Bite Size Security

I got fired the day my son was born. Two more terminations later, I started NCX Group with about $3,000 and a wife who believed in me.

As NCX Group heads into its 25th year, host Mike Fitzpatrick tells the story he's hesitated to tell: losing a $40 million commission, crisscrossing the country from Michigan to Hawaii, watching 9/11 wipe out a company's plans, and launching NCX Group the day after being told he was "the best business development person" his boss had ever met.

Along the way, one question kept coming up: if Fortune 500 companies with every resource are struggling with information security, what chance does everyone else have? That question still drives NCX Group today.

In this episode:

• Why getting fired three times turned out to be the push to start something of his own

• What Mike saw inside the Fortune 500 that shaped how NCX assesses risk

• Why information isn't the goal, decisions are

• The six months it took to land the first client

• The person who made it all possible: his wife

If you're going through hell, keep going. Don't linger. Always forward.

Every business has a story behind it, and every one is worth protecting. If you'd like to talk about protecting yours, schedule a conversation at https://ncxgroup.com/contact-ncx-group/

Connect with NCX Group:

• Website: https://ncxgroup.com

• Podcast: https://ncxgroup.com/podcast/

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ncx-group/

• X: https://x.com/ncxgroup

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ncxgroup

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ncxgroup

Byte-Size Security is presented by NCX Group, the leader in cyber risk consulting. Stay smart, stay savvy, and protect what you've built.

Episode Summary:
Most companies have an incident response plan, but very few have one that actually works at 2 in the morning when everything goes sideways. In this episode, Mike Fitzpatrick breaks down the real reasons IR plans fail, why untested playbooks become liabilities, and how CEOs can turn a paper plan into a real business protection strategy.

Drawing on recent industry research and 24 years in cybersecurity, Mike explains why people and communication—not technology—determine the outcome of an incident. He also shares how unclear roles, bad assumptions, and untested processes turn small problems into multimillion-dollar disasters.

If you are a CEO, business owner, or executive who believes your company “has a plan,” this episode will challenge you—in a good way.

What You’ll Learn:
• Why untested IR plans create false confidence
• The number one reason incidents drag on: lack of clear authority
• How communication breakdowns cause more damage than the breach itself
• What recent vendor outages taught every business about fragility
• Why incident response is a financial issue, not a technical one
• What leaders must put in place long before an incident occurs

Who This Episode Is For:
CEOs, business owners, CIOs, CISOs, CFOs, and anyone responsible for keeping a company operational during crisis events.

Connect With Mike Fitzpatrick and NCX Group:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ncxgroup
NCX Group Website: https://ncxgroup.com
Free Cyber Risk Readiness Assessment: https://training.ncxgroup.com/risk
Bite Size Security Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7168971909802442752/

If this episode helped you see your own readiness differently, share it with another business owner or leader. One conversation could save them millions.

If Cyber Can Move a Stock Price, It Can Move a Deal Price
Host: Mike Fitzpatrick

A single cyber issue can cut your valuation before you ever reach the negotiating table. Most advisors won’t mention it. Buyers won’t announce it. But the discount shows up anyway.

In this episode, Mike Fitzpatrick breaks down how cyber risk shapes deal pricing in the mid-market, why buyers model exposure long before diligence begins, and how sellers lose millions simply by failing to prove their security posture.

Cyber won’t decide your future. It will decide the number attached to it. And in most exits, that number is the difference between what you built and what you walk away with.

What’s Inside:
• Why cyber is now a valuation metric
• How uncertainty shows up as an immediate price cut
• The hidden impact of MSP breaches on deal exposure
• Why insurance cannot replace real risk reduction
• Why proof protects value — and assumptions don’t

More insights: https://ncxgroup.com
Mike on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ncxgroup
Mike on X: @ncxceo
NCX Group on X: @ncxgroup

Cyber Insurance in 2025 and Where It’s Headed in 2026

Bite Size Security

Cyber insurance has changed. Quietly.
And most businesses haven’t noticed yet.

