APHINIA - Your Weekly CISO Wire
Here’s your weekly update on comings and goings, jobs, networking opportunities and actionable insights:
These are the most recent appointments and promotions of your cybersecurity peers. Say “CONGRATS!”🥂 to:
Natalia Belaya - one of our own! - was appointed as CISO at Vertex. Congrats!
Edmond Mack was appointed as CISO at Cencora.
Matthew McCormack was appointed as CISO at Finastra.
Ray Griffin was appointed as CISO at Mazda North American Operations.
Patric Versteeg was appointed as CISO at Heerema Marine Contractors.
Karthik Ramamurthy was appointed as CISO at Clearstream.
Philip Ketschek was appointed SVP Deputy CISO at the Navy Federal Credit Union.
Doug Novak was appointed as Deputy State CISO at the California Department of Technology.
Nikki Milburn was appointed as CISO at Mecklenburg County.
Kenneth Hartman was appointed as CISO at SampleServe.
Appointed? Promoted? Receive an Award? Let us know!
Aphinia is growing! Say hello, reach and connect with our new members:
Celestain Fonge, VP, Principal of Cloud Security, LPL Financial
Tyler Howell, VP Information Security, Merit Medical
Jeremy Wilson, Director of Information Security, IES
Nicholas Muy, CISO, Scrut Automation
Prashanth Narayanan, Director, Cyber Architecture, ManTech International
Tarnveer Singh, Chief Information Security Officer, The Exeter
Welcome on board!
Who in your network can benefit from Aphinia? Please send them here »
Not yet a member? Apply here »
Do you want to share your story with fellow CISOs? Book your time now: https://calendly.com/aphinia/30min
Do you want to impart your wisdom and share actionable insights? And, importantly, to further enhance your personal brand so that you would get:
a new Advisory role
a consulting gig
a promotion or appointment
a book deal
a speaking engagement at industry conference
Our dance card is filling up fast, here’s the link to grab your time slot now: https://calendly.com/aphinia/30min
Meanwhile, check out our recent conversation with Cory Messleman (Global CISO, Kyndryl) on all thins cybersecurity.
Full interview here»
Several important events happened that merit your attention:
U.S. lawmakers introduce Act to block foreign-controlled AI: Senator Rick Scott and bipartisan lawmakers introduced the No Adversarial AI Act to ban federal agencies from using AI controlled by foreign adversaries. The bill mandates a publicly updated list of adversarial AI, prohibits their use in government system.
Germany targets DeepSeek AI app for data privacy violations: Germany’s data protection commissioner, Meike Kamp, has accused DeepSeek of unlawfully transferring German user data to China and asked Apple and Google to review banning the app from their stores. The move could lead to an EU-wide ban.
House eases cuts to CISA in 2026 homeland security budget: The House Appropriations Committee passed a $66.36 billion homeland security bill including $2.7 billion for CISA, softening proposed cuts. The bill funds critical infrastructure cybersecurity, preserves DHS’s AI Corps.
New top civilian leader at U.S. Cyber Command named: Patrick Ware, a 34-year NSA veteran, has been appointed executive director of U.S. Cyber Command, replacing Morgan Adamski who is moving to the private sector.
NSA and CISA urge use of memory safe languages: The NSA and CISA released guidance encouraging adoption of memory safe languages (MSLs) to prevent software vulnerabilities such as data breaches and crashes. The report highlights benefits, practical integration methods without full code rewrites.
Russia throttles Cloudflare traffic: Since June 9, 2025, Russian ISPs have throttled connections to Cloudflare-protected sites by limiting data transfer to just 16 KB, making most websites unusable for Russian users. This state-driven action disrupts all major internet protocols and aligns with Russia’s ongoing efforts to isolate its internet and replace Western technology with domestic alternatives.
Canada orders Hikvision to cease operations: The Canadian government has ordered Chinese surveillance firm, Hikvision, to shut down its Canadian operations, citing national security risks after a review by intelligence agencies.
Microsoft enhances Windows security to prevent crashes: Microsoft is restricting third-party antivirus software from accessing the Windows kernel to reduce crashes like last year’s CrowdStrike outage. The company will preview a new endpoint security platform allowing security apps to run outside the kernel, improving reliability and recovery.
GAO urges National Cyber Director to lead quantum security strategy: Marisol Cruz Cain of the GAO testified that the Office of the National Cyber Director (ONCD) should centralize U.S. quantum computing policy to address critical cybersecurity gaps.
Industry news: Cato Networks, a leader in cloud-native Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) technology, has raised $359 million. RevEng.ai, which uses AI to analyze and secure software at the binary level, has raised $4.15 million. LevelBlue acquired Trustwave. Concentric AI acquired Swift Security and Acante.
These senior cybersecurity executive roles you may want to forward to your friends and colleagues:
Florida Gulf Coast University is looking for a Chief Information Security Officer in Fort Myers, FL.
Russell Investments is looking for a Chief Information Security Officer in Milwaukee, WI.
The State of Washington Office of the Insurance Commissioner is looking for a Chief Information Security Officer in Tumwater, WA.
The State of Washington Department of Agriculture is looking for a Chief Information Security Officer in Olympia, WA.
The University of Akron is looking for a Chief Information Security Officer in Akron, OH.
Pinal County is looking for a Chief Information Security Officer in Pinal County, AZ.
Toyota is looking for a Regional Governance Manager & Virtual Chief Information Security Officer in Plano, TX.
UltraViolet Cyber is looking for a Chief Information Security Officer (remote).
World Vision is looking for a Chief Information Security Officer (remote).
Fluke Health Solutions is looking for a Chief Information Security Officer (remote).
