Mark Rosa serves as the Chief Information Officer (CIO) of Mohegan Gaming and Entertainment, overseeing a global portfolio of resorts, casinos, and entertainment properties. With a career rooted in audit and accounting, Mark took an unconventional path to IT leadership. His unique background gives him a disciplined, strategy-first approach to cybersecurity. Over the past six years, he has built a cybersecurity program that not only protects Mohegan’s operations but also strengthens its resilient, guest-focused culture.
At Mohegan, culture isn’t just a buzzword. Rooted in the Spirit of Aquai—a centuries-old ethos of cooperation, respect, and community—Mohegan’s values directly shape their approach to technology, security, and global expansion.
In this conversation, Mark shares how he transformed Mohegan’s cybersecurity posture, the importance of tabletop exercises, building a culture of transparency, and how artificial intelligence (AI) is shaping the future of the gaming industry.
Mark Rosa opens with an overview of Mohegan Gaming and Entertainment’s massive reach, from Connecticut to Korea. Despite global expansion, the organization remains deeply rooted in its tribal culture—the Spirit of Aquai—which emphasizes cooperation, respect, and community. This spirit doesn’t just guide guest services; it’s woven into the fabric of how Mohegan approaches security and resilience.
Mark shares how cybersecurity became his top focus when he moved from audit to IT leadership. Knowing the casino industry is a prime target, he immediately restructured leadership, deployed best-of-breed tools, and implemented zero trust principles. However, Mark is quick to point out that true resilience isn’t just about technology—it's about continuous testing, training, and preparation. He discusses their “live-fire” cybersecurity exercises that tested the organization’s recovery processes under pressure, offering rare insights into how large-scale organizations can practice incident response realistically.
Transparency emerges as a critical theme. Mark explains that within the gaming industry, CIOs and CISOs often collaborate behind closed doors to share lessons learned from breaches like MGM’s. Even though legal limitations can restrict public disclosures during an active incident, post-mortem knowledge-sharing has become essential to raising the cybersecurity bar for everyone in the sector.
Finally, the conversation turns to AI. Mark is cautiously optimistic about AI’s role across operations—from digital guest assistants reducing call center load to cybersecurity tools enhancing threat detection. However, in a highly regulated industry like gaming, careful deployment is key. Mark shares how Mohegan is embracing AI internally while maintaining strict control over security and compliance. His goal: not just to keep pace, but to lead.
This episode is brought to you by CyberLynx.com
CyberL-Y-N-X.com.
CyberLynx is a complete technology solution provider to ensure your business has the most reliable and professional IT service.
The bottom line is we help protect you from cyber attacks, malware attacks, and the dreaded Dark Web.
Our professional support includes managed IT services, IT help desk services, cybersecurity services, data backup and recovery, and VoIP services. Our reputable and experienced team, quick response time, and hassle-free process ensures that clients are 100% satisfied.
To learn more, visit cyberlynx.com, email us at help@cyberlynx.com, or give us a call at 202-996-6600.