From Chef to CISO: An Empathy-First Approach to Cybersecurity Leadership

According to Dark Reading, Myke Lyons is the chief information security officer (CISO) at Cribl, a company described as an IT and security data pipeline and telemetry solution. Lyons’ path into cybersecurity is unusual: he started in the culinary world and only later moved into security, with his first security role dating back to 2003 in logging and telemetry.

He emphasises curiosity and hunger for learning as the key traits he seeks in hires, arguing that empathy and a culture-focused approach are the foundations of his team. Lyons believes security leadership should prioritise mentoring and coaching, de-escalating incidents and helping colleagues grow rather than punishing them. He expects AI to reshape both offensive and defensive security, urging careful adoption with measurable use cases and a continuous learning mindset.

For those considering a pivot into cybersecurity, he advises perfecting your craft, working for an organisation you believe in, and seeking roles in environments that foster growth and collaboration, noting that Cribl is always hiring. October 2025.