In this episode of Amplified Wealth, Austin Hagaman and Mark Lucci welcome Ryan Issakainen, CFA, Senior Vice President and ETF Strategist at First Trust, for a timely conversation on cybersecurity as an investment theme - from AI-driven cybercrime and critical infrastructure risks to why cybersecurity spending has become a non-discretionary cost of doing business in today’s digital world.

Episode Highlights:
🔐 Cybersecurity: More Than Antivirus Software
Why the cybersecurity ecosystem spans everything from identity verification and endpoint protection to defending power grids and infrastructure.

📊 Why Cybersecurity Spending Is So Durable
Unlike other areas of tech, cybersecurity has become a non-discretionary cost of doing business, with industry revenues projected to grow ~13–14% annually.

🤖 AI: Threat or Tailwind?
How artificial intelligence is being used by both hackers and cybersecurity firms—and why AI may actually strengthen the competitive moat for established cybersecurity companies.

💰 Why Some Cybersecurity Stocks May Be Mispriced
Ryan explains why the recent sell-off in software stocks may be unfairly impacting cybersecurity companies despite strong fundamentals.

⚡ Cybersecurity as Modern Infrastructure
Real-world examples—from pipeline shutdowns to dam breaches—show how cyber attacks can have very real physical consequences.

📈 How Investors Can Access the Theme
Why traditional indexes like the S&P 500 offer surprisingly little exposure to cybersecurity—and why a basket approach may make sense.

And Much More!

If cybersecurity is becoming one of the defining technological and geopolitical themes of the next decade, investors may want to understand how this rapidly evolving industry fits into the broader market.

Timestamps:
00:00: Introduction
05:27: What is an ETF?
08:55: Cybersecurity deep dive
16:49: Cybersecurity revenues and spending
19:40 Software companies sell-off and disruption from AI
27:40 Cybersecurity costs and infrastructure
33:30 Real life cyberattacks, deepfakes and quantum computing
40:50 How do investors get exposure to cybersecurity companies?
49:25 The technology sector in 10-15 years
53:25 Basket approach to cybersecurity investing and closing

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