Chaim Mazal - Growing into a Security Career

""I had found Internet Relay Chat (IRC) and I kind of stumbled across the hacker community," he says. "I became very enamored with the possibilities and the potentiality of what could be. It was like the wild west then.""

""My parents thought I was crazy because other kids my age were out riding bikes or playing football and I was hanging out with my internet friends in chat rooms," Mazal recalls."

""He asked what I was doing and I said 'I promise you, I learn more here every day, working on these projects, speaking with these people, than I could ever imagine to learn at school', Mazal remembers. 'He said he appreciated being passionate about something, but it's not one or the other. He said 'If you want to put your efforts and energy into this than I support you, but it has to be both. You have to do well in school, you have to continue to go to school, you have to be engaged.'""

Chaim Mazal received his first computer at age eight and taught himself to code. By age twelve he discovered Internet Relay Chat and the hacker community, which inspired deep interest in future technology. He prioritized hands-on projects and online collaboration while balancing academic expectations set by his father. He values continued personal growth and mentoring others to create lasting impact. Mazal currently serves as Chief Security Officer at Gigamon, responsible for global security, information technology, network operations, governance, risk, compliance, internal business systems, and product security. He previously served as Senior Vice President of Technology and CISO at Kandji.

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