Carlos Rodriguez

Expertise

Cybersecurity Risk Management, Incident Advisory
Cybersecurity Compliance Adherence
Cybersecurity Assessments, SOC & NIST frameworks, etc.
Cybersecurity Remediation

Education & Certificates

B.S. Universidad Rafael Belloso Chacín, Computer Engineering
Distinguished as a Top 40 vCISO
Published Co-Author, Lessons in Leadership, with the International Legal Technology Association (ILTA)

Carlos Rodriguez, CISSP, CISM

Consulting Advisor of Cybersecurity

Carlos Rodriguez is a senior technology, cybersecurity, and risk management executive with current experience as Chief Strategy Officer and Executive Officer, as well as Fractional Chief Information Security Officer (CISO). He partners with organizations across the legal, insurance, financial services, healthcare, and SaaS startup sectors to design and execute incremental and practical cybersecurity strategies that enable, rather than obstruct, business outcomes while managing risk. Known for his ability to translate complex risk into clear business decisions,

Carlos builds trust with boards and executive teams through transparency, pragmatism, and measurable results. He was named a Top 40 vCISO by Cynomi and is a featured co-author in the International Legal Technology Association (ILTA)’s book Lessons in Leadership, further underscoring his impact and thought leadership in the technology and security community.

Over the course of more than 20 years in technology and cybersecurity, Carlos has led infrastructure and security programs within law firms and served as a trusted advisor to Am Law 100 and 200 firms. During his time in the legal industry, he founded and built the strategy for LegalSEC, the first information security sharing community in the legal sector. He also spent four years in the insurance industry, including three years as CISO at the largest property and casualty insurance provider in the state of Florida, where he built a security program with direct visibility and accountability to the organization’s board of directors.

While serving as the Chief Technology Officer of one of the largest commercial shopping center REITs in the US, he played a key role in driving innovation at the company, shifting workloads and services to secure and efficient cloud environments. His broader industry impact includes work with FS-ISAC, where he contributed to the development of the first incident response standard for the insurance industry, as well as ongoing advisory roles with startups, healthcare organizations, and regulated enterprises.

An active speaker, writer, mentor, and community builder, Carlos is renowned as a forward-thinking voice on cybersecurity, vCISO services, and legal technology. A long-time volunteer leader and contributor in organizations such as ILTA, ISC2, and FS-ISAC, he regularly engages with peer CISOs, vCISOs, and security forums to elevate practices across the industries he serves. His leadership philosophy centers on transforming teams into highly engaged, collaborative, and business-oriented units that focus on incremental risk reduction and continuous improvement.

Carlos holds multiple industry certifications, including CISSP, CISM, Security+, Certified SAFe 4 DevOps Practitioner, Certified Business Agility Foundations, and ITIL Foundation.

Let’s Talk

From regional offices in North America, EMEA and APAC, Polaris navigates its clients through the global risk landscape.

Corporate Risk in a Changing World

Stephen Ward (CEO, Polaris) sat down with Jon Sheppard as part of his Spotlight Sit-Down Series – candid conversations about industry changes, evolving work dynamics, and intergenerational collaboration in today’s workplace. Steve and Jon discuss the latest trends in corporate risk, how businesses are adapting to new challenges, and what it takes to navigate security […]

Kidnap & Ransom: Crisis Response

Gordon Coyle and Steve Ward sit down to discuss Kidnap & Ransom (K&R) risk for high net worth individuals, family offices, executives, and business owners. They discuss what a Kidnap & Ransom policy actually covers, how private security firms work differently from law enforcement, why the first hours of an incident are critical, and why […]

Incident Report—Tracking Civil Unrest in LA: Safety Measures for Local Personnel

Overview of Civil Unrest in Los Angeles, CA & Recommended Best Practices Please note that Intelligence Reports – though rooted in a historical review of events and relevant current intelligence – are based partly on prediction, as they are meant to anticipate potentially credible threats to a particular person, entity, or location at a particular […]

The Polaris Approach to Internal Misconduct Matters

In the event of internal misconduct, the long-term health of your business – and the continued trust of your clientele – depend on a timely, comprehensive assessment. When up to seventy-five (75%) percent of employees have stolen from their employers on at least one occasion, or when the average internal data breach can cost employers […]

Polaris Risk Presents: What to Know About Ransomware Attacks

With cybersecurity risks consistently dominating news cycles, designing a capable digital defense can feel daunting. To help you and your company understand and address these risks, Polaris has prepared this overview of essential considerations. Breaches More Frequent Then Ever The IDC has found that as many as one third of all global businesses faced a […]

The Polaris Approach to Board & vCISO Cyber Consulting

Cybersecurity isn’t only an IT problem – it’s a company-wide responsibility. Ransomware, phishing attacks, and malware are unfortunate facts of modern business. Remote work, cloud solutions, and international conflicts have made cyberattacks frighteningly common – prompting the intervention of the Securities & Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Under new SEC regulations, certain Boards are required to detail […]

The Polaris Approach to Cyber Readiness & Resilience

Though cyberattacks target your digital environment, they pose a real-world threat to your company’s operations. Recent breaches, ransomware attacks, and data leaks have targeted providers across finance, education, healthcare, IT, retail, and other major industries. Each attack represents an evolution in attackers’ software and strategy, as bad actors adapt their tools and strategies to innovative […]

The Polaris Approach to Customized Intelligence Monitoring

Conduct Smarter, Risk-Conscious Business with Polaris’ Bespoke Intelligence Monitors Given the pace of data in the current Information Age, it is vital that your company can both manage and analyze the constant flow of relevant intelligence with sophistication and efficiency. Polaris’ intelligence reports curate relevant content across key threat vectors, including Health Risks, Natural Disasters […]

The Polaris Approach to Mitigating Workplace Risks

Persistent, tragic shootings – often committed by disgruntled current and/or former employees – have illustrated the importance of sensitive, diligent workplace security. As the current economic downturn continues to force layoffs, angered former employees are more likely to disrupt your working environment – sometimes through planned or unplanned acts of violence, threats against offices or […]