Lou Rabon sits down with Ross Young, CEO of Clear Capabilities and co-host of the CISO Tradecraft Podcast, a former CIA and NSA cybersecurity leader who has also worked at the Federal Reserve Board, Capital One, and Caterpillar Financial, and the creator of the OWASP Threat and Safeguard Matrix. Ross just released a book called "Cybersecurity's Dirty Secret: Why Most Budgets Go to Waste" and he brings a refreshingly practical, dollar-focused take on what it actually means to run a security program well.

From the developer driver's license concept to AI agents replacing manual security response, this conversation is packed with frameworks channel sellers and security leaders can put to work immediately.

Takeaways

• Curiosity is the number one trait that separates great cybersecurity professionals from average ones. Ross compares it to Kobe Bryant practicing three times a day while others practice once.
• For channel sellers who are not deeply technical, the entry point is simpler than they think. Books, podcasts, and a $20 Udemy course can give you enough to ask the right questions.
• Vulnerability management is now the top attack vector according to the Verizon Data Breach Report, and organizations need to shift from patching in 30 or 60 days to patching in hours.
• The developer driver's license is a concept from Ross's book. Just like a 16 year old needs to pass a written test, complete supervised driving hours, and then pass a road exam before getting a license, developers should have to complete training before being granted access to push code to production.
• AI agents will become as standard in the workplace as PowerPoint, Word, and Excel. Ross believes that by 2028, knowing how to build an agent will be a baseline skill for every job, not just technical roles.
• Partnering with a strategic reseller at a flat fee model rather than a per-tool markup across 50 vendors can save a CISO millions of dollars annually.

Quote of the Show

• “I think in 2028, everybody needs to know how to build an agent." - Ross Young

Find all episodes, show notes, and resources at: https://www.cdg.io/podcast/

Partner with us: https://www.cdg.io/partner-with-cyber-defense-group/

In the newest episode of CSS, Lauri Martinez, VP of Channel Sales at Cyber Defense Group, joins Lou Rabon for a conversation packed with practical wisdom for TA's looking to grow their security practice. A three-time winner of the Channel Marketing Excellence Visionary Award and two-time honoree on the Women of the Channel list, Lauri brings two decades of channel experience to a wide-ranging discussion on listening, relationships, AI, and why the right question can open any security conversation.

Takeaways:

• Listening with intent is the foundation of every strong partner relationship. It is not about getting through a 30-minute enablement call. It is about hearing what a partner or customer actually needs and building something valuable around that.

• TAs do not need to be cybersecurity experts to start the conversation. Recognizing a signal, whether it is a customer asking about alerts, mentioning CMMC or HIPAA compliance, or defaulting to "I think I need a pen test," is enough to bring in the right resource and let them take it from there.

• Compliance does not equal security. A customer can check every box and still be exposed. Having a program, not just a tool or an audit, is what actually moves the needle on security maturity.

• The AI governance question is one of the fastest ways to open a security conversation across industries. Asking a customer whether they have an AI governance policy and a remediation plan in place tends to surface gaps across the entire IT and security team.

• CDG's Partner Security Navigator gives TA's a structured starting point for security conversations at no charge. It covers introductions, objection handling, signal spotting, call prep, and even generates a co-branded, personalized one-pager based on what came out of the consultation.

Quote of the Show:

• “You’ll always be able to find a supplier that can give you a tool that you need, or help with a network problem. But what you really wanna do is lean into those suppliers that are helping you build. And when I talk about build, it's about building your business” - Lauri Martinez

Find all episodes, show notes, and resources at: https://www.cdg.io/podcast/

Partner with us: https://www.cdg.io/partner-with-cyber-defense-group/

The CDG Partner Security Navigator is designed to help partners open cybersecurity conversations and identify customer pain points earlier in the sales process. The platform can assist with handling objections, building discovery questions, generating follow-up materials, and creating customer-ready summaries faster during customer discussions. It is built to make cybersecurity conversations easier, more structured, and more actionable without requiring deep technical expertise. To request access email partners@cdg.io. Thank you!

Partner Security Navigator: http://psn.cdg.io/

Links

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurimartinez/
• Website: https://www.cdg.io/

We're bringing back one of our most interesting conversations, and it's even more relevant today. In this re-air of Channel Security Secrets Episode 2, Lou sits down with Rick Mischka, now Sr. Director of Education and Enablement at AVANT Communications and former U.S. Army Special Forces professional. Rick shares a refreshingly human take on cybersecurity, one that strips away the jargon and puts people, process, and trust at the center of the conversation.

From why trusted advisors shouldn't fear security discussions, to how AI is quietly reshaping the posture conversation, this episode is packed with practical wisdom for anyone in the channel looking to deepen client relationships and grow their security practice.

Takeaways

• Why simplifying security language, and asking the right open-ended questions, unlocks deeper business conversations with clients.
• How positioning security as business resilience (not a cost center) changes the entire sales dynamic.
• Why services and process-led approaches beat stacking technology, and how the data backs it up.
• The surprising revenue longevity of security relationships, and why mid-market is the sweet spot TAs are overlooking.
• How AI readiness conversations naturally lead customers into building a stronger security posture.
• Why mental health and burnout in cybersecurity are a real skills gap issue, and what Rick is doing about it with his PhD research.

Quote of the Show

• “ My biggest push to the market is stop talking about technology, the technology changes every 18 months. Talk about the humans. ” - Rick Mischka