‘Wars don’t mean guns, they mean keyboards’ is the standout phrase from this week’s episode of The Tech Leaders Podcast with cybersecurity expert and CISO of Whistic, Jake Bernardes. In the episode, both Gareth and Jake discuss the IT vulnerabilities that exist in the public sector, as well as the necessary precautions needed to avoid debilitating cyber-attacks and data breaches. The conversation highlights the importance of user understanding and ‘opening your eyes to the value of your data’ to ensure optimum security.  Alongside cyber-safety, Jake describes how AI is another keen interest of his, as he and Gareth discuss the likelihood of an ‘AI Arms Race’ between search engine giant, Google, and revolutionary newcomer, Chat GPT. However, despite acknowledging the omnipresence of artificial intelligence in society, Jake notes that the key to good leadership ultimately lies within pure human interaction: as he stresses the importance of being ‘in the middle of your team’ to share success and shield from failure.    Time stamps  What good leadership means to Jake – (01:50) Career overview - (2:30) Missionary work and learning humility (05:35) Retaining ‘natural obsessiveness’ (07:50) From Corporate to Start-up (08:55) Key career milestones (12:14) Whistic and the Vendor Risk space (13:45) The biggest cyber security threats (18:25) Growing risk of Cyber Wars (21:50) ‘Did you Chat GPT that?’ (26:40) Ethical hacking (30:05) The skills gap (33:20)  Exciting tech innovations (35:30) Verifying things at the source (38:25) Keeping fit to keep you focused (43:52) A coffee meeting with Alexander Hamilton and Elon Musk (44:28) ‘Don’t be afraid to trust your gut’ (46:34)   * BOOK RECOMMENDATION: ‘Man’s Search for Meaning’ - Viktor E. Frankl   Man's Search For Meaning By Viktor E Frankl | Used | 9781844132393 | World of Books (wob.com)