Tim Brown is the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) at SolarWinds, a leading provider of IT management and cybersecurity solutions. With over 25 years of experience in the cybersecurity industry, Tim has been instrumental in shaping the company’s security strategy and initiatives. He joined SolarWinds in 2017 as Vice President of Security and later took on the role of CISO. Tim is known for his leadership in the response and remediation efforts following the SUNBURST attack in December 2020. He has also been a driving force behind the “Secure by Design” philosophy at SolarWinds, which aims to enhance the security framework through rigorous software development practices. His extensive experience and innovative approach have earned him recognition as CISO of the Year by the Globee Cybersecurity Awards.
The Professional Journey
Security has been Tim’s focus and his passion for over 25 years. He started his career as a software engineer building products before moving to architecture, design, technical leadership, and driving innovation in security software. Over the years, he has played the role of an architect, a distinguished engineer, a chief product officer, a Dell Fellow, a CTO, and a CISO. His roles at various organizations have helped him learn a great deal, including how to balance security and business, how to become a practiced communicator, and exposing him to various aspects of security and technology. In addition to leveraging his knowledge and experience to receive 18 patents on security related topics, he advises non-cybersecurity leaders on important issues at hand.
Tim’s position as a trusted advisor has taken him from meetings with members of Congress and the Senate to the Situation Room in the White House. These meetings were focused on educating people on technology and approaches to meet the cybersecurity talent needs, discussing how technology could transform our world. These experiences helped him shift how he addresses complex topics ranging from messaging, design or implementation according to his audience. He often represents SolarWinds at conferences, seminars, and in research papers.
At SolarWinds, Tim’s role as CISO is ensuring the organization provides secure, reliable solutions for customers while constantly evolving to meet the growing challenges in cybersecurity. He also looks to help other CISOs and share experiences and knowledge to help the community.
The Dynamic Industry
Tim has seen the security and IT management industry undergo several changes, moving from managing simple infrastructures to tackling complex, dynamic environments with advanced risks. The most significant one is the shift to the cloud, which has moved security from traditional on-prem defenses to a focus on visibility and access control across diverse environments. Cyber threats have become far more sophisticated, evolving from opportunistic attacks to highly targeted, persistent threats. To keep up, we’ve seen the rise of automation and AI to detect and respond faster. Additionally, security has shifted from an afterthought to now prioritized as a critical part of the overall business strategy.
Working Together to Optimize Technology Solutions
SolarWinds is a leading provider of powerful, easy-to-use IT management software, helping organizations monitor, troubleshoot, and optimize their IT environments. What sets it apart is its accessibility, scalability, and security-first approach. Its Hybrid Cloud Observability platform provides deep visibility across on-premises and cloud environments, ensuring proactive performance and security management. SolarWinds’ Secure by Design initiative has set a new industry standard in secure software development, emphasizing transparency and multi-layered security. It also fosters a strong user community through THWACK®, where IT pros collaborate and share insights. By prioritizing cost-effective, scalable, and security-driven solutions, SolarWinds remains a trusted partner for organizations worldwide.
SolarWinds works with various industries—government, healthcare, finance, education, and tech—each with unique IT challenges. Government agencies need secure, compliant systems to protect sensitive data, while healthcare organizations must balance security with uptime to safeguard patient records. Financial services face constant cyber threats and strict regulations, and educational institutions manage scattered networks while protecting student and faculty data. Tech companies and MSPs need scalable, high-performance IT management to keep everything running smoothly. Despite these differences, the core challenge is the same: keeping IT secure, efficient, and compliant without unnecessary complexity. That’s where SolarWinds comes in—it delivers simple, powerful, and safe solutions that help organizations stay ahead in an ever-evolving digital landscape.
Taking Tough Measures
After the 2020 SUNBURST attack, SolarWinds took a hard look at the industry’s security standards and decided to go beyond them. Rebuilding their entire approach from the ground up, Tim and his team set a new benchmark for secure software development. Now, security is baked into every stage of their development process. They use a multi-build system, which means the software is independently compiled multiple times in separate, secure environments, making it far harder for attackers to tamper with the code.
SolarWinds has also implemented real-time threat monitoring, enhanced access controls, and greater transparency so customers and the broader industry can see precisely what they’re doing to stay secure.
A Transformative Approach
‘Secure by Design’ has completely transformed how SolarWinds develops software. Implemented as part of the company’s strategy for more secure software development, SolarWinds looked at the current cybersecurity playbook and decided it needed an overhaul. Starting with the framework, SolarWinds worked to completely rebuild its approach, aiming to set a new secure software development standard. The company looked to implement new tools to keep data separate and secure and allow for greater transparency so their customers can see precisely what precautions are in place.
“To help our community implement this secure-by-design approach, we actively share what we’ve learned to raise the bar for the entire industry. We believe Secure by Design isn’t just a SolarWinds initiative—it’s a blueprint for how software development should be done everywhere,” shares Tim.
Clearing Misconceptions
More often than not, Tim must dispel common misconceptions about digital transformation and AI solutions when working with clients. One of the biggest misconceptions about digital transformation and AI is that it’s all about adopting new technology. People often think that implementing AI or automation will solve all their problems instantly. Still, the reality is that it’s a lot more about how you integrate these solutions into your existing workflows. Technology alone doesn’t drive change—the strategy, processes, and people make the difference.
Another common misconception is that AI will replace human jobs when, in fact, AI should be seen as a tool to augment human decision-making. AI can automate repetitive tasks but still requires human oversight to make nuanced decisions and provide context that machines can’t always capture. To address these, he focuses on helping customers see digital transformation as a holistic approach, not just a tech upgrade. SolarWinds guides them through integrating AI solutions to enhance their existing systems, empower their teams, and improve their overall business operations. It’s about smart adoption, not just shiny new tools.
