Press & Media

Read press coverage, interviews, talks, podcasts, and media appearances featuring Bart McDonough.

Press coverage

How you can protect your data from being breached

Yahoo Finance ·

Bart McDonough, author of Cyber Smart, appears in a Yahoo Finance video segment explaining practical steps individuals and businesses can take to protect sensitive data and reduce the risk of a cyber breach. He shares guidance on strengthening cybersecurity habits and safeguards to better defend against attacks.

Data Breaches 2018: Billions hit by growing number of cyberattacks

USA Today ·

Bart McDonough, CEO of Agio, explains that modern data breaches are increasingly interconnected, enabling criminals to assemble detailed digital profiles that can fuel subsequent attacks and more convincing social engineering. He advises consumers to strengthen defenses with password managers and two-factor authentication, stay vigilant about phishing, and keep devices updated to reduce risk.

GDPR's Impact on the Financial Sector

Bloomberg TV ·

The YouTube entry indicates the piece focuses on how the EU’s GDPR creates compliance and operational challenges for the financial services industry. No mention of Bart McDonough or Agio appears in the provided content.

Bart McDonough quoted in Threatpost

Threatpost ·

Bart McDonough and Agio are not mentioned in this article. The piece reports on the alleged T-Mobile data thief’s claims that the carrier’s security was weak, outlines how the breach may have occurred and what customer data was exposed, and covers T-Mobile’s response including apologies, investigations, lawsuits, and new cybersecurity partnerships with firms like Mandiant and KPMG.

Bart McDonough provides valuable lessons on Managed IT and Cybersecurity

Operational Leaders ·

Bart McDonough, CEO and founder of Agio, shares lessons on how managed IT and cybersecurity overlap and differ, and why financial services firms benefit from integrating both. He also addresses remote-work cyber vulnerabilities, clarifies common misconceptions about the cloud, offers guidance for new managers, and highlights key trends shaping the future of IT and security.

CFTC's Data Security Flaws Demand Hedge Funds Stay Vigilant

FUNDfire ·

Bart McDonough reports that data security flaws at the CFTC heighten risks for hedge funds and other market participants, underscoring the need for firms to stay vigilant about safeguarding sensitive regulatory and trading information. He highlights the importance of strong internal controls and proactive cybersecurity practices to mitigate exposure stemming from weaknesses at a key regulator.

Cybersecurity Is About Protecting Clients—and Your Practice

planadviser ·

Bart McDonough, CEO and founder of Agio, emphasizes that organizations seek cybersecurity support primarily to strengthen their technical defenses and to meet increasingly stringent third-party and regulatory standards. He highlights that advisory firms must address both broad and specific exposure points as expectations from regulators and cybersecurity reviewers continue to evolve.

Arming Corporate Treasurers for Cybercrime Combat

Treasury & Risk ·

Bart McDonough outlines best practices to help corporate treasurers strengthen defenses against cybercrime, emphasizing practical steps treasury teams can take to reduce exposure and improve resilience. He frames cybersecurity as a core treasury responsibility requiring disciplined controls, awareness, and ongoing risk management.

Bart McDonough discusses cybersecurity threats

The Global Treasurer ·

Bart McDonough, CEO of managed IT and cybersecurity firm Agio, explains why treasury teams have become prime targets as cybercrime has shifted toward fast financial monetization, often exploiting organizations with limited security resources. He outlines practical steps to reduce risk—improving threat intelligence and user training, enforcing multifactor authentication, patching systems promptly, and running regular red-team and phishing tests—while advising treasurers to prioritize cybersecurity expertise and service quality when selecting external vendors.

How to Motivate FinServ to Take Action on Cybersecurity

PYMNTS ·

Bart McDonough, CEO and founder of Agio, explains that financial institutions’ gradual shift to cloud and SaaS can quietly expand their cyberattack surface, leaving them unaware of where critical access points and data leaks exist until damage occurs. He highlights shadow IT, weak access controls, and the evolving ransomware model as major risks, emphasizing that organizations often understand best practices but fail to act until after a breach forces change.

Reduce Cyber Risks and Prevent Security Breaches With These 5 Strategies

ASBN ·

Bart McDonough, founder and CEO of Agio, explains that small businesses should first identify all sensitive data they handle and recognize that seemingly low-value documents can carry major liability if exposed. He highlights payment diversion and ransomware as two primary threat categories and recommends five foundational practices—device updates, two-factor authentication, password managers, data backups, and antivirus—to significantly reduce cyber risk.

Why Cybersecurity Governance is Essential for Institutional Investors

Pensions & Investments ·

Bart McDonough argues that institutional investors must treat cybersecurity as a core governance responsibility, emphasizing board-level oversight, clear accountability, and ongoing risk management to protect assets and stakeholders. He frames cybersecurity governance as essential to fiduciary duty rather than a purely technical issue.

