CISO Series Podcast

Our Theoretical Controls Work Great Against Hypothetical Attacks All links and images can be found on CISO Series This week's episode is hosted by David Spark, producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis, principal of Duha. Joining is David Nolan, former CISO, Asurion. In this episode: Influence, not control The initiative gap Skip the framework, patch the server Confident code with no owner A huge thanks to our sponsor, ThreatLocker ThreatLocker makes Zero Trust practical. With Default Deny, Ringfencing, and Elevation Control, CISOs get real control that's easy to manage and built to scale. Stop threats before they execute and reduce operational noise without adding complexity. See how simple prevention can be at ThreatLocker.com/CISO.

All links and images can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark, producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis, principal of Duha. Joining us is Hilik Kotler, svp, CISO and IT, Expedia Group. In this episode: The numbers game What makes a vendor worth your time Humanity in the loop Alignment is a prerequisite, not a nice-to-have A huge thanks to our sponsor, Vanta Risk and regulation ramping up—and customers expect proof of security just to do business. Vanta's automation brings compliance, risk, and customer trust together on one AI-powered platform. So whether you're prepping for a SOC 2 or running an enterprise GRC program, Vanta keeps you secure—and keeps your deals moving. Learn more at vanta.com/ciso.

All links and images can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by David Spark, producer of CISO Series and Pam Lindemoen, CSO, vp of strategy, Retail and Hospitality-ISAC. Joining them is Jason Mayor, deputy CISO, Raymond James Financial. This episode was recorded in front of a live audience at the National Cybersecurity Alliance's Convene conference in Clearwater, Florida. In this episode: Coaching security Planned security theater Making "nothing bad happened" a compelling story Getting security teams to think like the business A huge thanks to our sponsor, Adaptive Security Sponsored by Adaptive Security – the first security awareness platform built to stop AI-powered social engineering. AI impersonation and deepfakes have made trust the new attack surface. Adaptive runs social-engineering simulations and instantly turns threats, policies, and compliance needs into interactive, multilingual training. Trusted by Fortune 500s. Learn more at adaptivesecurity.com. A huge thanks to our sponsor, Zepo Zepo Intelligence transforms employee behavior into measurable security capability. Moving beyond check-box compliance, our human risk management platform uses hyper-personalized simulations to turn your workforce into a proactive defense layer. We don't just improve human behavior; we enable mastery against modern social engineering threats. Learn more at zepo.ai. A huge thanks to our sponsor, KnowBe4 KnowBe4 empowers workforces to make smarter security decisions every day. Trusted by over 70,000 organizations worldwide, we help strengthen security culture and manage human risk. Our comprehensive AI-driven HRM+ platform includes modules for awareness and compliance training, cloud email security, real-time coaching, crowdsourced anti-phishing, AI Defense Agents, and more. As the only global security platform of its kind, KnowBe4 utilizes personalized and relevant cybersecurity content, tools, and techniques to keep the modern workforce—both humans and AI agents—cybersafe from phishing, vishing, deepfakes, and all forms of social engineering. Learn more at knowbe4.com.

All links and images can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by David Spark, producer of CISO Series and Mike Johnson, CISO, Rivian. Joining is Julie Myerholtz, CISO, Brunswick Corporation. In this episode: Your cloud, your problem Kill your sacred cows AI broke your vendor math Feedback is a gift. Open it. A huge thanks to our sponsor, Vanta Risk and regulation ramping up—and customers expect proof of security just to do business. Vanta's automation brings compliance, risk, and customer trust together on one AI-powered platform. So whether you're prepping for a SOC 2 or running an enterprise GRC program, Vanta keeps you secure—and keeps your deals moving. Learn more at vanta.com/ciso.

All links and images can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark, producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis, principal of Duha. Joining us is Rebecca Harness, CISO, Deltek. In this episode: Let it fail The CIO seat is empty. Now what? Design for how people actually work "We found 23 issues. That'll be $15,000." Huge thanks to our sponsor, Strike48 Strike48 is the Agentic Log Intelligence Platform that actually puts AI agents to work, combining full log visibility with AI agents that investigate, detect, and respond 24/7. With pre-built agent clusters for security and a no-code agentic workflow builder, it's easy to get started. Learn more at strike48.com/security.

All links and images can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark, producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis, principal of Duha. Joining us is our sponsored guest, Rob Allen, chief product officer, ThreatLocker. In this episode: Your best employee is your biggest risk Stop guessing the next attack AI is not a feature Stop blaming the user Huge thanks to our sponsor, ThreatLocker ThreatLocker makes Zero Trust practical. With Default Deny, Ringfencing, and Elevation Control, CISOs get real control that's easy to manage and built to scale. Stop threats before they execute and reduce operational noise without adding complexity. See how simple prevention can be at ThreatLocker.com/CISO.  

All links and images can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark, producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis, principal of Duha. Joining us is our sponsored guest, Tim Leehealey, vp of corporate strategy and operations, Strike48. In this episode: Defensible, not perfect Tools aren't going to save you Logs are wasted on the SOC The myth of the lone wolf Huge thanks to our sponsor, Strike48 Strike48 is the Agentic Log Intelligence Platform that actually puts AI agents to work, combining full log visibility with AI agents that investigate, detect, and respond 24/7. With pre-built agent clusters for security and a no-code agentic workflow builder, it's easy to get started. Learn more at strike48.com/security.  

All links and images can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by David Spark, producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis, principal of Duha. Joining them is Vikas Mahajan, vp and CISO, American Red Cross. In this episode: Questionnaires aren't risk management The good old days were worse Buying or building your SOC Start the conversation, not the checklist Huge thanks to our sponsor, Adaptive Security Sponsored by Adaptive Security—the first cybersecurity company backed by OpenAI. AI impersonation and deepfakes have made trust the new attack surface. Adaptive runs realistic social-engineering simulations and instantly turns threats, policies, and compliance needs into interactive, multilingual training. Trusted by Fortune 500s. Learn more at adaptivesecurity.com.

All links and images can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by David Spark, producer of CISO Series and Steve Zalewski. Joining them is Tammy Klotz, CISO, Trinseo. In this episode: Accountability without authority Kill your hacklore Voice is no longer enough Studies that tell us what we already know Huge thanks to our sponsor, ThreatLocker Want real Zero Trust training? Zero Trust World 2026 delivers hands-on labs and workshops that show CISOs exactly how to implement and maintain Zero Trust in real environments. Join us March 4–6 in Orlando, plus a live CISO Series episode on March 6. Get $200 off with ZTWCISO26 at ztw.com.

All links and images can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by David Spark, producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis, principal of Duha. Joining them is Russ Ayres, CISO, Principal Financial Group. In this episode: Metrics that matter Tool babysitting problem Automating the brokenness Stay connected intentionally Huge thanks to our sponsor, Strike48 Strike48 is the Agentic Log Intelligence Platform that actually puts AI agents to work, combining full log visibility with AI agents that investigate, detect, and respond 24/7. With pre-built agent clusters for security and a no-code agentic workflow builder, it's easy to get started. Learn more at strike48.com/security.  