Similarly, when it comes to securing the data during transformation, there is no one-size fits all solution. It is critical to understand the data one has, the level of access that is necessary, and how long the data may need to live. One needs to design and architect appropriate systems for the data model one is dealing with.
Post Implementation Support
Digital transformation isn’t just about the initial implementation of new technology—it’s about ongoing evolution and ensuring that solutions align with the business goals. After implementation, SolarWinds supports its clients every step of the way by helping them integrate new tools seamlessly into their existing workflows, ensuring the technology works alongside their teams and enhances what they already do.
“It’s not about just adding more tech; it’s about optimizing processes and ensuring the solution grows with them,” says Tim. They also provide ongoing training, support, and feedback loops so teams can stay updated on the latest features and best practices. “It’s a holistic approach—we’re focused on ensuring our customers are empowered to make the most of their solutions, adapt to changes, and keep evolving as their needs grow. It’s about smart adoption and continuous improvement, not just a one-time tech upgrade.”
Maintaining a lasting relationship with the clients is also essential. Tim believes that transparency is incredibly important, as is empathy. You may be going through a very bad day, but they are too. Continued communication and clear updates as often as possible help maintain the relations and mutual trust. “You don’t need to know all the answers. It’s ok to say I’m working on the details, but this is what I know now,” he adds.
Leadership Essentials for a CISO
As a CISO, especially during a crisis, Tim believes a few key leadership principles are essential. First, it’s about clarity and transparency. During stressful times, teams need clear direction, and stakeholders must understand what happens and why decisions are made. Being transparent builds trust, which is critical when you’re navigating uncertainty. It’s also important to stay adaptable, things change rapidly, and you must adjust your strategy as new information comes in. Throughout it all, empathy and communication are vital.
“You’re not just leading a team of security professionals—you’re leading people. Acknowledging their concerns and showing support goes a long way in keeping morale high and making sure everyone is aligned, especially when the pressure is on. Ultimately, being a CISO in times of crisis requires a mix of strong decision-making, clear communication, and a focus on both the technical and human elements of leadership. It’s about guiding the team through challenging situations while ensuring they feel supported and confident in your direction,” he explains.
Integrating AI in Solutions
SolarWinds is using AI and automation to help make IT operations more efficient and proactive for our users in a two-pronged approach. AI automates routine tasks like ticket routing and resolution for IT service management, allowing teams to focus on more complex work. In observability, AI helps spot issues early by analyzing data to identify patterns that could indicate performance or security problems so teams can address them before they escalate.
“The goal is to integrate these tools into existing workflows to make things run smoother—not replace the human decision-making that’s still essential. It’s about helping teams improve how they work and stay ahead of potential issues,” says Tim.
Staying Tuned to Trends
Tim is naturally a very curious person, he stays involved with his community to make sure he is always updated on the latest in the cybersecurity world, where things move fast. Personally, Tim is always reading up on the latest research, blogs, and reports from trusted sources. He also meets with CISOs at many events and they have channels that are private where they can share openly.
SolarWinds also has a strong culture of knowledge-sharing, and Tim learns something new from the team of experts every day. They are the ones constantly testing new technologies and tools and giving firsthand feedback on what is working and what isn’t in the cybersecurity and IT world. Engaging with his team directly helps Tim learn what the most pressing challenges or innovations really are.
By staying connected to his colleagues within SolarWinds and the greater industry, Tim is constantly learning and forming his thoughts on where the cybersecurity industry will take us.
Thoughts on the Future of Cybersecurity
The future of cybersecurity, says Tim, is all about automation, intelligence, and adaptation. As cyber threats get more sophisticated, the world will see a shift toward more automated defense mechanisms that can quickly identify and respond to threats without human intervention. This will be crucial as the attack surface expands with cloud environments, IoT, and hybrid work.
Tim also feels we’ll see AI-driven security become more mainstream. Machines will help us identify patterns and anomalies faster than ever, giving us a proactive edge rather than constantly reacting to attacks. That said, while technology will get smarter, human expertise will still be critical—there’s no replacing the value of skilled security professionals who can make judgment calls when the unexpected happens. We’ll also see more collaboration across industries in the next five years.
“Cybersecurity isn’t a one-company problem anymore. It’s a global, collective effort, and we’ll need to share more intelligence and best practices to stay ahead. In short, the evolution of cybersecurity will be a blend of cutting-edge tech, brilliant defense strategies, and stronger partnerships. It’s going to be an exciting yet challenging ride,” emphasizes Tim.
Mission at SolarWinds
Over the next five years, SolarWinds will continue to evolve its solutions to keep pace with the rapid technological changes while maintaining its core focus on simplicity and security. As businesses continue their digital transformation journeys, they will need tools that help them optimize their IT environments and ensure they’re secure as they scale. SolarWinds is already integrating more cloud-native capabilities, AI-driven insights, and automation into its products, making it easier for customers to manage their IT infrastructures with less manual effort. SolarWinds will continue to raise the bar on security, ensuring customers don’t have to choose between usability and protection.
“The goal is to provide intuitive solutions that empower businesses to transform digitally and do so with confidence and peace of mind. As we look to the future, we’ll continue listening to our customers and adapting our solutions to meet their evolving needs. In short, our mission will be achieved by simplifying complex IT tasks, securing critical data, and empowering businesses to thrive in an increasingly connected world,” concludes Tim.
Quote: “Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value.” – Albert Einstein
Quote: “Cyber threats aren’t going away, and companies can’t afford to be reactive anymore, which is why we are embracing ‘Secure by Design.’”
Quote: “SolarWinds’ mission is to help customers accelerate business transformation through simple and secure solutions.”
