On this episode, Tim York and Aaron Lentz talk to Steve Cobb, CISO of SecurityScorecard and a founding member of the CarolinaCISO. Steve shares how today’s threat actors are targeting human behavior more than systems, and why cultural change and technical guardrails are both essential. He also discusses mentoring the next generation of cyber talent, the importance of foundational skills and his leadership approach rooted in curiosity, communication and service.
Key Takeaways:
00:00 Introduction.
06:48 Deepfakes are now impersonating public officials to influence real-world decisions.
09:39 “Trust but verify” is essential in a world where video calls can be faked.
12:54 Organizations are rushing into AI at the cost of security and thoughtfulness.
16:27 Cultural assumptions about trust make US users especially vulnerable to deception.
20:51 We’re wired to seek connection; shifting to suspicion at work is counterintuitive but necessary.
23:36 Threat actors are focused on hacking people, not just tech.
26:15 Competitive cyber events train youth in real-world collaboration and red/blue team skills.
35:03 Strong cyber teams are grounded in foundational skills: networking, cloud and OS.
39:51 Communication, both up and down the chain, is a critical skill for cyber leaders.
40:30 Servant leadership — building trust and supporting the team — creates stronger, more resilient organizations.
Resources Mentioned:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-york-b80b23a/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-lentz/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/wscobb/
SecurityScorecard | LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/security-scorecard/
SecurityScorecard | Website
https://securityscorecard.com/
CarolinaCISO | LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/carolinaciso/
CarolinaCISO | Website
https://www.carolinaciso.org/
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