Cyber threats continue to evolve, requiring stronger collaboration between government, industry, and critical infrastructure organizations. In this episode of Detonation Point presented by Elastio, Matt O’Neill sits down with Kiersten Todt, Senior Vice President of Cybersecurity Partnerships & Engagement at Mastercard and former Chief of Staff at CISA, to discuss what it takes to build resilience against today’s rapidly changing threat landscape.
Throughout the conversation, Kiersten shares lessons from helping establish the Department of Homeland Security, her leadership at CISA, and her current work advancing cybersecurity partnerships across the public and private sectors. Together, they explore why collaboration, information sharing, and proactive risk management are essential to defending against modern cyber threats.
Why Cyber Resilience Requires Collective Defense
No single organization can solve cybersecurity alone. Kiersten explains how governments, private companies, nonprofits, and academic institutions each play a critical role in strengthening cyber resilience. She also discusses how public-private collaboration has evolved in recent years and why sharing information across sectors is more important than ever.
Looking Upstream to Stop Fraud
Rather than focusing solely on fraudulent transactions, the conversation explores why organizations must address the root causes of scams. From social engineering and synthetic identities to global scam operations, Kiersten explains why preventing fraud requires collaboration across financial institutions, technology companies, telecommunications providers, law enforcement, and policymakers.
Preparing for the Next Generation of Cyber Threats
Artificial intelligence is transforming both cybersecurity and cybercrime. Kiersten discusses how AI can improve cyber defense while also creating new challenges, emphasizing the need for secure innovation, faster vulnerability management, and stronger cyber hygiene to keep pace with emerging threats.
Key Takeaways
- Why cyber resilience depends on public-private collaboration.
- How fraud and scams begin long before a financial transaction occurs.
- The role of AI, cyber hygiene, and information sharing in defending against modern threats.
More from the Detonation Point Blog
Continue exploring conversations on cybersecurity, fraud, and digital resilience.
- Cyber Risk, Resilience & Leadership Across Government & Industry with CSO Jenny Menna
- How Stolen Credentials Power Modern Cybercrime with Sam Curet
- The Evolution of Cybercrime: Ransomware, AI & Global Investigations with Jim Meehan
Watch the Full Episode
Whether you’re a cybersecurity professional, business leader, policymaker, or simply interested in today’s evolving threat landscape, this episode offers practical insights into cyber resilience, public-private collaboration, fraud prevention, AI, and the collective effort required to defend against modern cyber threats.
YouTube | Apple Podcasts | Spotify