All links and images can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by David Spark, producer of CISO Series, and Andy Ellis, principal of Duha. Joining them is Janet Heins, CISO, ChenMed. In this episode: Inbound gets ignored Independence under constraint Methodology means nothing Lives over logins Huge thanks to our sponsor, Guardsquare Guardsquare delivers mobile app security without compromise, providing advanced protections for both Android and iOS apps. From app security testing to code hardening to real-time visibility into the threat landscape, Guardsquare solutions provide enhanced mobile application security from early in the development process through publication. Learn more about how to protect your app at Guardsquare.com.

All links and images can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by David Spark, producer of CISO Series and Mike Johnson, CISO, Rivian. Joining them is Johann Balaguer, Global CISO, Hard Rock Hotels and Casinos. In this episode: Understanding the why Own your digital self Invest beyond tenure Prepare for dependencies Thanks to Louis Zhichao Zhang, AIA Australia for contributing this week's "What's Worse?!" scenario. Huge thanks to our sponsor, Guardsquare Guardsquare delivers mobile app security without compromise, providing advanced protections for both Android and iOS apps. From app security testing to code hardening to real-time visibility into the threat landscape, Guardsquare solutions provide enhanced mobile application security from early in the development process through publication. Learn more about how to protect your app at Guardsquare.com.

All links and images can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by David Spark, producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis, principal of Duha. Joining them is Sara Madden, CISO, Convera. In this episode: Hold developers accountable Credibility through candor Be strategic with AI deployment Resources don't guarantee security Huge thanks to our sponsor, ThreatLocker ThreatLocker makes Zero Trust practical. With Default Deny, Ringfencing, and Elevation Control, CISOs get real control that's easy to manage and built to scale. Stop threats before they execute and reduce operational noise without adding complexity. See how simple prevention can be at ThreatLocker.com/CISO.

All links and images can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by David Spark, producer of CISO Series and Matthew Southworth, CSO, Priceline. Joining them is sponsored guest, Saket Modi, CEO, Safe Security. This episode was recorded live at FAIRCON25 in NYC. In this episode: AI won't stay broken Identity before intelligence People decide risk appetite Automate with oversight Huge thanks to our sponsor, Safe Security SAFE is the leader in Cyber Risk Quantification and the first company to deliver 100% autonomous Third-Party Risk Management. Powered by Agentic AI and built on FAIRtm, SAFE empowers CISOs, cybersecurity, and TPRM leaders to continuously quantify, prioritize, and mitigate cyber risks across their entire attack surface – enabling digital growth and organizational resilience. Learn more at testdrive.safe.security/

All links and images can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark, producer of CISO Series and Matt Southworth, CISO, Priceline. Joining us is our sponsored guest, Leslie Nielsen, CISO, Mimecast. In this episode: Automating dysfunction Leading without dominating Unglamorous wins Code without comprehension Huge thanks to our sponsor, Mimecast. Cyber threats are getting smarter every day, and threat actors aren't just targeting your technology, they're targeting your most valuable asset - your people. Mimecast helps you identify and secure risk with a unified, intelligent platform that protects across the spectrum of threats; from email and chat to file sharing. Learn more at www.mimecast.com.

All links and images can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by David Spark, producer of CISO Series and Brett Conlon, CISO, American Century Investments. Joining them are Ryan Barras, CISO, Mount Sinai Medical Center. In this episode: Nobody understands what we do Someone else should fix this Make the audience care Speaking CEO Huge thanks to our sponsor, Dropzone AI Dropzone AI autonomously investigates every security alert—no playbooks needed. This AI SOC analyst queries your CrowdStrike, Splunk, threat intel feeds, and 60+ other tools to build complete investigations in 5 minutes. Unlike black-box automation, it shows every query, finding, and decision. See it work yourself—explore the self-guided demo at dropzone.ai.

All links and images can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by David Spark, producer of CISO Series and Mike Johnson, CISO, Rivian. Joining them is their sponsored guest, Danny Jenkins, CEO, ThreatLocker. In this episode: AI for AI's sake Stop selling, start protecting Stop calling everything sophisticated Least privilege, rebranded Huge thanks to our sponsor, ThreatLocker ThreatLocker makes Zero Trust practical. With Default Deny, Ringfencing, and Elevation Control, CISOs get real control that's easy to manage and built to scale. Stop threats before they execute and reduce operational noise without adding complexity. See how simple prevention can be at ThreatLocker.com/CISO.

All links and images can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark, producer of CISO Series, and Mike Johnson, CISO, Rivian. Joining us is John Barrow, CISO, JB Poindexter & Co. In this episode: Building unicorns, not hunting them Cold War frameworks for modern threats Trading dollars for stories Mirror, mirror on the wall Huge thanks to our sponsor, Vanta Vanta automates key areas of your GRC program—including compliance, risk, and customer trust—and streamlines the way you manage information. A recent IDC analysis found that compliance teams using Vanta are 129% more productive. Get back time to focus on strengthening security and scaling your business at vanta.com/ciso

All links and images can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by David Spark, producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), principal of Duha. Joining them is Richard Rushing, CISO, Motorola Mobility. In this episode Mindset over tools When hygiene becomes risk Systems for actual humans Conversations over compliance Huge thanks to our sponsor, ThreatLocker ThreatLocker® Defense Against Configurations continuously scans endpoints to uncover misconfigurations, weak firewall rules, and risky settings that weaken defenses. With compliance mapping, daily updates, and actionable remediation in one dashboard, it streamlines hardening, reduces attack surfaces, and strengthens security. Learn more at threatlocker.com.

All links and images can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by David Spark, producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), principal of Duha. Joining them is our sponsored guest, Nathan Hunstad, director, security, Vanta. In this episode: Metrics that matter Testing for real AI as an assistant Intelligence without context Huge thanks to our sponsor, Vanta Vanta automates key areas of your GRC program—including compliance, risk, and customer trust—and streamlines the way you manage information. A recent IDC analysis found that compliance teams using Vanta are 129% more productive. Get back time to focus on strengthening security and scaling your business at vanta.com/ciso

All links and images can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by David Spark, producer of CISO Series and Jeff Steadman, deputy CISO, Corning Incorporated. Joining them is Quincey Collins, CSO, Sheppard Mullin. This episode was recorded live at the ISSA LA Summit in Santa Monica, California. In this episode:  The foundational debate Strength over breadth Beyond traditional backgrounds Keeping perspective on risk Huge thanks to our sponsors, Adaptive Security and Dropzone AI AI-powered social engineering threats like deepfake voice calls, GenAI phishing, and vishing attacks are evolving fast. Adaptive helps security leaders get ahead with an AI-native platform that simulates realistic genAI attacks, and delivers expert-vetted security awareness training — all in one unified solution. Learn more at adaptivesecurity.com. Dropzone AI autonomously investigates every security alert—no playbooks needed. This AI SOC analyst queries your CrowdStrike, Splunk, threat intel feeds, and 60+ other tools to build complete investigations in 5 minutes. Unlike black-box automation, it shows every query, finding, and decision. See it work yourself—explore the self-guided demo at dropzone.ai.

