Lisa Plaggemier, Executive Director of the National Cybersecurity Alliance, joins host Frank Cilluffo to discuss how public education can combat online scams, fraud, and cyber threats. With billions of campaign impressions and only a nine-person team, the Alliance focuses on motivating behavior change through creative, jargon-free outreach. Plaggemier explains how scams like pig butchering are orchestrated by organized crime and even nation-state actors—and why the U.S. needs a coordinated national response. The episode highlights the growing need for cross-sector data sharing, targeted messaging for seniors, and a “scam czar” to unite fragmented efforts. As Cybersecurity Awareness Month kicks off, the conversation underscores how individual actions and shared responsibility can help close critical gaps in digital safety.

Main Topics Covered • The mission of the National Cybersecurity Alliance and its consumer-focused campaigns • Core Cybersecurity Awareness Month themes: MFA, passwords, updates, and scams • Reaching overlooked populations through creative outreach like Kubikle and safe-word campaigns • The scale and structure of online scams like pig butchering and their ties to nation-state actors • The call for a national “scam czar” to coordinate public-private response • Challenges in cross-sector data sharing and the limits of current fraud response models • Upcoming efforts to reach K-12 audiences and improve campaign impact across age groups

Key Quotes “We are a tiny nonprofit of nine people and we reach billions of people every October.” — Lisa Plaggemier “I can hack away at our banks and probably not come away with any cash. [But] I can hack away at individual customers of the bank and come away with millions of dollars, and there's no ISAC for my mom.” — Lisa Plaggemier “I do not think it would be a bad idea if we had a scam czar at this point because the adversary is so well organized.” — Lisa Plaggemier “Older folks are targeted less often, but when they fall victim, the dollar amounts are very high. They have their whole life savings at stake.” — Lisa Plaggemier “We've got in a lot of organizations, fraud teams that don't talk to security teams that don't talk to trust and safety teams. And so if you're still siloed in your organization, I think the call to action here is that that all needs to be seen as one.” — Lisa Plaggemier

Relevant Links and Resources

• National Cybersecurity Awareness – staysafeonline.org

• Then & Now: Helping Older Adults Stay Secure

• Kubikle Series

Guest Bio Lisa Plaggemier is Executive Director of the National Cybersecurity Alliance, where she leads efforts to make cybersecurity practical and accessible. She describes herself as “on a crusade to eliminate stock photos of hackers in hoodies,” underscoring her focus on real-world education over clichés. A former Ford Motor Company marketing executive, she now serves on the U.S. Secret Service Cyber Investigations Advisory Board and is based in Austin, Texas.

In this episode of Cyber Focus: To the Point, Frank Cilluffo sits down with Matt Hayden, former DHS official and current GDIT executive, to unpack the looming expiration of the Preventing Emerging Threats Act. Together, they explore the growing dangers posed by drones—from hobbyist disruptions to nation-state threats—and what’s at stake if Congress fails to reauthorize key counter-UAS authorities by October 1. Hayden explains why current authorities are essential for protecting the homeland and how they fall short when it comes to local law enforcement, airports, and evolving drone technology.

Op-Ed: Flying under the radar: Congress is poised to let key counter-drone authorities lapse

 

 

What happens when the federal cyber workforce shrinks just as threats are multiplying? In this episode, Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday joins host Frank Cilluffo to unpack the turbulence facing government agencies. They examine the mass departures at CISA, the controversial firings under DHS’s Cyber Talent Management System, and the looming risks of dismantling ODNI’s cyber intelligence hub. Doubleday also shares a chilling story of how El Chapo’s cartel used spyware and hacked city cameras to compromise FBI operations in Mexico—underscoring the new reality of ubiquitous surveillance. The conversation closes with a look at the Pentagon’s long-awaited CMMC rollout, Treasury’s “Do Not Pay” database, and the broader challenge of protecting both privacy and security in a digital age.

