AKA Identity

Strategic Leadership: Spearheading the development and execution of comprehensive marketing strategies in line with corporate objectives.
Team Development: Building, mentoring, and leading a dynamic marketing team, promoting a culture of excellence and continuous improvement.
Brand Management: Elevating brand presence globally, ensuring consistent messaging and identity across all marketing channels.
Market Analysis: Conducting thorough market research to inform data-driven decisions and identify new growth opportunities.
Collaboration: Working closely with sales, product development, and other departments to align marketing strategies with business goals.
Innovation: Staying abreast of the latest marketing trends and technologies to keep the brand at the cutting edge.
Performance Measurement: Establishing key performance metrics to evaluate and refine marketing effectiveness.

VP and Head of Marketing

Creating the Data & Intelligence Layer for IAM. AKA replaces manual and inefficient identity and access management decisions with visibility, intelligence and action.

Marketing Advisor

SANS Institute

Senior Advisor - Artificial Intelligence and SecOps | Co-Chair of the Emerging Threats Summit

The Podcast Academy

Member of the Board of Governors

The Anthem Awards

Presented by IADAS, the Anthem Awards recognizes the breadth of purpose & mission-driven work around the globe by honoring the organizations, brands and people creating substantive impact to make the world a better place. By amplifying the voices that spark global change, we’re defining a new benchmark for impactful work that inspires others to take action in their own communities.

Responsible Technology Award Judge

International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences

IADAS describes its members as "Leading industry experts, evangelists and visionaries working to advance the electronic medium" and divides its members into four types - Associate, Executive, Europe and Anthem.

Executive Committee Member

National Security Institute (NSI)

Visiting Fellow

Hacker Valley Media

Advisor

Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer

Hacker Valley Media is a creative agency that is dedicated to sharing the diverse and inspirational stories within the cybersecurity and technology industry. Through the creation and production of podcasts and video shows, we aim to empower, educate, and entertain the cybersecurity community. At Hacker Valley Media, we believe in using the power of storytelling to amplify the best cybersecurity brands, and our team is lead by cybersecurity leaders who are committed to building a company that serves the needs of practitioners.

Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer

Huntress

Advisory CISO

Chief Evangelist/ Senior Director of Marketing

Axonius

I lead the media content strategy with the goal of sharing the power of Axonius with the world and to empower and inspire technology professionals to be the best version of themselves.

Creative Marketing Director

Marqeta, Inc

Director of Engineering - Security Operations

Chris Cochran is a dynamic cybersecurity industry leader known for his unique blend of technical expertise and creative storytelling. With roots in the US Marine Corps and a distinguished tenure at organizations like the National Security Agency, US Cyber Command, Mandiant, and Netflix, Chris has been at the forefront of threat intelligence, Incident Response, and security operations. In 2019, Chris co-founded and led Hacker Valley Media as CEO until passing the reins to Ron Eddings in 2023. Chris created several award-winning media properties during this time, including Technically Divided and Webby-nominated Hacker Valley Studio. His roles as Creative Director at Axonius and Chief Evangelist at Huntress underscore his ability to intersect cybersecurity with impactful marketing. Chris is also a co-creator of the award show for the SANS Institute's Difference Makers Awards. Currently, as Vice President and Head of Marketing at AKA Identity, Chris inspires and leads in the dynamic world of cybersecurity and technology.

Chris Cochran

Big news. I’m joining the SANS Institute as Field CISO and Vice President of AI Security and Safety.

For the past year, I poured myself into building Commandant AI. I believed deeply in the idea of an intelligent partner for incident response, and I still do. But the truth is this: the technology is moving faster than any one team can keep up with, and the world needs scaled readiness more than it needs another startup fighting alone.

So I made a hard call. I set Commandant aside to focus on something bigger than myself.

I’ve been connected to SANS for more than a decade, and stepping into this role feels like coming home. Because here is what I know with absolute clarity from living this work every day:

AI is going to change the world. It already is.
But the same tools that empower us empower our adversaries.

We are living in the calm before the storm. Autonomous attacks are already emerging. The next wave will be faster, more creative, and far more relentless. I have seen this pattern in every domain from the Marine Corps to NSA to Netflix. The advantage always goes to whoever adapts first.