How to protect your child from identity theft

Fox Business ·

Bart McDonough, author of Cyber Smart, draws on his own experience with his daughter’s identity being used for a fraudulent tax filing to underscore how vulnerable children are because their credit activity often goes unmonitored. He outlines practical steps for parents to reduce risk, including checking for a child credit report, placing security freezes with all three bureaus, limiting Social Security number sharing, avoiding actions that trigger new credit files, securing FAFSA credentials, and teaching kids strong cyber-hygiene habits.

Bart McDonough on becoming 'cyber smart'

Bob Morris Interview ·

In this Blogging on Business interview, Bart McDonough, CEO and founder of Agio and author of Cyber Smart, shares leadership and culture-building insights shaped by his mother’s influence and his time at SAC Capital. He emphasizes leading with context rather than control, maintaining strategic focus by choosing what not to do, and sustaining a strong culture through written core principles, continuous communication, anonymous feedback, and five values he instills at Agio: mastering fundamentals, speaking up, evolving, fearless communication to build trust, and being bigger than one’s job.

Outlook 2019: Bart McDonough, Agio

Markets Media ·

Bart McDonough, founder and CEO of Agio, predicts 2019 will be defined as the Year of Financial Fraud, citing rising phishing-driven wire transfer and vendor payment scams. He argues that cybersecurity in financial services must prioritize governance and strong processes alongside technology, and highlights growing demand for hybrid cyber/IT talent and cybersecurity-focused compliance expertise.

Ben's Book of the Month: Review of "Cyber Smart"

Security Boulevard ·

The article reviews Bart McDonough’s book Cyber Smart as an accessible, up-to-date guide that teaches everyday users practical steps to avoid ransomware, fraud, and other online threats through better security habits. It highlights his five core habits—keeping devices updated, enabling two-factor authentication, using a password manager, running current antivirus software, and backing up data—to help readers become harder targets for cybercriminals.

Small advisers struggle with cybersecurity demands of regulators

InvestmentNews ·

Agio CEO Bart McDonough highlights that many small investment advisers lack foundational cybersecurity practices such as keeping devices updated, leaving them highly vulnerable to attacks. He also advises firms to adopt cloud technologies to leverage stronger built-in security protections.

Ask these cybersecurity questions

InvestmentNews ·

Article advising advisers on vetting third-party tech vendors. Bart McDonough notes that ~63% of data breaches start with a vendor's vulnerability.

The power of online two-step authentication

The Small Business Advocate ·

Bart McDonough explains that implementing two-step authentication for critical online accounts, especially email, is one of the most effective defenses small businesses can use to reduce the risk of cyberattacks and account takeovers. He emphasizes it as a practical, high-impact security measure to help protect against increasingly persistent threat actors.

Cybersecurity habits for entrepreneurs

School for Startups Radio ·

Radio interview where Bart McDonough talked about Cyber Smart and educated entrepreneurs on developing good cyber habits.

"Cyber Smart" Interview with Bart McDonough

Defending Digital ·

In this Cyber Smart interview, Bart McDonough explains that his book Cyber Smart grew out of repeated requests from business seminar attendees who needed practical, at-home guidance without an IT department. He outlines his Brilliance in the Basics approach—five consistent habits like updating devices, using 2FA and a password manager, running anti-malware (including on Macs), and backing up data—while emphasizing that motivation and real-world impact are key to overcoming consumer apathy about cybersecurity and privacy.

The Option To Pick Up Online Purchases In Stores Is A Boon For Scammers

BuzzFeed News ·

Bart McDonough explains that buy-online, pick-up-in-store options can create new cyber vulnerabilities because shoppers often aren’t required to reenter payment details when switching to in-store pickup, making compromised retail accounts more valuable to fraudsters. He advises consumers to strengthen account security by using unique passwords, enabling two-factor authentication, keeping devices updated, and turning on credit-card purchase alerts.

What's an Incident Response Plan, Again?

Security Magazine ·

Bart McDonough outlines why every organization needs a well-defined, regularly tested incident response plan, emphasizing that preparedness across people, process, and technology determines whether a breach becomes a contained event or a reputational crisis. Through a realistic breach scenario, he illustrates how gaps like untested procedures, unclear roles, lack of forensics and cyber insurance readiness, and poor evidence handling can compound damage and delay critical communications and reporting.

Cheaper, Faster, Easier: Public Cloud

Agio Blog ·

This Agio news post highlights the benefits of moving to the public cloud, positioning it as a cheaper, faster, and easier approach for organizations seeking greater agility and efficiency. Bart McDonough is not mentioned in the provided content.

Wireless-only phone users have become a one-stop shop for scam callers

Los Angeles Times ·

Bart McDonough, CEO of Agio, highlights the rise of the one-ring scam targeting wireless-only users, where scammers prompt a callback to premium-rate or international numbers that can rack up costly per-minute charges. His insight underscores how fraudsters are adapting their tactics as more consumers rely exclusively on mobile phones.