Main Topics Covered

• Why CISA lost a third of its workforce and what that means for U.S. cyber defense
• How probationary firings under DHS’s Cyber Talent Management System shook trust in federal hiring
• The implications of ODNI shutting down its cyber intelligence integration center amid deep budget cuts
• Proposals in Congress to speed up security clearances and retain cleared talent longer
• A chilling account of how El Chapo’s cartel hacked FBI operations using spyware and city surveillance
• What the rollout of DoD’s CMMC rules will mean for defense contractors and future cyber regulations
• How Treasury’s “Do Not Pay” database ties into fraud prevention, privacy concerns, and the future of digital identity

Key Quotes

 “A lot of [the departed federal cyber workforce is] on the books until October 1st and so we're kind of waiting to see exactly how many folks left and where the dust kind of settles as we get into the fall.” – Justin Doubleday

“The probationary firings certainly cast a little bit of a negative light on the idea of joining the Cyber Talent Management System, because… you could be fired with a snap of a finger.” – Justin Doubleday

“Commercial spyware is much more easily accessible for a range of groups and individuals. And it's almost impossible to detect when spyware has gotten onto a phone of an individual, even for a cyber expert.” – Justin Doubleday

“I think there's concern that [with ODNI shutting down CTIIC] you're now going to go back to a situation where you have disparate views kind of bubbling up from across the intelligence community and you don't have that single source of truth at the top that's helping to sort things out for leaders.” – Justin Doubleday

“As it goes with technology and cybersecurity, things are often nice to have until they're necessary.” – Justin Doubleday

Relevant Links and Resources

Cyber pay in government is as fragmented as ever https://federalnewsnetwork.com/federal-report/2024/09/cyber-pay-in-government-is-as-fragmented-as-ever/

CISA at a crossroads amid workforce cuts, pause, partnerships https://federalnewsnetwork.com/cybersecurity/2025/06/cisa-at-a-crossroads-amid-workforce-cuts-pause-partnerships/

Security clearance reforms advancing in 2026 defense bill https://federalnewsnetwork.com/inside-ic/2025/08/security-clearance-reforms-advancing-in-2026-defense-bill/

How a hacker for El Chapo illustrates existential counterintelligence threats https://federalnewsnetwork.com/federal-report/2025/07/how-a-hacker-for-el-chapo-illustrates-existential-counterintelligence-threats/

Grand odyssey of CMMC nearing implementation https://federalnewsnetwork.com/cybersecurity/2025/08/grand-odyssey-of-cmmc-nearing-implementation/

OMB directs agencies to address Do Not Pay data gaps https://federalnewsnetwork.com/financial-management/2025/08/omb-directs-agencies-to-address-do-not-pay-data-gaps/

Guest Bio

Justin Doubleday is a reporter for Federal News Network covering cybersecurity, intelligence, and technology policy. He tracks how federal agencies and lawmakers address evolving digital threats, insider risks, and the intersection of policy, procurement, and national security.

Congress faces a looming deadline to renew the State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program (SLCGP), a federal initiative that helps states and municipalities defend against cyberattacks. In this episode, Frank Cilluffo speaks with New Jersey CISO Michael Geraghty and Arizona CISO Ryan Murray about how these grants are making a measurable difference on the ground. They detail how investments are protecting communities from ransomware, building out shared services, and training the next generation of cyber talent. The conversation underscores the urgency of continued funding to sustain trust, prevent losses, and strengthen the interconnected fabric of U.S. cyber defense.

Main Topics Covered

• Explain why renewing the State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program (SLCGP) is urgent.
• Show how federal grants reduce ransomware risk and generate measurable ROI.
• Use Arizona’s student-led SOCs to highlight workforce development and shared services.
• Describe New Jersey’s statewide approach to defending municipalities.
• Weigh the stakes of eroding trust and services if funding lapses.
• Explore the broader “one team, one fight” vision linking local, state, and federal defense.

