The CISO role is exploding — and AI is throwing petrol on the fire.
In this episode of The Agentic Exec, Ian and George sit down with Marius Poskus, a CISO by day, a virtual CISO by night, host of Cyber Diaries, and one of the clearest voices in modern cybersecurity leadership.
If Episode 4 revealed the threat landscape, Episode 5 dives into the people actually responsible for defending the business — and why most of them aren’t equipped, empowered, or positioned to succeed.
This conversation hits hard because it’s honest:
Many CISOs today are buried under the CIO, starved of budget, overloaded with accountability, and then blamed when the inevitable breach happens. And that was before AI, autonomous agents, identity sprawl and shadow AI blew up the complexity.
In this episode, we unpack:
🔥 The real role of a modern CISO
Not a clipboard-wielding “department of no”, but a revenue enabler, storyteller, translator, risk partner and board adviser — not just a technical operator.
🔥 Why so many CISOs are set up to fail
Lack of budget. No influence. Zero authority. Wrong reporting line. And a board that still asks the impossible question: “Are we secure?”
🔥 The skills gap no certification teaches
Influence, negotiation, political navigation, empathy, storytelling and the ability to translate “CVSS 9.8” into “£5m financial exposure”.
🔥 AI, agentic systems, and the new identity crisis
92 machine identities for every human. Agents talking to agents. Shadow workflows. Synthetic workforces.
And a single misconfigured AI agent deleting your production database at 2am.
🔥 How execs can tell if their cyber posture is actually good
The simple conversations, monetary framing, and governance questions every CEO, COO and investor should be asking.
🔥 Why SMBs must consider a virtual CISO
The cheapest insurance against buying the wrong tools, taking the wrong risks, or being ripped off by vendors.
🔥 The “one hot take” for boards rushing into AI
Experiment — but do it with guardrails. Use proven platforms, not cowboy DIY models running in live production.
If you're a CEO, investor, CISO or operator trying to safely unlock AI value without blowing up your business, this episode is required viewing.
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