John Caballero for Top Cyber News MAGAZINE August 2025

3Top Cyber News MAGAZINE - August 2025 - All Rights Reserved
John Caballero – the Defender, the Leader that secures the Future
Cybersecurity's Greatest Failure is a Leadership Gap, Not a Skills Gap
The so-called “cybersecurity skills gap” has long been misunderstood. What the field faces is
not a deficit of capable professionals, but a generational leadership gap. There is no shortage
of responders, engineers, or defenders. What is scarce are the architects - the leaders who rise
above the urgency of firefighting to design strategies, systems, and cultures that endure.
For decades, immediacy has been rewarded. The heroes who contain breaches at midnight
have been celebrated, while the visionaries who could have prevented those breaches through
foresight and design were overlooked. To meet the demands of tomorrow, cybersecurity
leadership must evolve: from reaction to anticipation, from patching to building, from defending
the moment to shaping the future. Generational Excellence embodies this shift. It is a
philosophy rooted in legacy - the determination to build resilience that outlasts technologies,
threats, and even individual leaders. True security is not measured in incident reports, but in
the cultures and infrastructures that remain strong across decades.
John Caballero is a living example of this principle. His journey - from technician to strategist
to mentor - illustrates the rare progression that cybersecurity now requires. His career offers a
blueprint for cultivating leaders who will not only defend, but also design, the secure digital
society the future demands.
With admiration and respect, Top Cyber News MAGA ZINE

“For too long, the world celebrated only the midnight responders - the heroes who
rushed into flames. But the Generation of Defenders takes the torch further. They
are builders as much as protectors, shaping the shield of tomorrow while ensuring
that vigilance becomes legacy.” ~ Dr. Diane M. Janosek, Global Cybersecurity Leader. CEO Janos LLC
The Generation of Defenders
5Top Cyber News MAGAZINE - August 2025 - All Rights Reserved
Five years ago, Dr. Ludmila Morozova-Buss launched Top Cyber News MAGAZINE not just as
a publication, but as a movement. A signal fire for clarity in the increasingly complex world of
cybersecurity. Her vision was bold: to create a platform where insights, innovation, and
diverse perspectives could converge to illuminate the path forward. Today, as we mark the
magazine’s third anniversary, it is clear she succeeded. And continues to lead the way.
I have had the honour of contributing to Top Cyber News MAGAZINE over the years. As a
cover feature, as an author, and as a proud member of the magazine’s global community. I
have watched firsthand how Dr. Ludmila’s passion and precision have transformed an idea
into an international platform of influence. Through her leadership, Top Cyber News
MAGAZINE has become more than a monthly digest. It has become a trusted voice for
cybersecurity professionals, innovators, and changemakers across disciplines and continents.
It is only fitting that this anniversary issue opens with John Caballero’s powerful article,
“Cyber Clarity in the Chaos.” His message could not be more timely or more aligned with the
core of this magazine’s mission. He writes, “The storm will never stop. Engineering clarity
means building systems, teams, and strategies designed to withstand the storm and also to
navigate through it.” That storm - cyber complexity, evolving threats, regulatory shifts, and
technological acceleration - has only grown stronger. But so has our ability to meet it with
intention. What John so eloquently calls a “light of clarity” is exactly what Top Cyber News
MAGAZINE has offered since its inception. And it is why this article belongs at the forefront
of this milestone issue.
Dr. Ludmila’s founding vision - to shine a light not to blind, but to illuminate the next step
forward for all of us in our global cybercommunity - is reflected on every page of this
magazine. She sees the digital world through the lens of a mathematician and scientist: every
insight is a variable, every voice a vital constant in the equation for a safer, smarter digital
future. Her mission has remained unwavering:
•To share expertise – Like solving a complex equation, this magazine dissects the
challenges of cybersecurity into meaningful, actionable intelligence.
•To inspire the next generation – bridging skills gaps is not just good policy – it is a necessity
for our future. Top Cyber News MAGAZINE nurtures the pipeline of talent we all depend on.
•To amplify diverse voices – Innovation does not flourish in uniformity. It thrives in
inclusion. And this publication proudly lifts up voices from around the world.
•And now - featuring the Generation of Defenders.
Editorial by Dr. Diane M. Janosek,UnitedStates

6Top Cyber News MAGAZINE - August 2025 - All Rights Reserved
by Dr. Diane M. Janosek>>
Every era is defined by the spirit of its guardians. Today, we stand at a decisive moment in
history, one where cybersecurity is no longer a specialized craft hidden in the background but
the backbone of our societies, economies, and freedoms. And at the heart of this
transformation rises a force unlike any before: the Generation of Defenders.
This is not a generation marked by age but by purpose. They are the architects of resilience,
the guardians of digital civilization, the leaders who transform chaos into clarity. Born to
defend, destined to lead, they see beyond the breach of the day to the systems, strategies,
and cultures that secure the decades ahead.
For too long, the world celebrated only the midnight responders - the heroes who rushed into
flames. But the Generation of Defenders takes the torch further. They are builders as much
as protectors, shaping the shield of tomorrow while ensuring that vigilance becomes legacy.
At Top Cyber News MAGAZINE, this edition is dedicated to them: the thinkers and doers, the
strategists and visionaries, the bridge-builders who embody the universal mission of defense.
Together, they define not only the future of cybersecurity but the very future of leadership
itself.
The World may call us Defenders
History will call us the Generation that secured the Future
In a world of rapid change, Top Cyber News MAGAZINE has remained a steady force.
Amplifying what matters, celebrating each other, challenging assumptions, and lighting the
way forward. For those of us working at the intersection of cyber, policy, innovation, and
leadership, this magazine has been a resource and a rallying point.
As I reflect on these past five years, I want to personally thank Dr. Ludmila for her vision, her
tireless work, and her commitment to excellence. She did not just found a MAGAZINE. She
created a global forum for thought leadership. She has helped turn readers into leaders and
insights into influence.
And to John Caballero - thank you for giving us a piece that captures the very heart of what
this issue, and this magazine, represent. Cybersecurity is no longer simply about preventing
harm. It is about engineering resilience. It is about designing systems, teams, and strategies
that don’t just survive the storm, but grow stronger through it. Clarity, as you so rightly
remind us, is not a destination. It is a discipline. It is a way of thinking. It is a way of building.
As we celebrate this anniversary, let us recommit to that clarity. Let us continue to share, to
lead, and, to advocate and to listen to each other. Let us move forward with boldness,
collaboration, and yes - light.
Here’s to Top Cyber News MAGAZINE, to the five years, and to the many more ahead!
Yours in Cyber,
Dr. Diane M. Janosek - a dedicated cybersecurity leader, board member, and author. As CEO
of Janos LLC, she leverages her law degree and PhD in Cyber Leadership to focus on the
intersection of law, policy, and technology.

Cyber In Focus Photography Contest
by Top Cyber News MAGAZINE!
Behind every line of code and beyond every firewall, human stories are waiting to be told.
Technology shapes our world. Your lens reveals its truth.
We are seeking unflinching, authentic documentary photography that uncovers the real
people behind cybersecurity and digital transformation. No staged scenes. No AI
enhancements. Just raw, observed moments that reveal how technology shapes lives around
the world. We invite photographers, tech enthusiasts, and cyber professionals to capture the
unseen narratives of our digital age - where silicon meets soul.
Thank you, Chuck Brooks, United States
Empower diverse minds. Attract bold talent.
Build resilient, unbreakable security.
~ Dr. Ludmila Morozova-Buss for Top Cyber News MAGAZINE
8Top Cyber News MAGAZINE - August 2025 - All Rights Reserved

@thecybersecurityhub
World’s Premier Cyber Security Portal
The Cyber Security Hub
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11Top Cyber News MAGAZINE - August 2025 - All Rights Reserved
Architect of Cybersecurity Resilience and Generational Leadership
John Caballero is a Director of Information Technology and Security with more than 20 years
of proven success across both the public and private sectors. His leadership blends technical
mastery, strategic foresight, and a deep understanding of the human element in cybersecurity.
Known as a leader, communicator, educator, and mentor, John has earned a reputation as both
a problem-solver and a bridge-builder - creating cultures of trust, resilience, and forward-
thinking strategy.
At TerraCyber, John serves as an operations consultant, author, and speaker, guiding small and
mid-sized businesses in adopting enterprise-grade cybersecurity strategies. He designs long-
term IT and security roadmaps, delivers executive education, and helps organizations transform
their cultures from reactive security avoidance to proactive resilience.
Previously, as Director of IT and Security for Enterprise Florida (Florida Commerce), John led
statewide cybersecurity and IT operations under 6 Secretaries of Commerce. His initiatives
reduced security exposure by over 90%, saved millions through risk management, contracts,
and grants, and strengthened Florida’s global economic footprint with secure IT infrastructure
for international offices.
He spearheaded compliance with NIST 800-53, enhanced disaster preparedness, and
transformed security culture through communication, training, and mentorship. He has advised
countless other companies in security practices, process and application improvements.
John’s expertise spans target and adversarial thinking, cyber-psychology, risk management,
threat prevention, GRC frameworks, disaster recovery, IT operations, strategic planning and
Email Security, his specialty. Beyond technical leadership, he is passionate about mentoring,
empowering teams, and equipping the next generation of cybersecurity architects.
A Florida native whose family history connects to aviation pioneers and Star Trek creator Gene
Roddenberry, John grew up immersed in stories of exploration, innovation, and resilience. This
heritage shaped both his love for science fiction and his approach to technology - blending
imagination with discipline, foresight with execution.
Fluent in multiple languages and experienced across cultures, John brings a global and human
perspective to cybersecurity leadership. He is a member of The CISO Society, The Professional
Association of CISOs, The Fair Institute, Third Party Risk Association, the Society of Motion
Picture and Television Engineers and serves on a confidential board of advisors guiding
technology startups.
Today, John Caballero continues to stand out as a Strategic Advisor, Cultural Builder, and
advocate for Generational Excellence - ensuring that technology, teams, and leaders are
equipped not just for today’s challenges, but for the future yet to come.
Human Talent is the Beating Heart of Progress, and Understanding its Influence on
Digital Innovation is Vital to Shaping a More Secure and Prosperous Digital Future.
~ Dr. Ludmila Morozova-Buss for Top Cyber News MAGAZINE

