Bryce Austin
Bryce Austin is a cybersecurity expert and best-selling author who helps leaders make informed, practical decisions about cyber risk.
Why book Bryce Austin for your next event
- Bryce delivers clear, business-focused cybersecurity insight drawn from over 20 years advising leaders across industries and company sizes.
- His experience includes real crisis leadership, giving audiences practical guidance grounded in what actually happens during cyber incidents.
- Bryce equips executives and boards with a realistic framework to reduce cyber risk to a level that is secure enough for their organization.
Non-binding request for Bryce Austin
Cybersecurity Expert | Board Advisor | Best-Selling Author
Bryce Austin is one of the most respected voices in cybersecurity, known for translating complex technical risk into decisions leaders can act on. With more than two decades as a technology executive, Bryce has advised boards and leadership teams across a wide range of industries. His background includes senior roles at major organizations and hands-on experience managing high-profile cyber crises. Bryce’s mission on stage is clear: to help organizations understand their real cybersecurity risk and bring it to a level that is secure enough for their goals, culture, and business reality.
Bryce Austin – Cybersecurity Expertise Built on Real Experience
Bryce Austin’s technology journey began early, programming on a Commodore 64 using a cassette tape drive. That curiosity evolved into a career spanning more than 20 years as a technology and cybersecurity leader. Today, Bryce is recognized for his ability to bridge the gap between technical teams and executive leadership, helping organizations make smart, informed decisions about cybersecurity without fear-based messaging.
He has served as Chief Information Officer and Chief Information Security Officer at Wells Fargo Business Payroll Services and held the role of Senior Group Manager at Target Corporation. These positions placed him at the center of complex, high-stakes technology environments where security, operations, and business objectives had to align.
Trusted Advisor to Boards and Executives
Bryce regularly advises boards of directors and executive teams across a diverse range of industries. He holds the title of Chief Information Security Officer, or “SEE-SO,” for companies ranging from 50 employees to organizations listed on the S&P 500. This breadth of experience gives Bryce a rare perspective on how cybersecurity challenges differ based on size, maturity, and risk tolerance.
Rather than promoting one-size-fits-all solutions, Bryce focuses on helping leaders understand what level of security is appropriate for their specific organization. His guidance empowers executives to ask better questions, prioritize the right investments, and confidently oversee cybersecurity as a business risk.
Lessons from Cybersecurity Crisis Management
Bryce has more than a decade of hands-on cybersecurity crisis experience. One of the most formative moments in his career was being part of Target Corporation during its widely known 2013/2014 cyber breach. This experience shaped his approach to cybersecurity, emphasizing preparation, clarity, and leadership under pressure.
On stage, Bryce draws from real incidents to explain what actually happens before, during, and after a cyber event. He helps audiences understand where organizations typically struggle and how better decisions earlier can dramatically reduce impact. His presentations resonate because they are grounded in reality, not theory.
Secure Enough – A Practical Cybersecurity Philosophy
Bryce is the best-selling author of Secure Enough? 20 Questions on Cybersecurity for Business Owners and Executives. The book reflects his core philosophy: cybersecurity is not about achieving perfection, but about reaching a level of security that aligns with your organization’s risk, goals, and resources.
This concept forms the foundation of his keynote presentations. Bryce’s number one goal is for audiences to leave knowing how to bring their cybersecurity risk to a level that is secure enough for them. He avoids technical jargon and instead focuses on decision-making, accountability, and leadership.
What Audiences Take Away
A clear understanding of cybersecurity as a business risk, not just a technical problem
Practical questions executives and boards should be asking about security
Insight into how cyber incidents unfold and how to reduce their impact
Confidence to lead cybersecurity conversations without needing deep technical expertise
Beyond the Stage
Outside of cybersecurity, Bryce is a high-speed track driver and coach. He has driven vehicles ranging from a 65-horsepower Mini Cooper to a 650-horsepower Porsche 911 Turbo. As a coach, he has trained more than 100 students, all while maintaining a flawless safety record. This passion mirrors his professional mindset: understanding risk, respecting limits, and making informed decisions at speed.