So how do we get ready?

1. Knowledge is power.
In the Marines, training is your lifeline. Cyber is no different. Learn fast. Train hard. Become exceptional at your craft.

2. Execute on the fundamentals.
Great defense still starts with the simple things done with discipline. You cannot skip the basics. It's what makes us hard targets.

3. Fight fire with fire.
Adversaries are moving with AI at full speed. We do not get to be reckless, but we do have to be intentional, secure, and twice as relentless. They can vibe code and deploy instantly. We cannot. That means our margin for error is thin.

This is why I joined SANS. My mission is to help shape the frameworks, training, and defensive strategies that will prepare millions of practitioners for the era of autonomous adversaries.

I’m ready to strap in.
We have miles to go before we sleep.
And the work starts now.

Let’s get to it.

Huge thanks to the folks who helped make this happen, including but not limited to Rob T. Lee, James Lyne, Steve Healy, Steve Harvey, and other SANS colleagues.

Field CISO & VP, AI Safety and Security @ SANS | Bridging Cyber Defense and Frontier AI Risk | Ex-NSA, Netflix, Mandiant | US Marine Veteran

I’m honored to share that I have been nominated and accepted as a Distinguished Member at American Society for AI. So incredibly grateful.

Happy Birthday to the United States Marine Corps.

Service has always meant something deep to me. It’s one of the best things we can do as human beings, to give a piece of ourselves for the benefit of others. My first real contribution to society began in the Marine Corps, and it shaped the person I became.

The Marines taught me how to be mission-focused and community-minded. They taught me that discipline and compassion can coexist, and that true strength often shows up in quiet perseverance.

That experience is the foundation for everything I’ve done since. It’s why I went into cybersecurity. It’s why I care so much about AI, especially when it comes to safety and security. The same principles that guided me then still guide me now.

My time in the Corps remains one of the proudest chapters of my life. I carry those lessons every day.

To my fellow Marines, happy birthday. And to those still serving, stay safe and stay true to the mission.

Semper Fidelis.

Senior Advisor for AI @ SANS Institute | Distinguished Member of the American Society for AI | US Marine Veteran

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I had the chance to participate in one of the most meaningful hackathons I’ve ever been part of the DEF ACC Hackathon with Apart Research and BlueDot Impact. I was a member of an incredible team of people onsite in London.

I was remote unfortunately, but my team on-site absolutely crushed it. These were some of the most hardworking and brilliant folks I’ve ever had the privilege to collaborate with.

Working in AI security and safety, I spend a lot of time thinking about defensive acceleration, emerging threats, and the future we are trying to create. We need people who are passionate, creative, and to be honest, gritty to get to where we want to go in AI. This was THAT team.

Although we didn’t take home the win, we were told we were a top contender, and honestly, that felt like a victory in itself.

We built something we’re genuinely proud of: a canary-style early-warning honeynet for autonomous AI agents. The goal is simple but powerful, collect TTPs and behavioral fingerprints from agents so we can give defenders a head start in understanding what’s coming. The work is still early, but the idea is promising.

Repo if you want to poke around is in the comments.

Huge thank you to my team. You all set the bar. It was an honor.

Thanks Jacob Davies, for recruiting me for the team. 💪🏽

And if you’re wondering, “Chris… did you really use AI to superimpose yourself into the team photo?”

Uh, yes…

Yes I did. 🤣

New Article Drop: World Models Are the Future of AI, Especially in Cybersecurity

Every once in a while, an idea hits with enough force that it changes the entire direction of the field. For me, world models are that idea.

This started because Sounil Yu pulled me aside and said, “Look deeper.”
And if you know Sounil, when he says that… you listen.

After years in cybersecurity, intelligence, and now AI safety, I’ve seen the limits of language-only systems up close. I love LLMs, they’ve transformed what a single person can do. But here’s the truth:

LLMs alone won’t get us to where we need to go.

Not in cyber.
Not in science or medicine.
Not for AGI or ASI.

That’s why Fei-Fei Li’s “From Words to Worlds: Spatial Intelligence” hit me so hard. She captures the shift we’re all going to have to make.

World models bring something LLMs can’t. This isn't Mary in the black-and-white room.