In a field where speed often outruns strategy and tools eclipse people, we reached out to
one of cybersecurity’s most grounded and visionary leaders. This conversation explores
trust, transformation, and the future we are engineering today.
John Caballero’s leadership philosophy is rooted in generational wisdom and forward-
thinking innovation, blending grit, curiosity, and a deep respect for the human element in
cyber defense. With a background spanning mission-critical infrastructure, emerging
technology integration, and team culture transformation, John brings a clarity-first approach
to complex security challenges.
Whether mentoring the next generation, challenging the inertia of “we’ve always done it this
way,” or reframing cybersecurity as a strategic enabler, John is the kind of leader who
builds systems that last and develops people who lead with integrity. In this conversation,
he reflects on the values that shaped him, the lessons learned from both seasoned and
rising professionals, and the legacy he hopes to leave behind.
On Generational Excellence
[Brooke Cook] John, how have past generations shaped your professional values?
[John Caballero] I grew up around people who believed in showing up, doing the work, and doing
it right. My father taught me never to be afraid to try, and my mentors instilled in me the
conviction that leadership is earned. I carry those lessons forward by focusing not only on
outcomes but also on people - the ones who inherit the systems we build and the values we
model. Integrity, reliability, and pride in a job done well are the principles that stuck with me. In
cybersecurity, that translates into a refusal to cut corners, a commitment to accountability, and a
responsibility to leave systems better than I found them.
Interview conducted by Brooke Cook>>
John Caballero on Trust, Transformation, the Future of Cybersecurity,
Generational Excellence, and A Paradoxical Perspective on Generational Leadership
With Generation Z entering the workforce, many workplaces today encompass five different
generations. This reality has made generational leadership a “hot topic.”
Yet, leading people across age groups and across other dimensions of diversity is not a new
discipline. On the contrary, workplaces have always had to accommodate individuals at different
stages of their personal and professional lives. This dynamic has long presented both challenges
and opportunities, while also generating a wealth of knowledge worth reexamining today.
When we apply paradox theory to generational leadership, a tension becomes clear: we cannot
definitively say whether generational differences exist or not. The answer is both yes and no.
Differences undeniably exist within, between, and across generations, because every individual is
unique. Yet there are also universal elements of working life that unite us, regardless of age.
Embracing this paradox requires a ‘both–and’ mindset: valuing the distinctions while also
recognizing the common ground.
It is from this lens that the following reflections take shape.
12Top Cyber News MAGAZINE - August 2025 - All Rights Reserved

[Brooke Cook] John, how do you define
“generational excellence,” and how are you
contributing to it for those who follow?
[John Caballero] To me, generational
excellence means carrying forward what
works, improving what doesn’t, and ensuring
the next group is better equipped than we
were. It is not about competing with the
previous generation, but about honoring what
they built while giving the next more clarity,
more tools, and more space to lead on their
own terms. In practice, that means mentoring,
documenting lessons learned, and creating
systems and teams that remain strong even
when one person steps away. My goal is not
to be the best. I want to be the bridge.
Generational Excellence in cyber and
technology contexts refers to building
systems, processes, and organizational
capabilities that transcend individual
tenure and create lasting value across
multiple generations of technology
evolution and workforce transitions.
Core Components:
Sustainable Architecture:
•Designing technology infrastructure that can
evolve and scale beyond current leadership
•Creating systems that don't rely on single
points of knowledge or "hero" administrators
•Building modular, well, documented
solutions that future teams can understand
and enhance
Knowledge Transfer Resilience:
•Establishing robust documentation and
training programs that preserve institutional
knowledge
•Creating mentorship structures where
seasoned professionals transfer critical
expertise
•Developing standardized processes that
maintain effectiveness regardless of personnel
changes
Adaptive Technology Strategy:
•Building flexible frameworks that can
incorporate emerging technologies without
complete overhauls
•Creating governance structures that balance
innovation with stability
•Establishing evaluation criteria for
technology adoption that considers long, term
sustainability
Cultural Continuity:
•Fostering a security first mindset that
persists across leadership changes
•Embedding continuous learning and
improvement into organizational DNA
•Creating accountability structures that
maintain standards over time
Practical Applications:
In Cybersecurity:
•Implementing security frameworks that
evolve with threat landscapes
•Creating incident response procedures that
work regardless of who's on duty
•Building threat intelligence capabilities that
improve over successive generations
In Technology Management:
•Designing infrastructure that supports both
current needs and future growth
•Creating vendor relationships and
technology partnerships that provide long
term value
•Establishing budget and planning processes
that enable sustained investment
Generational Excellence essentially
means creating technology and
security programs that get stronger
over time, rather than degrading when
key personnel leave or technology
shifts occur.
In the context of cybersecurity and
technology, Generational Excellence is an
organizational philosophy centered on creating
a sustainable, ever, improving security posture
that transcends individual tenures.
Interview conducted by Brooke Cook>>
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It's about intentionally building a culture and
operational framework where each generation
of professionals inherits a stronger, more
intelligent security ecosystem than the one
before it. This is achieved by systematically
capturing and transferring institutional
knowledge while actively integrating the fresh
perspectives and native digital skills of new
talent.
Generational excellence moves beyond simply
having skilled individuals in roles. It involves
creating a synergistic environment where the
deep experience of veteran professionals is
combined with the innovative outlook of
younger generations. This dynamic ensures
that the organization's defenses are not static
but continuously evolving.
This concept is fundamentally built upon two
interconnected pillars:
Resilience and Agile Adaptability.
Resilience:
The Foundation of Endurance
In cybersecurity, resilience is the capacity to
prepare for, withstand, and recover from
cyberattacks and other disruptive events. It's
the bedrock of generational excellence,
ensuring that the organization can maintain its
core functions and protect its critical assets
even when faced with an adverse event, such
as a ransomware attack or a data breach.
Key components of resilience that contribute
to generational excellence include:
•Robust Infrastructure and Architecture:
Building systems with security in mind from
the ground up.
•Proactive Threat Management: Moving
from a reactive to a proactive stance by
identifying and mitigating risks before they are
exploited.
•Comprehensive Recovery Plans: Ensuring
that in the event of a successful attack, the
organization can restore data and operations
quickly, minimizing financial and reputational
damage.
•Knowledge Transfer and Mentorship:
Experienced professionals, like Baby Boomers
and Gen X, impart wisdom about long, term
strategy and navigating complex challenges,
building the institutional knowledge that
strengthens the organization's core.
Agile Adaptability:
The Engine of Evolution
While resilience provides the stable
foundation, agile adaptability is the engine that
drives the organization forward. In the
constantly shifting landscape of technology
and cyber threats, agility is the ability to be
nimble, flexible, and respond quickly to new
and emerging challenges. An agile approach to
cybersecurity emphasizes continuous
improvement, rapid response, and proactive
threat mitigation.
Agile adaptability fosters generational
excellence by:
•Embracing New Technologies: Younger
generations, such as Millennials and Gen Z,
often bring a native fluency with the latest
digital tools and can accelerate the adoption of
new technologies and methodologies.
•Iterative Security Practices: Integrating
security into every stage of the development
lifecycle (DevSecOps) allows for the early
detection and remediation of vulnerabilities.
•Fostering a Culture of Continuous Learning
An agile mindset encourages teams to learn
from incidents without blame, strengthening
defenses and improving processes.
•Challenging Existing Norms: The fresh
perspectives of emerging professionals can
challenge outdated practices and drive
innovation, preventing stagnation.
Generational Excellence in cyber and
technology is the outcome of a deliberate
strategy that combines the stability and
resilience with the dynamic and forward
moving nature of agile adaptability. It’s about
creating a living, learning security culture that
honors the lessons of the past while
embracing the innovations of the future.
Interview conducted by Brooke Cook>>
15Top Cyber News MAGAZINE - August 2025 - All Rights Reserved