5 Things You Need to be a Highly Effective Leader During Turbulent Times

Authority Magazine ·

The article discusses Bart McDonough of Agio and his leadership during turbulent times. He emphasizes the importance of transparency, making new decisions based on new facts, and fearless communication. He also highlights the need to be flexible and adjust plans as needed. McDonough shares his experience and strategies for leading effectively during uncertain times, and encourages others to be transparent, communicate openly, and have conviction in their beliefs.

Netrio Bolsters Cybersecurity, GenAI with Agio Purchase

ChannelVision Magazine ·

Bart McDonough, CEO and founder of Agio, said the company’s mission has been to deliver strong managed IT and cybersecurity protection while building an AI-driven delivery platform to create a differentiated end-user experience. He noted that joining Netrio enables Agio to scale that vision further as part of the combined organization.

May Roundup: Mergers and Acquisitions From Around the Channel

Channel Insider ·

Bart McDonough and Agio are not mentioned in the provided content. The article appears to be a Channel Insider category/collection page that aggregates resources and articles on IT and MSP careers, including guidance on opportunities, required technical skills, and solving technology-related challenges.

SOM students partner to bring relief to Ukrainian refugees

Yale News ·

Bart McDonough, CEO of Agio and a Yale SOM executive MBA student, joined classmates Ali Platon and Ella Archibald to raise awareness and provide hands-on support for Ukrainian refugees, including a self-funded relief trip to Krakow. He also helped build ThePathForward.help platform and emphasized that SOM’s mission is to develop leaders who act to improve society when they see urgent problems.

Agio Named Most Innovative Technology Firm for 2nd Consecutive Year

PR Newswire ·

Bart McDonough, Founder and CEO of Agio, highlighted that the company is leading a transformation of the managed IT and cybersecurity category to deliver more secure, reliable, and resilient services to clients as it was named HFM’s Most Innovative Technology Firm for the second consecutive year. He credited Agio’s continuous-improvement mindset for driving the innovation behind its modernization of the traditional MSP model through advanced analytics, automation, and artificial intelligence.

Agio Disrupts the IT Support Landscape with AI-Enabled Service Platform

PR Newswire ·

Bart McDonough, Agio’s founder and CEO, led the launch of AgioNow, an AI-enabled service platform built over 18 months with backing from Point72 Hyperscale to shift IT and cybersecurity support from reactive troubleshooting to proactive, preventative service. Under his direction, Agio reports the platform’s predictive intelligence helped clients reduce issues by 30% within the first 90 days while improving service desk interactions.

Interviews, talks, and podcasts

We Hacked Their System in 8 Minutes | Bart McDonough Cybersecurity Story

A short, compelling storytelling video where Bart recounts a specific cybersecurity testing scenario.

GDPR to Present Challenges to Financial Services Industry (Bloomberg)

A TV segment on Bloomberg Technology discussing the implementation of GDPR and its impact on consumer data rights and financial firms.

Intention.ly + Friends Book Club | Bart R. McDonough "Cyber Guardians"

An in-depth discussion specifically focused on the latest book, Cyber Guardians.

Bart McDonough, Founder and Chief Executive Officer at Agio (The Chris Voss Show)

A long-form interview (approx. 26 mins) discussing background, Agio, and industry insights.

What keeps Agio CEO & author Bart McDonough up at night?

A focused interview with another security expert, discussing specific cybersecurity fears and solutions.

"Cyber Smart" Interview with Bart McDonough

A dedicated interview about Cyber Smart, covering the "Five Habits" and personal cyber hygiene.

The Rise of Cybersecurity Jobs | Bart R. McDonough

An interview focusing on the career and industry landscape side of cybersecurity expertise.

Investment Strategies for an AI Future - Keynote Session

A presentation discussing the fundamentals of AI (LLMs, generative AI), the internal/external risks for businesses, and how these technologies relate to Cyber Guardians.

The Chris Voss Show Podcast - Agio & Ransomware

A conversation covering the founding of Agio, the shift from "break-fix" IT to managed services, and the "perfect storm" of ransomware and device proliferation.

Cyber Smart: Five Habits... (Audiobook Sample)

The official audiobook introduction narrated by Kyle Tate, setting the stage for the book's purpose and the "Five Habits."

Cyber Smart by Bart R. McDonough (Summary)

A short, digest-style summary breaking down the key takeaways of Cyber Smart (The 5 Anchors) in under 7 minutes.

Defending Digital Book Review - Cyber Smart

A glowing review by Chad Warner calling it his "top recommendation in personal cybersecurity books" with a walkthrough of the structure and advice.

Cyber Smart Excerpt - Real Estate Wire Fraud Story

A specific reading/excerpt from the book focusing on the story of Real Estate Wire Fraud (the Scogs) and context on Russian election interference.

Contact Bart McDonough for media inquiries