs don't prioritize DDoS protection despite its critical importance
• Key quote: "Most CISOs don't care about it, truly... They prefer to deal with what I would consider to be more what people consider to be table stakes, security problems" 

- Availability as Critical Security

• The fundamental importance of availability in the CIA triad
• Key quote: "If you can't keep your internet up, if you can't keep your application up, if you can't keep your system up, if you can't keep your service up, you're done" 

- Regulatory Changes in Cyber Resiliency

• New regulations driving demand for DDoS protection and cyber resiliency
• Key quote: "There's something called the Digital Organizational Resiliency Act. And if you're a critical infrastructure provider, you have to prove that you're not just checking the box in this space" 

- DDoS as Major Threat

• The prevalence of DDoS attacks in the current threat landscape
• Key quote: "The number two is cyber attack in the world. It's ransomware and DDoS"