In this episode of Bite Size Security, Mike Fitzpatrick breaks down what cyber insurance really means in 2025 and as we head into 2026, why insurers no longer care about what you say you do, and why everything now comes down to what you can prove.

This isn’t an IT conversation.
It’s a leadership one.

Mike explains:
• Why cyber insurance used to be easy
• Why that model collapsed
• How insurers think today
• What “proof” actually means
• Where cyber insurance is heading next

If you assume your policy will “just work,” this episode is for you.

Mike Fitzpatrick is the Founder and CEO of NCX Group, a cyber risk management consulting firm helping organizations align cybersecurity with business risk, insurance, and leadership decision-making.

Mike Fitzpatrick
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ncxgroup
X: https://x.com/ncxceo

NCX Group
Website: https://www.ncxgroup.com
X: https://x.com/ncxgroup

Bite Size Security
Short conversations.
Real risk.
No checkboxes.

Episode Summary:
If you plan to sell your business in the next three to five years, cyber risk may be the biggest threat to your exit that no one is talking about. A single breach, a hidden vulnerability, or an untested environment can delay your deal, cut your valuation, or kill the transaction outright.

In this episode, Mike Fitzpatrick breaks down why cyber risk has become a deal-breaker for buyers and lenders, why internal IT reports are no longer enough, and how independent validation can protect the value of your life’s work. Whether you are selling or acquiring, this is the episode every CEO and business owner needs to hear.

What You’ll Learn:
• Why cyber risk now shows up in every serious due diligence review
• How untested environments, MSP blind spots, and hidden breaches derail deals
• The three numbers that matter for sellers: readiness, remediation, and insurability
• Why buyers should demand independent assessments every time
• How sellers can protect valuation and shorten the closing timeline
• What to do now if you plan to exit in the next three to five years

Who This Episode Is For:
CEOs, business owners, founders, private equity partners, and anyone planning to buy or sell a company in the near future.

Connect With Mike Fitzpatrick and NCX Group:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ncxgroup
NCX Group Website: https://ncxgroup.com
Free Cyber Risk Readiness Assessment: https://training.ncxgroup.com/risk
Bite Size Security Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7168971909802442752/

If this episode helped you, share it with another business owner preparing for an exit. You might save them a very expensive lesson.

Episode Summary
Cyber risk has quietly moved from a technical concern to a financial metric that directly affects business valuation. In this episode, Mike Fitzpatrick explains why buyers, insurers, and regulators now treat cybersecurity as part of the valuation formula — and what that means for CEOs preparing for growth, investment, or an eventual exit.

You don’t need a breach to lose value.
You only need a lack of evidence.

Mike breaks down the self-evident truth every CEO needs to understand:
Cyber risk protects what you’ve built… or silently erodes it.

• Why cyber risk is now part of your valuation
• How buyers use uncertainty to gain leverage
• The difference between being secure and being able to prove it
• How a lack of documentation can cost millions
• The single question CEOs must now be able to answer

Cybersecurity is no longer just an operational responsibility.
It is now one of the ways the market decides what your business is worth.
Proof protects value. Assumptions don’t.

If this episode made you think about your own business, share it with another business owner you care about.
You might save them from an expensive mistake.

Website:
https://ncxgroup.com

LinkedIn — Mike Fitzpatrick:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ncxgroup/

NCX Group Free Cyber Risk Assessment:
https://training.ncxgroup.com/risk

YouTube (optional to include):
https://www.youtube.com/@NCXGroup

Have a question you want Mike to cover on a future Bite Size Security episode?
Send it in at https://ncxgroup.com or reach out on LinkedIn.

Cyber Risk Advisor – Every CEO’s Missing Batman

Every CEO has their trusted advisors:

• A CPA for the books

• An attorney for legal risks

• An insurance broker for disasters

But when it comes to the #1 risk in 2025—cyber—the seat at the table is still empty.

