Strong leadership requires a wide variety of skillsets, including collaboration and team management.

Niel Harper’s career began while studying business information systems at Algonquin College in Ottawa, Canada.

“My entry into the IT field came when I was mentored by a Senior Engineer at Bell Canada on the technical details of the company’s deployment of Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) systems to Canadian households. This was essentially the rollout of the early commercial Internet,” Harper says.

“My entrance into the security field stemmed from my interest in open-source software. Back in 2002, I was building web proxy, firewall and intrusion detection systems on Red Hat Linux using iptables, Squid, and Snort. I also obtained my Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) certification in 2002 and began performing security assessments on various IT systems from Windows servers to Cisco equipment. This is when I developed my lifelong passion for security.”

Harper returned to his home country of Barbados to work for Cable & Wireless as a Telecoms Specialist. Here, Harper worked with and supported the launch of the first Internet Service provider in the country. Following his time at Cable & Wireless, Harper transitioned to the Barbados Light & Power Company as a network engineer.

“I spent six years building out the local area network (LAN) and wide area network (WAN) infrastructure at major corporations in Barbados This was an great learning experience as it pertains to network security and resilience. In 2002, I obtained my first security-related qualification - the CISA certification from ISACA,” Harper says.

Harper began working as the Director of Next Generation Leaders at the Internet Society in 2012, and joined the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) in 2019. Harper led the Internal Audit and Investigations Group by developing and implementing an information security plan.

Shiny tools don’t make for robust security

Harper began working as the Director of Next Generation Leaders at the Internet Society in 2012 and joined the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) in 2019. “I designed and spearheaded a collaborative risk governance model for cybersecurity and privacy risks, emphasizing engagement and partnership with key functions across the organization in the development and operationalization of multi-layered controls such as third-party risk management (TPRM), security architecture, vulnerability management, data governance, privacy engineering, security awareness, configuration management, and data recovery, among others,” Harper says. In addition, he served on the IT Steering Committee and Data Governance Board and the United Nations Information Security Special Interest Group.

After UNOPS, Harper became the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) and Data Protection Officer (DPO) at Doodle. In this role Harper manages IT operations, cybersecurity, and regulatory compliance.

“Since 2022, I have led the implementation of key capabilities across asset management, incident management, security operations, threat intelligence, vulnerability management, identity and access management (IAM), third-party risk management (TPRM), cloud security, CI/CD security, and other critical security controls,” Harper says.

Harper’s daily work is ever-changing, ranging from board meetings, compliance audits, or reviewing penetration testing reports. “There’s never a boring moment, and that’s what has kept me engaged and excited for the last three years,” Harper says.

Harper has spent the last decade in global leadership and international advisory roles, including his position as the Non-Executive Director at ISACA and the ISACA Foundation. Harper cites collaboration as a core value in the workplace, working with his team to ensure everyone is aware of their respective roles within a project. “There are always shared risks,” Harper says, and clear communication is critical to keeping those risks at a minimum.

Harper encourages security leaders to diversify their leadership style, breaking his into three main ideas: lead with authority, technical leadership, and personal leadership. The latter is “critically important for managing high performance, talented groups of individuals. You need to understand their emotions and what drives them, cater to their personal and professional needs, and mentor and inspire them to achieve results and exceed expectations,” Harper says.

“My next piece of advice is that shiny tools don’t make for robust security,” Harper says. Harper stresses the importance in security training and focusing on the basics. Once a security team has developed a strong base, additional security tools can be added to enhance security outcomes.

With a decades-long security career, Niel Harper demonstrates strong leadership and adaptability in a field that remains ever-changing.