All links and images can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark, producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), principal of Duha. Joining us is Sara Madden, CISO, Convera. In this episode:  Optimizing for reality, not idealism Engineering governance instead of monitoring compliance When AI finds what humans miss The measurement problem Huge thanks to our sponsor, ThreatLocker Human error remains one of the top cybersecurity threats. Just one wrong click can open the door to ransomware or data loss. With ThreatLocker, unauthorized apps, scripts, and devices are blocked before they can ever run. See how ThreatLocker can help you gain more control over your environment. https://threatlocker.com

All links and images can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by David Spark, producer of CISO Series and Jerich Beason, CISO, WM. Joining them on stage is Jack Leidecker, CISO, Gong. This episode was recorded live at HOU SEC CON 2025. In this episode: The open source sustainability problem AI levels the geopolitical playing field Cutting through AI vendor hype Why the fundamentals still hurt Thanks to Erik Bloch from Illumio for providing our "What's Worse" scenario. Huge thanks to our sponsor, Vorlon Security SaaS data moves fast—Vorlon gives security teams the context to move faster. Vorlon combines posture and secrets management, data flow visibility, and detection and response —
so you can see the full picture: what's connected, what's at risk,
and what needs immediate action. Learn more at https://vorlon.io/

All links and images can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by David Spark, producer of CISO Series and Dan Walsh, CISO, Datavant. Joining them is our sponsored guest, Rob Allen, chief product officer, ThreatLocker. In this episode: When EDR gets knocked out Red flags in vendor theater Configuration chaos The sticker problem Huge thanks to our sponsor, ThreatLocker ThreatLocker® Defense Against Configurations continuously scans endpoints to uncover misconfigurations, weak firewall rules, and risky settings that weaken defenses. With compliance mapping, daily updates, and actionable remediation in one dashboard, it streamlines hardening, reduces attack surfaces, and strengthens security. Learn more at threatlocker.com.

All links and images can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by David Spark, producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis, principal of Duha. Joining us is our sponsored guest, Khush Kashyap, senior director, GRC, Vanta. In this episode: Skip the Sermon When to coach versus command Making risk quantification useful Recognizing a distinct discipline   Huge thanks to our sponsor, Vanta Vanta automates key areas of your GRC program—including compliance, risk, and customer trust—and streamlines the way you manage information. A recent IDC analysis found that compliance teams using Vanta are 129% more productive. Get back time to focus on strengthening security and scaling your business at https://www.vanta.com/landing/demo-grc?utm_campaign=new-way-grc&utm_source=ciso-series-podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_content=banner  

All links and images can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by David Spark, producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), principal of Duha. Joining them is Daniel Liber, CISO, Monday.com. In this episode: AI security's blind spot problem Vendors don't understand the assignment Marketing budgets overshadow actual innovation Accuracy versus effectiveness Huge thanks to our sponsor, Material Security Built specifically for Google Workspace, Material is a detection and response platform that protects Gmail, Google Drive, and accounts by proactively eliminating security gaps, stopping misconfigurations, and preventing shadow IT before they turn into costly problems. See Material in action today - https://material.security/providers/google-workspace?utm_source=third-party&utm_medium=website&utm_campaign=20251007-cisoseries

All links and images can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by David Spark, producer of CISO Series and Mike Johnson, CISO, Rivian. Joining them is Pavi Ramamurthy, global CISO and CIO, Blackhawk Network. In this episode: We can't promise safe, but we can promise ready Are we accidentally building security nightmares? Being held accountable for things you had no say in The safe space problem in vendor evaluation Huge thanks to our sponsor, Adaptive Security Sponsored by Adaptive Security — the first cybersecurity company backed by OpenAI. Adaptive helps security leaders defend against AI-powered social engineering threats like deepfakes, vishing, and GenAI phishing with advanced phishing simulations and next-generation security awareness training. Adaptive's new AI Content Creator enables teams to instantly convert threat intelligence and compliance updates into interactive, multilingual training — no instructional design required. Trusted by Fortune 500s and backed by Andreessen Horowitz and the OpenAI. Learn more at http://www.adaptivesecurity.com

All links and images can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by David Spark, producer of CISO Series and Mike Johnson, CISO, Rivian. Joining them is Erwin Lopez, CISO, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. In this episode: The AI experimentation phase isn't optional When selling security becomes the hardest part of the job Threat actors aren't hacking in anymore We build, we bond, and we can't bear to let go Huge thanks to our sponsor, ThreatLocker Human error remains one of the top cybersecurity threats. Just one wrong click can open the door to ransomware or data loss. With ThreatLocker, unauthorized apps, scripts, and devices are blocked before they can ever run. See how ThreatLocker can help you gain more control over your environment. Learn more at Threatlocker.com/CISO  

All links and images can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by David Spark, producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis, principal of Duha. Joining us is our sponsored guest, Brian Long, CEO, Adaptive Security. In this episode: Hiring North Korean operatives on a Tuesday AI coding and the death of specifications Deepfake personas beyond video calls The middleman problem with SMS Huge thanks to our sponsor, Adaptive Security AI-powered social engineering threats like deepfake voice calls, GenAI phishing, and vishing attacks are evolving fast. Adaptive helps security leaders get ahead with an AI-native platform that simulates realistic genAI attacks, and delivers expert-vetted security awareness training — all in one unified solution.   And now, with Adaptive's new AI Content Creator, security teams can instantly transform breaking threat intel or updated policy docs into interactive, multilingual training — no instructional design needed. That means faster compliance, better engagement, and less risk. Trusted by Fortune 500s and backed by Andreessen Horowitz and the OpenAI Startup Fund, Adaptive is helping security teams prepare for the next generation of cyber threats. Learn more at adaptivesecurity.com.  

All links and images can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by David Spark, producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis, principal of Duha. Joining us is Jason Loomis, CISO, Freshworks. In this episode: Making organizations take their security medicine Building CISO support systems Holding the door for humans Underappreciated risks: beyond the headlines Huge thanks to our sponsor, Safe Security SAFE is the category leader in Cyber Risk Quantification (CRQ) and the first vendor to deliver fully autonomous Third-Party Risk Management.We help CISOs, GRC, and TPRM leaders continuously and efficiently quantify, prioritize, and mitigate cyber risks across their entire attack surface — enabling digital growth and resilience. Learn more at tprmdemo.safe.security.  

All links and images can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by David Spark, producer of CISO Series and Mike Johnson, CISO, Rivian. Joining them is Jennifer Swann, CISO, Bloomberg Industry Group. In this episode: Vulnerability management vs. configuration control Open source security and supply chain trust Building security leadership presence AI governance and enterprise risk Huge thanks to our sponsor, Vanta Vanta's Trust Management Platform automates key areas of your GRC program—including compliance, internal and third-party risk, and customer trust—and streamlines the way you gather and manage information. A recent IDC analysis found that compliance teams using Vanta are 129% more productive. Get started today at Vanta.com/CISO.