In this episode of Bite Size Security, Mike Fitzpatrick explains why a Cyber Risk Advisor is the Batman every CEO needs—the protector who sees threats before they strike and keeps your business alive when others don’t.

We’ll cover:

• Why cyber risk now outranks natural disasters and supply chain failures (Allianz Risk Barometer 2025)

• The brutal truth about what happens when CEOs wait until AFTER a breach

• How a Cyber Risk Advisor strengthens—not replaces—your CPA, attorney, and insurance broker

• Why the smartest CEOs will move first while others scramble to catch up

🔗 Learn more about NCX Group: www.ncxgroup.com
🔗 Follow us on LinkedIn: Mike’s LinkedIn | NCX Group LinkedIn
🔗 Follow us on X (Twitter): Mike on X | NCX Group on X
🔗 Subscribe to the Bite Size Security Newsletter: Bite Size Security News
🔗 Watch on YouTube: NCX Group Channel

Don’t wait for disaster to strike. Be the CEO who brings Batman to the table.

Most CEOs feel confident about their cybersecurity—until they get blindsided by risks no firewall can stop.

In this episode of Bite Size Security, Mike Fitzpatrick breaks down the hidden vulnerabilities that turn good quarters into crises. From deepfakes that trick your team, to ransomware that shuts down operations for weeks, to vendors who open the door for attackers—these are the blind spots that cost businesses millions.

You’ll also hear practical moves you can make before quarter-end to reduce your risk without trying to turn your company into Fort Knox overnight.

If you're ready to make cybersecurity part of your business strategy—not just a checkbox in your IT budget—this episode is for you.

For more insights or to start a conversation about your own risks, visit ncxgroup.com.

Follow NCX Group:
Website: ncxgroup.com
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/

Twitter/X: twitter.com/ncxgroup

AI’s a Game-Changer—But Are You Ready for the Catch?

AI is showing up faster than your policies can catch up—already embedded in your CRM, your help desk, and maybe even your compliance workflows. It’s powerful. It’s profitable. But it’s also risky as hell if you’re not paying attention.

In this episode of Bite Size Security, Mike Fitzpatrick breaks down why AI isn’t just a new tool—it’s more like a teenager with a license: brilliant, fast, and a little reckless. And if you don’t teach it the rules, it could steer your business straight into a ditch.

You’ll learn:

• Where AI is creeping into your business without you realizing it

• The 3 areas every executive team must address: Governance, Risk, and Compliance

• Real-world examples of how AI goes wrong—fast

• The 5 things you need to do right now to get back in control

If you’re leading a business that wants the upside of AI without the mess, this one’s for you.

🎧 Listen now—before the crash.

🎙️ Episode Title: The Silent Threat to Your Bottom Line
Podcast: Bite Size Security with Mike Fitzpatrick

Episode Summary:
In this episode, Mike Fitzpatrick, CEO of NCX Group, pulls back the curtain on one of the most underestimated risks to your business: the assumption that cybersecurity is “just an IT problem.” Mike shares real-world insights from 20+ years in cyber risk consulting—including a cautionary tale from a mid-sized business that learned the hard way how cyber threats impact operations, trust, and revenue.

You’ll learn why cybersecurity must become a leadership priority, how to reframe it as a business risk (not a tech project), and what steps you can take to protect your bottom line.

If you’re a CEO, CFO, or business owner who’s tired of the jargon and wants clarity on what actually matters in cyber risk—this is your 6-minute wake-up call.

Links & Resources:

🌐 Visit us: www.ncxgroup.com
🔗 Connect with us on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ncxgroup
📣 Follow us on X (formerly Twitter): x.com/ncxgroup
📘 Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/ncxgroup

Subscribe to stay ahead of cyber risk—and take the risks that grow your business with confidence.

Need help understanding where you stand or how to start? Schedule a call with NCX Group today.