Innovative Cybersecurity for Securing Operational Tech | Colby Proffitt from Shift5

Ernesto Quezada: Pathmonk is the intelligent tool for website lead generation. With increasing online competition, over 98% of website visitors don’t convert. The ability to successfully show your value proposition and support visitors in their buying journey separates you from the competition. Online, Pathmonk qualifies and converts leads on your website by figuring out where they are in the buying journey and influencing them in key decision moments. With relevant micro experiences like case studies, intro videos, and much more, stay relevant to your visitors and increase conversions by 50%. Add Pathmonk to your website in seconds. Let the AI do all the work and get access to 50% more qualified leads while you keep doing marketing and sales as usual. Check us out at pathmonk.com. Welcome to today’s episode. Let’s talk about today’s guest. We have Colby from Shift5, VP of Marketing with them. How are you doing today, Colby?

Colby Proffitt: I’m doing great. Thanks for having me on. How are you?

Ernesto: I’m doing great, thank you so much for asking. Well, Colby, I’m sure our listeners are tuning in wondering what Shift5 is all about. So, in your own words, can you tell us a little bit more?

Colby: Yeah, absolutely. Shift5 is the observability platform for onboard operational technology. That’s a mouthful. So what does that actually mean? If you think about the IT security space—securing your smartphones, laptops, PCs, and other digital devices—believe it or not, weapon systems, airplanes, locomotives, and other operational technologies are not all that different from a laptop. At the end of the day, they’re just another flavor of an endpoint—something connected to the internet and therefore potentially at risk.

Shift5 is doing some really cool work to ensure that those big platforms—weapon systems, avionics platforms—maintain their cybersecurity posture. We’re also doing interesting work in predictive maintenance. Aircraft, locomotives, and maritime vessels have a lot of parts that can break, so we’re helping operators and maintainers get ahead of potential faults and failures before they become problematic.

Ernesto: Great to hear that. For our listeners to get a good understanding of Shift5, what would you say is the key problem you solve for clients?

Colby: I’ll focus a little bit on our newest solution, which we brought to market in the last 90 days. There’s been a significant increase in GPS jamming and spoofing attacks. Imagine an aircraft flying towards its destination suddenly losing the ability to rely on its navigation system. This might not seem like a big deal if you’re flying during the day in a familiar area, but in contested environments, a pilot may quickly find themselves flying into an area they don’t want to be in, which can have catastrophic consequences.

We’re working on detecting when GPS jamming and spoofing events take place, as well as remediation and defenses against future attacks. This is part of the larger cybersecurity challenge we’re addressing—not just for the Department of Defense but also for commercial aviation, rail, and maritime industries.

Ernesto: Great to hear that. Is there a particular vertical or segment you focus on? What’s the ideal ICP for Shift5?

Colby: Absolutely. We’re a bit of an anomaly in the B2B SaaS space as we focus first on the Department of Defense (DoD). But we’re also proud supporters of commercial industries—commercial airlines, maritime, and rail. Essentially, any operational technology industry with large, ruggedized, or even weaponized endpoints.

Ernesto: Great to hear that. For our listeners, they can check you out at Shift5.io. What role does the website play in client acquisition for you?

Colby: It’s evolved over the last 18 to 24 months. We’ve always had a great website, but its role has grown. About 18 months ago, 90% to 95% of our leads came from referrals or events like trade shows and conferences. Fast forward to now, we’ve revamped the website, shifted to an ABM program, and now it’s about 60/40—still a heavy referral business but with a growing number of people finding our website, engaging with our content, and reaching out to our sales team.

Ernesto: How do people usually find out about Shift5? Is there a top acquisition channel?

Colby: LinkedIn is a significant channel, but we’ve also experimented with others. For example, we ran a micro-experiment with Reddit, which turned out to be a great investment. It’s where some of our target ICPs were discussing challenges like magnets on avionics platforms. The key is getting creative to drive people back to your website.

Ernesto: Are there any tools, tips, or methods you’d recommend for website lead generation?

Colby: I’m a huge advocate of great content. You don’t always need to invest heavily in a martech stack. It’s more about understanding your ICP’s pain points and addressing them through research-driven content. Empathy is crucial—making your customers’ pain points your own leads to better outreach and trust-building.

Ernesto: Thank you for sharing that insight. Let’s switch gears. As VP of Marketing at Shift5, what are some key tasks you focus on day-to-day?

Colby: I start my day identifying where I might be a blocker for my team—those are my top priorities. Then I focus on strategic thinking: experimenting with new tools, analyzing results from past initiatives, and refining our approach. The first half of my day is about tactical execution, and the second half is for strategy and measurement.

Ernesto: How do you stay updated on marketing trends and strategies?

Colby: I’m active on LinkedIn and value in-person interactions. Meeting for coffee or lunch with someone in my network helps me learn about their strategies and tactics. It’s a great complement to the digital side of things.

Ernesto: Thanks for sharing that. Now let’s jump into our rapid-fire question round. Are you ready?

Colby: Absolutely.

Ernesto: What’s the last book you read?

Colby: Radical Candor by Kim Scott. It validated my leadership approach, emphasizing transparency and direct communication.

Ernesto: If there were no boundaries in technology, what would you fix for your role as a marketer?

Colby: I’d create a fully integrated experience for prospects and customers across all touchpoints—from the website to trade shows to social media—ensuring consistency and alignment across the entire organization.

Ernesto: Great insight. Lastly, if you could give one piece of advice to your younger self, what would it be?

Colby: Always stay intellectually curious, even about things you don’t directly impact. Alignment and collaboration across teams are critical to success.

Ernesto: Wonderful advice. Finally, if someone forgets everything about today’s interview, what’s the one thing they should remember about Shift5?

Colby: Cybersecurity is more critical than ever. Operational technologies like airplanes, tanks, and locomotives are at risk, and we must focus on securing these assets to ensure their resilience.

Ernesto: Thank you so much, Colby, for being with us. To our listeners, you can check them out at Shift5.io. It’s been a pleasure, and I look forward to our next episode on Pathmonk Presents.

Colby: Thanks for having me. Take care.