CISO Tradecraft®

What happens when hackers no longer need to know how to hack?
In this episode of CISO Tradecraft, host G. Mark Hardy interviews Jake Bernardes, CISO at Gambit, about how autonomous AI agents are transforming cyberattacks. From exploiting decades-old vulnerabilities to launching attacks against hundreds of companies simultaneously, AI is changing the cybersecurity game.
For aspiring CISOs, the message is clear: You can't prevent every attack. You must build an organization that can survive them.
In this episode, you'll learn: How AI agents are making sophisticated hacking accessible to almost anyone. Why technical debt and AI-generated code are creating new security risks. Why CISOs need to think more like attackers. How to prioritize the systems and processes that keep your business running. Why cyber resilience and recovery are becoming just as important as prevention. How to test and prove your organization's ability to recover from an attack.
The CISO Takeaway: Stop assuming your security tools will save you. Understand what matters to the business, make smarter risk decisions, and prove you can recover when things go wrong.
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What Does It REALLY Take to Become a Successful CISO? Todd Fitzgerald reveals the 7 essential elements of cybersecurity leadership that can make or break your security program.
In this episode of CISO Tradecraft, recorded at the COSAC security conference in Ireland, Todd Fitzgerald, author of The CISO Compass, breaks down his CISO Operating System—a practical framework for running cybersecurity like a business.
You'll discover the 7 S's every CISO needs to master:
Strategy: Align cybersecurity with business goals.
Structure: Find the right organizational design and reporting relationships.
Systems: Build effective risk management, control frameworks, and lessons learned.
Staff: Build stronger teams by understanding people and their strengths.
Skills: Decide whether your future is in technical mastery or executive leadership.
Style: Communicate with executives and boards to win trust and support.
Shared Values: Build a security culture that people actually embrace.
🔥 PLUS: Learn why technical mastery can become a career liability, why a $15 million security transformation can fail even with full funding, and how to avoid overwhelming your organization with too much change.
CISO Compass - https://www.amazon.com/CISO-COMPASS-Navigating-Cybersecurity-Leadership/dp/0367486024/

What if the reason your cybersecurity budget keeps getting cut isn't your security strategy, but how you negotiate? Every CISO negotiates. Whether you're fighting for a bigger cybersecurity budget, negotiating with vendors, retaining top talent, or navigating a ransomware crisis, your ability to negotiate can determine your success as a security leader.

In this episode of CISO Tradecraft, G. Mark Hardy sits down with cybersecurity attorney and negotiation expert Mark Rasch to reveal the strategies that separate effective negotiators from everyone else. You'll discover why winning a negotiation doesn't mean the other side has to lose, how to shift conversations from cost to business value, and why understanding what someone actually wants can unlock deals that initially seem impossible.

What You'll Learn: 💰 Win Bigger Cybersecurity Budgets: Why precise financial requests can outperform inflated budget proposals. 🧠 Master Negotiation Psychology: How anchoring, perceived value, and understanding motivations influence outcomes. 🔐 Navigate Ransomware Negotiations: How attackers think about money, credibility, risk, and leverage. 📈 Sell Security as a Business Enabler: Stop positioning cybersecurity as a cost center and start connecting security investments to revenue. 🤝 Negotiate Better Vendor Contracts: Resolve intellectual property disputes by understanding what each party actually needs. 👥 Retain Your Best Cybersecurity Talent: Negotiate salaries, benefits, flexibility, and career opportunities beyond compensation. 🚨 Know When to Walk Away: Recognize when legal, ethical, or financial risks make a deal unacceptable.

The Biggest Lesson? The best negotiators don't simply ask for more money. They understand what the other side values, build credibility, and find solutions that benefit both parties. Whether you're preparing for your next board meeting, asking for additional resources, or negotiating a multimillion-dollar security contract, these lessons can help you become a more effective cybersecurity executive.

Question for CISOs: What's the toughest negotiation you've faced as a cybersecurity leader? Share your experience in the comments! 👍 Like this episode if you found it valuable. 🔔 Subscribe to CISO Tradecraft for weekly insights on cybersecurity leadership, risk management, business strategy, and becoming a more effective CISO. 🌐

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Should you get a PhD in Cybersecurity?
In this episode of CISO Tradecraft, G. Mark Hardy sits down with Dr. Char Sample at the COSAC security conference in Ireland to unpack what it REALLY takes to earn a doctorate in cybersecurity.
From her early work on the Gauntlet firewall to cybersecurity research at the Army Research Lab, INL, and Marshall University, Dr. Sample shares hard-earned lessons on research, funding, doctoral programs, and surviving the PhD journey.
They also explore:
Why a PhD can matter for cybersecurity research funding
What makes a strong cybersecurity research problem
How long a doctorate can take
Research methods, proposals, and defending your work
Remote vs. residency programs
AI, hallucinated citations, and research reproducibility
Why cybersecurity needs more focus on building securely, not just breaking things
If you're considering an advanced degree or want to understand where cybersecurity research is headed, this episode is for you.
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In this episode, we reveal the biggest security awareness mistakes and the creative ways to make cybersecurity training actually fun in 2026.
From AI-powered phishing and token theft to stronger MFA and gamified training, There are ideas every security leader should steal.
Watch now and level up your security awareness game!