Episode #141. AI’s Dark Side: Phishing, Deepfakes, and the Future of Risk ,with Ross Leo, Chief Information, Compliance, and Privacy Officer at InvisALERT Solutions
The biggest risk in cybersecurity today isn’t just technology, but how humans interact with it under constant pressure.
In this episode, Ross Leo discusses the evolving threats to patient safety, from ransomware to AI-driven phishing, and how his team builds systems that resist both mistakes and attacks. He reflects on his journey through the Navy, NASA, and healthcare, showing how risk can also be an opportunity to grow, adapt, and find new career paths. Along the way, Ross shares personal stories, advice for newcomers, and even his favorite music picks.
Tune in and learn how risk, opportunity, and resilience shape both cybersecurity and life itself!
For more information and ways to increase risk awareness and safety, visit us at www.censinet.com.
About Ross Leo:
Ross A. Leo is a veteran cybersecurity and compliance leader who has spent his career where patient care meets high-stakes risk. Based in Houston, he serves as Chief Information Security Officer and Data Protection Officer at InvisALERT Solutions (ObservSMART), where he builds geo-fenced, cloud-native safeguards that minimize human error and harden healthcare systems against ransomware and data theft. A recognized expert in HIPAA/HITECH, HITRUST, medical device security, and privacy regulation, Ross combines deep technical rigor with clear, operational playbooks drawn from decades in the trenches—NASA/Johnson Space Center Program Manager and Chief Security Architect, health-system CISO at UTMB Galveston, CISO/DPO at Galen Data, and founding Director of the University of Houston–Clear Lake CyberSecurity Institute. He has trained thousands of professionals as a longtime Global Knowledge and Supremus Group instructor and advises as a board member at Aphinia. Ross holds a formidable stack of credentials, including CISSP, CCSFP, and CHQP (HITRUST), CHPSE, CDPSE, CHS-IV, CFSET, CCSA, and CFC, reflecting mastery across security architecture, governance, forensics, and privacy engineering. Whether guiding providers, business associates, or device manufacturers, he’s known for designing systems that make the “right” action the easy action, translating risk into resilient practice, and elevating compliance into a competitive advantage.
Things You’ll Learn:
- Cybersecurity in healthcare requires designing systems that make human error nearly impossible, especially under the stress of patient care.
- AI rapidly enhances phishing attacks, making them sound and look indistinguishable from trusted sources, posing new detection challenges.
- Risk should be seen not just as danger but also as opportunity, a perspective that shaped Ross Leo’s career from the Navy to NASA.
- Breaking into healthcare cybersecurity requires technical skill and a connection to healthcare delivery to gain trust and credibility.
- Sometimes the riskiest decisions—like joining the military or taking an unplanned job—become life's most rewarding turning points.