Roland Cloutier spent years as ByteDance/TikTok's Chief Security Officer during one of the most scrutinized periods any security leader has faced — congressional hearings, Senate testimony, and an international ban, all while protecting a platform used by over 3 billion people. In this conversation with host Jay Bavisi, Roland traces his path from military combat security and federal law enforcement into cybersecurity, and unpacks what it actually takes to lead through that kind of pressure.

The conversation covers the mindset shift CISOs need to stop absorbing blame and start operating as business leaders; his "command staff" approach to building resilient, cross-trained security teams; and a breakdown of the three distinct jobs a CISO now holds in the AI era, enabling the business to use AI, defending against AI-driven attacks, and using AI to run security operations better. Roland also gets candid about what it was really like preparing for and sitting through Senate and congressional testimony, how he separated geopolitics from genuine security concerns, the personal toll, sleep, health, a full year of sustained pressure — and the one career decision he'd take back.

What really unfolds once a ransomware attack hits?

In this episode of The Cybersecurity podcast by EC-Council, host Jay Bavisi sits down with Kurtis Minder — a ransomware negotiator and cyber intelligence specialist who operates inside the ransomware underground.

With years of experience observing, engaging, and negotiating with ransomware #groups, building human intelligence networks, and guiding organizations through active attacks, Kurtis reveals how ransomware truly works.

This episode explores:
- How ransomware gangs are organized and why they run like companies
- What real ransom negotiations sound like behind closed doors
- Why these talks often last weeks instead of hours
- How automation and #ai are reshaping ransomware campaigns
- What happens when double extortion and data leaks come into play
- You’ll also hear stories from Kurtis’s earliest negotiations, incidents that went off track, and why understanding attacker psychology is essential to defending against cybercrime.

This episode delivers an insider’s view of ransomware, built on real-world incidents, hard decisions, and the realities organizations face under pressure.

What really happens after a ransomware attack?

In this episode of The Cybersecurity Podcast by EC-Council, host Jay Bavisi is joined by  Kurtis Minder, a ransomware negotiator and cyber intelligence expert who works deep within the ransomware ecosystem.

After spending years studying and engaging with ransomware groups, building #human intelligence #networks, and supporting organizations during live ransomware incidents, he shares how ransomware actually works beyond headlines, assumptions, and surface-level narratives.

This episode covers:

How ransomware groups are structured and why they operate like businesses

What negotiation conversations with attackers actually look like

Why ransomware negotiations often take weeks, not hours

The growing role of automation and ai in ransomware operations

Double extortion, data leaks, and scenarios where negotiations break down

Learn more about the firsthand stories from Kurtis’s early negotiations, cases that went wrong, and why understanding attacker motivation plays a critical role in effective cyber defense.

This episode offers a practical, experience-led perspective on ransomware shaped by real incidents, real decisions, and real consequences faced by organizations under attack.