The New Frontier of Cybersecurity: Mind Privacy, Cognitive Risk & Agentic AI
We’re living through a seismic shift in cybersecurity—and Allen Westley, CSM, CISSP, MBA just helped map the terrain.
In our latest Ask a CISSP episode, Allen became the first-ever three-time guest on The Other Side of the Firewall. And we didn’t just talk AI—we broke down the boundaries between human cognition, machine learning, and inference-driven risk that most folks aren’t even aware exist yet.
“You could have aggregation of data happening on the back end producing classified information that no one gave it.” — Allen Westley
When the AI Knows More Than You Told It
LLMs like ChatGPT, Claude, and Grok are becoming embedded in sensitive government and commercial environments. And here's the rub: you don’t need to explicitly give these systems data. All they need is pattern matching across multiple users, and they can start filling in the blanks—inferring confidential or classified information just from context.
This is where Allen’s concept of “mind privacy” becomes critical. We're talking about how machine learning tools can infer our intentions, understand our biases, and map our behaviors—even when we think we're being cautious.
“It’s not what you say to the model. It’s what it infers from the things you think you’re leaving out.” — Allen Westley
That’s inference risk. And for the Defense Industrial Base, Fortune 500 firms, and cybersecurity leaders—this changes everything.
Enter the MCP Gateway and Agentic Security Models
Allen outlines a future (already in development) where MCP servers and agentic AI frameworks will serve as the new perimeter. Think of these as programmable checkpoints that determine:
What the LLM sees,
What it can infer,
What it’s allowed to do with that insight.
He describes hierarchical models where sub-agents execute tasks, supervisor agents manage them, and humans remain in full control.
This isn’t about replacing talent—it’s about scaling security without sacrificing judgment.
“You can proliferate hundreds of free FTEs… agents built around your environment, deployed instantly, delivering immediate value.” — Allen Westley
That’s the future: machine-augmented teams, not machine-replaced teams.
What Keeps Us Up at Night
For Allen, the biggest threat isn’t Skynet. It’s unregulated velocity—government and enterprise sprinting into AI integration without strong frameworks in place.
He points out that our current governance tools—like NIST 800-53 or RMF—simply weren’t designed to handle agentic systems with cognitive inference and horizontal collaboration. Even NIST’s AI Risk Framework (AI 100-1-3) is still catching up.
And that’s a gap we can’t afford.
“We're playing in a new realm—these aren't just tools you can uninstall. They collaborate, they infer, and they evolve.” — Allen Westley
Optimism With Guardrails
Despite the risks, Allen remains optimistic.
He believes our human ability to adapt, collaborate, and self-correct will remain our secret weapon—if we stay engaged, informed, and strategic.
“When AI becomes a threat, it’ll be our human capacity to pivot that protects us. That can’t be replicated.” — Allen Westley
Where to Catch Allen Next
Allen will be speaking at:
DAF ITC 2025
Cyber Bay Tampa
Publishing on Medium, LinkedIn, Flipboard, and more.
He’s building awareness around cognitive security—one conversation, one article, one framework at a time.
Final Takeaway: This Is Bigger Than Tech
This isn’t just about algorithms. It’s about trust. Context. Intent. Privacy. Control. We need to evolve how we govern machine intelligence—not just in our systems, but in our thinking.
Whether you're a CISO, program manager, or someone new to cyber looking for where the future is headed—this is the edge.
Stay sharp. Stay secure. —Ryan Williams Sr.
Listen to the full conversation on theothersideofthefirewall.com or ram.cyber.io. 📚 And don’t forget—our book is available for now!
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I'm Allen—cybersecurity strategist, adjunct professor, and founder of Cyber Explorer. Whether you're navigating secure systems, building your brand, or simply exploring what’s next, these are the platforms where I share ideas, tools, and thought provocations that move the conversation forward.
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Thank you for reading, and stay tuned for more episodes of The Other Side of the Firewall podcast on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday, as well as the Ask A CISSP podcast every Thursday. Please like, share, and subscribe.
Stay safe, stay secure!
Ryan is a retired Air Force veteran who brings over 20 years of experience in network infrastructure, project management, and cybersecurity consulting to his current role as CEO of RAM Cyber Consulting & Assessments, LLC. RAM Cyber is a premier governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) consultancy dedicated to supporting the Defense Industrial Base (DIB), federal agencies, and corporate entities. We specialize in delivering expert guidance to ensure compliance, mitigate risks, and enhance cybersecurity postures.
Shannon, also a retired Air Force veteran, has more than two decades of expertise in network security and vulnerability management. He now serves as an Information System Security Officer (ISSO), where he continues to enhance national security protocols.
Chris is a Navy veteran with over 13 years in IT, information assurance, and risk management. His current role as a Senior Security Consultant focuses on vCISO and Cyber Assessments services enhancing data security and privacy for various organizations.
**The Other Side of the Firewall podcast is a product of RAM Cyber Consulting & Assessments, LLC. RAM Cyber Consulting & Assessments, LLC is a premier governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) consultancy dedicated to supporting the Defense Industrial Base (DIB), federal agencies, and corporate entities. We specialize in delivering expert guidance to ensure compliance, mitigate risks, and enhance cybersecurity postures. RAM Cyber is pending SDVOSB, VOSB, and 8(a) certification by the SBA, underscoring our commitment to excellence and service.