In other words, they reason inside the world, not just about it.

And if there’s any field that needs this shift, it’s cybersecurity.

I dropped the original article link from Fei-Fei  in my write-up and down below.

Field CISO & VP, AI Safety and Security @ SANS Institute | Bridging Enterprise Cyber Defense and Frontier AI Risk | US Marine Veteran

Every now and then, an idea hits the field with enough force to change the entire trajectory of where we’re heading. For me, world models are that ide

Open article: World Models: The Future of AI We Need to Start Talking About, Especially in Cybersecurity by Chris Cochran • 3 min read

World Models: The Future of AI We Need to Start Talking About, Especially in Cybersecurity

Hey everybody, we are about a week and a half out from the SANS Institute Difference Makers Awards, and this year we did something special. We created a full album just for the DMAs. Every single category has its own theme song, made by yours truly in collaboration with artificial intelligence.

I’ll be sharing a few of the tracks as we count down to the event.

This first one means a lot to me. I think about all the CISOs out there who carry a heavy load for their organizations. It is a hard job. The burnout is real. I have lived that reality myself.

So this song is dedicated to the folks in the arena every day, making the hard calls and protecting what matters.

Congratulations to all the CISO of the Year finalists below. I hope to see you at the DMAs, either in person or online.

Anne Marie Zettlemoyer
Andres Andreu
Chris Betz
Allan Alford
Kirsten Davies

This is your moment. Let’s celebrate the people who make a difference.

My recent trip to DC for The Hill’s AI in America Summit clarified something I’ve been feeling for a while:

The conversation has officially shifted from understanding AI to securing our lead.

One of the standout sessions featured Senator Mike Rounds and moderator Michal Lev-Ram, where Cybersecurity, National Security, and the AI Race converged. Four realities rose to the top:

1. The Defensive Imperative

Senator Rounds made it crystal clear: national defense now requires AI-enabled capabilities. Our adversaries are already weaponizing these tools.

2. Standards = Global Power

From a national perspective we are competing on models and norms.

Whose standards the world adopts will define the next era of technology and society.

To lead, we must use our strengths in talent and compute while solving the looming energy bottleneck.

3. Regulation Without Paralysis

There’s real tension between state-level action and federal consensus.

The challenge: regulate safety without suffocating innovation. This is tough but one of the most important fights to get right in my opinion.

Rounds was blunt, over-regulation slows our ability to compete, but no regulation at all risks public trust and public safety.

4. Education Is Still the Differentiator

Our long-term advantage will always be our people.

Leadership requires upskilling our workforce and setting the standards for how AI is developed, deployed, and defended through cybersecurity. This is the mission the SANS Institute has taken on its shoulders.

We’re at a pivotal moment, folks. What are your thoughts on AI and National Security?

I also had the chance to catch up with the unstoppable Aaron Poynton, who seems to be building in every industry simultaneously. My head is still spinning. 😂

#TheHillTech

Honored to share that I’ll be moderating a fireside chat with Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Gharun Lacy at SANS CDI 2025.

We’ll dig into how the State Department is reading today’s cyber threat landscape, how geopolitical tension and hybrid operations are evolving, and how AI and emerging technologies are reshaping national-level defense. It’s a valuable opportunity to hear directly from a leader shaping the government’s approach to these challenges.

SANS CDI is a week of focused training, real labs, and operators sharpening their craft. If you’re tracking where cyber defense and AI are headed, this conversation will be worth your time.

Learn more about CDI, my chat with Deputy Assistant Secretary Lacy, and the Difference Makers Awards in the link in the comments.

#Cybersecurity #CDI2025 U.S. Department of State SANS Institute

AI agents are here, and everyone’s trying to figure out how to actually use them.

Join me, Rob T. Lee, and our guests, Daniel Miessler 🛡️ and Jonathan Sander live as we unpack the real-world do’s and don’ts of deploying agents across the enterprise:

What agents are genuinely good at (and where they outperform humans)
What to keep them far away from the things you should avoid with a 10-foot pole
The mindset, governance, and infrastructure needed to make agents a force multiplier instead of a liability

Whether you’re an exec evaluating ROI, a security leader worried about control, or a builder experimenting with LLM workflows, this session will help you separate hype from reality.

