Dewayne Hart is a distinguished cybersecurity leader whose insights bridge military precision and corporate strategy. A retired U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer, he laid the groundwork for his expert mindset in technology defence before founding Secure Managed Instructional Systems (SEMAIS) in 2014, advising clients such as PwC, Kaiser Permanente, and U.S. federal agencies.

Beyond his consultancy, Dewayne has earned recognition as an author and thought leader. His 2022 book, The Cybersecurity Mindset: A Virtual and Transformational Thinking Mode, and his podcast The Chief of Cybersecurity showcase his talent for translating complex threats into actionable, human-centred guidance.

Represented by The Champions Speakers Agency, Dewayne is also a leading keynote speaker who continues to inspire global audiences. Alongside his ongoing work as CEO and Founder, he delivers cutting-edge insights on leadership, AI, workforce readiness, and cyber resilience.

Q1. What inspired your transition from military service to cybersecurity, and how has that background shaped your approach to the field?

Dewayne Hart: "When I retired from the military about 15 years ago, I was supposed to be a leadership coach. And then during the time I was studying for my master's degree programme, I walked into the office and I noticed that a friend of mine was studying for his CISSP certification.

"I picked up the book, browsed through it a couple of times and said, "You know what? I think that I want to branch into the cybersecurity industry."

"And so after that I started to study the CISSP certification, passed it, and then from there I became one of the people that were interested in cybersecurity. But later on I started to do some other things such as writing, starting the podcast, and here I am today working in the cybersecurity industry. It has been very rewarding.

"But I thank my friend for leaving that book on the desk because if he had not left that book there, I would probably have been a leadership coach today. Now, there's nothing wrong about being a leadership coach, but I think that the cybersecurity industry is much more rewarding."

Q2. Many organisations ask, "How can we become proactive rather than reactive?" From your experience, how should businesses assess and build their security capabilities to stay ahead of threats?

Dewayne Hart: "As I have walked through the industry and met a great number of people working from all walks of life, the number one question they always ask me is: how can we become proactive?

"My answer is always standard and it's always the same. You need to understand your security capabilities. Your security capabilities make a determination on whether you know what's on your enterprise or whether you do not know what's on your enterprise. It can also branch into cyber visibility. Do you have visible indication of where your weaknesses are?

"There are some intricate programmes that must work in tandem in order for leaders to understand their security capabilities. One is your asset management programmes. Two is your configuration management programme.

"Three is your vulnerability management programme. If you can take those three programmes and have them work in tandem, you can understand your security capabilities. But also, too, adding in your cyber tools and your cyber threat intelligence programmes - those are going to help you out as well.

"If you add those into your asset management, your configuration management and your vulnerability management programme, you will have an accurate indication of your security capabilities. Because if you don't have an accurate indication of your security capabilities, then this is how you create those blind spots.

"Blind spots are those areas of your enterprise that are sneaking under the radar. They only become active when hackers find out where they are. So if you understand your security capabilities, then you can beat hackers to the finish line."

Q3. Traditionally, the 'human el...