Building a Threat-Informed Cyber Strategy in Fintech with Kyle Draisey

Guest Introduction Kyle Draisey serves as the Chief Information Security Officer and Head of Cybersecurity at Sagent, a leading fintech company specializing in mortgage servicing technology. With a military and intelligence background, Kyle has navigated high-stakes environments from tactical SIGINT missions in Iraq to cybersecurity leadership roles in the defense industry. At Sagent, he is leveraging his operational mindset to shift the organization from a compliance-driven posture to a threat-informed, fully integrated cybersecurity strategy. His work involves protecting trillions in annual financial transactions, building offensive and defensive cyber capabilities, and fostering cross-industry collaboration to strengthen the broader financial services ecosystem. Here's a Glimpse of What You'll Learn How Sagent is transforming mortgage servicing with a SaaS-based platform Why Kyle believes cybersecurity is a "team sport" across industries The importance of operationalizing security beyond compliance frameworks Lessons from military and intelligence service that apply to modern cyber defense How rapid incident response can cut detection and remediation time dramatically Why direct CEO-level reporting is critical for an effective CISO role Strategies for building offensive security and architecture teams within fintech In This Episode Kyle Draisey explains how Sagent’s role as a fintech leader in mortgage servicing means handling over $2 trillion annually, which demands both innovation and rock-solid security. With the industry shifting from outdated on-premise systems to cloud-based SaaS solutions, Sagent’s new platform aims to shorten payment lifecycle times from a month to a single day while cutting costs for both lenders and consumers. Kyle’s mission is to ensure that this transformation is executed securely, with an emphasis on proactive defense against both criminal and nation-state threats. Drawing on his extensive military and intelligence background, Kyle shares how a career of tackling complex and undefined challenges prepared him for the fast-moving and risk-averse world of financial services. He stresses the importance of moving from compliance checklists to a threat-informed operational model where speed, planning, and cross-functional integration are key to resilience. His approach emphasizes building strong partnerships not only with customers but also with other security leaders in the ecosystem to create a collective defense strategy. Kyle also shares a vivid example of Sagent’s incident response capabilities, describing how a recent security gap was identified and mitigated in under 20 minutes, complete with policy updates and automated workflows. This level of agility, he notes, is possible because of direct executive access and a culture that integrates cybersecurity into every business vertical from the ground up. He closes by encouraging aspiring cyber professionals to seize challenging opportunities, embrace team collaboration, and focus on building adaptable and forward-looking security strategies.