Bringing broad experience together
with fresh ideas can create the secret
sauce of innovation and long-term
success.
"Resilience without curiosity is stagnation"
This statement is not just an opinion; it is a
fundamental truth in cybersecurity and
technology, supported by observable evidence
in both successful and failed security
programs. Here’s a breakdown of why and the
support for this position.
Why the Statement is True:
The Core Argument
At its core, the statement highlights the
difference between a static defense and an
adaptive one.
•Resilience Alone is a Fortress with a Fixed
Blueprint: A resilient system is designed to
withstand known pressures and recover from
predictable failures. It has strong walls, well-
defined processes, and robust backups.
However, if it never changes, it becomes a
static target. Attackers, who are persistently
curious and innovative, will study the
blueprint, find the flaws, and develop tools to
bypass its defenses. This is stagnation, a state
of being strong against old threats but brittle
and vulnerable to new ones.
•Curiosity is the Engine of Adaptation:
Curiosity is the proactive impulse to ask "What
if?", "Why?", and "What's next?". It drives a
security team to hunt for threats that don't yet
have a signature, to question long-held
assumptions, and to explore new technologies
before they become mainstream risks. It is the
force that updates the fortress's blueprint,
adds new layers of defense, and redesigns
choke points before the enemy discovers
them.
Without curiosity, resilience becomes a
monument to past best practices, not a
living defense for the future.
There is ample support for this concept across
multiple domains:
1. The Evolving Threat Landscape:
The most direct evidence is the nature of
cybersecurity itself. Attackers are relentlessly
curious and creative.
•From Perimeter to Identity: For years, the
resilient model was a strong network
perimeter (firewalls, IDS). Curious attackers
bypassed this with social engineering and
stolen credentials, forcing the industry to
adopt a more curious, identity-centric model
like Zero Trust, which asks "Should this
user/device really be accessing this resource,
right now?" Add more about Zero Trust?
•AI-Powered Attacks: Attackers are now
using AI to create more convincing phishing
emails and develop polymorphic malware. A
resilient but incurious defense, reliant on old
signatures, will fail. A curious defense
explores how to use AI for behavioral analysis
and anomaly detection to counter these new
threats.
•Supply Chain Attacks: The SolarWinds and
Kaseya breaches demonstrated that even if
your organization is resilient, attackers will find
curious new ways in through trusted third-
party vendors. A curious mindset leads to
robust third-party risk management and a
"trust but verify" approach.
2. The Innovator's Dilemma in Security:
Clayton Christensen's famous business theory
applies perfectly here. The theory states that
successful, established companies (resilient)
often fail because they ignore the disruptive
innovations that will eventually unseat them.
•The "Resilient" CISO: A CISO who built a
best-in-class on-premise security program in
2010 was resilient. But if they lacked curiosity
about the cloud, they were completely
unprepared for the security challenges of
AWS, Azure and SaaS, IaaS and PaaS
applications. Their resilience led directly to
stagnation and irrelevance.
Interview conducted by Brooke Cook>>
16Top Cyber News MAGAZINE - August 2025 - All Rights Reserved

Interview conducted by Brooke Cook>>
•Legacy Technology: Many large organizations run on legacy systems that are incredibly resilient
in the sense that they are stable and rarely crash. However, they are often unpatchable and full of
vulnerabilities. A culture of resilience without curiosity says, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." A culture
that includes curiosity asks, "What is the unmanaged risk of this system, and what is our plan to
migrate away from it?"
3. The Principles of a Learning Organization:
High-performing security teams operate as "learning organizations." This model, popularized by
Peter Senge, is built on curiosity.
•Blameless Postmortems: A resilient-only culture might fire someone after an incident. A
learning culture conducts a blameless postmortem to ask, "Why did our process fail? How can we
improve the system?" This curiosity is what turns a failure into a stronger defense. Though
exceptions should be made for arrogant disregard for following reasonable best practices and the
advice of your experts.
•Threat Hunting and Red Teaming: These functions are curiosity in action. Instead of waiting for
an alert (a sign of resilience being tested), these teams proactively search for weaknesses and
simulate attacks to find vulnerabilities before adversaries do. They are driven by the question,
"How could we be breached?"
Resilience ensures you can survive an attack today. Curiosity ensures your
defenses will still be relevant tomorrow.
A program focused solely on resilience is building a hard shell that will eventually crack. A program
that combines resilience with curiosity builds a living immune system, one that not only withstands
known attacks but actively seeks out, learns from, and adapts to new ones. The statement is not
just accurate; it is a strategic imperative for survival in the digital age.
17Top Cyber News MAGAZINE - August 2025 - All Rights Reserved

Interview conducted by Brooke Cook>>
[Brooke Cook] Many people frame generational dynamics as a clash. How do you see it?
[John Caballero] I don’t see it as a clash, but as a continuum. Yes, each generation brings its own
lens shaped by the world they grew up in - whether it’s the Cold War, the internet boom, or the AI
era. And yet, what I consistently find is that all of us, regardless of age, want to build something
meaningful and secure. The details differ, but the mission doesn’t.
[Brooke Cook] John! What have you learned from emerging professionals in the field?
[John Caballero] They ask good questions and challenge assumptions. Sometimes they see
simpler paths where others see complexity. I’ve learned to listen more, explain less, focus on
clarity over tradition and to value voices that aren't always in the room, but should be.
19Top Cyber News MAGAZINE - August 2025 - All Rights Reserved
On Intersection of Technologies
[Brooke Cook] John, how do you view the
intersection of old and new technologies?
[John Caballero] I see it as both a crucible
and a catalyst. Legacy systems carry risk, but
also knowledge, like embedded business logic
and institutional memory. Modern
technologies offer scale and speed, but they
need the context that only a seasoned
infrastructure can provide. It holds core
business logic and operational history. At the
same time, modern tools offer better visibility,
automation, and scalability. Success comes
from integration and replacement but done in
a way that reduces risk and improves
performance. My role is to make that
handshake happens cleanly and securely. You
can’t throw away legacy infrastructure
overnight.
[Brooke Cook] Where do you see the
biggest risks and opportunities with
emerging tech?
[John Caballero] The biggest risk is assuming
automation equals understanding and new
means secure. AI and machine learning can
accelerate detection, but without the right
human framing, they can create blind spots. A
tool is only as good as its configuration and
oversight. The opportunity lies in augmenting,
not replacing, human insight. Tech should
reflect the ethics and intentions of those who
deploy it.
The opportunity with automation is reducing
human error, scaling response, and flagging
issues faster, keeping in mind it has to be
designed and governed properly.
[Brooke Cook] How do you reconcile
innovation with resilience?
[John Caballero] Innovation without discipline
is chaos. Resilience without curiosity is
stagnation. I reconcile them by designing
systems that are flexible at the edges but
secure at the core, adaptive security models,
modular architecture, and policies that evolve
with the threat landscape. Balance is
engineered, not assumed. Resilience is the
baseline, if as system breaks under pressure,
it doesn’t matter how advanced it is. I adopt
new tools after stress-testing them and
making sure they improve security posture
without introducing complexity we can’t
manage.
On Collaboration vs. Competition
[Brooke Cook] How does the human factor
shape your view on collaboration?
[John Caballero] Cybersecurity is still very
human. Fear, ego, bias, and uncertainty often
drive siloed behavior. Understanding the
motivation behind those responses helps me
design environments where professionals feel
safe sharing threat data or admitting they need
help. This insight helps me humanize the
perimeter. It reminds us that people don’t
always act logically under stress.

Interview conducted by Brooke Cook>>
20Top Cyber News MAGAZINE - August 2025 - All Rights Reserved
In security, if teams don’t trust each
other, communication breaks down and
that’s where mistakes happen.
Encouraging open collaboration lowers risk
and keeps problems from getting buried.
Practice helps develop mental muscle
memory.
[Brooke Cook] What happens when
professionals operate in silos?
[John Caballero] Projects fail, threats get
missed, resources are wasted, and people get
burned out trying to solve problems in
isolation. Silos make professionals feel like
they’re the only ones carrying the load.
Collaboration, on the other hand, gives
context, community, and force multiplication.
No single team can see the full picture
anymore. Security requires coordination
across functions.
[Brooke Cook] What role does collaboration
play in threat response?
[John Caballero] It’s everything. No single
entity has the full picture. It's critical. You need
shared data, shared understanding, and clear
roles. The faster teams align, the faster you
contain and recover. A fragmented response
just extends the damage. When threat actors
collaborate in real-time, defenders can’t afford
to operate in delay. Shared intelligence, joint
exercises, and coordinated playbooks are the
new firewall.
On Knowledge Sharing & Ingroup
Bias (Tribalism)
[Brooke Cook] Why must knowledge be
shared rather than siloed?
[John Caballero] Because the threat is
evolving faster than any one person, company,
or sector can respond to alone. Knowledge
hoarding creates a false sense of power. No
one wins when knowledge is hoarded.
Security is too complex and fast-moving. If
someone figures something out that improves
defense, that information should be passed on
internally and, where appropriate, across the
industry. Real power is in shared
understanding and collective readiness. I
share because I want the next person to have
a shorter path to clarity than I did.
[Brooke Cook] Have you encountered
ingroup bias or gatekeeping?
[John Caballero] Absolutely. There are still
rooms where status matters more than skill,
and where newer voices are dismissed before
they’re heard. Sometimes it comes from
insecurity or fear of being replaced. I’ve seen
how damaging that mindset can be. I lead by
example, sharing what I know and
encouraging others to do the same. It
improves team performance and retention. I
challenge that by mentoring across levels,
championing diverse perspectives, and
speaking truth even when it’s inconvenient,
success is created.
Ego is the oldest vulnerability in
cybersecurity and culture eats strategy
for breakfast.
[Brooke Cook] How can we foster inclusive,
cross-generational ecosystems?
[John Caballero] Keep it simple. Treat
people with respect, focus on the mission,
and don’t make assumptions based on
gender, age or background. Give people the
tools and space to prove themselves. Build
systems where feedback flows in all
directions, and where learning is
continuous, not positional. Diverse teams
aren’t a checkbox, they are an architecture
choice.

