Cybersecurity is a business risk that impacts your bottom line, brand, and growth. The Cyber Risk Podcast for Business Leaders, hosted by Mike Fitzpatrick, CRISC, CDPSE, Distinguished Fellow of the Ponemon Institute and CEO of NCX Group, delivers weekly, no-nonsense insights tailored to CEOs, CFOs, and decision-makers. From data breaches to practical cybersecurity and data privacy strategies, we offer steps to manage risk, ensure compliance, and protect revenue. Subscribe now to turn risk into opportunity.
Fired Three Times: The Story Behind 25 Years of NCX Group
I got fired the day my son was born. Two more terminations later, I started NCX Group with about $3,000 and a wife who believed in me.
As NCX Group heads into its 25th year, host Mike Fitzpatrick tells the story he's hesitated to tell: losing a $40 million commission, crisscrossing the country from Michigan to Hawaii, watching 9/11 wipe out a company's plans, and launching NCX Group the day after being told he was "the best business development person" his boss had ever met.
Along the way, one question kept coming up: if Fortune 500 companies with every resource are struggling with information security, what chance does everyone else have? That question still drives NCX Group today.
In this episode:
Why getting fired three times turned out to be the push to start something of his own
What Mike saw inside the Fortune 500 that shaped how NCX assesses risk
Why information isn't the goal, decisions are
The six months it took to land the first client
The person who made it all possible: his wife
If you're going through hell, keep going. Don't linger. Always forward.
Every business has a story behind it, and every one is worth protecting. If you'd like to talk about protecting yours, schedule a conversation at https://ncxgroup.com/contact-ncx-group/ (https://ncxgroup.com/contact-ncx-group/)
Connect with NCX Group:
Website: https://ncxgroup.com (https://ncxgroup.com)
Podcast: https://ncxgroup.com/podcast/ (https://ncxgroup.com/podcast/)
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ncx-group/ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/ncx-group/)
X: https://x.com/ncxgroup (https://x.com/ncxgroup)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ncxgroup (https://www.facebook.com/ncxgroup)
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ncxgroup (https://www.youtube.com/@ncxgroup)
Byte-Size Security is presented by NCX Group, the leader in cyber risk consulting. Stay smart, stay savvy, and protect what you've built.
31 Dec 2025
Why Most Incident Response Plans Fail — And What to Do Instead
Episode Summary:
Most companies have an incident response plan, but very few have one that actually works at 2 in the morning when everything goes sideways. In this episode, Mike Fitzpatrick breaks down the real reasons IR plans fail, why untested playbooks become liabilities, and how CEOs can turn a paper plan into a real business protection strategy.
Drawing on recent industry research and 24 years in cybersecurity, Mike explains why people and communication—not technology—determine the outcome of an incident. He also shares how unclear roles, bad assumptions, and untested processes turn small problems into multimillion-dollar disasters.
If you are a CEO, business owner, or executive who believes your company “has a plan,” this episode will challenge you—in a good way.
What You’ll Learn:
• Why untested IR plans create false confidence
• The number one reason incidents drag on: lack of clear authority
• How communication breakdowns cause more damage than the breach itself
• What recent vendor outages taught every business about fragility
• Why incident response is a financial issue, not a technical one
• What leaders must put in place long before an incident occurs
Who This Episode Is For:
CEOs, business owners, CIOs, CISOs, CFOs, and anyone responsible for keeping a company operational during crisis events.
Connect With Mike Fitzpatrick and NCX Group:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ncxgroup
NCX Group Website: https://ncxgroup.com (https://ncxgroup.com)
Free Cyber Risk Readiness Assessment: https://training.ncxgroup.com/risk
Bite Size Security Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7168971909802442752/
If this episode helped you see your own readiness differently, share it with another business owner or leader. One conversation could save them millions.
28 Dec 2025
If Cyber Can Move a Stock Price, It Can Move a Deal Price
If Cyber Can Move a Stock Price, It Can Move a Deal Price
Host: Mike Fitzpatrick
A single cyber issue can cut your valuation before you ever reach the negotiating table. Most advisors won’t mention it. Buyers won’t announce it. But the discount shows up anyway.
In this episode, Mike Fitzpatrick breaks down how cyber risk shapes deal pricing in the mid-market, why buyers model exposure long before diligence begins, and how sellers lose millions simply by failing to prove their security posture.
Cyber won’t decide your future. It will decide the number attached to it. And in most exits, that number is the difference between what you built and what you walk away with.
What’s Inside:
• Why cyber is now a valuation metric
• How uncertainty shows up as an immediate price cut
• The hidden impact of MSP breaches on deal exposure
• Why insurance cannot replace real risk reduction
• Why proof protects value — and assumptions don’t
More insights: https://ncxgroup.com (https://ncxgroup.com)
Mike on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ncxgroup
Mike on X: @ncxceo
NCX Group on X: @ncxgroup
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Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
1 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 32 / 100
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Quality
64
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YouTube
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Engagement
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Questions about Bite Size Security
Who hosts Bite Size Security?
Mike Fitzpatrick and Bite Size Security host the show. Published by Mike Fitzpatrick.
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