All links and images can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark, producer of CISO Series and Mike Johnson, CISO, Rivian. Joining us is David Cross, CISO, Atlassian. In this episode: Breaking the Sales Cycle Leadership Under Fire Predicting the Unpredictable Security Startups' Security Paradox A huge thanks to our sponsor, ThreatLocker ThreatLocker® is a global leader in Zero Trust endpoint security, offering cybersecurity controls to protect businesses from zero-day attacks and ransomware. ThreatLocker operates with a default deny approach to reduce the attack surface and mitigate potential cyber vulnerabilities. To learn more and start your free trial, visit ThreatLocker.com.  

All links and images can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark, producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), principal of Duha. Joining us is Gary Chan, CISO, SSM Health. Be sure to check out Gary's security mentalism website: https://www.gschan2000.com. In this episode: Decision-making with incomplete information Translation beats technical expertise Influence trumps authority for CISOs Technical prowess creates adversaries Huge thanks to our sponsor, Vanta Automate, centralize, & scale your GRC program with Vanta. Vanta's Trust Management Platform automates key areas of your GRC program—including compliance, internal and third-party risk, and customer trust—and streamlines the way you gather and manage information. And the impact is real: A recent IDC analysis found that compliance teams using Vanta are 129% more productive. Get started at Vanta.com/ciso.  

All links and images can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark, producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), principal of Duha. Joining us is our sponsored guest, Kevin Tian, co-founder and CEO, Doppel. In this episode:  AI fraud gets on the juice Agentic AI demands a new security mindset The new frontier for social engineering We still need human verification Huge thanks to our sponsor, Doppel Doppel is the first social engineering defense platform built to dismantle deception at the source. It uses AI and infrastructure correlation to detect, link, and disrupt impersonation campaigns before they spread - protecting brands, executives, and employees while turning every threat into action that strengthens defenses across a shared intelligence network.  

All links and images can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark, producer of CISO Series and  Mike Johnson, CISO, Rivian. Joining them is their sponsored guest, Rajan Kapoor, CEO of Material Security. In this episode: AI creates security's catch-22 Delegation without abandonment Google's security gaps demand better tools Trust beats sophistication every time A huge thanks to our sponsor, Material Security What if you could get a view of security across Google Workspace–email, documents, and accounts–all in one place? Material Security unifies your Google Workspace security operations, simplifying and strengthening security with continuous monitoring and automatic issue resolution. See how Material Security simplifies your security for GMail, GDrive and Google accounts. Learn more at https://material.security.

All links and images can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark, producer of CISO Series and Mike Johnson, CISO, Rivian. Joining us is our sponsored guest, Rob Allen, chief product officer, ThreatLocker. In this episode: Large enterprise security demands drive vendor improvements Technical expertise becomes leadership liability without delegation EDR evolution needs prevention focus Career breaks require personal ownership and strategic timing A huge thanks to our sponsor, ThreatLocker ThreatLocker® is a global leader in Zero Trust endpoint security, offering cybersecurity controls to protect businesses from zero-day attacks and ransomware. ThreatLocker operates with a default deny approach to reduce the attack surface and mitigate potential cyber vulnerabilities. To learn more and start your free trial, visit ThreatLocker.com.

All links and images can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark, producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), partner, YL Ventures. Joining us is Peter Clay, CISO, Aireon. In this episode: Purple teaming evolution misses operational realities Effective postmortems require systematic failure analysis Risk expertise requires business context over methodology Compliance and resilience serve different purposes Huge thanks to our sponsor, Safe Security SAFE is reinventing Third-Party Risk Management with Agentic AI. Our AI Agents automate onboarding, assessments, and monitoring—giving security teams real-time visibility and zero-effort control across their vendor ecosystem. See why SAFE is the fastest-growing TPRM platform on the market at https://testdrive.safe.security/.

All links and images can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark, producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), principal, Duha. Joining us is our sponsored guest, Edward Wu, CEO and founder, Dropzone AI. In this episode:  Building context-aware verification frameworks Understanding why UX fails Moving beyond AI replacement narratives Building for a crisis A huge thanks to our sponsor, Dropzone AI Dropzone AI autonomously investigates every security alert—no playbooks needed. This AI SOC analyst queries your CrowdStrike, Splunk, threat intel feeds, and 60+ other tools to build complete investigations in 5 minutes. Unlike black-box automation, it shows every query, finding, and decision. See it work yourself—explore the self-guided demo at dropzone.ai.

All links and images can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark, producer of CISO Series and Edward Contreras, senior evp and CISO, Frost Bank. Joining us is Anthony Candeias, CISO, Weight Watchers. In this episode: AI agents require structured supervision, not autonomy Hiring for potential over credentials in cybersecurity AppSec training effectiveness depends on organizational relevance AI oversight requires purpose-built models, not general solutions A huge thanks to our sponsor, Vanta Vanta's Trust Management Platform helps 10k+ companies—like Atlassian, Quora, and Chili Piper—start and scale their security programs and build trust with buyers. Vanta saves security teams time and improves program visibility by automating 35+ compliance frameworks, such as SOC 2 and ISO 27001, and GRC workflows, like risk management. Get started at Vanta.com/CISO

All links and images can be found on CISO Series. Check out this post for the discussion that is the basis of our conversation on this week's episode co-hosted by me, David Spark, the producer of CISO Series, and Mike Johnson, CISO, Rivian. Joining us is Anne Marie Zettlemoyer, former vp of security, Activision Blizzard. In this episode SOC automation: Moving beyond alert fatigue The entry-level security talent reality Learning from security incidents without blame Evaluating security vendor viability and partnerships A huge thanks to our sponsor, ThreatLocker ThreatLocker® is a global leader in Zero Trust endpoint security, offering cybersecurity controls to protect businesses from zero-day attacks and ransomware. ThreatLocker operates with a default deny approach to reduce the attack surface and mitigate potential cyber vulnerabilities. To learn more and start your free trial, visit ThreatLocker.com.

All links and images can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark, producer of CISO Series and Edward Contreras, senior evp and CISO, Frost Bank. Joining us is Ryan Bachman, executive vice president and CISO, GM Financial. In this episode Identity consolidation versus simplification Entry-level pathways into cybersecurity Evolution of the CISO role toward business resilience Applying simplification principles to cybersecurity complexity Huge thanks to our sponsor, Doppel Doppel is the first social engineering defense platform built to dismantle deception at the source. It uses AI and infrastructure correlation to detect, link, and disrupt impersonation campaigns before they spread - protecting brands, executives, and employees while turning every threat into action that strengthens defenses across a shared intelligence network.