Book Bryce Austin for your event to give your audience a grounded, engaging, and highly relevant perspective on cybersecurity, delivered by someone who has been there when it mattered most.
Keynotes
Keynote by Bryce Austin:
How to Tame the Ransomware Beast!
Ransomware attacks seem to be an almost daily news headline. Change Healthcare. Colonial Pipeline. MGM. Caesars. CNA Financial. Recent ransomware incidents underscore the importance of companies having strong cybersecurity practices in place to prevent these attacks from happening. Recovery from ransomware is difficult. Prevention is easier. This presentation will bring to life real-world lessons learned from a large ransomware attack where the initial ransom demand was $8 million dollars. Your audience will learn how to dramatically lower their risk of a ransomware attack, and what steps they can take to ensure they can recover in the event that a ransomware attack strikes their company.
Your Audience Will Learn:
- Why these types of cyberattacks have skyrocketed
- The best ransomware defenses to help prevent attacks
- Systems that need to be in place in case cybercriminals are able to access your network
- Steps to take if you do fall victim to a ransomware attack
Keynote by Bryce Austin:
Innovation through cybersecurity. How to gain a competitive edge while your competition is snoozing.
Wannacry. Petya. Ransomware. Spearphishing. Equifax. GDPR.
These terms have made headlines around the world. Companies have been caught in the crossfire between cyberattacks launched by one government against another, and also have to be vigilant in keeping customers' data safe or risk fines as a result of new privacy laws such as GDPR and CCPA.
Turning a blind eye and hoping that your company will not be a victim is no longer an option. The threat is real.
So is the opportunity. Companies can start using cybersecurity as a competitive advantage, not a necessary evil. Want to know how? Bryce Austin has written a book on the topic. Through the judicious use of technology, companies are using cybersecurity to gain an edge that leaves their competitors scrambling to catch up.
How can we bring these concepts to life for you and your team? People need to feel the message, not just hear it. Join me in this keynote session as we examine spectacular in-car racing footage for signs to detect, react, prevent and mitigate life safety issues on the racetrack. Then we will apply those techniques to the business world and see how cybersecurity can be a competitive advantage to your organization.
Keynote by Bryce Austin:
Perspective from inside a major retail cybersecurity breach
"I couldn't believe the wall was coming at me so fast. Lessons learned from immovable objects, the Target breach, how to win at auto racing and other cybersecurity topics."
Automobile racing goes from smooth sailing to out of control in a very short timespan. So does cybersecurity. Learn from someone that had a "resume generating event" due to one of the largest data breaches of the past several years, and what could have been done beforehand to prevent the breach from ever taking place. The budget required to bring necessary focus to technology security can be elusive, and the user experience is often in opposition to security "best practices."
Your audience will learn:
- Real world lessons learned from major recent cybersecurity breaches and how they could have been prevented
- How to respond to a cybersecurity incident from a non-technical standpoint: public relations, law enforcement involvement, and contract negotiation with vendors
- How to develop an emotional connection with teams in times of crisis
- How to make new regulations into a competitive advantage for your company
- What new technologies offer to combine an improved user experience with tightened security
Keynote by Bryce Austin:
The Ostrich Effect
The Ostrich Effect: How proper communication with the C-Suite will lead to good decisions around technology and cybersecurity.
There are three reasonable things to do with any risk a business faces: accept it as-is, mitigate down to an acceptable level, or insure against it. Unfortunately, many companies see risks as complex as cybersecurity to be so challenging that they choose a 4th option: sticking their head in the sand and hoping that nothing bad happens.
My presentation will teach business leaders:
- How to assess the cyber risks in their industry relative to other business risks.
- How to make rational decisions on which risks to accept, which to mitigate, and which to insure against.
- How to make presentations to C-suite executives on technology topics, even if the presenter is not a technologist as their profession.
- This presentation will focus on ideas to engage the hearts and minds of executives on topics that are too often overlooked in board room discussions.
Bryce Austin Audience Reaction Video 2023
Watch Bryce Austin in action!
