
Authenticate This! The Cybersecurity Leadership Podcast · 2025-09-24 · 47 min
On this episode, hosts Aaron Lentz and Tim York sit down with Zach Lewis , Chief Information Officer and Chief Information Security Officer of the University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis . Zach discusses leading his university through a ransomware attack, how he balances security with student experience in a nonprofit environment, and why open conversations about breaches are vital for the industry. Key Takeaways: 00:00 Introduction. 02:06 Zach's book chronicles the university's LockBit ransomware experience. 06:54 Password managers fail when Active Directory authentication becomes unavailable. 09:00 Companies now want cybersecurity leaders who understand breach environments. 14:27 Campus card systems integrate everything from dining to Grubhub. 20:24 AI coding tools represent emerging technological capabilities worth exploring. 23:54 Universities should teach students proper AI tool integration techniques. 28:45 Technical revolutions require flexible pivoting from established security plans. 37:36 Small organizations benefit from outsourcing 24/7 SOC monitoring. 42:48 Legacy applications must evolve, or organizations get left behind.