Interview conducted by Brooke Cook>>
22Top Cyber News MAGAZINE - August 2025 - All Rights Reserved
On Vision, Culture, And Future
[Brooke Cook] John, if you could design a
“Universal Cyber Culture” for the next
generation of professionalsglobally, what
values would be non-negotiable?
[John Caballero] Clarity over jargon. Integrity
over ego. Collaboration over credit. Do the
work. Share what you know. Own your
mistakes. Improve every system you touch.
Never stop learning because the threats won’t
stop evolving. Above all, the courage to ask
questions, because culture is the ultimate
control layer.
Non-negotiable: Responsibility, Accountability
Integrity, Respect, and Transparency. Keep
your word.
Tag Phrase: Listen, Learn and Launch… into
Success.
[Brooke Cook] What advice would you give
to someone entering the cybersecurity field
today who wants to build both skill and
integrity?
[John Caballero] Diverse perspectives provide
both a sounding board and insight. Learn the
basics but don’t silo yourself. You need Time,
Talent, Tools, Authority and Management
Backing (TTTAM). Without all you are likely to
fail or succeed poorly. Trust your instincts but
also accept and learn when you are wrong.
[Brooke Cook] Where and how you see your
future field of influence and leadership?
[John Caballero] With the number of cyber
incidents targeting large, long-established
companies increasing daily, it’s clear that what
is currently being done is no longer enough.
Traditional defenses are reactive, fragmented,
and often detached from the real-world
pressures organizations face during digital
transformation. I see my future field of
influence in reshaping this landscape, not by
adding more tools or policies, but by
reframing the conversation itself. I aim to
challenge the mindset that cyber-security
is a constraint or a cost center. Instead, I want
to position it as a strategic capability, an
enabler of trust, agility, and innovation. This
requires bridging silos between IT and
business, between engineers and leaders, and
between digital systems and the human
beings who depend on them. My leadership
will focus on aligning technical resilience with
psychological safety, driving clarity in the
midst of chaos, and building cross-disciplinary
coalitions that can engineer adaptive security
at scale.
Through speaking, writing, mentoring, and
driving initiatives across industries, I will
continue pushing for a model of cybersecurity
that values clarity over fear, design over
default, and strategic trust over static control.
In short, I will lead the shift from defending
systems to empowering people.
On Cybersecurity Leadership &
Strategy
[Brooke Cook] In your experience, what’s
the most overlooked element in building a
modern security program?
[John Caballero] Clarity. Too many programs
jump straight into tools and controls without
clearly defining what they’re protecting, who
owns what, or how success is measured. If
you don’t have alignment between business
priorities, IT infrastructure, and security
architecture, you end up chasing symptoms
instead of addressing root risk.
[Brooke Cook] What is your approach to
balancing risk appetite with operational
agility in large organizations?
[John Caballero] Start with risk
segmentation, what can break the
business, what will hurt the brand, and
what’s tolerable. Then build security into
the process, not on top of it. Agility comes
from preparing teams to adapt safely not
from removing guardrails. I aim for a
framework that allows speed where
needed, and discipline where required.

Interview conducted by Brooke Cook>>
23Top Cyber News MAGAZINE - August 2025 - All Rights Reserved
[Brooke Cook] How do you build and lead
cross-functional security teams that can
scale with technology and threat evolution?
[John Caballero] First, I build trust across
functions and skill sets. Then I define roles,
workflows, and escalation paths that reflect
both technical complexity and business reality.
You can’t scale if everyone’s duplicating effort
or working in isolation. I invest in
documentation, repeatable playbooks, and
cross-training to make sure teams stay aligned
as the environment grows.
On Intersection Of Tech, Business,
And Culture
[Brooke Cook] What does responsible
innovation look like in cybersecurity?
[John Caballero] It means building with
intention. Don’t deploy new tech just
because it’s trending, use it to solve real,
measurable problems. Responsible
innovation considers impact, longevity, and
downstream effects. If it can’t be
supported, maintained, or explained, it
doesn’t belong in production.
[Brooke Cook] How do you evaluate
whether a new technology is hype, helpful,
or harmful in a production environment?
[John Caballero] I use a three-part
framework: functionality, fit, and fallout.
First, does the tool actually solve a relevant
problem or improve an existing capability
in a meaningful way? Second, does it fit
into the current or near-future architecture
without creating massive overhead or
disruption? Third, and most overlooked,
what are the corollary effects? Will this add
cognitive burden, fragment workflows, or
create new attack surfaces? I also insist on
pilots and measurable outcomes. If a
vendor can’t explain how their solution
reduces real-world risk, it’s probably noise.
New tech needs to be tested not just for
flash, but for its ability to integrate, endure,
and support human decision-making.
Helpful technology is clear in purpose,
integrates well with existing systems,
and produces measurable outcomes.
[Brooke Cook] How should organizations
prepare their workforce for the integration
of AI and automation into security
operations?
[John Caballero] Preparation starts with
mindset, not machinery. Too many people fear
that AI will replace them. Here the real
opportunity is augmentation. I would work to
reframe the conversation: AI can take the
repetitive, high-volume tasks off your plate so
that human analysts can focus on judgment,
intuition, and anomaly detection. That requires
training and also cultural guidance. I would
introduce AI tools incrementally, pair them
with human oversight, and ensure
transparency in how they operate. More
importantly, I would align the introduction of AI
with career development, showing teams how
these tools can make their work more
valuable, not less. When done right, AI
integration strengthens the human side of
cybersecurity.
Lastly, update policies, roles, and training to
support AI-assisted decision-making without
creating blind spots.
On Knowledge Sharing, Culture, &
The Human Factor
[Brooke Cook] John, how do you encourage
technical professionals to think beyond
their lane without stepping into chaos?
[John Caballero] Give them visibility into the
bigger picture, what happens upstream and
downstream of their role. Then define
boundaries for input vs. ownership. I want
engineers to understand the business context,
and I want architects to understand
operational limitations. You create structured
pathways for exploration. This means
formalizing cross-functional collaborations
through tiger teams, pilot programs, or co-
owned projects.

Interview conducted by Brooke Cook>>
24Top Cyber News MAGAZINE - August 2025 - All Rights Reserved
It also means giving people the safety to
speak outside their discipline without fear
of embarrassment. I’ve seen some of the
best process innovations emerge from
someone asking, “Why do we do it this
way?” I also incentivize knowledge sharing
through recognition and career growth.
People need to know that stepping up
won’t get them in trouble, it’ll get them
seen.
The challenge is to prevent scope
creep while encouraging ownership
and to make sure there are clear
boundaries so that collaboration
doesn’t turn into turf battles. Cross-
functional awareness is a strength, as
long as accountability remains clear.
[Brooke Cook] Where do you think ego
shows up most destructively in
cybersecurity and how do you address it?
[John Caballero] It shows up when people
combine identity with their technical expertise,
confuse complexity with competence, or when
admitting gaps is seen as weakness. Ego
becomes destructive when it overrides
collaboration or blinds teams to new
information. It shows up in refusal to
acknowledge mistakes, in knowledge
hoarding, or in senior experts dismissing
junior insights. I address it by making it
normal to ask questions, document decisions,
and conduct post-incident reviews without
blame. If you’re leading with ego, you’re hiding
risk and that’s unacceptable in this field. The
more we normalize adaptation and learning,
the less room ego has to derail progress. In
cultures built on trust and mutual respect, ego
gives way to curiosity and shared success.
Admitting what you don’t know and learning
publicly. That sets a tone for performance, not
posturing.
[Brooke Cook] What role does psychological
safety play in your leadership style and
how does it affect security performance?
[John Caballero] It is essential. If your team is
afraid to speak up, they won’t report near-
misses, misconfigurations, or emerging risks.
That silence becomes the most dangerous
vulnerability in your system. I’ve found that
when people know they won’t be punished for
bringing up problems or for not having all the
answers, they perform better, solve faster, and
think more strategically.
Psychological safety doesn’t mean
lowering standards, it means removing
fear so that standards can be met.
I create this environment through
transparency, consistency, and trust.
Environments where feedback is expected,
and problems are treated as signals to
improve, not opportunities to assign blame.
Looking Forward
[Brooke Cook] What excites you most about
where cybersecurity is headed and what
keeps you up at night?
[John Caballero] I am excited by the shift
toward visibility. More organizations are
prioritizing identity, telemetry, and behavioral
baselines. We’re finally seeing more
investment in prevention, in design-based
security, in human-centric frameworks.
There’s growing maturity across the field, and
that opens doors for smarter, more integrated
solutions that don’t rely on alert fatigue or
chasing indicators forever.
What keeps me up is the scale and speed of
attacks, especially when paired with slow
internal processes or lack of executive
urgency. The danger is complexity, how
interdependent everything is, and how a single
failure can ripple across systems, sectors,
even countries. We’ve architected a global
digital society that depends on trust but we
haven’t embedded trust deeply enough into
the architecture. Have you considered our
weakest link is still misaligned incentives?
Unless we fix that, attackers will always have
the upper hand.

