Zero-Trust Issues

What happens when a cyberattack becomes public and the person responsible for leading the response isn’t available? Without clear decision-making authority, backup leadership, and a rehearsed communication plan, an already difficult situation can become even more complicated. In this episode of Zero-Trust Issues, host Tony Pietrocola, President and Co-founder of AgileBlue, and co-host Joe Marquette, AgileBlue CEO and Co-founder discuss public cyber incident readiness with guest Lou Rabon, Founder & CEO of Cyber Defense Group. The conversation emphasizes executive participation, clear response roles, communication planning, and backup leadership. Tony asks what a CEO can focus on in the first day or two, and why executive preparation influences the way teams respond. The discussion gives security leaders practical questions to bring into their next rehearsal. Lou brings his incident response expertise to that host-led discussion. He explains how realistic rehearsals can reveal leadership and communication gaps.  Key takeaways to explore: How do I prepare our leaders for a cyber incident that becomes public? What should a CEO do in the first 24 hours after a cyberattack? Who should speak to customers after a data breach? How can I get executives involved in a cyber tabletop exercise? When should a security incident wake up the CEO? How often should we practice our cyber incident response plan? And more! Connect with Tony Pietrocola: AgileBlue LinkedIn: AgileBlue YouTube: @agileblue LinkedIn: Tony Pietrocola Connect with Joe Marquette: LinkedIn: Joe Marquette Connect with Lou Rabon: Cyber Defense Group LinkedIn: Lou Rabon X (Twitter): Lou Rabon X (Twitter): Cyber Defense Group

Cybersecurity requirements can feel expensive, complicated, and disconnected from daily operations. What changes when leaders treat compliance as ongoing risk management instead of paperwork? In this episode, host Tony Pietrocola, President and Co-founder of AgileBlue, and co-host Joe Marquette, AgileBlue CEO and Co-founder, speak with Beth Leonard, Chief Operating Officer of R3 LLC, about turning cybersecurity strategy into consistent execution.  Beth explains how CMMC, NIST 800-171, FedRAMP, ISO standards, formal risk management, and regular leadership reviews can become part of everyday operations. She also shares firsthand examples of what can happen when organizations delay controls, confuse documentation with implementation, or treat compliance as a checkbox. Beth discusses: How cybersecurity controls can reduce financial, reputational, and operational exposure across a business Why formal business risk management can make compliance planning and implementation easier to manage How documentation and assessments can fall short when controls aren’t embedded into daily operations Why leadership participation and regular management reviews help cybersecurity plans move into execution How organizations can prioritize limited time, budget, and people according to their highest business risks And more! Connect with Tony Pietrocola: AgileBlue LinkedIn: AgileBlue YouTube: @agileblue LinkedIn: Tony Pietrocola Connect with Joe Marquette: LinkedIn: Joe Marquette Connect with Beth Leonard: R3 LLC LinkedIn: Beth Leonard

How should defense contractors respond to the CMMC pause? Questions about assessment timing, preparation costs, and CMMC requirements are leaving many organizations unsure whether to continue. In this episode, host Tony Pietrocola, President and Co-founder of AgileBlue, and co-host Joe Marquette, AgileBlue CEO and Co-founder, speak with Rick Olivier, Director of Cybersecurity Advisory at Eide Bailly, about how contractors can prepare without overhauling their entire technology environment. Rick explains how controlled unclassified information determines CMMC scope, when a focused enclave may reduce cost and disruption, and how MSP access can expand the assessment scope. They also cover C3PAO assessments, continuous monitoring, and readiness gaps that can waste time and money. Key takeaways: How the CMMC pause is affecting assessment timelines and contractor preparation Why locating controlled unclassified information is the first step in defining CMMC scope When a focused CMMC enclave may reduce licensing costs and operational disruption How MSPs, MSSPs, and other third parties can expand the scope of a CMMC assessment Why continuous logging, monitoring, documentation, and response support ongoing readiness And more! Connect with Tony Pietrocola: AgileBlue LinkedIn: AgileBlue YouTube: @agileblue LinkedIn: Tony Pietrocola Connect with Joe Marquette: LinkedIn: Joe Marquette Connect with Rick Olivier: Eide Bailly LinkedIn: Rick Olivier Email: [email protected] Phone: 605-951-0447

If the FTC reviewed your car dealership today, could you prove that your cybersecurity practices match your written policies and protect customer data? In this episode, host Tony Pietrocola, President and Co-founder of AgileBlue, and co-host Joe Marquette, AgileBlue CEO and Co-founder, speak with James S. Ganther, Owner and CEO of Mosaic Compliance Services, about FTC Safeguards Rule compliance for car dealerships. They explain why written policies and purchased technology aren’t enough without testing and verification. The conversation covers phishing, employee training, risk assessments, qualified individuals, and network vulnerability assessments. James also explains how dealerships can document that their cybersecurity controls work as intended. Key takeaways: What the FTC Safeguards Rule requires car dealerships to document, monitor, test, and verify in practice Why a written information security program must reflect the dealership’s real cybersecurity controls and risks How phishing and stolen credentials can expose customer records, dealership systems, and daily operations What network vulnerability assessments can uncover about missing controls and customer data exposure How qualified individuals, employee training, technology partners, and regular audits support compliance And more! Connect with Tony Pietrocola: AgileBlue LinkedIn: AgileBlue YouTube: @agileblue LinkedIn: Tony Pietrocola Connect with Joe Marquette: LinkedIn: Joe Marquette Connect with James S. Ganther: Mosaic Compliance Services LinkedIn: James S. Ganther LinkedIn: Mosaic Compliance Services

As organizations face growing cybersecurity hiring challenges, cybersecurity staffing shortages, and uncertainty around how AI will impact cybersecurity careers, security leaders are being forced to rethink how they recruit, develop, and retain talent. In this episode, host Tony Pietrocola, President and Co-founder of AgileBlue, and co-host Joe Marquette, AgileBlue CEO and Co-founder, sit down with Julia Armstrong, Executive Director of the Institute for Cybersecurity and Digital Trust at The Ohio State University, to discuss the cybersecurity talent shortage, skills-based hiring, workforce development, and the future of cybersecurity careers. Their conversation explores how universities, industry, and government can work together to prepare the next generation of cyber professionals and build stronger, more resilient security teams. Key takeaways: Why the cybersecurity talent shortage continues to impact organizations. How skills-based hiring is changing cybersecurity recruitment. What role AI may play in future cybersecurity careers. Why workforce development is critical to cyber resilience. How collaboration between academia, industry, and government can help close the cybersecurity skills gap. And more! Connect with Tony Pietrocola: AgileBlue LinkedIn: AgileBlue YouTube: @agileblue LinkedIn: Tony Pietrocola Connect with Joe Marquette: LinkedIn: Joe Marquette Connect with Julia Armstrong: The Ohio State University LinkedIn: Julia Armstrong