Dave Sampson is the Vice President of Cyber Risk & Strategy at Thrive. In his role, he heads Thrive’s Consulting Practice, where he and his team of experts join forces with clients to deliver strategic guidance on a range of topics, including cybersecurity, IT operations, Cloud, Microsoft 365, compliance, disaster recovery planning, and more. Over the course of his extensive career, Dave has taken up various influential positions in the industry. He served as a Senior Consulting Technical Solution Manager at IBM, was Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at Itrica, founded and served as CEO of Cloud Provider USA, and held the position of Chief Technology Officer at ColoSpace. Dave holds an MBA from Northeastern University and a BS in Communication and Media Studies from Emerson College. He is a former elected official in his hometown of Sandwich, MA.

As the cyber threat landscape becomes more unpredictable, organizations often struggle with implementing and managing different security tools and ensuring systems communicate effectively to keep up with threats. Organizations can no longer afford to take a reactive approach. Without a clear strategy and proper proactive security measures, organizations face operational disruptions, increased vulnerability to attacks, and challenges in responding to security incidents. So, how can companies take a smarter, more proactive approach to cyber risk management?

A proactive cybersecurity strategy isn’t just about having the right tools — it’s about integrating these tools effectively and ensuring visibility across systems to detect risk and prepare for worst-case scenarios. Companies like Thrive are making this process more efficient with their security platform that combines industry leading security tools, real-time monitoring, and AI-driven automation into a cohesive, managed solution that helps companies optimize operations and mitigate cyber risks. Yet, beyond the technology, companies also need to establish a disaster recovery plan, maintain transparency with third-party vendors, and perform privacy and security risk assessments to further enhance security and privacy measures and incident preparedness.

In this episode of She Said Privacy/He Said Security, Jodi and Justin Daniels talk with Dave Sampson, VP of Cyber Risk & Strategy at Thrive, about the critical components of cyber risk management. Dave discusses the challenges of integrating security solutions, the lessons learned from the CrowdStrike incident, and how AI is both a threat and an advantage in cybersecurity. He shares insights on cybersecurity best practices and discusses the growing need for outsourcing cybersecurity expertise, the role of third-party risk management, and the importance of disaster recovery planning. Dave also offers practical tips for strengthening both personal and enterprise security, emphasizing the need for vigilance, adaptability, and a proactive security mindset.