Interview conducted by Brooke Cook>>
25Top Cyber News MAGAZINE - August 2025 - All Rights Reserved
[Brooke Cook] If you could redesign
cybersecurity culture from scratch, what
would you prioritize first?
[John Caballero] I would start with mission
literacy. Every person, from the SOC to the C-
suite, should understand not just what they’re
protecting, but why it matters. I’d dismantle
the old wall between “business” and “security”
and build a common language around
resilience, trust, and adaptive risk. I would also
replace fear-based training with curiosity-
based engagement and prioritize cross-
training, communication skills, and threat
literacy. Use storytelling, turning security from
something people fear or ignore into
something they can see themselves in.
Security isn’t just a technical domain anymore,
it’s an organizational responsibility.
[Brooke Cook] What advice do you have for
CISOs and IT leaders navigating pressure
from boards, regulators, and adversaries at
the same time?
[John Caballero] Stick to fundamentals. Get
clear on what matters most to the business,
speak the language of risk and impact, and
stop chasing headlines. Speak to the board in
business risk terms, speak to your team in
operational terms, and speak to yourself in
values. Know your crown jewels, know your
gaps, and know what you can let go of. Build
alliances across the organization, outside your
silo, even with competitors if needed.
The threats we face are too large for
isolation. Lead with transparency, prioritize
relentlessly, and keep reminding people what
we’re defending and why it matters.
I have three final thoughts. First: Stop blindly
accepting technical debt and start leading
with operational impact. Second: document
everything. Transparency and traceability are
now leadership imperatives. Third: protect
your people. Workplace pressure leads to
burnout, churn, and mistakes. Your team’s
health is a strategic asset.
[Brooke Cook] What advice do you give
younger professionals entering cyber
security today?
[John Caballero] First, stay humble and
curious. Yes, technology evolves fast, and
you’ll bring skills that older colleagues may not
have. And, do not underestimate the wisdom
you can learn from those who navigated crises
before you. True progress happens when we
honor both - the speed of youth and the
steadiness of experience. To just learn the
technology but to also master the terrain.
Understand the people, the behaviors, the
systems that make everything work. Stay
curious, build a strong technical foundation,
and learn how to communicate clearly. The
best security people are the ones who can
explain risk and solve problems without
overcomplicating things. The industry needs
both capability and character. Integrity,
Responsibility, Respect, Accountability. Don’t
just seek mentors, be one.
[Brooke Cook] John, how do you approach
leadership in a time when change feels
constant?
[John Caballero] Leadership is about stability
and adaptation. We must be anchors of trust
and explorers of new frontiers. If you only
anchor, you resist progress. If you only
explore, you risk chaos. But when you hold
both - the anchor and the sail - you steer a
team toward a horizon that endures.

Brooke Cook is the Founder and CEO of Security Sisters Network, bringing over 24
years of experience building trusted relationships with cybersecurity executives. Known for her
“pay it forward” philosophy, she connects CXOs with companies and technologies that align
with their priorities - driving meaningful, results-oriented engagements. Brooke’s strategic,
CXO-first approach has established a global network of 20,000+ technology leaders, including
93% of Fortune 500 and 89% of Fortune 1000 CXOs. A Silicon Valley native, Brooke now
resides in North Carolina with her family and remains actively involved in nonprofit leadership,
volunteer service, and community initiatives.
Closing Reflection on Leadership Across Generations
As this conversation draws to a close, one theme rises above all others: leadership in
cybersecurity - and in life - thrives not in ‘either–or’, but in ‘both–and’. John Caballero reminds us
that generations are not walls but bridges; that wisdom and curiosity, tradition and innovation,
resilience and change are not contradictions but companions. He reminds us that in cybersecurity,
clarity is not a luxury – it is a leadership requirement. His insights challenge us to build beyond
compliance, to lead with both discipline and empathy, and to never forget that our systems are
only as strong as the people behind them.
Across generations, the mission remains universal: to safeguard trust, empower people, and shape
a digital future that honors our shared humanity. The leaders who succeed are those who see not
division, but continuity, not competition, but collaboration. They know that true legacy is built when
yesterday’s lessons fuel tomorrow’s vision - and when every generation, side by side, carries the
torch forward.
Thank you, John, for your candor, your commitment to mentorship, and your example of
what it means to lead with both purpose and precision. We are grateful for the opportunity to
share your story.
26Top Cyber News MAGAZINE - August 2025 - All Rights Reserved

Cyber In Focus Photography Contest by Top Cyber News MAGAZINE!
Behind every line of code and beyond every firewall, human stories are waiting to be told.
Technology shapes our world. Your lens reveals its truth.
We are seeking unflinching, authentic documentary photography that uncovers the real people
behind cybersecurity and digital transformation. No staged scenes. No AI enhancements. Just
raw, observed moments that reveal how technology shapes lives around the world.
We invite photographers, tech enthusiasts, and cyber professionals to capture the unseen
narratives of our digital age - where silicon meets soul.
Thank you, Dr. Bhavana Chibber, India
Empower diverse minds. Attract bold talent.
Build resilient, unbreakable security.
~ Dr. Ludmila Morozova-Buss for Top Cyber News MAGAZINE
30Top Cyber News MAGAZINE - August 2025 - All Rights Reserved

by John Caballero, United States
Cyber Clarity in the Chaos
31Top Cyber News MAGAZINE - August 2025 - All Rights Reserved Photography: Denise Smith

by John Caballero>>
Engineering Adaptive Security for a Perpetual Storm
There was a time when organizations could get away with a 'set it and forget it' security
strategy. Running unpatched systems and out-of-support software because it reduced
expenses was often the norm. Now, the threats, technologies, regulations, and attacker
strategies keep changing. Engineering cyber clarity means accepting this dynamic as the
fundamental condition and designing systems, processes, and cultures specifically to
thrive within it.
In cybersecurity, static is surrender. The pace of change in adversary tactics, technology
stacks, regulations, and user behavior guarantees that any defense grounded in static
assumptions will quickly become irrelevant. Clarity, then, isn’t a final state. It’s a mode of
operating. This article outlines what it takes to engineer clarity and resilience amid
continual disruption.
Intelligence as Oxygen, Not a Snapshot
Intelligence, just like oxygen, is necessary for
survival. A move beyond static threat is
essential. Instead, participation in dynamic
intelligence loops is required Anonymized
telemetry should be shared with trusted
Information Sharing and Analysis Centers to
consume enriched, contextualized insights in
return. Predictive modeling should simulate
adversary behaviors against a specific
environment before an attack ever occurs.
Equally important, intelligence must be mapped
to changing business priorities in real time. This
ensures business alignment: the risk posture of
a research lab differs from that of a financial
organization.
Clarity is knowing which environments
require which protections at this moment.
This provides clarity through context. The goal
is not to chase yesterday’s headlines but to
anticipate what comes next. An organization that
constantly breathes intelligence reacts faster,
makes better decisions under pressure, and
avoids common traps. It treats threat
intelligence not as a separate feed, but as an
input to every technology and business
decision.
AI-Amplified Threats
While organizations adopt AI, attackers are
weaponizing it. AI-driven tools like phishing
campaigns, voice and video deepfakes, and
automated reconnaissance exploit human
vulnerabilities. Meanwhile, automated AI probes
systems using intelligent reconnaissance,
fuzzing, and stealth network scanning to target
technology. These AI advancements decrease
the effectiveness of current security strategies
and will exacerbate the already critical issue of
long dwell times before detection.
Automation as the Engine of Adaptability
Static playbooks no longer suffice. Adaptive
Security Orchestration and Automated
Response platforms must evolve with every
engagement. These systems can handle
predictable responses like containment or
triage, leaving human analysts free to address
complex attribution or emerging threats.
Continuous control validation, including breach-
and-attack simulation tools, ensures that
defenses are not just deployed but effective.
Self-healing architectures, from cloud to
industrial control systems, reduce dependency
on manual response.
The goal is not only to stop all attacks. It is also to absorb disruption if an
incident occurs and continue core operations. This includes limiting the
blast radius, accelerating recovery, and enabling adversary deception.
32Top Cyber News MAGAZINE - August 2025 - All Rights Reserved