Key Quotes:

“In the last year, that [endpoint detection] program stopped 179 ransomware attacks…for a $5 million investment, potential loss avoidance is about $45 million.” - Michael Geraghty

“We're using some of those funds to hire interns as part of our workforce development effort. So we're deploying student-led regional security operations centers in partnership with our community colleges across the entire state [of Arizona].” – Ryan Murray

“We’re all interconnected, right. Our cities connect to our county governments, connect to our state governments, and we connect to our federal partners. But unfortunately, our defenses have these seams, they have these gaps where we’re not so integrated in our defenses and our information sharing.” – Ryan Murray

“There is no one organization that is going to be able to defend themselves against nation state actors, cyber terrorist organizations, transnational criminal groups, and even the hacktivists or low level hackers. But when we team up together through a strategy that again maximizes our resources, that’s when we become that much stronger.” - Michael Geraghty

“One team, one fight, easier said than done. I think we all know that, but it’s challenging.”  – Frank Cilluffo

 

Relevant Links and Resources

• CISA SLCGP Fact Sheet
• NJCCIC (New Jersey Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Cell)
• Arizona Department of Homeland Security – Cyber readiness resources

 

Guest Bios:

Ryan Murray serves as Chief Information Security Officer for the State of Arizona. He previously served as CISO for the Arizona Department of Revenue and has nearly 20 years of IT and security experience.

Michael Geraghty is New Jersey’s State Chief Information Security Officer and Director of the NJ Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Cell (NJCCIC). He has held senior cybersecurity roles in both the public and private sectors, including the New Jersey State Police and Prudential Financial

Overview

Cybersecurity threats are growing more complex as ransomware gangs, nation-states, and criminal networks converge. In this episode, Frank Cilluffo speaks with Cynthia Kaiser, senior vice president at Halcyon and former deputy assistant director for cyber at the FBI. They discuss the looming risk if Congress fails to reauthorize the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act of 2015, the evolution of ransomware as both a business model and geopolitical weapon, and how industry must play a bigger role in active defense. Kaiser also explains the indiscriminate reach of Chinese espionage campaigns and the urgent need to define national red lines in cyberspace. Together, they outline why collaboration, innovation, and trust are essential to future cyber resilience.

Main Topics Covered

• Halcyon Ransomware Research Center launch
• FBI lessons from major takedowns
• Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act stakes
• Ransomware and nation-state espionage
• Active defense and industry roles
• Balancing disclosure and attribution
• FBI of tomorrow and AI
• Red lines in cyberspace

Key Quotes

“If CISA 2015 lapses, companies may be less inclined or may be less able to share information with the government… And then America would be in the dark.” – Cynthia Kaiser (~07:37)

“There's not one action that's going to stop Putin from cybering… And industry has such a critical role.” – Cynthia Kaiser (~11:04)

“As a mom… the Chinese government now has information about who [kids] called, where they were, how long the call was… It really shows that the Chinese government is indiscriminate.” – Cynthia Kaiser (~22:45)

“[Ransomware is] an ecosystem of businesses… And so broadening and being able to conduct more of these proactive active defense operations against criminal groups would have a really great effect.” – Cynthia Kaiser (~16:02)

“[Washington] should really just be asking ‘What are our red lines today, and have we already gone over them?’” – Cynthia Kaiser (~32:16)

Relevant Links and Resources

• Halcyon Ransomware Research Center
• Fortune op-ed: Cynthia Kaiser on CISA 2015 reauthorization
• Recent Salt Typhoon joint advisory

Guest Bio

Cynthia Kaiser is the Senior Vice President of Halcyon’s Ransomware Research Center and former Deputy Assistant Director of the FBI’s Cyber Division. She led cyber policy, intelligence, and engagement efforts at the Bureau and played a key role in disrupting major ransomware groups like LockBit and Qakbot.

Congress is back from August recess with just weeks to act on vital national issues. One key deadline: reauthorizing the 2015 law that shields companies when they share threat intelligence with the federal government. In this episode, Senator Gary Peters (D-MI) joins host Frank Cilluffo to explain why renewing CISA 2015 is essential to national security, how one senator is holding up progress, and what listeners can do about it. The conversation also covers Peters’ push to cut red tape for cyber professionals, shore up state and local defenses, and close critical workforce gaps before it’s too late.