Lior Kolnik, Behnaz Karimi and 103 other attendees

Deploying AI Agents in the Enterprise: Do’s, Don’ts, and Dangerous Zones

I’m happy to share that I’ve obtained a new certification: Technical AI Safety Course from BlueDot Impact!

Will you join us in making sure AI advancement goes well? I signed the AI Red Lines initiative because after a couple decades in cybersecurity, national security, and AI risk, one thing is clear. Power without boundaries eventually breaks something.

This is about making sure the systems we build stay under meaningful human control and serve human goals.

If you care about responsible AI and feel a duty to help shape the future, take a look at the Red Lines proposal and consider adding your name. The more voices focused on safety, the better the future we all get.

Link in the comments.

I just wrapped up the technical AI safety course with BlueDot Impact and it was an incredible experience. Pablo Bernabeu Perez, my facilitator, is one of those rare minds who sees both the present and the horizon with clarity. Working with him sharpened my thinking and helped solidify the direction I have been moving toward for a while. The fusion of AI safety and AI security is where I feel called to operate, and this course confirmed that I can do a lot of good there.

What made this even more meaningful is that I have been facilitating the AI Safety Ethics and Society course with the Center for AI Safety at the same time. Learning and teaching in parallel has been powerful. The concepts hit deeper, they stick longer, and I can feel them becoming part of how I reason about the future of the field. Not to mention the folks I got to meet thoughtout the course were incredible and brilliant people.

Robyn Kozierok
Michael Schaeffer
Hugo Tierrablanca
Jacob Davies
María Victoria Carro
Lamis Mukta
to name a few.
 

This experience is going to fuel a lot of the work I am doing with the organizations I support. I think folks are going to see some strong projects coming from me very soon. If you are looking to enter this space or deepen your understanding, this course is worth every second. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to help build a safer, more resilient future.

Check out BlueDot in the comments! Well worth it!

What is the difference between Safety and Security?

Most people use the terms interchangeably… but they’re not exactly the same. Especially in AI. 

Security protects systems from AI-driven threats or the systems themselves form threats.

Safety ensures AI systems don’t cause harmful or unintended outcomes.

Two missions. Two skill sets.
And they’re about to collide in a big way.

AI Safety is heating up...

...and I believe cybersecurity pros are the heroes this moment needs.

So I ask:

Are you a cybersecurity practitioner/ leader who would want to know more about AI Safety and how it relates to cyber?

Netflix

Leading 3 functional teams (STAR  - Security, Technology Assurance & Risk | Strategy and Operations | Business Information Security Officers).

Senior Manager, Security Leadership & Engineering

● Designed and currently lead a cyber risk management program focusing on quantitative measurements to drive business investment decision-making, which established a risk tolerance level of $130M to $150M to aid in prioritizing engineering and security investments

● Developing a metrics and assurance program to support and inform Executive Leadership, Engineering
Leadership, Board Members, and Audit Committee members. This program measures thresholds and
targets that drive alignment across performance, security, and other business strategies.

● Established an engineering-first compliance program focused on unified controls, automation, control
effectiveness, control visibility, and self-service evidence functionality

● Created a governance program that established guiding principles for identity access management,
workforce security, and data governance.

● Developed and grew staff competencies through team development, implementation and support of
specific training for various responsibilities.

Head of Security, Technology Assurance & Risk (STAR)

Security BSides Las Vegas

BSides Las Vegas is a nonprofit organization formed to stimulate the Information Security industry and community by providing an annual, two-day conference for security practitioners and those interested in (or looking to) enter the field.

Board Member

Stitch Fix

● Established and executed a 3-year security roadmap to build security capabilities within the organization. The initial security plan focused on Product Security, Cloud Security, Data Security, Incident Response, Infrastructure Security, GRC, and Enterprise Security.

● To support business expansion into European markets, lead the team to develop a comprehensive data
security and protection program that adhered to GDPR compliance.