Reframing Security as a Design Discipline
Security has long been seen as a control layer,
bolted onto systems after the fact. That legacy
thinking limits adaptability. In a world of
perpetual change, security must be part of how
systems are designed and maintained. Design
for observability. Every new system should
produce logs that matter. Design for
segmentation. Not all data should flow freely.
Design for fault tolerance. Expect failure
and build accordingly. This is security as
engineering, not compliance.
It means aligning security practices with system
design from the start. Engineers need the
authority and tools to build securely, not just
meet audit checklists. Every decision becomes a
security decision when attackers treat systems
as puzzles to be solved.
Resilience as the Ultimate Goal.
Not Just Prevention
The goal is not only to stop all attacks. It is also
to absorb disruption if an incident occurs and
continue core operations. This includes limiting
the blast radius, accelerating recovery, and
enabling adversary deception. Honeypots
should adapt based on attacker behavior.
Dynamic honeypots and fake credentials disrupt
attackers and feed defenders real-time
telemetry.
Traditional honeypots are static. They serve their
purpose briefly and then become background
noise. Adaptive deception presents attackers
with credible but false paths, consuming their
time and exposing their tools. Practice chaos
engineering for security. Simulate outages and
attacks on production-like systems to test real-
world response.
Can users and customers operate if a critical
system fails? Train the muscle memory before
the real incident arrives. Resilience requires not
only technical redundancy but procedural clarity.
Who makes decisions in a crisis?
What’s the backup for the backup?
Systems don’t survive chaos, teams do,
though AI can play a pivotal role here.
Operational Clarity During Crisis
Incidents test everything: tools, people,
assumptions. Operational clarity determines
whether an incident becomes a crisis. Clear
runbooks. Defined roles. Communication paths
that work when primary systems are down.
Decision-making authority that does not
bottleneck.
These are not 'nice-to-haves'. They are the
difference between chaos and coordinated
response.
During a major incident, security leaders must
prioritize signal over noise. Real-time telemetry
is vital. Pre-defined thresholds for escalation.
Incident command structures that scale. Clarity
in a crisis isn’t about knowing everything. It’s
about knowing the right thing at the right time.
Engineering the Adaptive Organization
Cybersecurity is a human function before it is
a technical one. Training must evolve from
static certifications to continuous challenges.
Participation in red/blue team exercises,
Capture the Flag challenges, and cross-
functional learning across IT, OT, and DevOps
should be encouraged. DevSecOps must also
evolve. Security controls must be as agile and
versioned as the software they protect.
Measure What Matters.
Adaptability Metrics
Traditional security metrics focus on lagging
indicators: time to detect, time to respond and
time to recover. These are important, but
incomplete. Forward-leaning organizations
measure their capacity to change. Examples
include: Time to apply new intelligence to
defenses, Patch cycle velocity for critical
vulnerabilities, Success rate of automated
containment, Coverage and frequency of
simulated attack testing and the Speed of policy
updates in live environments. Collecting these
metrics demands telemetry from across the
organization. Security teams must work closely
with infrastructure, application, and risk teams.
Clarity is not about having a dashboard with
colorful graphs. It is about seeing clearly how
well a system adapts under stress.
by John Caballero>>
33Top Cyber News MAGAZINE - August 2025 - All Rights Reserved

The change of the Software Development Lifecycle to a Prepare, Plan, Design, Implement, Observe
and Optimize agile adaptive methodology is required.
There is a compelling need to shift away from relying solely on standards compliance, as this
approach falls short of ensuring system reliability and survivability. Intervention earlier in the
development process is crucial to address defects that emerge before coding begins, preventing
issues from taking root. Furthermore, practices should be adjusted to address defects that surface
after significant funds are committed. This enables timely design changes rather than letting issues
become impractical to address. Additionally, by proactively managing rework costs that often become
unmanageable and addressing lingering risks, a more effective, forward-looking strategy can be
adopted to enhance overall system integrity. This fundamentally affects reliability, survivability, and
costs. To change the mindset, leaders must adopt this shift, as culture flows from the top down.
Resilient organizations learn. That means embracing post-incident review as a core practice. No
blame, no coverups. The faster the feedback loop, the more adaptive the team.
The Guiding Light in the Storm,
Continuous Clarity
In the relentless cyber storm, continuous clarity
serves as the guiding light. Progress is a
feedback loop, not a finish line. This journey
starts by gaining visibility and context.
Automate where possible. Harden through
testing and resilience design, then refine based
on lessons learned. This isn’t a one-time effort.
It is how security must be built going forward.
Clarity doesn’t mean perfection. It means
knowing an environment well enough to act
decisively under pressure. It is a transition from
reactive fear to proactive confidence. As digital
infrastructure grows more connected to physical
operations, clarity becomes more than a benefit.
It becomes a necessity for survival.
The storm will never stop. Engineering clarity
means building systems, teams, and strategies
designed to withstand the storm and also to
navigate through it.
From darkness to clarity is more than a
theme. It is a method. It is a mindset. It is a
way of designing cyber programs to expect
failure, adapt quickly, and recover stronger.
Security, properly understood, is not a product.
It’s an engineering discipline for continuous
response. It is the practice of becoming harder
to kill. The light of clarity shines brightest not
when it blinds, but when it illuminates the next
step forward.
Adaptive Defenses
In a threat environment where danger is
constant and imminent, static security models
are no longer sufficient. Adaptive Defenses
must be implemented. These should reflect a
mindset rooted in danger management, not
probabilistic risk estimates. The Continuous
Threat Exposure Management methodology
embodies this shift. It equips organizations to
respond to adversaries with proximity and
capability by enabling real-time defensive
adaptation, proactive threat hunting, and
immediate visibility into shifting exposures.
This approach aligns with survivability
engineering.
Systems are modeled for redundancy, diversity,
and operational resilience. Rather than reacting
to risk metrics, Continuous Threat Exposure
Management assumes that attackers will strike
and focuses on containing the danger before it
disrupts critical functions. Systems should not
only detect threats but also anticipate
exposures. When AI is combined with human-
led threat hunting and continuous tuning, it
becomes a responsive system.
This system adjusts to evolving
adversary behavior and reduces
uncertainty across complex
environments.
by John Caballero>>
34Top Cyber News MAGAZINE - August 2025 - All Rights Reserved

John Caballero: Additional Crew, Actor, Producer
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6622322/
35Top Cyber News MAGAZINE - August 2025 - All Rights Reserved

36Top Cyber News MAGAZINE - August 2025 - All Rights Reserved
Cybersecurity Engineering Forms the Underlying
Architecture of Societal Infrastructure.

TOP CYBER NEWS MAGAZINE HIGHLIGHTS THE CYB3R GROUP
CYB3RSOLUTIONS.COM a n d CYB3R.AE
37Top Cyber News MAGAZINE - August 2025 - All Rights Reserved

The C-Suite Power Shift
by Jane Frankland MBE, United Kingdom
“The rise of ransomware, data breaches, and global privacy regulations has
elevated the CISO from a behind-the-scenes operator to a board-level player.”
~ Jane Frankland MBE, Award-Winning Security Leader
38Top Cyber News MAGAZINE - August 2025 - All Rights Reserved

The CIO: At Risk of Being Sidelined
Historically, the CIO oversaw enterprise-wide
IT. But as cloud and SaaS models allow
departments to bypass central IT, and as
infrastructure becomes more commoditized,
the CIO’s influence is waning.
Many CIOs now face a stark choice: evolve
into a strategic business enabler—or become
a legacy cost center. Those who succeed will
shift focus from operations to outcomes,
aligning technology investments directly with
business growth, customer experience, and AI
integration.
The CTO: The Innovation Architect With
New Responsibilities
Once seen as the technical lead of engineering
teams, the modern CTO is now central to
product strategy and digital innovation. In
startups and digital-first companies, the CTO
often replaces the CIO altogether - owning the
roadmap for AI, software development, and
customer-facing platforms.
But with greater power comes new
complexity. The CTO must now understand
regulatory frameworks, data ethics, and long-
term enterprise integration. Without this
evolution, technical innovation risks outpacing
compliance and control.
The CISO: From Technical Gatekeeper to
Strategic Pillar
The rise of ransomware, data breaches, and
global privacy regulations has elevated the
CISO from a behind-the-scenes operator to a
board-level player. In many companies, the
CISO now reports directly to the CEO,
reflecting the strategic importance of trust,
resilience, and compliance.
The challenge for CISOs is clear: move beyond
technical risk mitigation and engage with the
business on growth, innovation, and brand
protection. Security can no longer be the
department of “no.” It must become a driver
of value and competitive differentiation.
The C-Suite Power Shift. Why CIOs, CTOs,
and CISOs Must Realign to Survive
Moving in the circles I do, I've noticed a
concerning trend. The modern enterprise C-
suite is undergoing a seismic shift - not over
profits or market share, but over who leads
technology, shapes strategy, and ultimately
defines the future of the business.
For decades, the Chief Information Officer
(CIO) was the central authority on IT,
overseeing infrastructure, systems, and digital
initiatives. But that dominance is fading. Today,
the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and Chief
Information Security Officer (CISO) are rising
in prominence - fuelled by the accelerating
demands of AI innovation, cybersecurity, and
digital transformation.
However, the lines are blurring and if
these executive roles don’t realign -
clearly and deliberately - the result will
be friction, inefficiency, and exposure
to security and reputational risks that
no organisation can afford.
The digital era has brought with it not
just new technologies, but new power
dynamics. As enterprises move faster
into AI, cloud-native ecosystems, and
data-driven services, the once-distinct
boundaries between the CIO, CTO, and
CISO are vanishing.
All three roles are now vying for ownership of
overlapping domains: infrastructure,
innovation, data governance, and
cybersecurity. The result is a power struggle -
one that’s stalling decision-making and
splintering accountability at a time when unity
is critical.
That's what this blog is all about. In it I'm
going to examine each C-levels roles, the
risks, and what needs to occur for today's
challenges to be met.
by Jane Frankland MBE>>
39Top Cyber News MAGAZINE - August 2025 - All Rights Reserved

