About this episode
Mike Reavey has quietly left his fingerprints on some of the biggest moments in security. He began as a Captain in the Air Force, locking down networks from attack by adversaries back when APT was still shorthand for “apartment”. Mike recounts his time spent battling the most destructive malware the industry has ever seen (Blaster, Slammer, Code Red, etc.) while leading Microsoft Security Response and how he later kept Azure out of the headlines while heading up cloud security in Redmond. He recently made a hard turn into gaming security at Electronic Arts where he’s been learning the many nuances of protecting a fast-moving entertainment company where creativity and speed are king. Mike, who regularly competes in body-building competitions, explains why you can’t outrun a pizza and how anyone can get a little more fit while balancing a hectic schedule packed with family, work and fitness. Mike’s stories are as pragmatic as they are colorful-- this interview is a recipe for anyone who wants to know exactly what it takes to succeed in a big, high pressure cyber job.
Meet our guest
Mike Reavey
Vice President, Enterprise Security | Electronic Arts
About Mike
Mike’s time on the front lines of security began as a Captain in the U.S. Air Force where he worked to secure and optimize global air force networks. As head of Microsoft Security Response Center (MSRC), he led the company’s response as to sophisticated cyber threats such as Stuxnet and Flame and was hands-on resolving the Zotob, Sasser and Blaster virus outbreaks that sent seismic shocks across the industry. His more routine work at MSRC focused on detecting and addressing vulnerabilities in all Microsoft products and services while continually improving Microsoft's security response framework, developing Enterprise patch cycles, pre-release notices, publishing predictive exploitability indexes alongside CVEs, and crisis response.
Later, Mike was the Partner Director for Azure Security where he drove the development of core security services as well as providing security assurance for the Cloud and Enterprise division of Microsoft. Mike joined Electronic Arts as Vice President of Enterprise Security a little over a year ago. He currently resides in the Seattle area with his wife and family.
