“Locked Up with Zach Lewis: Real Lessons from a LockBit Ransomware Attack”

Build Your Empire Podcast

Episode 7: Locked Up — Zach Lewis on Real-World Lessons from the LockBit Ransomware Attack When ransomware strikes, panic is the easy reaction — but true leadership is revealed in how you respond. In this powerful episode of the Build Your Empire Podcast, host Nick Zellem sits down with Zach Lewis, CIO & CISO of the University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis, and author of Locked Up: Cybersecurity Threat Mitigation Lessons from a Real-World LockBit Ransomware Response (Wiley, 2026). Zach takes us inside a real LockBit ransomware attack — from the first ominous alerts to the moment he discovered the ransom note. He reveals what really happens when your network is compromised, how he led his university through a high-pressure incident, and what every leader — from CISO to CEO — can learn from it. You’ll hear:

• 🎯 How LockBit infiltrated his environment and how his team contained it

• 🧠 Why calm thinking under pressure is the ultimate cybersecurity skill

• 🔒 How resilience, leadership, and preparation can turn crisis into control

• 🧰 The key tools and tactics that saved critical systems from collapse

• 🤖 Why AI will transform both cyber defense and cybercrime in the next 5 years

This episode isn’t just for cybersecurity pros — it’s for leaders in every industry who want to understand how to stay composed when everything’s on the line. Connect with Zach Lewis:
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zacharylewis1/
🌐 Website: homesteadingciso.com
📘 Pre-order his book Locked Up on Amazon (January 2026 release) 🎧 Listen now and discover what it truly means to lead under fire.