In this episode of Exploited: The Cyber Truth, host Paul Ducklin is joined by RunSafe Security CEO Joe Saunders and Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Bill Bender, former Chief Information Officer of the U.S. Air Force, to discuss what it takes to build true cyber resilience across some of the world's most complex digital environments.

Drawing on his experience overseeing a $17 billion IT portfolio and helping establish the first Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) and Chief Data Officer (CDO) offices within the Department of Defense, Bender explains why organizations must move beyond checklist-driven security and adopt a mission-focused approach to risk management.

Together, they explore:

• Why compliance alone cannot secure mission-critical systems
• Building cybersecurity leadership, accountability, and culture at scale
• Managing technical debt and long-lived systems that cannot easily be replaced
• The role of Zero Trust in protecting complex defense environments
• How software supply chains and SBOMs support mission assurance
• Why public-private collaboration is essential for modernization and innovation
• The growing impact of AI on cyber defense and critical infrastructure security

From defense acquisition to critical infrastructure protection, this episode examines how organizations can strengthen resilience.