From Pentagon to Product Leader: Robert Johnston’s Mission to Transform Cybersecurity

Now That's IT: Stories of MSP Success

What does it take to go from defending national secrets to defending MSPs? In this episode of Now That’s IT: Stories of MSP Success, Robert Johnston—former Pentagon cyber operator, DNC breach responder, and co-founder of Adlumin—shares his journey from military red teams to building one of today’s fastest-growing cybersecurity platforms.

We unpack how Robert transitioned from CrowdStrike to launching Adlumin, a company that reimagines MDR and XDR for modern MSPs, why simplicity and automation matter more than ever, and how AI is reshaping both threats and responses in real time.

Whether you run a 10-person MSP or lead global operations, Robert’s mission to transform cybersecurity offers real lessons in scaling services, serving clients, and staying ahead of attackers.

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'Now that's it: Stories of MSP Success,' dives into the journeys of some of the trailblazers in our industry to find out how they used their passion for technology to help turn Managed Services into the thriving sector it is today.
Every episode is packed with the valuable insights, practical strategies, and inspiring anecdotes that lead our guests to the transformative moment when they knew….. Now, that's it.
This podcast provides educational information about issues that may be relevant to information technology service providers.

Nothing in the podcast should be construed as any recommendation or endorsement by N-able, or as legal or any other advice.

The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the podcast does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent.

Views and opinions expressed by N-able employees are those of the employees and do not necessarily reflect the view of N-able or its officers and directors.

The podcast may also contain forward-looking statements regarding future product plans, functionality, or development efforts that should not be interpreted as a commitment from N-able related to any deliverables or timeframe.

All content is based on information available at the time of recording, and N-able has no obligation to update any forward-looking statements.

Chapters

1. Naval Academy to Cyber Operations (00:00:00)

2. Leading Marine Corps Red Team (00:05:54)

3. The DNC Hack Investigation (00:08:45)

4. Founding Adlumen in 24 Hours (00:13:26)

5. Evolution from SIEM to MDR (00:19:28)

6. AI's Role in Cybersecurity Today (00:28:45)

7. Future of Adlumen and Enable (00:34:02)