Security Money: The Index is Back Near Highs as AI Leads the Discussion – BSW #423
The Security Weekly 25 index is back near all time highs as the NASDAQ hits another record high. Funding and acquisitions have shifted to AI as the security industry continues to evolve. We also had a new IPO, Netskope. They will replace CyberArk once the Palo Alto Networks acquisition closes, allowing the index to survive another public company acquisition.
In the leadership and communications segment, Boards Seeking AI Specialists, A CISO’s Guide to Navigating the Urgent AI Security Storm, How to Write AI Prompts That Get Results (& Don’t Suck), and more!
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Matt Alderman
- Boards Seeking AI Specialists
More than half of business leaders and board members say AI should be driving long-term strategic planning, with 51% reporting their boards having recruited AI specialists in the past 12 months and another 30% planning to do so in the next year, according to a survey from advisory Think & Grow.
- Jargon Is Hurting Your Strategy
Strategy doesn’t fail for lack of ambition. It fails when words meant to unify instead divide. The obligation of leadership is ensuring language acts as the bridge between vision and execution. That means treating words as infrastructure—the scaffolding that supports every decision, action, and behavior inside the organization. When leaders choose clarity over abstraction, they reduce the risk of drift. When they translate ambition into illustrations, context, and behaviors, they give employees something concrete to hold on to. And when they align language with action, they transform strategy from a set of lofty statements into a living, breathing guide. Ultimately, the real test of strategy is how faithfully it is lived out across the organization.
- A CISO’s Guide to Navigating the Urgent AI Security Storm
The rapid adoption of AI is a double-edged sword: a massive engine for business innovation and a significant accelerant for cyber risk. For CISOs, the current pace of change means traditional security playbooks are no longer sufficient. The most pressing problems — from shadow AI and AI-powered attacks to the inherent vulnerabilities in AI pipelines — demand immediate, strategic action.
- The CISO’s Guide to Model Context Protocol (MCP)
As engineering teams race to adopt the Model Context Protocol (MCP) to harness the power of agentic AI, a more cautious conversation dominates security leaders’ mindshare. While the potential for innovation is clear, the primary question for CISOs and CIOs is more fundamental: how are we going to manage the growing risk?
- When Working With AI, Act Like a Decision-Maker—Not a Tool-User
While AI can create space for higher-order thinking, it can also tempt us to outsource that thinking altogether. Good leadership has never been about having all the answers. But it does demand reflection, courage, and clarity of purpose—qualities AI can’t replace. As the technology grows more capable and promises more speed and ease, complex decisions will increasingly require slowing down and thinking deeply. To meet this moment, we don’t need more technical skill. We need orientation: a clear sense of our role, the nature of the task, and what judgment belongs to us, not the machine. Four simple, durable principles can help leaders stay grounded in their role as thinkers rather than tool users.
- How to Write AI Prompts That Get Results (& Don’t Suck)
In the last Netflix show you binged or the latest blog post you read, did you ever wonder if a computer had a hand in it? Crazy thought, right? And the truth is, it’s entirely possible with the evolution of AI prompts!
With technologies like ChatGPT, AI co-pilots creators in everything from content to business strategy. It’s not sci-fi; it’s our new reality. Dive in with us as we unravel how these AI prompts work and, more importantly, how they can change how you approach just about everything!