For the first episode of Cyber Security In Focus, host Katie Watson sits down with Esther Hitch, former British Army officer, Deloitte alumna, and cyber security advisor to boards and executives across the public and private sectors.

They get straight into one of the most persistent problems in the industry: why cyber security still struggles to land at board level, and what needs to change on both sides of that conversation.

Esther shares what she looks for when she walks into an organisation for the first time, how language, culture, and relationships reveal more about security maturity than any tool or framework ever will. She's direct about where cyber leadership is falling short, why the pendulum has swung too far towards pure technical hiring, and what it actually takes to move from siloed IT function to genuine business enabler.

They also cover the ROI problem, how do you demonstrate value when success means nothing happened? and why information sharing across the industry is one of the most underused defences we have.

Esther closes with a practical checklist: three to five things any security professional should look at this week. Not to fix them. Just to know where you stand.

If you're in cyber, lead a team, or sit anywhere near a board table, this one's worth your time.