The Future Belongs to the Aligned
This is no longer a debate about titles or
reporting lines. It’s a deeper reckoning with
how technology is transforming business -
and how leadership must transform in
response.
Those who cling to outdated silos will be left
behind. But those who realign around a shared
vision of security, agility, and innovation will
not only survive – they will lead.
In the age of AI, resilience, and rising digital
risk, the most powerful C-suites will be those
that act less like a battlefield - and more like a
unified front.
Now I want to hear from You
Tell me how you are coping with this seismic
shift. Do you see it as a battle or is it smooth
sailing for you? Join in the conversation in the
comments or drop me a DM on Linkedin
The Hidden Cost of Disunity
When CIOs, CTOs, and CISOs operate in silos -
or worse, compete for influence -
organizations pay the price. Projects stall.
Risks slip through the cracks. Duplicated
technologies inflate costs. And worst of all, AI
efforts lack cohesive oversight, raising the
threat of unintended consequences or
reputational harm.
In a fragmented C-suite, there is no single
point of accountability for digital strategy,
security, or AI governance.
That’s a vulnerability companies cannot
afford in 2025.
Toward a New C-Suite Model
To meet today’s challenges, organizations
must rethink - not remove - these roles. Each
executive must evolve and collaborate more
intentionally, with clearly defined domains and
shared goals.
One emerging model proposes a
functional realignment:
•The CIO transitions into a Chief Business
Technology Officer, owning enterprise tech
strategy, AI governance, and digital
transformation.
•The CTO becomes a Chief Product and AI
Officer, focused on innovation, software, and
customer-facing technology.
•The CISO evolves into a Chief Trust and
Security Officer, integrating cybersecurity,
privacy, and risk into every stage of business
development.
This structure doesn’t just clarify
responsibilities; it encourages true
partnership. It enables faster innovation,
stronger security, and more aligned
leadership on the issues that matter
most: data, AI, and trust.
by Jane Frankland MBE>>
40Top Cyber News MAGAZINE - August 2025 - All Rights Reserved
Jane Frankland MBE is one of the
world’s most distinctive voices in cybersecurity.

“Automation can adapt in milliseconds. But your people decide how fast your
organization truly recovers. If you want security that thrives in chaos, build teams
that can think clearly when the noise is deafening. Protect the focus, strengthen
the mindset, and your Mean Time to Recovery (MTTR) will follow.”
~ Sandra Estok (MBA, GIAC-GSLC, CIPM, aC|CISO) – Founder & CEO, Way2Protect®
A staggering ‘67% of cybersecurity professionals report symptoms of
burnout. Teams experiencing burnout took significantly longer to contain
incidents, sometimes by nearly a quarter more time than average.’
ISC2 Cybersecurity Workforce Study 2024 ("67% burnout rate")
Official report: https://www.isc2.org/Insights/2024/10/ISC2-2024-Cybersecurity-Workforce-Study
42Top Cyber News MAGAZINE - August 2025 - All Rights Reserved

We’ve invested billions in automation, threat intel, and adaptive systems. We’ve built SOCs with
dashboards that light up like mission control. And yet, in incident after incident, the recovery
timeline doesn’t just hinge on the speed of our tools. It hinges on the clarity, focus, and
decision-making of the people using them.
Burnout and stress aren’t just workforce issues. They are security risks.
The ISC2 Cybersecurity Workforce Study 2024 found that 67% of cybersecurity professionals
report symptoms of burnout. Teams experiencing burnout took significantly longer to contain
incidents, sometimes by nearly a quarter more time than average. The 2024 Verizon Data
Breach Investigations Report (DBIR) echoes this, human error remains a top contributor to
breaches, with time pressure cited in more than half of those cases.
When your team is operating in a perpetual storm - cognitive fatigue is inevitable unless we
design for it. And if your adaptive security strategy ignores mindset, it’s only half-built.
In the middle of a breach,
milliseconds matter - but
so does mindset.
The Global Stress Epidemic
Burnout in cyber teams is not limited to one
region. The ISACA State of Cybersecurity
2024 report shows that stress levels among
security professionals have risen year-over-
year, with European respondents reporting
particularly high levels of exhaustion and
disengagement. The SoSafe 2024 Human
Risk Review adds that over half of European
cyber professionals have considered leaving
their role due to workload and stress.
In the Asia-Pacific region, research shared in
Singapore’s cybersecurity industry reports
has linked 24/7 SOC shifts without structured
breaks to higher false-positive rates and
slower incident response. Organizations that
implemented structured focus protocols
reported measurable improvements in
accuracy and response time.
The pattern is clear. Stress directly
impacts performance.
If security leaders don’t account
for human cognitive limits, they
risk slower containment, more
errors, and higher operational
costs. Regardless of how
advanced their tools may be.
43Top Cyber News MAGAZINE - August 2025 - All Rights Reserved
by Sandra Estok >>

by Sandra Estok >>
The Perpetual Storm Meets
Human Limits
CISOs and cybersecurity leaders know the
math: a single missed alert can lead to
weeks of downtime, regulatory fallout, and
brand damage. But beneath the metrics, we
have humans making those critical calls,
often under sustained stress.
In the SOC, decision fatigue can creep in
after just a few hours of high-intensity
monitoring. Analysts may become over-
reliant on default responses, skip cross-
checks, or escalate incidents too late. Senior
leaders juggling incident command and
board updates may lose situational clarity,
even with a full incident playbook.
This isn’t about capability - it’s about
cognitive bandwidth.
And like any resource, it can run out.
The Mean Time to Recovery –
MTTR - More Than a Technical
Metric
We often treat about Mean Time to Recovery
(MTTR) as if it’s purely an engineering
measure. In reality, it’s a people + process
metric.
✓A crisp, focused alert triage can
shave minutes off escalation.
✓Clear communication during an
incident keeps teams in sync, avoiding
rework.
✓Calm, decisive leadership reduces
wasted cycles from second-guessing or
unclear priorities.
Gartner’s 2024 security operations trends
highlight a growing focus on measuring
analyst cognitive load and focus, alongside
traditional SOC performance metrics.
The reason is simple: faster thinking leads to
faster fixing.
Cognitive Readiness as a Tactical
Asset
Here is where many leaders’ misstep: they
treat resilience, situational awareness, and
decision clarity as “soft” skills. In a high-
stakes SOC, they are tactical assets.
Research from high-stress fields like aviation
and emergency medicine shows that tactical
breathing techniques can reduce cognitive
slips by up to 30%. Short “micro-reset”
breaks during shifts have been shown to
improve detection accuracy in repetitive
monitoring tasks.
And adaptability is not just a system
property. It is a human capability. Teams
that train for situational awareness and
mental flexibility respond more effectively to
novel attack patterns and threats because
they are not locked into old assumptions and
patterns.
Four Steps to Build Cognitive
Readiness in Your Security Teams
1.Start Each Shift with a Tactical Reset
Two minutes of breathing and situational
scanning primes attention.
2.Debrief Technical and Mental Factors
Post-incident reviews should note when
clarity was lost, not just what failed
technically.
3.Rotate Roles During Long Incidents
Switch out key positions to avoid fatigue-
driven mistakes.
4.Include Recovery in the Recovery Plan
Factor human recharge into your incident
playbook.
44Top Cyber News MAGAZINE - August 2025 - All Rights Reserved

SIDEBAR: Cognitive Readiness Quick Assessment
Rate your organization (1–5 scale, 5 = strongest):
Team Stress Indicators:
□ Our analysts can work 4+ hour shifts without significant accuracy
decline
□ Team members rarely call in sick during high-pressure periods
□ Post-incident surveys show staff feel supported, not overwhelmed
Process Design:
□ Our incident playbooks include cognitive break protocols
□ We rotate key roles every 3–4 hours during extended incidents
□ Our escalation procedures account for decision fatigue
Training & Preparation:
□ Teams practice stress management techniques (breathing, focus
exercises)
□ We conduct “cognitive load” scenarios in tabletop exercises
□ New hires receive training on maintaining clarity under pressure
Leadership Support:
□ Incident commanders are trained to monitor team cognitive state
□ We have clear authority delegation to prevent decision bottlenecks
□ Post-incident reviews include “mental performance” factors
Recovery & Resilience:
□ Our recovery plans include mandatory rest periods for responding
teams
□ We track and act on team burnout indicators
□ Success metrics include both technical and human performance
factors
Scoring:
20–25: Cognitively ready for adaptive security
15–19: Strong foundation, focus on gap areas
10–14: Significant cognitive risks present
Below 10: Urgent mindset and process redesign needed
45Top Cyber News MAGAZINE - August 2025 - All Rights Reserved

