In our last Super Cyber Friday, “Hacking the Internal Politics of Cybersecurity: An hour of critical thinking about why being right doesn’t mean you’ll win,” we explored how influence, communication, and organizational dynamics shape security outcomes more than technical correctness.
Our discussion unpacked how security leaders can build political capital, navigate competing priorities, and align their initiatives with broader business goals—even when faced with resistance or power struggles.
Joining us for this conversation were
Alexandra Landegger
, global head of cyber strategy & transformation,
RTX
, and
Bethany De Lude
, CISO emeritus.
Watch the full video here
Join us Friday, July 11, 2025 for “Hacking the Resilience Mindset”
Super Cyber Friday will be back Friday, July 11, 2025, for our discussion “Hacking the Resilience Mindset: An hour of critical thinking about building the proper foundation for success.” It all starts at 1 PM ET/10 AM PT.
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Visit our events page to subscribe (look at the dropdown in the upper right) so you can stay up to date on Super Cyber Friday and other CISO Series content.
Best quotes from our guests
“Your job number one is to understand the culture—get the lay of the land—and realize that whatever playbook you used someplace else might not work where you are.” – Bethany De Lude
“I couch everything as a hypothesis. Everyone has an inner kid who loves experiments, and that framing helps carry conversations forward.” – Alexandra Landegger
“I think CISOs sometimes focus so much on cyber and tech that they forget brand building. You’re in marketing—always reminding people how your program helps things that matter to them.” – Bethany De Lude
“Treat everybody like a client—internal or external. Everyone needs to be happy or at least understand what you’ve done.” – Alexandra Landegger
“The person who is the most negative—when you turn them—they often become your fiercest advocate and ally.” – Bethany De Lude
“Five solid relationships are always more valuable than 20 mediocre ones. Pick your people and hold yourself accountable to invest in them.” – Alexandra Landegger
Quotes from the chatroom
“Love the idea of a listening tour. Easiest way to lose credibility by offering solutions and advice before you understand what others need first.” –
Duane Gran
, director of information security,
Converge Technology Solutions Corp.
“In my last job on my listening tour, I asked people two questions: 1) What security control/policy annoys you and; 2) Is there something important we aren’t securing well enough in your opinion.” – Duane Gran, director of information security, Converge Technology Solutions Corp.
“Coffee chats” leads to personal connections!” –
Ming 🇺🇸 F.
, senior cyber technology specialist,
Darktrace
“Dale Carnegie – How to Win Friends & Influence People – the perfect book for any modern CISO!” –
Aman S.
, executive security lead, vp,
Elsevier
“if you are mad at me, I may be the only one to fix it.”- TJ Williams
“One hell of a panel for experience at dealing with complex issues, I am so happy today.” –
TJ Williams
“Referring to it as ‘firefighting’, does more psychological damage than we realize.” –
Dr. Dustin Sachs DCS, CISSP, CCISO
, chief technologist and sr. director of programs,
CyberRisk Collaborative
