This Coffee Talk brings together Evan Francen, Co-Founder of FRSecure and SecurityStudio, and John Jordan, Co-Founder & COO of BetterWorld Technology, for an open conversation about a question every organization eventually has to answer: who is actually leading security, and what happens when no one is?
Too often, cybersecurity leadership gets treated as a luxury reserved for large enterprises with dedicated CISOs and mature security budgets. Evan and John will challenge that assumption directly. Whether an organization has 20 employees or 20,000, the absence of clear security leadership (someone accountable for risk, decision-making, and follow-through) is one of the most consistent patterns behind preventable breaches. The conversation will explore what security leadership actually looks like at different stages of organizational maturity, why "we'll deal with it when we're bigger" is a risky strategy, and how models like the vCISO have emerged specifically to close this gap for organizations that can't justify, or can't yet afford, a full-time hire.
Evan and John will also get candid about the state of the industry itself: where security vendors and MSPs fall short, why compliance checkboxes don't equal security leadership, and what small and mid-sized organizations should actually look for when deciding how to resource this function. As always, this Coffee Talk is free, open to the public, and qualifying participants can earn 1 CPE.
ATTENDEE TAKEAWAYS
Why cybersecurity leadership is a function every organization needs, regardless of size or budget
The practical differences between a full-time CISO, a fractional/virtual CISO, and no dedicated leadership at all — and the risk trade-offs of each
How to recognize when "someone technical is handling it" isn't the same as having security leadership
What to look for (and watch out for) when evaluating vCISO or MSP-delivered security leadership
How AI is changing the economics of delivering security and IT leadership to smaller organizations
Questions boards, executives, and business owners should be asking about who owns security risk in their organization
SPEAKERS:
Evan Francen, Co-Founder, FRSecure & SecurityStudio
Evan Francen is a cybersecurity leader, founder, and trusted advisor with decades of experience helping organizations build and improve their information security programs. He has worked extensively with executive teams and boards, led security organizations, and responded to major incidents, bringing practical, real-world insight into how security actually operates under pressure. Known for his candid and straightforward approach, Evan focuses on cutting through complexity to address the human and organizational factors that often drive security outcomes.
Visit Evan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/evanfrancen/
John Jordan, Co-Founder & COO, BetterWorld Technology
John Jordan is Co-Founder and COO of BetterWorld Technology, an award-winning MSP rebuilding its service model around AI as a force multiplier for its team. As a Certified vCISO, John specializes in delivering strategic cybersecurity guidance alongside managed IT and IT consulting, helping organizations of all sizes build security programs that fit their actual size and risk profile. He is a member of the Forbes Technology Council.
Visit John on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jjjordan/
DETAILS:
Date: Thursday, October 22th
Time: 12:00 - 1:15 p.m.
Location: Online via Zoom
CPE: 1
ONLINE
Online access is available via the chapter’s Zoom account (registration below).
Attendance capacity is 500