All links and images can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), partner, YL Ventures. Joining us is Alex Hall, CISO, Gensler. In this episode: Evaluating secure messaging beyond the app Reframing compliance as a business enabler Incremental security investment vs. crisis response Why culture, not punishment, drives secure behavior Huge thanks to our sponsor, Vanta Automate, centralize, & scale your GRC program with Vanta Vanta's Trust Management Platform automates key areas of your GRC program—including compliance, internal and third-party risk, and customer trust—and streamlines the way you gather and manage information. And the impact is real: A recent IDC analysis found that compliance teams using Vanta are 129% more productive. Get started at Vanta.com/ciso.  

All links and images can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark, producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis, partner, YL Ventures. Joining us is our sponsored guest, Sam Curry, global vp, CISO at Zscaler. This episode was recorded at a Zscaler event in Boston, MA. In this episode: Guardrails for decision making under fatigue Preparing for quantum threats Strategic use of generative AI Reassessing outdated knowledge Huge thanks to our sponsor, Zscaler Zscaler is a cloud-based cybersecurity company that provides secure internet access and private application access. Its platform replaces traditional network security by delivering Zero Trust architecture, protecting users, data, and applications regardless of location. Zscaler's scalable services help organizations modernize IT and reduce risk with seamless, cloud-native security solutions.

All images and links can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), partner, YL Ventures. Joining us is Alexandra Landegger, global head of cyber strategy & transformation, RTX. In this episode: A cybersecurity fast-track? When Ambition Becomes a Liability Giving the CVE Program the Credit It Deserves Elevating human cyber talent with AI Huge thanks to our sponsors, Nudge Security, SecurityScorecard, and Vanta Take control of SaaS security and AI governance with Nudge Security. Start a free trial today and get a full inventory of all SaaS and GenAI accounts in minutes along with risk insights and automation to help you quickly improve your security posture. Get started here: nudgesecurity.com/cisoseries   Third-party risk doesn't stop at monitoring. SecurityScorecard delivers real-time detection and response across your supply chain—helping you fix vulnerabilities before they become breaches. Empower your team with expert-driven remediation, continuous vendor oversight, and board-ready insights that drive results.   Automate, centralize, & scale your GRC program with Vanta Vanta's Trust Management Platform automates key areas of your GRC program—including compliance, internal and third-party risk, and customer trust—and streamlines the way you gather and manage information. And the impact is real: A recent IDC analysis found that compliance teams using Vanta are 129% more productive. Get started at Vanta.com/ciso.

All links and images can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), partner, YL Ventures. Joining us is Tim Jacobs, vp, CISO, Commonwealth Care Alliance. In this episode: Starting from zero Prepare for decisive decisions Working back from unacceptable Discovering inefficiencies  A huge thanks to our sponsor, ThreatLocker ThreatLocker® is a global leader in Zero Trust endpoint security, offering cybersecurity controls to protect businesses from zero-day attacks and ransomware. ThreatLocker operates with a default deny approach to reduce the attack surface and mitigate potential cyber vulnerabilities. To learn more and start your free trial, visit ThreatLocker.com.  

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. I host this week's episode, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Jesse Whaley, CISO, Amtrak. Joining them is their guest Vaughn Hazen, CISO, CN. In this episode: The classics endure The rules of the rail "Prove It. With data." It's all just software A huge thanks to our sponsor, Doppel Doppel is the first social engineering defense platform built to dismantle deception at the source. It uses AI and infrastructure correlation to detect, link, and disrupt impersonation campaigns before they spread - protecting brands, executives, and employees while turning every threat into action that strengthens defenses across a shared intelligence network. Learn more at https://www.doppel.com/platform

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), partner, YL Ventures. Joining us is our sponsored guest, Saket Modi, co-founder and CEO, SAFE Security. In this episode: Elevating AI to table stakes Security for the real world Using dynamic models for TPRM The agentic AI augmentation  Huge thanks to our sponsor, SAFE Security SAFE (#1 platform to unify the management of all cyber risks) has reinvented cyber risk management with Agentic AI. We help CISOs, TPRM, and GRC leaders become strategic business partners by automating the understanding, prioritization and management of cyber risk—accelerating AI adoption and digital transformation.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark, producer of CISO Series, and Andy Ellis, partner of YL Ventures. Their sponsored guest is Jadee Hanson, CISO of Vanta. In this episode: Find a partner to work with Fixing the root of burnout The limitations of human vigilance Balancing openness and control Thanks to our sponsor, Vanta. Automate, centralize, & scale your GRC program with Vanta Vanta's Trust Management Platform automates key areas of your GRC program—including compliance, internal and third-party risk, and customer trust—and streamlines the way you gather and manage information. And the impact is real: A recent IDC analysis found that compliance teams using Vanta are 129% more productive. Get started at Vanta.com/ciso.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark, producer of CISO Series, and Mike Johnson, CISO, Rivian. Joining us is Charles Blauner, formerly of Team8 (at time of recording) and now operating partner, Crosspoint Capital. In this episode: Expanding collective defense Getting talent to the municipal level A mature reporting structure A pill for that cyberailment Huge thanks to our sponsor, Material Security Material Security is purpose-built to protect the entire cloud workspace – email, data, and accounts. With deep integration and powerful automations, Material prevents and detects a wider range of threats, responds to active attacks faster, and secures data and accounts even after a breach. See Material in action today!

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark, producer of CISO Series, and Andy Ellis, partner, YL Ventures. Joining us is Mandy Huth, svp, CISO, Ultra Clean Technology. In this episode: Start with good defaults Building talent bridges Don't forget the humans Differentiating with privacy Automate, centralize, & scale your GRC program with Vanta Vanta's Trust Management Platform automates key areas of your GRC program—including compliance, internal and third-party risk, and customer trust—and streamlines the way you gather and manage information. And the impact is real: A recent IDC analysis found that compliance teams using Vanta are 129% more productive. Get started at Vanta.com/ciso.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark, producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis, partner, YL Ventures. Joining us is Mike D'Arezzo, executive director of infosec and GRC, Wellstar Health Systems. In this episode: The shift left myth Reconsidering CISO evaluations The power of "how" Building bridges Huge thanks to our sponsor, ThreatLocker ThreatLocker® is a global leader in Zero Trust endpoint security, offering cybersecurity controls to protect businesses from zero-day attacks and ransomware. ThreatLocker operates with a default deny approach to reduce the attack surface and mitigate potential cyber vulnerabilities. To learn more and start your free trial, visit ThreatLocker.com.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark, producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis, partner, YL Ventures. Joining us is our sponsored guest Nathan Hunstad, director, security at Vanta. In this episode: Thinking like AI Building off a solid foundation Start with ownership Following the leader Big thanks to our sponsor, Vanta Automate, centralize, & scale your GRC program with Vanta. Vanta's Trust Management Platform automates key areas of your GRC program—including compliance, internal and third-party risk, and customer trust—and streamlines the way you gather and manage information. And the impact is real: A recent IDC analysis found that compliance teams using Vanta are 129% more productive. Get started at Vanta.com/ciso.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark, producer of CISO Series and Christina Shannon, CIO, KIK Consumer Products. Joining them is Jim Bowie, CISO, Tampa General Hospital. In this episode: A journey, not a destination The difference between pressure and stress Fighting commodity deepfakes Getting leadership on the same page HUGE thanks to our sponsors, Proofpoint, Cofense, & KnowBe4 With an integrated suite of cloud-based cybersecurity and compliance solutions, Proofpoint helps organizations around the world stop targeted threats, safeguard their data, and make their users more resilient against cyber attacks. Discover cutting-edge security insights and industry trends from leading experts at Proofpoint Power Series—a monthly virtual event designed to empower the security community. Learn more at proofpoint.com Powered by 35 million trained employee reporters, the exclusive Cofense® PhishMe® Email Security Awareness Training with Risk Validation and Phishing Threat Detection and Response Platforms combine robust training with advanced tools for phishing identification and remediation. Together, our solutions empower organizations to identify, combat, and eliminate phishing threats in real-time. Learn more at cofense.com KnowBe4's PhishER Plus is a lightweight SOAR platform that streamlines threat response for high-volume, potentially malicious emails reported by users. It automatically prioritizes messages, helping InfoSec and Security Operations teams quickly address the most critical threats, reducing inbox clutter and enhancing overall security efficiency. Learn more at knowbe4.com