Main Topics Covered

• Urgent need to renew CISA 2015 liability protections
• Misinformation and confusion around CISA’s mission
• Importance of cyber grant funding for state and local governments
• Regulatory burdens facing cyber professionals and the need for harmonization
• Federal cyber workforce recruitment and retention

Key Quotes

“We only have a few weeks and [CISA 2015] will expire, and that will be catastrophic for our ability to protect against all the bad guys that are out there.” – Sen. Gary Peters

“Trust is everything. And if you don't have [CISA 2015], we go back to the environment we had before where there was a lack of trust… once you lose trust, it's really hard to get it back.” – Sen. Gary Peters

“Sometimes our cyber professionals spend 40, 50, 60% of their time doing paperwork and checking boxes. That makes no sense.” – Sen. Gary Peters

“You actually end up saving money by investing in this kind of protection [state and local cyber grants]. And at a time when we're running record deficits that are going to increase, we've got to be thinking about being smart… and actually bringing down the cost of what would happen with a cyber attack.” – Sen. Gary Peters

“If we don't protect our weakest links, it doesn't matter how good you are at the top—you’re going to have some serious problems.” – Sen. Gary Peters

Relevant Links and Resources

• Cybersecurity Information Sharing Extension Act

Guest Bio Sen. Gary Peters is Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and a nationally recognized leader on cybersecurity policy. A Navy Reserve veteran and former financial executive, he has shaped major legislation on homeland security, cybersecurity, and critical infrastructure—with more bills signed into law than any other senator in a recent session. He also serves on the Appropriations, Armed Services, and Commerce Committees.

In this episode of Cyber Focus, host Frank Cilluffo moderates a timely and wide-ranging conversation on the future of AI policy and governance with Sarah Beth Jansen, a senior fellow at the McCrary Institute and longtime DC policy expert, and Austin Carson, founder of SeedAI and former legislative director for Rep. Mike McCaul. The discussion covers the Trump administration’s AI Action Plan, sector-specific regulatory approaches, and how Congress can play a constructive role without stifling innovation. Both guests emphasize the importance of local experimentation, procurement reform, and broad stakeholder engagement. With AI poised to shape everything from national security to everyday business operations, the episode underscores the urgent need to develop trustworthy, inclusive, and forward-looking frameworks that can scale with the technology.

Main Topics Covered:

• The White House's AI Action Plan and why it marks a pivotal policy moment
• The case for sector-specific approaches to AI regulation
• The role of Congress in shaping balanced, innovation-friendly guardrails
• The importance of state-level initiatives like Utah’s AI sandbox
• Federal procurement as a lever for responsible AI adoption
• Hopes and fears around AI governance and public trust

Key Quotes:

“We've been using AI or machine learning in our products for over a decade and that's almost a surprise to some members of Congress who haven't really dug into [AI] yet.” — Sarah Beth Jansen   “AI policy is everything policy now… every single member on the Hill could find something constructive to do involving artificial intelligence in their committee. On one hand, AI is frankly an excuse to find crack back open issues that you may want to crack back open. On the other hand, there is kind of like this infinite fractal space of where AI is going to touch the economy [and] going to touch scientific discovery.” — Austin Carson   “Before the federal government can come in and say these are what the standards should be… you need to have the ability for there to be input from a variety of different sources.” — Sarah Beth Jansen   “My biggest fear is that AI will be developed and regulated and considered by a group of extraordinarily small number of people in the bay, and in D.C., and in New York instead of people around the country. — Austin Carson   “[Congress] shouldn't be over prescriptive in any legislation they do... because we all know that Congress unfortunately does not pass legislation very quickly. And I think for them to be relevant they need to not be so specific that they just take them themselves out of the game.”  — Sarah Beth Jansen   Relevant Links and Resources:  White House AI Action Plan Utah's Office of Artificial Intelligence Policy AI Across America Project

Guest Bios:

Sarah Beth Jansen is Senior Director of Government Affairs & Policy Counsel at The Franklin Square Group. She’s a senior fellow at the McCrary Institute and a seasoned Washington policy expert specializing in cybersecurity, surveillance, and IT policy. She has served in senior staff roles on both the Senate Judiciary Committee and the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. She holds degrees from Auburn University and the University of Alabama.

