Root To CISO
Do you aspire to become a Chief Information Security Officer?
The Root to CISO podcast provides firsthand career stories from experienced CISOs on their journey to success in the cybersecurity industry. Offering valuable guidance for aspiring professionals in the field through personal experiences and practical advice.
Episodes
88 episodes
Building A Cybersecurity Career That Adapts To Change | Root To CISO Podcast
How do you build a cybersecurity career that can adapt when the industry around you keeps changing?In this episode of Root to CISO, Kris Rides continues his conversation with John Masserini, cybersecurity consultant and experienced secur...
You Have The Cybersecurity Certification But What Can You Do With It? | Root To CISO Podcast
What does it actually take to build a successful career in cybersecurity?In this episode of Root to CISO, Kris Rides sits down with John Masserini, cybersecurity consultant and experienced security leader, to unpack the real-world skills...
The Number #1 Skill Every Successful CISO Has Than No One Teaches You | Root To CISO Podcast
Cybersecurity professionals are taught to focus on tools, threats, and technical expertise. While it's important to have technical skill, the reality is that for you to advance you need thisIn this week's episode we recap a cybersecurity...
How To Identify What Is For You And Move On From One That Isn’t | Root To CISO Podcast
In today’s part 2 episode of our chat with Zachary Lewis, CIO & CISO at the University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis, we go deeper into the side of cybersecurity careers most people avoid talking about: what happens when the ...
Stop Waiting For Opportunities And Start Taking Initiative | Root To CISO Podcast
Most people are waiting for the "right opportunity” but most times, you have to create the opportunity yourself.In this week's episode of the Root to CISO podcast, Zachary Lewis breaks down how taking initiative early completely changed ...
Why Taking a “Step Back” Might Be A Smart Cybersecurity Career Move | Root To CISO Podcast
In today's episode, we take a look into the stories of senior cybersecurity leaders we've had the privilege of talking. We unpack a reality most people don’t talk about: the best career moves often look like steps backward.From turning d...
You Don’t Need Another Cybersecurity Certification…Do This Instead | Root To CISO Podcast
Certifications feel like progress… but this episode shows why they’re often not what actually moves your career forward.In part 2 of our conversation with Adam Robertson, VP of Enterprise Technology & Information Security at Virgin G...
The Cybersecurity Advice That Seems Obvious But Most People Ignore | Root To CISO Podcast
If you want to grow fast in cybersecurity, put yourself in situations where you’re forced to learn.In this episode of Root to CISO, Kris sits down with Adam Robertson, VP of Enterprise Technology & Information Security at Virgi...
Unconventional Journeys to Cybersecurity Leadership | Root To CISO Podcast
Want to become a CISO? Sometimes things don't go as planned and it's okaIn this bite-sized episode of Root to CISO Byte Size, we recap the career journeys of some cybersecurity leaders. They share their real career journeys, from financ...
The Leadership Lessons No One Teaches You in Cybersecurity | Root To CISO Podcast
What does it really take to become a great leader in cybersecurity?In this episode of the Root to CISO Podcast, Kris Rides sits down for part 2 with Jenai Marinkovic to break down more of her career and the real tr...
This Career Mistake Slows Many Cybersecurity Professionals Down | Root To CISO Podcast
What does it really take to become a CISO?In this episode of the Root to CISO Podcast (Season 3), we sit down with Jenai Marinkovic, a cybersecurity leader with over 25 years of experience, vCISO at our company, Ti...
How To Become A CISO & What Top CISOs Actually Look For | Root To CISO Podcast
In this episode, we speak to leading Chief Information Security Officers and we ask them to break down the real skills, mindset, and strategies behind successful cybersecurity careers from their personal experience.If you're aim...
How To Advance And Get Promoted In Cybersecurity | Root To CISO Podcast
Relying solely on technical skills and certifications is no longer enough to scale your career. In this episode of Root to CISO, top security executives break down the mindset, attitude, and connections needed to advance into cybersecurity lead...
Having Skills Is No Longer Enough, You Need To Be Visible | Root To CISO Podcast
In today’s competitive market, having top-tier technical skills and certifications is no longer enough to get you hired or promoted. If nobody knows who you are, your talent goes to waste. In this episode, top cybersecurity leaders and CISOs...
AI Won't Steal Your Job... But Those Who Use It Might | With Yonesy Nunez | Root To CISO Podcast
Are you worried that AI is going to take your job? This episode is a must listen. Recorded live from the ServiceNow conference, with Yonesy Nunez, CISO at Surf AI, this episode explores how AI is reshaping cybersecurity careers, and...
How to Actually Stand Out in a Competitive Cyber Job Market | Root To CISO Podcast
Breaking into a CISO role, or even landing the interview, requires more than just hitting “apply.” In this bite-sized highlight, Kristina Belnap, Don Baham, and Ben Harris share real-world insights on what actually works (and what doesn’t) in t...
What Top Cyber Leaders Would Tell Their Younger Selves | Root To CISO Podcast
What would today’s cybersecurity leaders tell their younger selves? In this bite-sized highlight, Melina Scotto, Chris Carter, and Will Gregorian share powerful reflections on the lessons that shaped their careers—from practicing patience and a...
Mythos, Glasswing and the CSA Whitepaper | Root To CISO Podcast
Mythos, Glasswing and the CSA Whitepaper | Root To CISO Podcast
Landing Your First Cybersecurity Role | Highlights from the Root To CISO Podcast
In this byte-sized episode of The Root To CISO Podcast, we bring together insights from Margarita Rivera, Greg Rogers, and John Yeoh on what it really takes to land your first cybersecurity role and build toward a future as a CISO. From leverag...
The Professionals Who Win in the AI Era | Root To CISO Podcast
In this Root to CISO Byte Size episode recorded live at RSA, Yonesy Nunez joins the conversation to explore the growing impact of AI on cybersecurity careers. While many professionals feel uncertainty about AI’s role, Yonesy shares a powerful p...
Stand Out by Being Yourself in Cybersecurity | Root To CISO Podcast
In this episode of Root to CISO Byte Size, Dave Ruiz shares why authenticity is one of the most powerful and overlooked drivers of career growth in cybersecurity. Drawing on his background in military service and critical infrastructure, Davey ...
Building Your Career With Smart AI Use | Root To CISO Podcast
In this episode of Root to CISO Byte Size, Ben Harris shares why there has never been a better time to accelerate your learning and career using AI. From rapidly building deep knowledge in new domains to creating personal tools like job search ...
Closing the Skills Gap the Smart Way | Cybersecurity | Root To CISO Podcast
In this episode of Root to CISO Byte Size, Kayne McGladrey shares practical insights on how cybersecurity professionals can align technical skills with business priorities to strengthen their impact. From conducting meaningful skills gap analys...
The New Reality of Cybersecurity Hiring | With Alexis Gerst | Root To CISO Podcast
In this Byte-Size episode of The Root to CISO Podcast, Kris Rides is joined by Alexis Gerst of Defense Unicorns to explore how cybersecurity hiring has fundamentally changed. From AI-driven application floods to identity misrepresentation and i...
How CISOs Create Real Business Value | With CISO Nick Bruno | Root To CISO Podcast
In this bite-size episode of The Root To CISO Podcast, Kris Rides sits down with Nick Bruno to explore how cybersecurity leaders can create meaningful business impact. The conversation focuses on aligning security initiatives with executive pri...