by Sandra Estok >>
Making the C-Suite Care
Burnout prevention isn’t a wellness perk - it’s risk mitigation.
The IBM Cost of a Data Breach Report 2024 shows that shortening the breach lifecycle by
even one day can save organizations over a million dollars on average. If a cognitive readiness
program improves decision speed by even 10–15%, the ROI is clear.
When you present it that way, your board will see mental performance, resilience and team
clarity as part of security by design, right alongside automation and detection capabilities.
The Bottom Line
Automation can adapt in milliseconds. But your people decide how fast your organization truly
recovers. If you want security that thrives in chaos, build teams that can think clearly when the
noise is deafening. Protect the focus, strengthen the mindset, and your MTTR will follow.
Stay Safe and Live Happily Ever Cyber!®
* Sources:
ISC2 Cybersecurity Workforce Study 2024 ("67% burnout rate")
• Official report: https://www.isc2.org/Insights/2024/10/ISC2-2024-Cybersecurity-Workforce-Study
• Summary PDF: https://edu.arrow.com/media/wtjfmszx/2024-isc2-wfs.pdf
________________________________________
Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report 2024 ("Human error a top contributor")
• DBIR summary page: https://www.verizon.com/about/2024-data-breach-investigation-report-dbir-
media-resources
• DBIR infographic (PDF): https://www.verizon.com/business/resources/infographics/2024-dbir-
infographic.pdf
________________________________________
ISACA State of Cybersecurity 2024 (Europe & Global)
• ISACA State of Cybersecurity 2024 report
• Stress Levels on the Rise for Cybersecurity Professionals - ISACA
• European Cybersecurity Professionals face burnout - SoSafe 2024 Human Risk Review
________________________________________
Cyber Security Agency of Singapore: SOC Stress & Error Rates ("40% false positives, 23% faster IR")
• Masterplan document: https://www.csa.gov.sg/resources/publications/singapore-s-operational-
technology-cybersecurity-masterplan-2024/
• Industry report summary: https://industrialcyber.co/industrial-cyber-attacks/singapore-updates-ot-
masterplan-2024-to-bolster-national-cybersecurity-defense/
________________________________________
Gartner 2024 Security Operations Trends ("60% tracking cognitive load by 2026")
• Gartner trends summary: https://blog.devolutions.net/2024/04/gartner-lists-top-9-cybersecurity-
trends-for-2024/
• Gartner video briefing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRWh5mMvoig
________________________________________
Research on Tactical Breathing Techniques ("reduce slips by ~30%")
• Breathing & stress intervention: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10454504/
• Structured breathwork study: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9873947/
________________________________________
IBM Cost of a Data Breach Report 2024 ("$1.3M per day saved by lower MTTR")
• IBM newsroom release: https://newsroom.ibm.com/2024-07-30-ibm-report-escalating-data-breach-
disruption-pushes-costs-to-new-highs
• Barracuda summary: https://blog.barracuda.com/2024/08/20/2024-IBM-breach-report-more-
breaches-higher-costs
46Top Cyber News MAGAZINE - August 2025 - All Rights Reserved

Sandra Estokk, MBA, GIAC-GSLC, CIPM, aC|CISO, is the Founder and CEO of Way2Protect®
and author of the Award-Winning and international bestselling book series Happily Ever Cyber!®.
With 25+ years in IT, Cybersecurity, and combining her personal Id theft nightmare story to empower
audiences to protect against Cybermonsters®. A TEDx speaker, podcast host, and corporate trainer,
Sandra is on a mission to simplify cybersecurity through mindful practices and real stories that
connect us all to live Happily Ever Cyber!
47Top Cyber News MAGAZINE - August 2025 - All Rights Reserved

by Hervé Mafille, Paris, France
CISOs - A Strategic Role Reaching Maturity
49Top Cyber News MAGAZINE - August 2025 - All Rights Reserved

50Top Cyber News MAGAZINE - August 2025 - All Rights Reserved
A function serving the overall value
creation of the company.
As technological, geopolitical, and economic
risks continue to converge, the role of the
CISO has become indispensable for
companies striving to combine performance,
resilience, and security. The Cybersecurity
Awareness Month is a timely moment to
reflect on a profession in full transformation.
Over the past decade, cybersecurity has
shifted from a purely technical concern to a
topic of governance, strategic dialogue, and
foresight. The role of the CISO (Chief
Information Security Officer) or Head of
Information Security has evolved
significantly - not only in terms of content
and scope but also in their position within
the organization. It’s no longer simply about
ensuring system availability or regulatory
compliance: it’s about aligning cybersecurity
with the company’s economic and strategic
priorities.
Today, the CISO acts as a guardian of
intangible assets, a scout for technological
transformations, and a mediator between
functions that often speak different
languages. In a world where data is a vital
resource, whether intellectual property,
industrial secrets, algorithms, supply chains,
or customer information, protecting the
business means protecting its data. And that
means putting cybersecurity at the heart of
business strategy.
This elevated role is not limited to large
corporations. It also concerns mid-sized
companies and SMEs facing growth
challenges, technological dependencies,
international expansion, digital transfor-
mation, or buyout scenarios. CISOs are now
involved early in M&A operations to assess
cyber risks, secure data rooms, and advise
executives on the real-world impacts of a
potential acquisition. Their early involvement
has become a recognized success factor,
helping to avoid blind spots, better value
targets, and prepare for post-acquisition
integration. At the same time,
The profession is evolving, becoming
more structured, and more inclusive.
An increasing number of women are
stepping into these strategic roles, bringing
diverse backgrounds, inclusive leadership
styles, and significant strategic insight. There
are outstanding careers to be built in
cybersecurity, particularly for those who
combine expertise, curiosity, and leadership.
These are high-responsibility roles, highly
visible, with a tangible impact on a
company’s future.
CISOs also operate at the intersection of
several domains: digital security, of course,
but also physical security, personnel
protection, and increasingly, economic
intelligence. Depending on the industry, the
convergence of these domains is inevitable.
A manufacturing exporter of critical
technologies, a listed biotech firm, a global
service provider, or an energy player must
now think in terms of a security-safety-cyber
continuum, integrating competitive
intelligence, anti-interference strategies, and
compliance with extraterritorial regulations.
The profession must also grapple with
the profound impact of artificial
intelligence. AI is reshaping jobs, organiza-
tions, systems, surveillance models, and
even attack techniques. It demands new
analytical frameworks, skills, and decision-
making processes.
“Recruiting CISOs who can anticipate what’s coming next and creating space for
these discussions at the C-level, where strategic and business decisions intersect,
is becoming increasingly essential.” ~ Hervé Mafille, CISO & C-Level Cyber-IES Headhunter

51Top Cyber News MAGAZINE - August 2025 - All Rights Reserved
Cybersecurity must now serve AI by
securing models, training datasets, and
automated decisions, just as AI is now
serving cybersecurity, through behavior
analysis, detection capabilities, and
automated threat response. The CISO must
lead this evolution, not observe it from the
sidelines.
AI is at the center of every conversation, but
for a CISO, the potential long-term impact of
quantum technologies must also be
considered. Quantum is not just about post-
quantum cryptography, quantum computing,
or quantum communication. Its implications
could be far broader.
Investing several million euros today into
multi-year programs without taking these
issues into account - could that be setting
the stage for future technical debt?
Should we start thinking in terms of
resilience by design, integrating post-
quantum cryptography from the outset?
Should we also be watching for other
impacts that might challenge the
fundamental assets of the company?
AI already plays a role in both offensive and
defensive cyber postures. But what will be
the amplification effect of quantum
computing on tomorrow’s penetration
testing capabilities?
The world is changing fast
Recruiting CISOs who can anticipate what’s
coming next and creating space for these
discussions at the C-level, where strategic
and business decisions intersect, is
becoming increasingly essential.
This is why the posture expected of today’s
CISO has also changed.
They must be the person who can’t be
fooled - technically sharp, politically
astute, clear-sighted.
But they must also be the one who senses
change, anticipates shifts, trains their teams,
builds scenarios, and leads simulation
exercises across business lines to test
organizational resilience.
Cybersecurity, in this vision, becomes a
source of internal cohesion, a driver of
cross-functional collaboration, and a
marker of collective maturity.
One of the clearest lessons of recent years is
that an organization's ability to weather crises
depends on its alignment across functions.
What separates reactive organizations from
resilient ones is their ability to share a
common language, circulate information,
anticipate disruptions, and make decisions
based on a shared understanding of risk. In
this architecture, the CISO is no longer just
another technician: they are a strategic link, a
connector, an enabler who fosters clarity and
long-term preparedness.
The Cybersecurity Awareness Month is, of
course, a time for awareness campaigns,
best practices, and training. But it is also a
time for reflection. Where are we,
collectively? And what needs to evolve
in the coming years? The answers lie in
rigorous recruitment, relevant training,
renewed cross-functional dialogue, and
stronger recognition of the structuring role
played by CISOs in the trajectories of today’s
businesses.
In an increasingly digital, interconnected, and
unpredictable world, these discreet yet
essential professionals have become
architects of trust and performance. It’s time
to recognize their role - and to build, with
them, the security of tomorrow’s world.
No misplaced catastrophism or anxiety,
the worst is never certain, but
preparation and training allow you to
avoid or reduce the impact if the attack
occurs.

“Choose Your Leader!” by Hervé Mafille is not a
provocative title or a simple career guide. It is a call for informed
decision-making, individual responsibility, a win-win between generations,
between employees and their employers. Choosing a leader is not about
flattering an ego, it is about choosing the conditions for your success,
personal, professional, collective.
52Top Cyber News MAGAZINE - August 2025 - All Rights Reserved

John Caballero for Top Cyber News MAGAZINE August 2025

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