AZ Tech Roundtable 2.0

AZ TRT 2.0 - Cybersecurity, Ransomware, + AI Usage Guardrails w/ Gary Perkins of CISO Global - AZ TRT S07 EP01 (284) 1-18-2026         What We Learned This Week: ·         Most cyber attacks are preventable Basic controls, training, and awareness can stop the majority of threats. ·         Humans are both the weakest link and the strongest defense Ongoing education and awareness turn employees into an effective "human firewall." ·         AI will amplify cyber risk — for both attackers and defenders Organizations must adopt AI defensively to keep pace with bad actors. ·         Reputation damage often outweighs financial loss Brand trust is hard to rebuild after a breach, even if customers don't immediately leave. ·         Cybersecurity is no longer optional or technical-only It's a business risk, a leadership issue, and a shared responsibility across the organization.       Guest: Gary Perkins, Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) of CISO Global   https://www.linkedin.com/in/perkinsgary/   Gary Perkins is the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) for cybersecurity firm CISO Global. Prior to that he was the CISO for the Government of British Columbia in Canada for 10 years -- responsible for providing cybersecurity services in support of the province and taught undergrad and graduate students at the University of Victoria for years. He has over 25 years' experience in information technology, risk management, and cybersecurity. Prior to joining the BC Government, he worked in the private sector as chief of staff for security at TELUS and, earlier in his career, led teams responsible for incident response, operations, delivery, and architecture for both corporate and managed security services customers. A Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) since 2004, Perkins also holds an MBA from Simon Fraser University's Management of Technology program.       CISO Global Inc. (NASDAQ: CISO) operates as a cybersecurity, compliance, and software company in the United States, Chile, and internationally. The company offers security managed services, including compliance, secured managed, and cyber defense operation services; culture education and enablement; tools and technology provisioning; data, privacy, regulations, and compliance monitoring; remote infrastructure administration; and antivirus and patch management services. It also provides cybersecurity professional services, such as incident response and digital forensics; technical assessments; cybersecurity consulting; compliance auditing; vulnerability assessment and penetration testing; and disaster recovery and data backup solutions. The company was formerly known as Cerberus Cyber Sentinel Corporation and changed its name to CISO Global Inc. in May 2023. CISO Global Inc. was founded in 2015 and is headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona.   Key leadership includes:  Owner / CEO – David Jemmett  https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-jemmett/   Website: https://www.ciso.inc/     Podcast Overview Guest: Gary Perkins Title/Role: Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) Show Theme: Cybersecurity & IT Key Topics: Cyber breaches, human risk, AI, ransomware, training, OSINT (Open Source Intelligence), security planning Organized Podcast Notes Segment 1: The Reality of Cyber Threats Today ·         Over the last several years, major corporations such as Target, Home Depot, and Wells Fargo have experienced high-profile cyber breaches. ·         No company is immune — size and brand do not provide protection. ·         Organizations must "find religion on security" and treat cybersecurity as a core business function. ·         A company's brand, trust, and reputation are always on the line after a breach. ·         The average cost of a cyber breach is often cited around $4.8 million. ·         Cyber insurance is now common, but insurers require proof that companies are actively managing security risks. ·         When a breach occurs, companies must notify customers and disclose what data was compromised. ·         Consumers are becoming desensitized to breach notifications; switching providers can feel too costly or inconvenient. ·         The good news: up to 80% of cyber threats are preventable with basic controls. ·         Most attacks are not sophisticated: o    Simple phishing scams o    Credential theft o    Insider mistakes or manipulation ·         Companies need: o    Internal security controls o    Point solutions for cybersecurity o    Regular employee alerts about phishing attempts ·         The human firewall is the most critical defense ·         Best practices include: o    Multi-factor authentication (MFA) o    Disconnected/offline backups to recover from ransomware ·         Ransomware payments are common, but organizations should learn from past breaches and have a clear detection and response plan. Segment 2: Gary Perkins' Background & the Role of Training ·         Gary spent: o    9 years working for the British Columbia government o    20+ years in the telecommunications industry ·         Extensive experience in compliance, training, and risk management ·         Strong advocate for mandatory cybersecurity training: o    Minimum: once per year o    Ideal: quarterly reminders ·         Employees should receive clear manuals and guidance for: o    Email security o    Outlook usage o    Identifying suspicious links ·         Many small and mid-sized businesses (20–50 employees) lack in-house IT teams and rely on outsourced IT/security providers. ·         Cyber attacks persist because they work — attackers exploit human behavior. Segment 3: AI, Phishing, and the Future of Cyber Attacks ·         Cyber attacks will remain simple as long as simplicity continues to succeed. ·         Artificial Intelligence will increase both frequency and scale of attacks. ·         AI systems can learn from every successful breach. ·         Phishing emails are expected to: o    Become more convincing o    Eliminate spelling and grammar errors over time ·         While AI still has flaws, generative AI will improve rapidly. ·         Defensive teams must also adopt AI because bad actors already have. ·         Society has traded convenience for risk: o    Online banking o    Social media o    Credit cards o    Email and mobile devices ·         Most people underestimate how much personal data is publicly available. ·         Recommendation: o    Google yourself using quotation marks o    Understand what information is visible ·         Even more data may exist on the dark web without your knowledge. ·         Threat actors often hijack accounts and use trusted contacts to spread scams. ·         Use a secure password manager and rotate passwords regularly. Segment 4: AI Guardrails & What's Coming Next ·         AI usage must have clear guardrails: o    Approved vs. unapproved tools o    Cloud-based AI services need governance ·         AI platforms (including ChatGPT) are online and accessible, making data exposure a real concern. ·         Companies should: o    Run AI searches on themselves o    See what public information is already available ·         Technology advancement will continue at an accelerated pace: o    Artificial Intelligence o    Quantum computing o    Robotics ·         Organizations must stay proactive and continuously update their cybersecurity strategies.     Biotech Shows: https://brt-show.libsyn.com/category/Biotech-Life+Sciences-Science   AZ Tech Council Shows:  https://brt-show.libsyn.com/size/5/?search=az+tech+council *Includes Best of AZ Tech Council show from 2/12/2023   Tech Topic: https://brt-show.libsyn.com/category/Tech-Startup-VC-Cybersecurity-Energy-Science  Best of Tech: https://brt-show.libsyn.com/size/5/?search=best+of+tech   'Best Of' Topic: https://brt-show.libsyn.com/category/Best+of+BRT      Thanks for Listening. 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