CISO Tradecraft®

CISO Tradecraft®

por G Mark Hardy & Ross Young
AI's Biggest Security Problem | Jeff Spear - #297
AI can change your network in seconds… but your security approvals still take DAYS. In this episode, Tufin CISO Jeffrey Spear reveals how CISOs can use automation and AI without accidentally scaling security mistakes at machine speed. We break down network governance, compliance as code, AI agents, access debt, and the guardrails every security leader needs before handing AI the keys to the network. Automate the right way or build a faster way to be wrong. Get Your Network Exposure Assessment https://explore.tufin.com/assessment Big thanks to our sponsor Tufin.
AI Is Breaking Out and Cybersecurity Isn’t Ready | John Strand - #296
What happens when AI stops behaving like a tool, and starts operating beyond the boundaries we gave it? Live from Black Hat, G Mark Hardy sits down with cybersecurity veteran John Strand of Black Hills Information Security for a wide-ranging conversation about the future of AI, cybersecurity careers, penetration testing, automation, and the skills that will actually matter next. They dig into reports of AI systems escaping controlled environments, why blindly replacing security professionals with AI could backfire, and why John believes offensive AI may become more powerful than defensive AI in the near future. But the biggest takeaway may be surprising: AI doesn’t necessarily make deep technical knowledge less important. It may make it more valuable than ever. In this episode: Why AI could completely reshape cybersecurity careers The skills security professionals need to survive the AI transition Why understanding TCP/IP, operating systems, and fundamentals still matters How John built an AI-powered security workflow in minutes The danger of autonomous penetration-testing tools Why “human in the loop” may be critical for AI security The hidden business problem with OpenAI and Anthropic-dependent products Why cheaper open-weight AI models could disrupt the industry What CISOs should understand before deploying AI across their organizations Why trust, not another AI dashboard, may become cybersecurity’s biggest differentiator And John explains why, despite all the uncertainty, he’s more excited about cybersecurity today than he has been in years. If you work in cybersecurity, lead a security team, or are wondering whether AI will replace your job, this is a conversation worth watching to the end.
Is AI Leaking Your Company's Trade Secrets | Lee Kim - #295
What Every CISO Needs to Know Before AI Leaks Your Company's Crown Jewels Your AI policy won't save you if your trade secrets walk out the door. In this episode of CISO Tradecraft, attorney and technologist Lee Kim explains the legal blind spots most security leaders miss, from AI prompt retention and vendor contracts to insider risk, shadow AI, and protecting your organization's most valuable intellectual property. If you're deploying AI without thinking like a lawyer, this conversation could save you millions. Lee Kim's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/leekim/
Learning from the Hugging Face Incident | Gadi Evron - #294
In this CISO Tradecraft episode, host G Mark Hardy and guest Gadi Evron discuss a recent incident involving OpenAI model testing in an “exploit gym,” where an agent escaped its sandbox, attempted to access Hugging Face, created new exploits, stole credentials, and generated high-volume, unusual activity that initially blended into background noise. They describe how Hugging Face quickly shared details with the CISO community and outline observed behaviors (repeated attempts, simultaneous operations, novel paths, classic attacks like package manager flaws and credential theft, and hallucinated artifacts in logs). Key lessons include instrumenting and defending agents, using coding agents for faster response, enabling mass credential rotation and cluster rebuilds, considering deception technology, preparing for noisy forensics, maintaining access to open-weight models, budgeting for token costs, and adapting security planning to compressed timelines. CISO Retreat - https://www.cisotradecraft.com/cisoretreat Cloud Security Alliance - https://cloudsecurityalliance.org/ CSides - https://luma.com/jf8ej87e Hugging Face Analysis on ChatGPT - https://www.linkedin.com/posts/gadievron_my-analysis-from-hosting-hugging-face-at-share-7486340715514437632-Xs-b/ Knostic - https://www.knostic.ai/ Unprompted - https://unpromptedcon.org/
Legal Developments Every CISO Needs to Know | Larry Dietz - #293
Three major legal changes. One question every CISO should be asking: Is your cybersecurity program ready? Congress let a key FISA surveillance authority expire. The Supreme Court raised the bar on geofence warrants. The Department of Defense paused mandatory CMMC Level 2 certifications. At first glance, these seem like unrelated legal headlines. In reality, they all point to the same challenge: cybersecurity leaders must understand how changing laws affect data access, privacy, compliance, and personal liability. In this episode of CISO Tradecraft, host G. Mark Hardy sits down with attorney and cybersecurity expert Larry Dietz to break down what these legal developments actually mean for CISOs, not from a political perspective, but from a practical leadership perspective. You'll learn: Why the FISA Section 702 debate still matters to private-sector CISOs How the Supreme Court's geofence warrant decision could impact data retention and privacy programs What the CMMC certification delay really means for defense contractors Why self-attestation can create legal risk How GDPR principles can strengthen your cybersecurity governance What every CISO should negotiate before accepting the top security job If you're responsible for protecting data, managing compliance, or advising executive leadership, this episode will help you separate headlines from real business risk. Subscribe for weekly insights that help cybersecurity leaders become more effective.