● Integrated and embedded security into engineering (DevOps) processes to increase security control
adoption

● Created and presented metrics and reporting KPIs to Executives, the Audit Committee, and the Board to highlight security's impact on the business

● Established the first fraud team (Security, Customer Service, and Data Scientists) to address customer
impact and minimize fraud with annual savings of $1.5M)

● Created a strong security communications practice: regular email and Slack communications to educate staff against known threats and potential attack vectors and timely security incident reports, highlighting breaches, vulnerabilities and remedial measures

● Developed and maintained incident response protocols to mitigate damage and liability during security breaches

● Designed company-wide policies to align operations with Center for Internet Security (CIS) standards

● Collaborated with third-party payment card industry (PCI) compliance partners

Director Of Information Security

Twilio Inc.

● Responsible for developing a comprehensive security program for Twilio's Amazon Web Services
Production platform

● Implemented low friction application security design and reviewed 20+ applications monthly

● Executed Threat Vector Analysis for Applications, Services, and Infrastructure to ensure Secure Software Development

● Establish lagging security metrics for operational insight and strategic development

● Responsible for the creation and expansion of the security monitoring and incident response capability
for Twilio Enterprise

● Developing security controls to adhere to Regulatory Compliance (SOC2, PCI Merchant Level 1,
ISO27001)

● Analyzed network security and current infrastructure to assess areas in need of improvement and
develop solutions

● Identified computer hardware and network system issues, performing troubleshooting techniques for
remediation

Security Engineering Manager

CODE2040

Fellows Program Council Co-Chair

LinkedIn

● Spearheaded the development and scaling of security monitoring and incident response capabilities for LinkedIn Enterprise across key global regions including the USA, UK, China, South America, and India

● Established and refined the LinkedIn Incident Response Program, ensuring robustness and agility

● Directed security architecture and set requirements for LinkedIn's expansion into China

● Collaboratively devised LinkedIn's Cloud Security Strategy, formulating security protocols and assessment methodologies for SaaS applications

● Oversaw and administered the GRC process, with a focus on PCI compliance

● Led investigations into copyright violations and instituted a proactive monitoring strategy to curb infringement activities

Manager, Information Security

McAfee

● Solutions Architect for McAfee ePolicy Orchestrator Management Platform within the Federal and
Healthcare Business Sector

● Developed training material for US Intelligence customers to maximize analyst time for computer
network defense (CND) and incident response triage (IR)

● Develop risk metrics for enterprise assets to assist customers in developing and designing a continuous monitoring program for compliance and risk assessments (e.g., certification and accreditation (C&A))

● Performed automated malware analysis using McAfee Network Threat Response, Global Threat
Intelligence Artemis, and open-source tools providing situational awareness for customers for incident
response and (idk)

Principal Professional Services Consultant

DISA

● Provided technical security oversight and lifecycle management to the Department of Defense
Host-Based Security System (HBSS) Program, which supported 3 million+ assets within the DoD ($50M+
program)

● Provided enterprise strategic planning for the implementation and utilization of IDS security tools as part of DoD Directive 8500 series

● Developed an asset risk scoring process to identify critical systems and score the asset's risk posture,
allowing generals to make critical operational and mission-related decisions

● Analyzed HBSS events to assist EUCOM Headquarters Security Operations Center (SOC) in adopting
HBSS events as part of their incident response process and event triage process utilizing the Attack,
Defend, Detect, and Remediate (A2DR Methodology)

Computer Scientist

Penn State University

Research open source integrity monitoring systems and log management systems.

Network Development Program

Northrop Grumman Corporation

Develop widgets for web based JSP application.

Java Programmer (Intern)

With over 15 years as a pioneering technology executive, I stand at the crossroads of cybersecurity and risk management. My deep-rooted expertise spans Information Assurance (covering governance, risk, and compliance) to Security Engineering (focusing on both enterprise and cloud security). 

At the heart of fast-growing, heavily regulated industries, I've built and steered elite teams, excelling in guiding vast, remote, and diverse cross-functional groups within evolving organizations. My primary mission? To seamlessly merge business aspirations with security strategies, ensuring investments result in optimal security outcomes. I champion programs that harmonize innovation with risk management, all while ensuring resilience. Collaboratively working with Senior Leadership and Board members, I establish risk frameworks to foster enhanced cyber resilience, informed decision-making, and amplified productivity. 

My commitment lies in fostering an enterprise-wide culture vigilant against cyber threats, ready to identify, preempt, counter, and recuperate from potential cyber incursions.

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