SENTRICUS names Harlan A. Bizzell CEO

SENTRICUS appointed retired Army intelligence officer Harlan A. Bizzell as chief executive officer and vice chairman, effective Aug. 12, 2026, as the company pushes cybersecurity education as a core part of cyber risk, compliance and AI governance. The move comes as the firm cites rising cybercrime and aims to make everyday security habits part of national resilience.

Why it matters: - SENTRICUS is betting that cybersecurity education, not just technology, can reduce cyber risk across businesses, schools, homes and government-adjacent organizations. - The company is framing its strategy around national resilience at a time when cyberattacks, phishing, ransomware, supply-chain compromise and AI-enabled fraud remain everyday threats. - The appointment gives SENTRICUS a leader with military intelligence experience and board-level credibility as the company expands advisory and education services.

What happened: - SENTRICUS appointed Harlan A. Bizzell as chief executive officer and vice chairman of the board, effective Aug. 12, 2026. - Mitchell Sacks remains founder and chairman of the board and will keep strategic oversight while Bizzell takes on daily operations, customer delivery, strategic partnerships, organizational execution and market growth. - The company is headquartered in Litchfield, Connecticut.

The details: - Bizzell brings more than 38 years of combined military, intelligence, consulting, business and leadership experience. - He retired from the U.S. Army as a Chief Warrant Officer Three after a 21-year career. - His Army roles included Morse Code Operator, Senior Intelligence Analyst, Digital Network Exploitation Analyst and service with Special Operations Team-Alpha supporting U.S. Special Operations Command missions. - Bizzell is a veteran of Desert Shield, Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom. - After military retirement, Bizzell spent 14 years at Booz Allen Hamilton as a Digital Network Exploitation Analyst and held workforce leadership responsibilities. - He later spent three years at Bizzell, a consulting, strategy and technology firm, as a Senior Business and Artificial Intelligence Consultant. - Bizzell’s advisory work has included business strategy, artificial intelligence, government contracting and organizational growth. - He earned a Bachelor of Science in Management from the University of Phoenix. - SENTRICUS cited FBI data showing 1,008,597 complaints in the 2025 Internet Crime Report and nearly $21 billion in reported losses, up 26% from 2024. - The company said its focus areas will be cybersecurity education, cyber risk, compliance and AI governance. - The company’s compliance work includes readiness assessments, evidence preparation, continuous compliance and preparation for assessment by an authorized CMMC Third-Party Assessment Organization. - SENTRICUS also plans to promote practical security habits, including phishing awareness, strong and unique passwords, password managers, multifactor authentication and prompt software updates.

Between the lines: - The appointment signals a broader push to treat cyber hygiene as a leadership issue, not just an IT function. - SENTRICUS is positioning education as a way to connect technical threats to operational, financial and governance decisions. - The company’s emphasis on AI governance suggests clients want help setting rules before AI deployment outpaces internal controls. - The language around national security reflects a sales and strategy pitch aimed at organizations that need defensible decision-making, not just security tools.

What's next: - Bizzell’s immediate priorities include strengthening accountability, clarifying roles, improving customer execution, formalizing partner integration and scaling cybersecurity education programs. - SENTRICUS also plans to strengthen cyber-risk and compliance evidence and establish measurable objectives across growth, service delivery, readiness and customer outcomes. - The company said it will continue expanding its leadership, partner network, educational offerings and cyber-resilience capabilities for public- and private-sector organizations. - SENTRICUS will use “Cybersecurity Education is National Security - powered by SENTRICUS” as its strategic North Star.

The bottom line: - SENTRICUS is elevating a military intelligence veteran to drive a message that everyday cyber habits are now part of national defense.