Former NSA Director and Commander of U.S. Cyber Command Adm. Michael S. Rogers (Ret. USN) joins the Nexus Podcast. Rogers spoke in advance of an RSA Conference panel discussion today with the other living NSA directors, Keith Alexander, Paul Nakasone, and Tim Haugh, a rare time when the four can be in the same room.

Rogers describes the principles that guided his time as director of these intelligence agencies, how the role changes as administrations change, and some of the core strategies that led to success.

Subscribe and listen to the Nexus Podcast here.

Cyberattacks don’t just test your systems - they test your preparedness.

In this episode of Protect It All, host Aaron Crow breaks down key lessons from the Striker attack and what it reveals about today’s evolving threat landscape across IT and OT environments. From energy and healthcare to manufacturing systems, attackers are increasingly using sophisticated techniques like “living off the land” - blending into normal operations instead of deploying obvious malware.

Aaron takes this beyond theory, focusing on what organizations must do before an attack happens.

A major theme? Tabletop exercises. Not as a compliance activity - but as a critical tool for building real incident response readiness, improving team coordination, and exposing gaps that tools alone can’t catch.

You’ll learn:

• What the Striker attack teaches about modern cyber warfare
• How living-off-the-land tactics bypass traditional defenses
• Why tabletop exercises are essential for real-world readiness
• The role of threat hunting and collaboration across teams
• How attackers exploit weaknesses in both IT and OT environments
• Why small, consistent actions can dramatically improve resilience

Whether you’re defending critical infrastructure, leading a cyber team, or just starting your security journey, this episode delivers practical insights you can apply immediately.

Tune in to learn how to prepare before the next attack - not react after it - only on Protect It All.

Key Moments:

04:59 "Modern Warfare: Cyber and Beyond"

08:47 "Security Risks of Remote Wipe"

10:31 "Living Off the Land Tactics"

13:11 "Balancing Power and Security"

19:12 "Vulnerabilities Demand Swift Action"

20:21 Prioritize Risk, Justify Investment

25:04 Practice Preparedness Before Crisis

26:48 Weak Links Threaten Cybersecurity

Connect With Aaron Crow:

• Website: www.corvosec.com
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaronccrow

Learn more about PrOTect IT All:

• Email: info@protectitall.co
• Website: https://protectitall.co/
• X: https://twitter.com/protectitall
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PrOTectITAll
• FaceBook: https://facebook.com/protectitallpodcast

To be a guest or suggest a guest/episode, please email us at info@protectitall.co

Please leave us a review on Apple/Spotify Podcasts:

Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/protect-it-all/id1727211124

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1Vvi0euj3rE8xObK0yvYi4

Michael Pyle, Director of Product Cybersecurity at Schneider Electric, joins the Nexus Podcast to discuss Internet Exposure Prevention, a new SE approach to preventing illicit connections to operational technology and industrial control systems that are insecurely connected to the internet.

Attackers are adept at enumerating exposed devices and leveraging OT and ICS to access process and corporate networks. Pyle explains that Internet Exposure Prevention drops inbound traffic that the asset did not initiate. Checks are made on the IP address initiating the connection and whether it's a routable source IP, and an allow/deny decision is made.

Pyle explains the risk to exposed devices, and the need to shut down illicit connections.

Subscribe and listen to the Nexus Podcast here.

For the last episode of season 5, host Bryson Bort sat down with Andrew Ohrt, Resilience Director at West Yost Associates. A civil engineer specializing in water infrastructure, Andrew bridges the gap between traditional engineering and digital risk. Andrew walks us through the "invisible" nature of water systems, the impact of data centers on utility resilience, and how Cyber-Informed Engineering (CIE) protects our most essential resource.

How did a drive under a rebuilt bridge in Minneapolis pivot Andrew’s career toward critical infrastructure? Why did a single wastewater release shut down Waikiki Beach for an entire week? And what happens when a cybersecurity team finds a client’s PLC exposed on the open internet?

“To me, the integration of understanding cyber or digital risk in our critical infrastructure, the engineers picking that understanding up, building awareness, building skill sets, figuring out how to manage that risk, is one of the most important things that we've been working on,” he said.

Join us for this and more on this episode of Hack the Plan[e]t.

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast represent those of the speaker, and do not necessarily represent the views and opinions of their employers.

Hack the Plant is brought to you by ICS Village and the Institute for Security and Technology.

Dragos CEO and U.S. National Guard Lt. Col. Rob Lee joins hosts Michael Farnum and Sam Van Ryder to discuss why he returned to military service, the growing cyber threats to critical infrastructure, and the role exercises like Cyber Fortress play in preparing both government and private sector operators for real-world cyber incidents.

SHOW NOTES:

Things Mentioned:

• Cyber Fortress 2026: https://va.ng.mil/Cyber-Fortress/
• Upcoming CYBR.SEC.Community events: https://www.cybrsecmedia.com/conference/
• CYBR.SEC.Careers: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cybr-sec-careers/about/ fundraisers:
  • Cards for a Cause: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/cybr-sec-careers_cybrseccareers-nonprofit-cybersecurity-activity-7436794892787359744-v4Cz
  • CYBR CLAY SHOOT: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/cybr-sec-careers_cybrclayshoot-cybersecurity-cybercareers-activity-7435353518951084033-1iw9
  • Proceeds support CYBR.SEC.Careers mission is to build a strong, diverse workforce by providing career exposure, access to education and certifications, and mentorship for students and veterans pursuing careers in cybersecurity.

Episode 64 Timestamps:

6:48 – Why Lee returned to military service
Lee explains how calls from government and military leaders prompted him to return to the National Guard to help address unresolved questions around defending operational technology (OT) during conflict.

9:33 – Role in the 91st Cyber Brigade
Lee describes his position as executive officer and the mission of the Army National Guard’s cyber brigade.

14:52 – Cyber Fortress exercise explained
Lee walks through the origins of Cyber Fortress and how it evolved from a state-level exercise into a broader operational technology training environment.

17:53 – How Cyber Fortress works
The exercise combines training, red-team simulations, and participation from infrastructure operators to practice responding to real OT cyber incidents.

20:10 – Cyber conflict and civilian infrastructure
Lee discusses the growing risk of state actors targeting hospitals, utilities, and other civilian infrastructure.

24:23 – Cyber attacks that lead to loss of life
Lee argues the cybersecurity community must acknowledge that cyber operations have already contributed to real-world deaths.

27:04 – The role of cyber in modern warfare
The discussion explores how cyber capabilities are increasingly intertwined with traditional military conflict.

Do you have a question for the hosts? Reach out to us at media@cscgroupllc.com