Cybersecurity expert: ‘How would a real hacker do it?’

Jacob Wattam started his cybersecurity career by traveling the country for large companies seeking nationwide clients; he will now focus his ethical hacking expertise in Tampa Bay.

Wattam founded CoAction Security to provide the “high touch” customer service he believes is often missing from the industry. The Pinellas County native announced its launch July 15.

Clearwater-based CoAction offers cutting-edge cybersecurity and compliance solutions for small and midsize businesses. Wattam described his corporate experience as “very turn and burn” and “quantity over quality.”

“I noticed there were really no boutique cybersecurity firms around the Tampa Bay area,” Wattam said. “Being from St. Pete, for my company, it’s more about quality and building that long-term relationship.”

He noted the importance of swiftly identifying and mitigating online vulnerabilities. Wattam said clients can call him directly with a question rather than wading through an automated system or scheduling a conversation.

Wattam added that he could revert to his traveling consultancy days if scaling CoAction was the ultimate goal. However, he prioritizes helping local small businesses and startups grow securely.

“It’s all those benefits of the next-door neighbor willing to help you out,” Wattam added. “But who also knows the laws and if you need a penetration test or a trained ethical hacker to come in and really show you the ropes.”

Jacob “Jake” Wattam, founder and CEO of CoAction.

The boutique firm will accommodate businesses with up to 500 employees within heavily regulated industries, like healthcare and financial and legal services. CoAction provides specialized protection against threats to privacy, money and public reputation.

Wattam explained the benefits of thinking like potential bad actors. He is a Certified Ethical Hacker and an OffSec Certified Professional – one of the few designations that require demonstrable penetration testing skills.

“At the end of the day, you are a hacker,” Wattam said. “You’re just getting permission.”

He said an affinity for deconstructing and rebuilding things as a kid has translated to his professional life. Wattam “fiddles around” inside networks and websites to explore vulnerabilities without leaving a trace.

He then thinks “outside the box” to make computers and systems complete unintended functions. Once Wattam steals the information, as challenged, he provides the company with screenshots and other data as proof of concept.

“It’s almost like playing video games, in a way,” he added. “I spent hours and hours at night practicing on virtual labs and building my own mini-network, and then hacking it all and learning how to virtually take it apart and put it back together.”

That training is now part of his daily routine. Wattam called ethical hacking a lifestyle that takes continuous practice to succeed in the cat-and-mouse world of cybersecurity.

He said new technologies like artificial intelligence and blockchain encoding are a double-edged sword in cybersecurity. Bad actors will use virtual innovations to circumvent network defenses; Wattam and his colleagues use the same methods to prevent attacks.

“It’s almost like a chess game or a battle,” he said. “It’s a constant back-and-forth. Thinking like a hacker, to me, is extremely important.”

Wattam attempts to discern why a hacker would want to exploit a seemingly innocuous network aspect in the first place. He noted that livelihoods hang in the balance.

Wattam realizes he is not just protecting a company’s bottom line. He also safeguards employee and customer social security numbers, credit card information and health records.

The process begins by asking himself, “How would a real hacker do it?” Wattam answers that question and then formulates a defense.

He also stressed the importance of continuously learning new compliance regulations that intersect with various industries. “It’s kind of like a spiderweb of different ideas and security,” Wattam added.

“A giant security spiderweb that really just grows and grows.”