Looking for a job? Hiring? Let us know.
I am so much looking forward to Black Hat this year!
Our 2024 CISO Mastermind dinner was most amazing:
So this year we are hosting not one, but two CISO Mastermind dinners - on August 3rd and 4th.
If you are a Las Vegas local or attending Black Hat, please join us.
Space is very limited, so sign up today (see links below)
Aphinia In-Person Events:
BlackHat CISO Mastermind dinner #1 is taking place on Aug 3, 2025 in Las Vegas, NV. If you are going Black Hat this year, this is a “must attend” event. Space is limited, so sign up here today.
BlackHat CISO Mastermind dinner #2 is taking place on Aug 4, 2025 in Las Vegas, NV. If you are going Black Hat this year, this is a “must attend” event. Space is limited, so sign up here today.
Seattle CISO Mastermind dinner is taking place on October 1, 2025 in Seattle, WA. If you are in Seattle, this is a “must attend” event. Space is limited, so sign up here today.
Chicago CISO Mastermind dinner is taking place on October 7, 2025 in Chicago, IL. If you are in Chicago, this is a “must attend” event. Space is limited, so sign up here today.
New York CISO Mastermind dinner is taking place on October 15, 2025 in New York, NY. If you are in New York, this is a “must attend” event. Space is limited, so sign up here today.
Boston CISO Mastermind dinner is taking place on November 4, 2025 in Boston, MA. If you are in Boston, this is a “must attend” event. Space is limited, so sign up here today.
Philadelphia CISO Mastermind dinner is taking place on November 5, 2025 in Philadelphia, PA. If you are in Philadelphia, this is a “must attend” event. Space is limited, so sign up here today.
Re:Invent CISO Mastermind dinner is taking place on Dec 1, 2025 in Las Vegas, NV. If you are going Re:Invent this year, this is a “must attend” event. Space is limited, so sign up here today.
=> Want to host or sponsor a CISO Mastermind around a conference you are going to or in the city where you live? Reach out!
Industry Events:
Black Hat is taking place on Aug 2-7, 2025 in Las Vegas, NV.
InfoSec World is taking place on Sep 22, 2025 in Orlando, FL.
GrrCON 2025 will take place on October 2-3, 2025 in DeVos Place in Grand Rapids Michigan.
The last CruiseCon was a blast and the next one is taking place on Oct 2-6 at sea (!) Use “Aphinia10” code to get a members-only discount before the early bird rate expires.
SecTor is taking place on Oct 23, 2025 in Toronto, Canada.
Re:Invent is taking place on Dec 2, 2025 in Las Vegas, NV.
Gartner: Identity & Access is taking place on Dec 8, 2025 in Grapevine, TX.
Black Hat Europe is taking place on Dec 9, 2025 in London, UK.
Attending or hosting an event? Let us know!
Bad actors have been busy recently 📈:
Hawaiian Airlines has announced a cybersecurity breach that has affected some IT systems, while assuring that flight operations remain safe and on schedule.
The Swiss government announced that a ransomware attack on a third-party organization, Radix, led to the theft and dark web leak of sensitive data from various federal offices.
A hacker working for the Sinaloa cartel has breached surveillance systems to track an FBI official in Mexico, using the data obtained to intimidate and kill witnesses.
About $10 million worth of crypto has been stolen from Resupply's crvUSD-wstUSR pair due to a unique exploit that did not affect other markets.
Retail giant Ahold Delhaize has revealed that over 2.2 million individuals were affected in its November ransomware attack.
Pizza chain, Papa John's Korea, confirmed a customer data breach due to a security flaw exposing names, contacts, and partially hidden credit card numbers.
50 customers of French bank, Société Générale, have fallen victim to a SIM swap scam orchestrated with the help of an intern who leaked sensitive information to criminals.
Johnson Controls is notifying individuals affected by a massive ransomware attack in 2023, linked to the Dark Angels group, which stole over 27 TB of data, and led to $27 million in remediation costs.
A cyberattack on Glasgow City Council has disrupted numerous digital services since June 19, with the council investigating possible customer data theft while keeping financial systems secure.
The NHS reported over 900,000 people were affected and one death recorded after the Qilin cybercrime group's ransomware attack disrupted blood testing across London hospitals last year.
A threat actor who goes by the name "WISDOM" has claimed an attack on Envato, an Australian Digital asset platform, alleging the theft of 11 million emails, though Envato has found no evidence of a breach so far.
But a handful of them were nabbed 👮♀️:
French hackers behind BreachForums arrested: Four French hackers in their twenties have been arrested for operating BreachForums, the largest site for selling hacked data. Following the arrest of one admin in February, the others shut down the site in April to avoid detection.
Former student charged for Western Sydney University cyberattacks: A 27-year-old former Western Sydney University student has been charged with multiple cybercrimes, including unauthorized access, data theft, and altering academic records, after a series of hacks since 2021.
Disgruntled IT worker jailed for cyberattack on employer: Mohammed Umar Taj have been sentenced to over seven months in jail for launching a cyberattack on his Huddersfield employer after suspension, causing at least £200,000 in losses.
British hacker charged in $25 million cybercrime spree: Kai West, a 25-year-old British national known as "IntelBroker," was charged by the U.S. for hacking over 40 companies worldwide, stealing sensitive data, and causing more than $25 million in damages. Arrested in France in February, West faces extradition and up to 20 years in prison.
Stay safe.
Misha Sobolev
Aphinia
***
P.S.: Are you a senior GTM executive at a cybersecurity company wanting to get your story in front of 2,000+ of cybersecurity executives? Sponsor a thought leadership section in the next issue of CISO Wire.