Austin Carson is the founder of SeedAI, a nonprofit working to expand public-sector understanding and engagement with artificial intelligence. He previously led government affairs at NVIDIA and served as legislative director for Rep. Mike McCaul when he chaired the House Homeland Security Committee. His work now focuses on facilitating AI literacy and policymaking across sectors and communities.

In this episode of Cyber Focus, Frank Cilluffo is joined by Brad Medairy, Executive Vice President at Booz Allen Hamilton, and Dave Forbes, who leads Cyber Physical Defense for the firm. Together, they unpack their joint report with the McCrary Institute, Anchored in Zero Trust, examining the cybersecurity vulnerabilities of U.S. ports. The conversation explores China’s cyber activities, the significance of Volt Typhoon, and the risks posed by Chinese-made cranes operating at American ports. They highlight how economic and national security intersect at ports, the unique challenges of operational technology (OT), and why zero trust must become more than a buzzword. The discussion also looks ahead at how critical infrastructure sectors can harden defenses, reduce tech debt, and build resilience against persistent adversaries.

Main Topics Covered

• China-linked cyber threats to U.S. ports.
• Risks from Chinese-made cranes; ports as a “one connected battle space.”
• OT basics: know your assets, segment networks, lock down vendor access.
• Zero Trust for OT: assume breach, pilot fast, scale what works.
• Why port disruptions matter: major economic ripple effects; plan and drill.
• What’s next: adversarial AI and stronger public-private collaboration.

Key Quotes

“Our adversary doesn't see the United States infrastructure environment as a Department of Defense, [or] as a global economy, [or] as a Department of Transportation. They see one connected battle space with a great number of… seams that they want to exploit.” – Dave Forbes

“There's no real intelligence value in terms of what [China was] doing [with Volt Typhoon]. They were pre-staging capabilities in the US critical infrastructure. And the only real explanation is to achieve some sort of potential future kinetic effect.” – Brad Medairy

“It doesn't need to be a devastating attack. It needs to be a disruption. It needs to be a distraction. It needs to be something that we're worried about… throwing things off balance on our economy and national security posture. – Dave Forbes

“Our adversaries don't look at our nation in isolation… They look at our nation as one holistic battle space... So if we flip that… I'm not sure any of us can solve this problem alone, but together we're stronger. – Brad Medairy

“[W]e’ve been able to remediate [Volt Typhoon] in certain cases… That was just step one. This is going to be forever… it’s going to be a game of cat and mouse for years to come.” – Brad Medairy

Relevant Links and Resources

• Booz Allen Hamilton Cybersecurity
• Anchored in Zero Trust: Report 'Fast Facts'
• Anchored in Zero Trust: Full Report

Guest Bios

Brad Medairy  is an Executive Vice President at Booz Allen, where he leads the firm’s cyber practice. He is also a Senior Fellow at the McCrary Institute for Cyber and Critical Infrastructure Security, co-leading research efforts on China and cyber threats.

Dave Forbes leads Cyber Physical Defense at Booz Allen and was a primary contributor to the Anchored in Zero Trust report. His work focuses on bridging physical and cyber domains to strengthen critical infrastructure protection.

In this special Cyber Focus episode recorded at Black Hat 2025, host Frank Cilluffo sits down with two senior leaders from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA): Chris Butera, a more than decade-long CISA veteran currently serving as Acting Director of the Cybersecurity Division, and Bob Costello, the agency’s Chief Information Officer. They discuss how CISA is adapting its mission in the face of evolving threats, budget pressures, and leadership changes, while maintaining a rapid operational tempo. Topics include the agency’s fast-turn vulnerability response through the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, expansion and quality focus of the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) program, and the push to strengthen operational technology (OT) security. The conversation also explores resilience strategies like CISA’s new eviction tool, deepening public-private operational collaboration, securing supply chains, and the importance of reauthorizing the Cybersecurity and Information Sharing Act.