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark, producer of CISO Series and Trina Ford, CISO, iHeartMedia. Joining us is our sponsored guest Rob Allen, chief product officer, ThreatLocker. This episode was recorded in front of a live audience at Zero Trust World in Orlando, Florida. In this episode: Severity versus impact Breaking the anti-pattern Take the first step to zero trust What are your demands? ThreatLocker® is a Zero Trust endpoint protection platform that provides enterprise-level cybersecurity to organizations globally. With easy onboarding, management, and 24/7/365 support, ThreatLocker makes default deny a reality for businesses. Only allow what you need in your environment and block everything else, including ransomware!

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark, producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis, partner, YL Ventures. Joining us is Edward Contreras, senior evp and CISO, Frost Bank.  In this episode: A gradual language shift Don't reflexively rise and grind Lean into focus Gauging the unmeasurable  Huge thanks to our sponsor, ThreatLocker ThreatLocker® is a global leader in Zero Trust endpoint security, offering cybersecurity controls to protect businesses from zero-day attacks and ransomware. ThreatLocker operates with a default deny approach to reduce the attack surface and mitigate potential cyber vulnerabilities. To learn more and start your free trial, visit ThreatLocker.com.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), partner, YL Ventures. Joining us is Mike Wilkes, former CISO, Major League Soccer. In this episode: Are we misusing vCISOs? Cybersecurity is out to sea Planning for your exit Building up your quantum reflexes Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Tines Build, run, and monitor your most important workflows with Tines. Tines' smart, secure workflow platform empowers your whole team regardless of their coding abilities, environment complexities, or tech stack. From low code, no code to natural language, anyone can get up and running in minutes – not days or weeks. Learn more at https://tines.com/cisoseries

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series.   This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), partner, YL Ventures. Joining us is Adam Holland, former CISO, the Wendy's Company, now CISO of Ascension Healthcare.   In this episode: The long road to influence The effort to build a bridge Living within limits Motivation for security awareness  Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Vanta! Say goodbye to spreadsheets and screenshots. Vanta automates evidence collection needed for audits with over  350 integrations—giving you continuous visibility into your compliance status. And with cross-mapped controls across over 35 frameworks, you'll streamline compliance— and never duplicate your efforts.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), partner, YL Ventures. Joining us is Shaun Marion, vp, CSO, Xcel Energy. In this episode: Setting policy The hard thing about soft skills Never let a good crisis go to waste Avoiding the tarpit  Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Noma Security! Secure your entire Data & AI Lifecycle—from development to production and classic data engineering to GenAI. Noma's full-lifecycle platform delivers seamless protection against risks like misconfigured data pipelines, malicious models, and adversarial AI attacks, empowering AppSec teams with complete visibility, security, and compliance—without disrupting data and AI teams' workflows.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), partner, YL Ventures. Joining us is our sponsored guest, Danny Jenkins, CEO, ThreatLocker. In this episode: A zero-day upgrade Don't let a pentest go bad Improving user training Cybersecurity is made for people Thanks to our podcast sponsor, ThreatLocker! ThreatLocker® is a global leader in Zero Trust endpoint security, offering cybersecurity controls to protect businesses from zero-day attacks and ransomware. ThreatLocker operates with a default deny approach to reduce the attack surface and mitigate potential cyber vulnerabilities. To learn more and start your free trial, visit ThreatLocker.com.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Steve Zalewski. Joining us is our sponsored guest, Matt Muller, field CISO, Tines. In this episode: Seeking the early AI adopters Taking the SOC back to basics Changing our automation expectations Communicate risk Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Tines! Build, run, and monitor your most important workflows with Tines. Tines' smart, secure workflow platform empowers your whole team regardless of their coding abilities, environment complexities, or tech stack. From low code, no code to natural language, anyone can get up and running in minutes – not days or weeks. Learn more at Tines.com.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), partner, YL Ventures. Joining us is Deneen DeFiore, Vice President & Chief Information Security Officer, United Airlines. In this episode: Minding the gap Copilot overreliance Opening up the field Navigating the SMB cyber insurance conundrum Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Vanta! Say goodbye to spreadsheets and screenshots  Vanta automates evidence collection needed for audits with over  350 integrations—giving you continuous visibility into your compliance status. And with cross-mapped controls across over 35 frameworks, you'll streamline compliance— and never duplicate your efforts.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Rinki Sethi, vp and CISO, BILL. Joining us is our sponsored guest, Lamont Orange, CISO, Cyera. This episode was recorded in front of a live audience at Cyera's first DataSec conference (November 2024) in Dallas. Thanks to Adam Holland, CISO, Wendy's, Farray Rahman of Vibrant Emotional Health and 988 Lifeline, and Biji John of USAA for our questions in the episode. In this episode: Shifting from traditional recovery Do you know where your data is? The science of tradeoffs How do you measure security culture? Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Cyera! Cyera's data security platform discovers your data attack surface, protects sensitive data, governs data access, monitors critical data events, and quickly responds to data risks. Cyera's agentless design allows us to deploy within minutes across any environment and provide a 95% precision rate through our AI-powered classification engine. Learn more at Cyera.io

