AI is moving faster than most organizations are ready for, and the real risk is not the technology itself, but how leaders choose to adopt it. From boardrooms to security operations centers, the balance between innovation and control has never mattered more.

In this episode, host Tony Pietrocola, President and Co-founder of AgileBlue, and co-host Joe Marquette, AgileBlue CEO and Co-founder, are joined by Ken Stasiak, veteran cybersecurity leader and founder of NegotiatorIQ, to unpack what AI adoption really means for security teams, executives, and boards. Together, they explore how AI mirrors the early days of the internet boom, why cultural readiness matters just as much as technical capability, and how organizations can avoid overtrusting or underutilizing AI. Ken shares insights on governance, cognitive bias, SOC transformation, and the human responsibility that must remain firmly in place as automation accelerates.

Key takeaways:

Why AI adoption today feels similar to the internet boom of the late 1990s

The difference between AI as a tool and AI as a decision-maker

How overtrusting AI can create long-term regulatory and operational risk

Why culture and leadership mindset determine successful AI integration

What a healthy human + AI workflow looks like inside a modern SOC

And more!

Connect with Tony Pietrocola:

AgileBlue

LinkedIn: AgileBlue

YouTube: @agileblue

LinkedIn: Tony Pietrocola

Connect with Ken Stasiak:

Stasiak

LinkedIn: Ken Stasiak

Cybersecurity doesn’t fail because of weak tools. It fails because of weak translation.

When executives hear acronyms instead of impact, critical decisions stall.

In this episode of Zero Trust Issues, host Tony Pietrocola, President and Co-founder of AgileBlue, and co-host Joe Marquette, AgileBlue CEO and Co-founder, sit down with seasoned CISO Lee Buttke to unpack one of the most overlooked risks in modern cybersecurity: the communication gap between technical teams and business leadership.

Drawing from real-world incident experience, Lee shares how overly technical reporting during a breach created confusion at the executive level, and what security leaders should focus on instead.

Key Takeaways:

Why cyber acronyms like TTPs can derail executive understanding

The difference between technical reporting and business impact reporting

How to communicate containment, exposure, and operational disruption clearly

Why cybersecurity maturity frameworks create alignment across leadership

How assigning a monetary value to cyber risk drives smarter decisions

The role of the CISO in elevating cybersecurity conversations to the board level

Why resilience in 2026 depends on proactive communication, not reactive defense

And more!

Connect with Tony Pietrocola:

AgileBlue

LinkedIn: AgileBlue

YouTube: @agileblue

LinkedIn: Tony Pietrocola

Connect with Lee Buttke:

AgileBlue

LinkedIn: Lee Buttke

LinkedIn: AgileBlue

When the lights stay on, most people assume everything is fine. But what if the real danger is unfolding quietly behind the scenes?

In this episode, host Tony Pietrocola, President and Co-founder of AgileBlue, sits down with AgileBlue CEO and Co-founder Joe Marquette and Major General (Ret.) Ryan Heritage, former Director of Operations at U.S. Cyber Command. They unpack the evolving risks facing critical infrastructure and why modern cyber threats are more subtle, persistent, and strategic than ever.

Key takeaways:

Why critical infrastructure now extends far beyond traditional military targets

How the cyber domain functions as both maneuver space and a weapons platform

What “persistent engagement” means in today’s peer-to-peer cyber competition

Why AI currently provides asymmetric advantages to attackers

The importance of constantly challenging security assumptions at the executive level

And more!

Connect with Tony Pietrocola:

AgileBlue

LinkedIn: AgileBlue

YouTube: @agileblue

LinkedIn: Tony Pietrocola

Connect with Joe Marquette:

LinkedIn: Joe Marquette

Connect with Ryan Heritage:

GRVTY

LinkedIn: Ryan Heritage

A deal fell apart at the worst possible moment, and instead of ending the story, it sparked the idea that became AgileBlue. In Episode 1 of Zero-Trust Issues, the founders share how a setback at Black Hat helped shape their approach to cybersecurity, automation, and resilience.

In this first episode of Zero-Trust Issues, host Tony Pietrocola, President and Co-founder of AgileBlue, sits down with co-host Joe Marquette, AgileBlue CEO and Co-founder, and Chief Technology Officer Stephen Smith to tell the company’s origin story and what it revealed about the cybersecurity market. The conversation begins in August 2019 at Black Hat in Las Vegas, when the team learned they’d lost what they believed would be their first major deal—sparking an immediate “are we done?” moment. From there, they unpack what it takes to build a security business that can scale without simply adding more headcount. They also discuss why visibility matters when communicating cyber risk to executives and boards, and why “AI-native” security is quickly becoming table stakes as attackers adopt the same tools.

Key takeaways:

How resilience after a setback can become a competitive advantage

Why scaling security operations requires automation—not just more people

What “AI vs. AI” means in practice, and why AI-native defense is no longer optional

How to make cyber risk visible and understandable for CEOs and boards

The real-world pain points in legacy security models that led AgileBlue to build differently

And more!

Connect with Tony Pietrocola:

AgileBlue

LinkedIn: AgileBlue

YouTube: @agileblue

LinkedIn: Tony Pietrocola

Connect with Joe Marquette:

LinkedIn: Joe Marquette

Connect with Stephen Smith:

LinkedIn: Stephen Smith

In a world where AI is both the biggest risk and the strongest defense, Zero-Trust Issues helps cybersecurity and technology leaders stay ahead of threats. Hosted by Tony Pietrocola of AgileBlue, this podcast explores how AI and humans can work together to outsmart attackers, strengthen resilience, and turn cybersecurity from fear into confidence.

Each episode dives into real stories, emerging AI trends, and expert insights to help you take control of your digital future.