{"id":59599,"date":"2026-02-18T07:00:04","date_gmt":"2026-02-18T07:00:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/europeanbusinessmagazine.com\/?p=59599"},"modified":"2026-02-19T07:52:12","modified_gmt":"2026-02-19T07:52:12","slug":"cybersecurity-in-flux-brian-wagner-on-human-risk-quantum-threats-and-gdprs-impact","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/europeanbusinessmagazine.com\/business\/cybersecurity-in-flux-brian-wagner-on-human-risk-quantum-threats-and-gdprs-impact\/","title":{"rendered":"How Human Risk and Quantum Threats Are Reshaping Cybersecurity in Europe"},"content":{"rendered":"

Brian Wagner stands as a <\/span>distinguished authority in cybersecurity<\/span><\/a> and compliance, with a career spanning over two decades at the forefront of technological innovation. His notable tenure includes serving as the Head of Compliance for Amazon Web Services\u2019 Financial Services division, where he played a pivotal role in shaping security protocols for the financial sector.<\/span><\/p>\n

Currently, as the Chief Technology Officer at Revenir, Brian continues to lead advancements in security and technology transformations. His extensive experience encompasses key positions at industry giants such as Cisco Systems and Ford Motor Company, underscoring his profound expertise in cloud computing, risk management, and security architecture.<\/span><\/p>\n

In this exclusive interview, we delve into Brian\u2019s insights on the evolving landscape of cyber threats, strategies for businesses to fortify their defences in a perimeter-less environment, and the critical importance of human factors in cybersecurity.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Q: From your experience, what would you say is the primary factor behind data breaches in modern organisations?<\/b><\/p>\n

Brian<\/b>: \u201cSadly, it\u2019s human beings. Humans are inherently trusting by nature\u2014it\u2019s something ingrained in us. Statistically, it\u2019s factual that the biggest vulnerabilities are related to phishing, and ultimately, people are the weakest point.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTraditionally, before email became a major attack vector, exploits were more physical. For example, someone could walk into a front office claiming they were late for a job interview and ask for a CV to be printed. They\u2019d hand over a USB stick, and once it was plugged in, the system would be compromised.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNowadays, especially with remote working, phishing has surged. But I don\u2019t want to lean on phishing for every answer. More broadly speaking, people unfortunately remain the weakest link in any organisation when it comes to data security.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Q: For businesses looking to strengthen their defences, what practical steps would you recommend as top priorities to guard against cyber attacks?<\/b><\/p>\n

Brian<\/b>: \u201cI think the absolute top tip is something easy to implement and realistic. So, number one: use a password manager. Many of the breaches we see now are due to reused passwords or passwords already leaked on the internet. That\u2019s probably the simplest and most effective step you can take.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnother critical area is vigilance with emails. If you\u2019re unfamiliar with the term, phishing is when attackers trick individuals into revealing information\u2014usernames, passwords, bank details, etc. In a business context, it\u2019s usually credentials they\u2019re after, which are then used to gain access and cause chaos.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s no single action to stop phishing completely, but the key takeaway is to be sceptical of all emails.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOne more very useful tip is to enable multi-factor authentication (MFA), especially now that nearly every tool is subscription-based with online logins. MFA means that even if your password is compromised, the attacker would still need that second layer of verification. Without it, the password alone is effectively useless.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s definitely more to say, but if we\u2019re talking about simple, actionable steps you can take today\u2014those are among the most effective.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Q: In what ways did the Covid-19 pandemic and the shift to remote working increase cybersecurity vulnerabilities for businesses?<\/b><\/p>\n

Brian:<\/b> \u201cAbsolutely\u2014it had a significant impact. Remote work is definitely on the rise. I work from home myself.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you’re in an office, you’re on a known network, in a known space. Is it always the best setup? That varies, but at least it\u2019s predictable. You know where the perimeter is, and how the internal communications are structured.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen working from home, that perimeter disappears. It\u2019s dissolved. There is no perimeter anymore.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTo use an analogy\u2014it\u2019s like a fortress. In a fortress, you protect the walls, and anyone inside is assumed to have some level of trust. It\u2019s the same in an office\u2014if you’re physically there, you’ve probably passed some security checks or are recognised by others.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut without that physical perimeter, the digital attack surface expands dramatically. More devices, more access points, more risk. And with that comes greater opportunity for attackers.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Q: Looking ahead, what do you anticipate will be the next major evolution or style of cyber attack that organisations need to prepare for?<\/b><\/p>\n

Brian:<\/b> \u201cThat\u2019s a big one. I think we\u2019re making real progress in areas like quantum computing and other future-focused tech.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAs computing power grows, there will come a point where our current encryption mechanisms may no longer hold up. I\u2019m not saying it\u2019s the very next style of attack we\u2019ll see, but it\u2019s on the horizon.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf you look at how encryption works today and how we protect digital data, there\u2019s a point in the not-too-distant future where these protections could be broken\u2014either by quantum computing or by significantly more powerful systems.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not about panic, but preparation. These evolutions are coming, and we need to be ready.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Q: Since its introduction, how has GDPR influenced the way businesses handle and safeguard personal data?<\/b><\/p>\n

Brian<\/b>: \u201cGDPR has introduced a significant level of responsibility\u2014and that was the point.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBefore GDPR, data was often treated very casually. Companies would think, \u201cLet\u2019s collect as much as we can\u2014maybe we can monetise it.\u201d For many, data was simply a revenue stream.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut GDPR forces you to really think about how that data is used and shared. It\u2019s caused inconvenience for businesses that weren\u2019t managing data properly\u2014they\u2019ve had to restructure how they store and process it.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAsking for explicit consent from individuals wasn\u2019t something most companies were used to. But now, with GDPR in place, there\u2019s a new level of accountability and consideration in infrastructure design and data protection.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cUltimately, that\u2019s a good thing\u2014for everyone. It benefits individuals and businesses alike, and it\u2019s pushing the whole world towards better data hygiene and digital responsibility.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

This interview with <\/span>cybersecurity expert Brian Wagner<\/span><\/a> was conducted by <\/span>Mark Matthews<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Brian Wagner stands as a distinguished authority in cybersecurity and compliance, with a career spanning over two decades at the forefront of technological innovation. His notable tenure includes serving as the Head of Compliance for Amazon Web Services\u2019 Financial Services division, where he played a pivotal role in shaping security protocols for the financial sector. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":59602,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[34,36],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-59599","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-business","8":"category-profiles"},"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/europeanbusinessmagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59599","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/europeanbusinessmagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/europeanbusinessmagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/europeanbusinessmagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/europeanbusinessmagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=59599"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/europeanbusinessmagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59599\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":83856,"href":"https:\/\/europeanbusinessmagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59599\/revisions\/83856"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/europeanbusinessmagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/59602"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/europeanbusinessmagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=59599"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/europeanbusinessmagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=59599"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/europeanbusinessmagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=59599"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}