@SteveTout

Ultrarunner. Author. Systems Thinker. Entrepreneur. Fmr: Oracle, VMware, PwC. Building a movement for the next-gen CISO. 🧠 🏃‍♂️📘

 Seattle, WA
stevetout.com
Joined August 2025
  • Tweets18
  • Following69
  • Followers6
6Media
RSA Week makes everything feel new—especially AI. But the core problem hasn’t changed: trust. We’re scaling innovation on top of unresolved identity and leadership gaps. I break this down in The CISO On The Razor’s Edge. #RSAC #CISO #Cybersecurity amazon.com/CISO-Razors-Edge-…

The CISO On The Razor’s Edge: Leading Cybersecurity When The System Is Designed To Break

In this book, you’ll learn how to:

amazon.com
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Steve Tout retweeted
CIO.com
@CIOonlineMar 16
AI is no longer just a technology debate. It is a leadership one. Steve Tout argues that every executive now faces philosophical choices about how AI should shape work, decisions, and power. Read why this shift matters now: spr.ly/6011B6uvLz #FoundryExpert #AILeadership #CIO
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First time for The Strategy Layer Live: a digital twin with a speaking role. Richard Bird joins me to talk AI, cybercrime, governance, and legacy—while his twin opens the show with a brutally honest take. Short. Sharp. Different. open.substack.com/pub/thestr…
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This episode features a candid convo with Washington State CIO Bill Kehoe on what it takes to lead technology and cybersecurity at statewide scale. His insights on the CIO and CISO partnership offer a compelling blueprint for modern leadership. #CIO #CISO open.substack.com/pub/thestr…
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AI is cheap. Trust isn’t. The next edge isn’t bigger models — it’s verified intelligence you can believe in. 👉Read: AI Is Cheap. Trust Is Expensive. 🔗open.substack.com/pub/thestr… #AI #Leadership #Strategy #DigitalTwin
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Burnout starts when speed becomes the only goal. As Nicolette Sulaiman wrote on The Strategy Layer, “ignoring burnout means accepting subpar innovation.” AI should amplify expertise—not exhaust it. #AIEthics #FutureOfWork #DigitalTwins strategylayer.com/p/when-gro…

When Growth Becomes the Enemy: The Neuroscience of Change Fatigue

Why “more, faster, now” backfires—and how next-gen leaders recalibrate for sustainable performance.

strategylayer.com
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Without change management, digital transformation is just expensive chaos. Markets shift. Layoffs sting. Fatigue spreads. But performance doesn’t have to suffer. strategylayer.com/p/when-gro… #ChangeManagement #CIO #Leadership #OCM #CISO #DigitalTransformation

When Growth Becomes the Enemy: The Neuroscience of Change Fatigue

Why “more, faster, now” backfires—and how next-gen leaders recalibrate for sustainable performance.

strategylayer.com
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AI can draft IAM strategies in seconds. But it can’t win executive buy-in, manage trade-offs, or spend political capital. That still takes leadership. #IAM #AI #CISO #Strategy #Leadership #CIO open.substack.com/pub/thestr…
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🎙️ New episode of Drink Coffee. Do Cool Stuff. just dropped: The Pain Cave & the CISO Edge: Steve Tout on Discipline, Purpose & Digital Equity Listen here → ift.tt/tjEvPzl #Podcast #Leadership #Cybersecurity

The Pain Cave & the CISO Edge: Steve Tout on Discipline, Purpose & Digital Equity

In this episode, I sit down with Steve Tout—strategist, author, endurance runner, and advocate for digital equity. We explore the deep connections between running ultramarathons and leading through...

limitlesscyber.com
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CISOs are playing a rigged game. 75% of the budget is locked in, the rest gets cut, and the average tenure? <2 years. It’s not “do more with less.” It’s survival. The only way out is strategic. Read my Strategy Layer post: open.substack.com/pub/thestr… #CISO #CybersecurityLeadership

Playing a Winnable Game: Why Cybersecurity Leaders Must Master Strategic Finance

Amid tightening budgets, short CISO tenures, and mounting pressures, the difference between burnout and breakthrough is framing cybersecurity as a game worth winning—grounded in strategic finance.

strategylayer.com
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A green dashboard doesn’t protect dignity. Passing audits doesn’t restore trust. When boards weaken CISOs, they normalize breaches. The cost isn’t technical, it’s human. #Cybersecurity #Leadership #DigitalTrust open.substack.com/pub/thestr…
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💡Most breaches don’t start in code. They start in misalignment. Entropy in leadership is the breach before the breach. The Entropy Scorecard is how you pen-test it. 👉 Read more: open.substack.com/pub/stevet… #CyberResilience #CISO #CybersecurityLeadership #RiskManagement #InfoSec
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AI bias + digital equity can’t stay theoretical. When we modernized #CIAM in WA State, equity was by design: inclusive UX, bias testing, privacy + consent at the core. No slogans. Just proof. 🔗 strategylayer.com/p/equity-b… #DigitalEquity #AI #Bias #Privacy #Identity

Equity by Design: Lessons from Modernizing Consumer IAM in Washington State

A case study in balancing privacy, inclusion, and UX to deliver equity by design.

strategylayer.com
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NIST Rev 4 isn’t regulation—it’s a compass. Phishing-resistant auth, wallets, fraud detection, equity, continuous risk. CIOs & CISOs: The Q isn’t “Do we have to comply?” 👉 It’s “Are we ready for 2026?” Full post: strategylayer.com/p/identity… #Cybersecurity #DigitalIdentity #IAM
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The CISO never entered the room. Neither did security. CIAM MVP locked. No review. No detection. No alignment. Just convenience stacked on risk. Let IAM slide to 6 or 7— and your influence shrinks with every missed decision. #Cybersecurity #CISO #IAM #Leadership
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Stoicism gave us tools for restraint. But in today’s complex systems, we need tools for connection, reflection, and adaptability. That’s where systems thinking becomes essential. 🌐🧠💡 stevetout.substack.com/p/fro… #blackhat25 #BlackHat #VibeCISO #CISO #Leadership #SystemsThinking
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