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In Episode 9 of Winners Circle, host Pavle Majerle sits down with Tyler Wrightson, Founder of Leet Cyber Security and author of Advanced Persistent Threat Hacking: The Art and Science of Hacking Any Organization. Tyler brings the perspective of someone who has spent years simulating adversaries—and explains why that perspective is critical to building defenses that actually hold. He explains why scans aren’t enough, how to shift from reactive to resilient, and how AI-driven deepfakes raise the stakes. Finally, he shares how Leet Cyber Security and NexusTek combine strengths to deliver IT defenses that stand up to real-world threats.
Why Thinking Like an Attacker Matters
Most organizations still approach cybersecurity from the defender’s side—patching vulnerabilities, running scans, and checking compliance boxes.
But attackers don’t think that way. They search out overlooked pathways, weak links in human behavior, and ways to ‘live off the land’—using everyday tools and processes to disguise attacks.
That’s what Leet specializes in: testing defenses like real adversaries, uncovering the blind spots compliance checks miss. As Tyler points out, defending against adversaries isn’t like buying a home alarm system and trusting the installer who says, “You’re all set.” It’s more like inviting a career burglar to try breaking in and show you where you’re still vulnerable. Only by testing defenses through the eyes of an attacker can organizations build security that truly holds.
Three Pillars of Resilient Security
Tyler explains the first pillar this way: “Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad.” In cybersecurity, too many organizations end up with what he calls “security tomatoes”—practices that look right on paper but collapse when tested by an actual adversary.
Threat intelligence may provide data, but it doesn’t guarantee the wisdom to see how an attacker would exploit specific gaps. That’s why Leet’s approach is grounded in three principles: threat-centric wisdom, pragmatism, and business context. Effective cybersecurity takes more than tools. It requires strategies that reflect how adversaries operate, real business constraints, and the unique context of each organization.
- Threat-centric wisdom – Understanding what real adversaries will do against your specific organization—not just generic risks.
- Pragmatism – Recognizing that security is a cost center, and resources must be spent wisely to reduce real risk, not just to chase buzzwords.
- Business context – Grounding every recommendation in what truly matters to the organization—its most critical systems, processes, and revenue drivers.
The Five-Step Path to Security
Instead of a one-off penetration test, Leet helps companies take a structured, ongoing approach to security:
- Comprehensive assessment – Accurately map vulnerabilities adversaries would exploit.
- Business risk mapping – Tie risks to the specific assets, systems, and functions that matter most.
- Behavior adjustment – Move beyond awareness to measurable changes in employee actions.
- Process strengthening – Test and refine detective controls and incident response capabilities.
- Incident readiness – Ensure the organization can detect, contain, and recover before an attack escalates into a business-ending event.
Beyond the Scan: Testing People and Systems
A clean vulnerability scan doesn’t mean you’re safe. Attackers don’t stop when the obvious doors are locked—they look for windows, basements, and side gates. That’s why red team and purple team exercises are so important: they measure not just technical defenses, but whether your team can detect and respond in time to stop real business impact.
End users remain the #1 target for initial access, and while a single compromise may seem small, attackers quickly turn it into full access. Organizations should assume minor breaches will happen, but design defenses so those incidents stay contained.
Culture as the Ultimate Control
Emerging AI-driven threats like deepfake video and voice cloning are already being weaponized to trick employees into wiring funds or sharing credentials, raising the stakes of social engineering. Combating these attacks requires both technical safeguards and cultural readiness—multi-channel verification, clear escalation paths, and leaders who act decisively. The companies that recover fastest are the ones where leadership understands the stakes, trusts their responders, and agrees in advance on hard choices, even when they hurt in the short term.
Resilience isn’t just about technology—it’s about a culture of preparedness that makes security a survival skill.
NexusTek + Leet Cyber Security: An Integrated Approach
As Tyler Wrightson puts it, the partnership between Leet Cyber Security and NexusTek works “hand in glove.” Leet’s role is to think like the adversary—pinpointing weaknesses with attacker-level precision. But without remediation, those findings have limited value. That’s where NexusTek comes in: delivering the infrastructure, managed services, and remediation expertise to close gaps and sustain resilience.
By keeping testing and fixing separate, organizations get the best of both worlds: unbiased assessments from Leet, and trusted execution from NexusTek. When paired with NexusTek’s ability to implement and manage solutions, Leet’s pillars of threat-centric wisdom, pragmatism, and business context extend beyond theory into practice—covering the full security lifecycle from identifying weaknesses to sustaining resilience over time.
Ready to turn the tables on attackers?
Don't wait for adversaries to find your weak spots first. Start with a comprehensive assessment and see how NexusTek and Leet Cyber Security can help you build defenses that think one step ahead.
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