A friend in business retorted to me, “I’ve never known anyone to actively demote themselves and bring in their replacement while smiling.” Cyber security leaders think in terms of impact. They don’t ask “Is this cool?” — they ask “If this fails, what breaks for customers and the business?” That mindset promotes growth while reducing friction in business.

Stacy Sherman, founder of Doing CX Right, took the stage at the Portland Summit to deliver a powerful message for technology leaders: IT and security are not just support functions. When leaders break silos, align goals, and strengthen connection across teams, they turn technology into a true competitive advantage.

At the Stealth Security Experience in Chicago, one of the partners stepped into a Shark Tank-style pitch. Chris Nyhuis, President and CEO of Vigilant, didn’t talk about integrations or buzzwords. He talked about trust.

At our Stealth Security Experience in Chicago, Cliff Moore, CISO of Wilson Sporting Goods, said it plainly: “Where the awareness ends, the technology has to pick up.” He’s right. Even world-class phishing programs still see 6 to 7 percent click-through rates. That’s not failure. That’s human nature. People click. And in global environments, that margin for error turns into hundreds of risky interactions a day.

At our Stealth Security Experience in Chicago, 3 Tree Tech hosted a conversation that hit on a critical challenge facing technology leaders today: how do you scale data access across your organization without compromising on cost, control, or clarity?Axiom, a featured partner, brought in a customer to help unpack that question.

The digital landscape broadens daily as the number of devices, applications, and online services in use by businesses and consumers continuously expands. C-suite leaders and high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs) are particularly vulnerable when it comes to personal digital protection, given their public visibility, wealth, and lack of cybersecurity expertise. Knowing this, sophisticated criminals target executives’ and their families’ personal online accounts, homes, and digital footprints for financial gain, blackmail, or reputation damage.

At the 3 Tree Tech Stealth Security Experience in Chicago, Rick Doten shut down one of the biggest misconceptions in cybersecurity: the lone wolf CISO. The idea that one person can single-handedly defend an entire organization is not just outdated, it is reckless. Security is not about heroics. At its core, it is about adaptability, relationships, and having the right people in the right places when things go sideways.

In the grand jungle of telecommunications, a major transformation is underway, one that even Donkey Kong himself would find challenging. The industry is tossing aside classic Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) lines like old-school barrels. High-tech digital solutions are taking their place. This shift brings rising costs, tricky obstacles, and serious strategy from the industry’s biggest players.