Episode 130: The Story and Future of CIS Thought Leadership

In episode 130 of Cybersecurity Where You Are, Sean Atkinson and Tony Sager are joined by John Gilligan, President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Center for Internet Security® (CIS®). Set against the backdrop of the 2025 CIS Annual Full Staff Meeting, they celebrate 25 years of CIS, including the "serendipity" by which the company became a global cybersecurity thought leader. They also discuss how this thought leadership may evolve over the next 25 years. Here are some highlights from our episode:

• 01:30. How CIS started along with how John and Tony initially got involved
• 07:12. How CIS thought leadership changed with the absorption of the "SANS Top 20," the precursor of the CIS Critical Security Controls
• 11:04. The "serendipity" through which CIS grew and formalized its sales, funding, support, and other operations in the 2010s
• 15:18. How mission and culture advanced CIS to its 25th anniversary in 2025
• 22:52. What the future might hold for "CIS 2.0"

Resources

• 25 Years of Creating Confidence in the Connected World
• Episode 97: How Far We've Come preceding CIS's 25th Birthday
• Episode 114: 3 Board Chairs Reflect on 25 Years of Community
• Episode 76: The Role of Thought Leadership in Cybersecurity
• Episode 125: How Leadership Principles Influence CIS Culture
• Episode 120: How Contextual Awareness Drives AI Governance
• Episode 119: Multidimensional Threat Defense at Large Events

If you have some feedback or an idea for an upcoming episode of Cybersecurity Where You Are, let us know by emailing [e-mail].