Main Topics Covered

• CISA’s mission, workforce, and adapting to leadership and budget changes
• Rapid vulnerability response and the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog
• Threat landscape, including nation-state actors and OT security
• Operational collaboration with industry, JCDC, and new IT platforms
• CVE program growth and automation for vulnerability management
• Resilience strategies, eviction tool, and micro-segmentation
• Supply chain security and Secure by Demand guidance
• SLTT cybersecurity grants and field support
• Importance of reauthorizing the Cybersecurity and Information Sharing Act (2015)

Key Quotes:

• “I'm really honored to work with some of the most experienced cyber professionals I think that exists anywhere in the world… We're seeing people step up into new roles, leadership positions, work on new technical projects that maybe they weren't before. And we're just hitting grand slams every day.” – Bob Costello
• “[I ask organizations] ‘How can you continue your mission without access to some of your critical systems? Whether these are your billing systems, your IT systems, your even just access to the Internet.’ And I think a lot of organizations don't have those kind of plans in place or can't function in those cases.” – Chris Butera
• “One of the things that we are trying to do every single day is remove some of those OT systems from the Internet. That is a very critical step that we think that there are very few business cases where you should have an OT system connected directly to the Internet.” – Chris Butera
• “We absolutely support reauthorization of [CISA 2015 authorities]… collaboration is what we're all about. We talk about cyber being a team sport and this helps make all the teams play a lot better together.” – Bob Costello
• “I think we all need to think about [supply chains] a lot differently. And it's across the board, whether it's open source, closed source, or hardware, everything is kind of linked together, and often we don't know where those linkages are.” – Bob Costello

Relevant Links and Resources:

• CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog
• Black Hat 2025

Guest Bios:

• Chris Butera is Associate Director for Cybersecurity at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), where he oversees operational efforts to protect the nation’s critical infrastructure from cyber threats.
• Bob Costello is Chief Information Officer at CISA, leading the agency’s enterprise IT systems, collaboration platforms, and secure information-sharing initiatives with public and private sector partners.

Forescout CEO Barry Mainz joins host Frank Cilluffo to unpack the evolving cybersecurity threat landscape—from nation-state hacktivism to post-quantum vulnerabilities. Mainz highlights how adversaries are leveraging crowdsourced expertise and agentic AI to target critical infrastructure, especially operational technology (OT) systems in sectors like water, energy, and healthcare. The conversation explores Forescout's research on hacktivist proxy groups, the growing danger posed by embedded and aging devices, and the urgency of preparing for post-quantum cryptographic threats. Mainz emphasizes the need for visibility, containment, and cultural alignment between IT and OT security teams to build genuine resilience in both the public and private sectors.

Main Topics Covered: • Hacktivist proxy campaigns and nation-state coordination • Vulnerabilities in critical infrastructure, especially water and energy • Embedded devices and the rise of OT-targeted malware • The looming impact of quantum computing and agentic AI on encryption • Cultural and structural barriers between IT and OT security teams • Practical steps toward building resilience and post-quantum readiness

Key Quotes: “Nation state bad actors were using multiple hacktivism groups like an open source… crowdsourced to solve problems… It’s not 10 people sitting in a room somewhere, it could be up to several thousand.” – Barry Mainz “You can’t secure stuff you don’t see. So it’s really about… asset visibility.” – Barry Mainz “If your cyber vendor doesn’t have quantum-safe technology built in, it’s a problem.” – Barry Mainz “The culture is ‘Hey, I'm in OT, stay out of my business. I'm in IT, stay out of my business.’ And I think this lack of ‘Hey, let's go and take an approach together’ is missing.” – Barry Mainz “Every one of the times we've engaged with a large corporation and they had an issue, it was costing them way more than if they would have just bought the [necessary technology protections] up front.” – Barry Mainz

Relevant Links and Resources:

• Forescout’s Vedere Labs
• The Rise of State-Sponsored Hacktivism 
• Forescout Quantum-Safe Solutions

Guest Bio: Barry Mainz is the Chief Executive Officer of Forescout Technologies, where he leads the company’s mission to secure the world’s most critical assets across IT, OT, IoT, and medical device environments. Appointed CEO in early 2023, Mainz brought more than 25 years of executive leadership experience across infrastructure software and cybersecurity, including roles as CEO of MobileIron and President of Wind River Systems, a division of Intel.