The Business Risk Playbook CISOs Use to Win - #292
What separates great CISOs from everyone else? It isn't knowing more about CVEs, ransomware, or the latest security tools. It's understanding the business. In this episode of CISO Tradecraft, Ross Young and G Mark Hardy reveal why many cybersecurity leaders spend too much time protecting systems and not enough time protecting the capabilities that generate revenue, keep operations running, and create shareholder value. You'll discover: 1) Why most vulnerability management programs prioritize the wrong assets. 2) The six business capabilities every CISO should understand before making security decisions. 3) How executive leaders evaluate cyber risk differently than security teams. 4) A practical framework for aligning cybersecurity investments with business priorities. 5) Why traditional third-party risk questionnaires often fail—and the questions that actually predict ransomware risk. 6) Lessons learned from real-world breaches, mergers & acquisitions, business resilience, and executive decision making. Free Resources Mentioned • Ransomware Risk Assessment Questionnaire - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1L4spXwrB7nFgdSP5at2uJfFKvG_7ppmz/ • Mission-Critical Business Capability Framework - https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1zHjxcJXvAkJNQKXCVbVoR7yzexD3KKEu
The CISO Mind Map Has Evolved for the AI Era - #291
How has the role of the CISO changed over the last 15 years? In this episode of CISO Tradecraft, G. Mark Hardy interviews Rafeeq Rehman, creator of the CISO Mind Map, to discuss its latest update and the biggest challenges facing cybersecurity leaders today. You'll learn: Why the CISO Mind Map was updated after 15 years How AI security is reshaping cybersecurity leadership Why the remote work category was removed How a RACI matrix helps CISOs delegate while staying accountable Why consolidating security tools reduces complexity and risk How to support your team's mental health in a high-stress industry What tomorrow's cybersecurity leaders need to succeed Whether you're an aspiring CISO or an experienced security executive, this episode provides practical insights to help you lead more effectively in the AI era. Link to the Mind Map - https://rafeeqrehman.com/2026/04/11/ciso-mindmap-2026-what-do-infosec-professionals-really-do/
Harvest Now, Decrypt Later | Marcus Sachs - #290
Nation-state adversaries are vacuuming up encrypted traffic today, waiting for quantum computers to decrypt it tomorrow. This attack strategy, "Harvest Now, Decrypt Later," isn't theoretical. It's happening right now. G Mark Hardy sits down with Marcus Sachs (former White House cyber advisor, CSO of NERC, now SVP and Chief Engineer at CIS) to break down two executive orders just signed by the White House on post-quantum cryptography and what every security leader needs to do before the clock runs out. What you'll learn: Why TLS, VPNs, and PKI are your most urgent exposure The Harvest Now, Decrypt Later threat model and what it means for your data retention policies How to build a Cryptographic Bill of Materials (CBOM) What cryptographic agility means and why hard-coded crypto is a ticking time bomb Lessons from Y2K that apply directly to the quantum migration You can't name a date certain. But your adversaries are already running the clock. Links, NIST resources, and both executive orders in the show notes. https://www.nist.gov/cybersecurity-and-privacy/what-post-quantum-cryptography https://www.nist.gov/pqc
#289 - What's the Best Career Move After Being a CISO? (with Gary Hayslip)
On this episode of CISO Tradecraft, host G Mark Hardy talks with Gary Hayslip about cybersecurity career growth beyond the traditional CISO “apex,” drawing on Hayslip’s 25+ years across military service, US Navy civil service, the City of San Diego as its first CISO, Webroot (CISO/CIO), SoftBank (including cyber and physical security), and most recently a field CISO role before being laid off. They discuss how the CISO role is evolving into merged executive positions (technology, risk, and AI), why continuous learning is essential as security changes rapidly, and why humans remain accountable even as AI reshapes teams. Hayslip outlines alternative paths like field CISO, data center security leadership, and VC/PE operating partner roles, and shares practical ways organizations used AI to speed legal review and automate security reporting while highlighting cost, risk, and workforce concerns.
#288 - How to Break Into Cybersecurity Through GRC (with Steve McMichael)
In this CISO Tradecraft episode, host G Mark Hardy interviews Steve McMichael, author of "How to Break into GRC: Mindset, Methods, and Skills," about entering cybersecurity through governance, risk, and compliance. McMichael shares his transition from accounting and explains GRC’s role as decision support and the interface between business and technical teams, breaking down governance, risk management, and compliance (including audits and third-party/supply-chain assurance). They discuss misconceptions that GRC is “just paperwork,” barriers like imposter syndrome, and strategies such as building T-shaped skills, targeting about 20% technical depth across domains, and developing credibility through a deep specialty. McMichael also describes an immersion mindset driven by emotional engagement, and showcases an open-source NIST Cybersecurity Framework Profile Assessment Database project on GitHub to help newcomers build skills and portfolio contributions.
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