{"id":502,"date":"2026-09-20T08:37:38","date_gmt":"2026-09-20T08:37:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lite.buildprosites.com\/sam-whitlock\/about\/"},"modified":"2026-09-20T08:37:40","modified_gmt":"2026-09-20T08:37:40","slug":"about","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/lite.buildprosites.com\/sam-whitlock\/about\/","title":{"rendered":"About"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-page\" data-elementor-id=\"502\" class=\"elementor elementor-502\">\n\t\t\t\t<div data-bps-section=\"section\" data-bps-section-slug=\"about-01\" class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3d9da951 section dark moa-xl e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"3d9da951\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f348b4ee e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"f348b4ee\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-fad97cb1 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"fad97cb1\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div data-bps-id=\"about-01-headline-1\" data-bps-type=\"headline\" class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2fd55800 prehead elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"2fd55800\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">About<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div data-bps-id=\"about-01-headline-2\" data-bps-type=\"headline\" class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0157406b ft-h1 hero-title elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"0157406b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">I got into this because panic makes people worse at security, not better<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div data-bps-id=\"about-01-subheadline-1\" data-bps-type=\"subheadline\" class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4205dcd2 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"4205dcd2\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>I spent years in rooms where a security briefing was really a fear briefing: worst-case scenarios, unfamiliar acronyms, a slide of a hooded figure at a keyboard. It worked, in the sense that people left scared. It did not work in the sense that mattered &mdash; almost nobody left knowing what to actually do differently on Monday.<\/p><p>So I started explaining things differently: what a threat actually is, what it actually costs, and which two or three changes genuinely move the risk. Rooms started asking better questions. Boards started making faster, clearer decisions. Four books later, I still open every talk the same way &mdash; with the plain version of the threat, not the scary one.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div data-bps-id=\"about-01-subheadline-2\" data-bps-type=\"subheadline\" class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-571b99fd elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"571b99fd\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>I am not here to sell fear, and I try never to leave a room more anxious than I found it. What I offer is more useful: a clear read on what actually matters, plain language for it, and a practice that holds up under load.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1d1d874a e-con-full bps-media e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"1d1d874a\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div data-bps-id=\"about-01-image-url-1\" data-bps-type=\"image\" class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-bf2564cc elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"bf2564cc\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"820\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/lite.buildprosites.com\/sam-whitlock\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/183\/2026\/09\/ih-b-about-820x1024.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-481\" alt=\"Black-and-white portrait of Sam Whitlock looking straight at the camera against a black background\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lite.buildprosites.com\/sam-whitlock\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/183\/2026\/09\/ih-b-about-820x1024.jpg 820w, https:\/\/lite.buildprosites.com\/sam-whitlock\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/183\/2026\/09\/ih-b-about-240x300.jpg 240w, https:\/\/lite.buildprosites.com\/sam-whitlock\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/183\/2026\/09\/ih-b-about-768x960.jpg 768w, https:\/\/lite.buildprosites.com\/sam-whitlock\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/183\/2026\/09\/ih-b-about.jpg 962w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div data-bps-id=\"about-01-prehead-2\" data-bps-type=\"headline\" class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8a59b21b prehead elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"8a59b21b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Background<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div data-bps-id=\"about-01-creds-1\" data-bps-type=\"subheadline\" class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-fbc90f61 ft-creds elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"fbc90f61\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul><li>Works across security, IT and board-level cyber risk (fictional)<\/li><li>Independent speaker and author<\/li><li>Speaks on request to technology and board audiences<\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div data-bps-id=\"about-01-note-1\" data-bps-type=\"headline\" class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0947f046 stat-label elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"0947f046\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Career details fictional<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div data-bps-section=\"section\" data-bps-section-slug=\"features-06\" class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-11d50ecf section light moa-xl e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"11d50ecf\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ff780896 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"ff780896\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div data-bps-id=\"features-06-headline-1\" data-bps-type=\"headline\" class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d0ac3978 bps-text-accent prehead elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"d0ac3978\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Milestones<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-054838d8 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"054838d8\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c1cc8eab e-grid e-con-full ft-grid e-con e-child\" data-id=\"c1cc8eab\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-86cb60eb e-con-full light moa-sd e-flex section e-con e-child\" data-id=\"86cb60eb\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div data-bps-id=\"features-06-headline-3\" data-bps-type=\"headline\" class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-181ea797 ft-year elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"181ea797\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Early days<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div data-bps-id=\"features-06-subheadline-1\" data-bps-type=\"subheadline\" class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f1f35565 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"f1f35565\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Watched good, smart teams freeze in front of a dashboard full of red alerts. Started explaining instead of alarming.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-bd92a626 e-con-full light moa-sd e-flex section e-con e-child\" data-id=\"bd92a626\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div data-bps-id=\"features-06-headline-4\" data-bps-type=\"headline\" class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-76a6e470 ft-year elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"76a6e470\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">First book<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div data-bps-id=\"features-06-subheadline-2\" data-bps-type=\"subheadline\" class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d67d31a2 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"d67d31a2\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><em>Human Firewall<\/em> &mdash; the case for training people, not just buying the next tool.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-13cd210e e-con-full light moa-sd e-flex section e-con e-child\" data-id=\"13cd210e\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div data-bps-id=\"features-06-headline-5\" data-bps-type=\"headline\" class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f9ebe844 ft-year elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"f9ebe844\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">On stage<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div data-bps-id=\"features-06-subheadline-3\" data-bps-type=\"subheadline\" class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d950bc68 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"d950bc68\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>First keynote. A calm explanation turned out to land better in a boardroom than a slide full of skulls.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d51f2d45 e-con-full light moa-sd e-flex section e-con e-child\" data-id=\"d51f2d45\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div data-bps-id=\"features-06-headline-6\" data-bps-type=\"headline\" class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-655a28f1 ft-year elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"655a28f1\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Two more books<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div data-bps-id=\"features-06-subheadline-4\" data-bps-type=\"subheadline\" class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-63878903 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"63878903\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><em>The Quiet Breach<\/em> and <em>Boards Don&rsquo;t Click Links<\/em> &mdash; the same argument, said two more ways for two more audiences.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-fb5d1bb2 e-con-full light moa-sd e-flex section e-con e-child\" data-id=\"fb5d1bb2\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div data-bps-id=\"features-06-headline-6-x5\" data-bps-type=\"headline\" class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0f8346d0 ft-year elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"0f8346d0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Now<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div data-bps-id=\"features-06-subheadline-4-x5\" data-bps-type=\"subheadline\" class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3ba19021 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"3ba19021\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><em>Zero Trust, Full Speed<\/em> and a full slate of keynotes for teams who want the calm version.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"elementor_header_footer","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"no-sidebar","site-content-layout":"page-builder","ast-site-content-layout":"full-width-container","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"disabled","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"disabled","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-502","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lite.buildprosites.com\/sam-whitlock\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/502","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lite.buildprosites.com\/sam-whitlock\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lite.buildprosites.com\/sam-whitlock\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lite.buildprosites.com\/sam-whitlock\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lite.buildprosites.com\/sam-whitlock\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=502"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/lite.buildprosites.com\/sam-whitlock\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/502\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":507,"href":"https:\/\/lite.buildprosites.com\/sam-whitlock\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/502\/revisions\/507"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lite.buildprosites.com\/sam-whitlock\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=502"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}