Chris Pogue: Digital Forensics in the Modern Threat Landscape

This Kitecast episode features Chris Pogue, Director of Digital Forensics at CyberCX, a cybersecurity veteran with 25 years of experience. Chris brings unique insights from his extensive background spanning penetration testing, executive leadership, and military instruction. As an adjunct professor at Oklahoma State University, he teaches both international business and digital forensics, emphasizing the critical importance of communication between technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Chris introduces CyberCX as "the biggest cybersecurity company you've never heard of"—a pure-play security firm with 1,500 professionals globally. Founded in Australia through the acquisition of 24 boutique security firms, CyberCX stands apart by focusing exclusively on cybersecurity expertise without the distractions of hardware sales or software development. With specialized teams including 200 penetration testers and 40 incident responders, they offer comprehensive security solutions tailored to each client's unique risk profile.

The conversation reveals alarming trends in the threat landscape, including the surprising resurgence of SQL injection attacks targeting forgotten systems and unpatched vulnerabilities. Chris explains that once an exploit is announced, threat actors typically begin targeting it within 24 to 48 hours, yet organizations often take 60 to 90 days to implement patches. The podcast also explores how ransomware tactics are evolving from simple data encryption to targeting operational technology and critical infrastructure, creating more leverage by disrupting business continuity rather than just threatening data exposure.

Third-party risk management emerges as a critical concern, with Chris noting that the traditional "castle and moat" security model has become obsolete in today's interconnected business environment. He describes how Business Email Compromise attacks frequently move laterally across supply chains, with compromised trusted partners becoming vectors for invoice fraud and malware distribution. The conversation also touches on the emerging role of AI in creating more convincing phishing campaigns and voice synthesis attacks.

Drawing on decades of experience, Chris offers this compelling perspective on security investment: "In my career, I have yet to find an organization who under-invested in cybersecurity and was thankful that they did later." With data breach costs averaging $4.5 million globally and $9 million in the United States, the economic argument for proactive security becomes increasingly clear. Don't miss this eye-opening discussion on the frontlines of cybersecurity defense.

 LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-pogue-msis-6148441/ 

 CyberCX: https://cybercx.com/ 

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