John discusses cyber security with Wall Street Journal
- John R. Childress
- Feb 16
- 1 min read
In this short conversation with WSJ Pro Cybersecurity (hosted by Jackie Hunter), John Childress shares a leadership lens on cyber security: why the real exposure is often human behaviour under pressure, and why cyber outcomes improve when leaders treat culture as a managed risk, not a slogan.
Rather than staying in the weeds of tools and training, John focuses on the conditions that shape everyday decisions — priorities, incentives, decision rules, and accountability — and why boards and senior teams should be explicit about which risks are acceptable (and which are not).
In the video, John covers:
Why “culture” shows up most clearly when pressure is high — and why cyber risk is no different
How leadership accountability changes cyber outcomes (beyond awareness and compliance)
Why organisations need clarity on accepted vs nonacceptable cyber risk
How government and business can collaborate more effectively on standards and regulation
What leaders can take away
Culture drives cyber behaviour — especially when people are busy, uncertain, or under pressure.
If you want cyber performance to hold, the work can’t stop at training. John’s point is simple: leaders shape the environment people operate in — and that environment determines what gets reported, what gets ignored, and how quickly teams respond.
Want John to speak or run a working session?
John delivers keynotes and workshops for CEOs, boards, CISOs, and senior teams.
If you’re planning a conference session, leadership offsite, or board discussion on cyber risk and culture, use the contact form to share your context and desired outcomes.