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Mike Johnson, CISO, Rivian. Joining us is George Finney, CISO, The University of Texas System and author of Project Zero Trust. In this episode: Aligning on privacy Bringing Zero Trust to OT Restores and resilience Focus on what you can control Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Vanta! Say goodbye to spreadsheets and screenshots. Vanta automates evidence collection needed for audits with over  350 integrations—giving you continuous visibility into your compliance status. And with cross-mapped controls across over 35 frameworks, you'll streamline compliance— and never duplicate your efforts.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Steve Zalewski. Joining us is our guest, Brett Perry, CISO, Dot Foods. In this episode: A new MDR policy Staying on top of the technical debt cycle Beating retention struggles In the gully of SOAR Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Tines! Build, run, and monitor your most important workflows with Tines. Tines' smart, secure workflow platform empowers your whole team regardless of their coding abilities, environment complexities, or tech stack. From low code, no code to natural language, anyone can get up and running in minutes – not days or weeks. Learn more at Tines.com.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), partner, YL Ventures. Joining us is Yabing Wang, VP and CISO, Justworks. In this episode: Building a path to action Cracking the EOL conundrum The burning platform question Uncertainty is our only constant Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Entro! Reclaim control of your non-human identities with Entro Security! Our platform securely manages non-human identities and secrets throughout their lifecycle. Detect and prevent unusual activity before it becomes a threat. Trust Entro to safeguard your non-human identities in today's complex digital ecosystem.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Mike Johnson, CISO, Rivian. Joining us is our sponsored guest Daniel Daraban, senior director of product management, Bitdefender. In this episode: Practice makes perfect Shaming doesn't help anyone Cybersecurity is a flat circle Building the bridge Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Bitdefender! Enterprise-grade cybersecurity without complexity. Backed by extensive research from hundreds of experts in Bitdefender Labs and consistently top-rated in independent tests, Bitdefender GravityZone platform provides multi-layered prevention, protection, detection, and response capabilities, including managed security services. Learn more at Bitdefender.com.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Mike Johnson, CISO, Rivian. Joining us is our sponsored guest, Itzik Alvas, co-founder and CEO, Entro. In this episode: What to expect when you're offboarding The threats are coming from inside the organization The risk of stale identities Working backward to risk Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Entro! Reclaim control of your non-human identities with Entro Security! Our platform securely manages non-human identities and secrets throughout their lifecycle. Detect and prevent unusual activity before it becomes a threat. Trust Entro to safeguard your non-human identities in today's complex digital ecosystem.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Mike Johnson, CISO, Rivian. Joining us is our sponsored guest Jeremy Epling, chief product officer, Vanta. In this episode: What is the future of cybersecurity? Designing the outcomes we want The promise and peril of AI Is open-source open to more threats? Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Vanta! Say goodbye to spreadsheets and screenshots. Vanta automates evidence collection needed for audits with over  350 integrations—giving you continuous visibility into your compliance status. And with cross-mapped controls across 30 frameworks, you'll streamline compliance— and never duplicate your efforts. Learn more at Vanta.com.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Gary Hayslip, CISO, Softbank Investment Advisors. Joining us is Keith McCartney, VP, Security and IT, DNAnexus. In this episode: Closing the Credibility Gap Clarifying the Role of Security Engineering Building Resilience at Scale AI Frameworks and Cybersecurity  Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Entro! Reclaim control of your non-human identities with Entro Security! Our platform securely manages non-human identities and secrets throughout their lifecycle. Detect and prevent unusual activity before it becomes a threat. Trust Entro to safeguard your non-human identities in today's complex digital ecosystem.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), partner, YL Ventures. Joining us is Jimmy Benoit, vp, cybersecurity, PBS. In this episode: Starting early on security awareness The limits of gamification Technically qualified Understanding your risk tolerance Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Bitdefender! Enterprise-grade cybersecurity without complexity. Backed by extensive research from hundreds of experts in Bitdefender Labs and consistently top-rated in independent tests, Bitdefender GravityZone platform provides multi-layered prevention, protection, detection, and response capabilities, including managed security services.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Amy-Steagall-Hess, CISO, Stanford University. Joining us is Michael Tran Duff, CISO, data privacy officer, Harvard University. In this episode: Turning a mirror on zero trust Is AI coming for our jobs? Responding to skepticism about CISOs A CISO at the crossroads  Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Vorlon Security and Wiz! Vorlon helps organizations take back control of their data by providing continuous visibility of sensitive data shared via API across third-party applications. Know what data goes where, when, and how between third-party apps with external threat intelligence. Reduce the complexity of investigating and responding to third-party security incidents with Vorlon. Wiz transforms cloud security for customers – including 40% of the Fortune 100 – by enabling a new operating model. Wiz CNAPP empowers security and development teams to build fast and securely by providing visibility into their cloud environments. With Wiz, organizations can prioritize risk and stay agile.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), partner, YL Ventures. Joining us is our sponsored guest Jadee Hanson, CISO, Vanta. In this episode: Embracing BYOAI The changing government contractor landscape Creating better security outcomes Automating supply chain security Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Vanta! Say goodbye to spreadsheets and screenshots. Vanta automates evidence collection needed for audits with over  350 integrations—giving you continuous visibility into your compliance status. And with cross-mapped controls across 30 frameworks, you'll streamline compliance— and never duplicate your efforts.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), partner, YL Ventures. Joining us is Jason Shockey, CISO, Cenlar FSB. In this episode: Ground the SOC in communication Training and mentoring talent Nailing a first security hire A case for optimism Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Bitdefender! Enterprise-grade cybersecurity without complexity. Backed by extensive research from hundreds of experts in Bitdefender Labs and consistently top-rated in independent tests, Bitdefender GravityZone platform provides multi-layered prevention, protection, detection, and response capabilities, including managed security services.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Sasha Pereira, CISO, WASH. Joining us is Cyrus Tibbs, CISO, PennyMac. This episode was recorded live at ISSA-LA. In this episode: Building the foundation for data minimization No-code needs to be no problem Seeking alignment in a SOC career MFA is not a cybersecurity panacea  Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Nudge Security! Get a full inventory of all SaaS accounts ever created by anyone in your org, in minutes, along with automated workflows to scale SaaS security and governance. No agents, browser plug-ins or network changes required. Start today with a free 14-day trial.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Jerich Beason, CISO, WM. Joining us is Teresa Tonthat, vp, associate CIO, Texas Children's Hospital. This episode was recorded live at HOU.SEC.CON. In this episode: Connecting with the business   Keep the users in mind Ground security in reality Teach, don't shame Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Vorlon Security! Vorlon helps organizations take back control of their data by providing continuous visibility of sensitive data shared via API across third-party applications. Know what data goes where, when, and how between third-party apps with external threat intelligence. Reduce the complexity of investigating and responding to third-party security incidents with Vorlon.