Gatekeeper to Growth Partner: Modern CISOs Build Trust, Drive Innovation, Shape AI-Enabled Business
0⬥GUEST⬥
Andy Ellis, Legendary CISO [https://howtociso.com/] | On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/csoandy/
00:00 Introduction and Welcome
01:07 Meet Andy Ellis: A Journey in Cybersecurity
02:58 Challenges in Security Communication
04:51 Rethinking Business Operations with SaaS
07:39 The Role of AI in Business and Security
08:09 Shadow IT and Business Innovation
15:28 Security Operations and AI
20:55 Spending and Earning Political Capital
21:21 The First 91 Days Guide for CISOs
21:59 Quick Wins and Building Political Capital
24:21 Discussing the 91 Day Guide
26:28 Introduction to 1% Leadership
27:56 Leadership Skills and Styles
30:36 Inclusion and Reducing Energy Costs
35:34 Measuring Success as a CISO
39:06 Celebrating Success and Motivating Teams
39:53 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
⬥HOST⬥
Host: Sean Martin, Co-Founder at ITSPmagazine and Host of Redefining CyberSecurity Podcast | On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/imsmartin/ | Website: https://www.seanmartin.com/
⬥EPISODE NOTES⬥
In this episode of Redefining CyberSecurity, host Sean Martin speaks with Andy Ellis, former CSO at Akamai and current independent advisor, about the shifting expectations of security leadership in today’s SaaS-powered, AI-enabled business environment.
Andy highlights that many organizations—especially mid-sized startups—struggle not because they lack resources, but because they don’t know how to contextualize what security means to their business goals. Often, security professionals aren’t equipped to communicate with executives or boards in a way that builds shared understanding. That’s where advisors like Andy step in: not to provide a playbook, but to help translate and align.
One of the core ideas discussed is the reframing of security as an enabler rather than a gatekeeper. With businesses built almost entirely on SaaS platforms and outsourced operations, IT and security should no longer be siloed. Andy encourages security teams to “own the stack”—not just protect it—by integrating IT management, vendor oversight, and security into a single discipline.
The conversation also explores how AI and automation empower employees at every level to “vibe code” their own solutions, shifting innovation away from centralized control. This democratization of tech raises new opportunities—and risks—that security teams must support, not resist. Success comes from guiding, not gatekeeping.
Andy shares practical ways CISOs can build influence, including a deceptively simple yet powerful technique: ask every stakeholder what security practice they hate the most and what critical practice is missing. These questions uncover quick wins that earn political capital—critical fuel for driving long-term transformation.
From his “First 91 Days” guide for CISOs to his book 1% Leadership, Andy offers not just theory but actionable frameworks for influencing culture, improving retention, and measuring success in ways that matter.
Whether you’re a CISO, a founder, or an aspiring security leader, this episode will challenge how you think about the role security plays in business—and what it means to lead from the middle.
⬥SPONSORS⬥
LevelBlue: https://itspm.ag/attcybersecurity-3jdk3
ThreatLocker: https://itspm.ag/threatlocker-r974
⬥RESOURCES⬥
Inspiring Post: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/csoandy_how-to-ciso-the-first-91-days-ugcPost-7330619155353632768-BXQT/
Book: “How to CISO: The First 91-Day Guide” by Andy Ellis — https://howtociso.com/library/first-91-days-guide/
Book: “1% Leadership: Master the Small Daily Habits that Build Exceptional Teams” — https://www.amazon.com/1-Leadership-Daily-Habits-Exceptional/dp/B0BSV7T2KZ
⬥ADDITIONAL INFORMATION⬥
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🎧 https://www.seanmartin.com/redefining-cybersecurity-podcast.
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⬥KEYWORDS⬥
andy ellis, sean martin, ciso, ai, sas, shadow it, vibe coding, patch management, political capital, leadership, redefining cybersecurity, cybersecurity podcast, redefining cybersecurity podcast