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Eduardo Ortiz, vp, global head of cybersecurity, Techtronic Industries. Joining us is Adam Fletcher, CSO, Blackstone. In this episode: Keeping our eyes on new risks The hiring disconnect Mental health in incident response Moving on from CrowdStrike Thanks to our podcast sponsors, Fortra, Quadrant Information Security, and Savvy Security! Fortra's Data Protection solutions protect sensitive data while keeping users productive. Our interlocking data loss prevention (DLP), data classification, and secure collaboration tools can be SaaS deployed or on-premises, and we offer managed services to extend your team and reduce risk. Visit www.fortra.com/solutions/data-security/data-protection for more information. Quadrant Security is bad news for bad dudes. Quadrant's XDR solution combines the best people, processes, and technology — managing your security so you can manage business operations. For a limited time, our analysts will provide your organization a free dark web report, detailing the data leaving you vulnerable. Learn more: quadrantsec.com/darkweb. Despite significant investments in SSO, MFA, IGA, and PAM, organizations still face significant challenges in securing identities, particularly with SaaS apps. Savvy Security augments these tools with full app and identity visibility to discover and remediate shadow and shared accounts, misconfigured authentication, and weak, reused, or compromised credentials. Visit savvy.security/ciso-series to learn more.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), partner, YL Ventures. Joining us is Steve Person, CISO, Cambia Health. In this episode: The changing CISO landscape Rethinking the cybersecurity talent shortage Sharpening your CISO skills Do CISOs need to go back to school? Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Vanta! Whether you're starting or scaling your security program, Vanta helps you automate compliance across SOC 2, ISO 27001, and more. Streamline security reviews by automating questionnaires and demonstrating your security posture with a customer-facing Trust Center. Over 7,000 global companies use Vanta to manage risk and prove security.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Mike Johnson, CISO, Rivian. Joining us is Stephen Harrison, CISO, MGM Resorts International. In this episode: Understanding the AI attack surface Low code, low security? Chief information storytelling officer Finding the right partners Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Vectra AI! Vectra AI is the only extended detection and response (XDR) with AI-driven Attack Signal Intelligence. Vectra AI's attack signal intelligence platform uses AI to find attacks on networks, identities, clouds and GenAI tools. Learn more at vectra.ai/showme.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode was recorded in front of a live audience in Seattle as part of the National Cybersecurity Alliance's event Convene. Recording is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Nicole Ford, SVP and CISO, Nordstrom. Joining us is guest, Varsha Agrawal, head of information security, Prosper Marketplace. In this episode: Who guards the AI guardrails? What should security awareness training look like? The authentication point of failure Uncommon sense Thanks to our podcast sponsors, KnowBe4, Proofpoint, and Vanta! KnowBe4's PhishER Plus is a lightweight SOAR platform that streamlines threat response for high-volume, potentially malicious emails reported by users. It automatically prioritizes messages, helping InfoSec and Security Operations teams quickly address the most critical threats, reducing inbox clutter and enhancing overall security efficiency. Proofpoint, Inc. is a leading cybersecurity and compliance company that protects organizations' greatest assets and biggest risks: their people. With an integrated suite of cloud-based solutions, Proofpoint helps companies around the world stop targeted threats, safeguard their data, and make their users more resilient against cyber-attacks. Whether you're starting or scaling your security program, Vanta helps you automate compliance across SOC 2, ISO 27001, and more. Streamline security reviews by automating questionnaires and demonstrating your security posture with a customer-facing Trust Center. Over 7,000 global companies use Vanta to manage risk and prove security.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), operating partner, YL Ventures. Joining us is Kush Sharma, Director Municipal Modernization & Partnerships, Municipal Information Systems Association, Ontario (MISA Ontario). In this episode: Your first security hire Moving beyond the basics with critical infrastructure Untangling the Gordian Knot of municipal cybersecurity Starting from square one Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Material Security! Material Security is a multi-layered email threat detection & response toolkit designed to stop attacks and reduce the threat surface across all of Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace. Learn more at material.security.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), operating partner, YL Ventures. Joining us is Bethany De Lude, CISO, the Carlyle Group. In this episode: CISOs as storytellers Grinding a CISO's gears An evolving role Earning trust with vendors Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Scrut Automation! Scrut Automation allows compliance and risk teams of any size to establish enterprise-grade security programs. Our best-in-class features like process automation, AI, and 75+ native integrations reverse compliance debt and help manage risk proactively as your business grows. Visit www.scrut.io to learn more or schedule a demo.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), operating partner, YL Ventures. Joining us is Ty Sbano, CISO, Vercel. In this episode: Perception is the reality for insider threats Coaching rather than shaming Working to make DevOps redundant Fixing a strained relationship Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Backslash! Backslash Security is your modern AppSec solution, focusing on what truly matters—real risks. Gain clear visibility into your applications and fix only the code and open-source software that's actually in use, making your AppSec smarter and more efficient. Learn more at https://www.backslash.security/.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), operating partner, YL Ventures. Joining us is Fredrick Lee (Flee), CISO, Reddit. In this episode: The case for the technical CISO Making Recall safe for business The aches and pains of cybersecurity hiring Leveling up municipal cybersecurity Thanks to our podcast sponsor, ThreatLocker! ThreatLocker® is a global leader in Zero Trust endpoint security offering cybersecurity controls to protect businesses from zero-day attacks and ransomware. ThreatLocker operates with a default deny approach to reduce the attack surface and mitigate potential cyber vulnerabilities. To learn more and start your free trial, visit ThreatLocker.com.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), operating partner, YL Ventures. Joining us is Justin Somaini, partner, YL Ventures. In this episode: The startup balancing act Giving back is its own reward When to pen test Getting ahead with generative AI policy Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Vanta! Whether you're starting or scaling your security program, Vanta helps you automate compliance across SOC 2, ISO 27001, and more. Streamline security reviews by automating questionnaires and demonstrating your security posture with a customer-facing Trust Center. Over 7,000 global companies use Vanta to manage risk and prove security.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), operating partner, YL Ventures. Joining us is Patti Titus, CISO, Booking Holdings. In this episode: Defense vs. Resilience Communication is on par with mitigation Preparing like its post-quantum The challenges and opportunities of diversity Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Cyera! Cyera's AI-powered data security platform gives companies visibility over their sensitive data, context over the risk it represents, and actionable, prioritized remediation guidance.
 As a cloud-native, agentless platform, Cyera provides holistic data security coverage across SaaS, PaaS, IaaS and on-premise environments. Visit www.cyera.io to learn more.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Steve Zalewski. Joining us is our sponsored guest, Amir Khayat, CEO and co-founder, Vorlon Security. In this episode: The evolving challenges of incident response Repetition isn't always the mother of automation Third-party APIs, first-party risk You know what they say when you assume something Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Vorlon Security! Vorlon helps organizations take back control of their data by providing continuous visibility of sensitive data shared via API across third-party applications. Know what data goes where, when, and how between third-party apps with external threat intelligence. Reduce the complexity of investigating and responding to third-party security incidents with Vorlon.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Mike Johnson, CISO, Rivian. Joining us is our sponsored guest, Danny Jenkins, CEO, ThreatLocker. In this episode: The limits of zero-trust Pentesting for SMBs An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of response The cream of the security crop Thanks to our podcast sponsor, ThreatLocker! ThreatLocker® is a global leader in Zero Trust endpoint security offering cybersecurity controls to protect businesses from zero-day attacks and ransomware. ThreatLocker operates with a default deny approach to reduce the attack surface and mitigate potential cyber vulnerabilities. To learn more and start your free trial, visit ThreatLocker.com.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), operating partner, YL Ventures. Joining us is our sponsored guest, Abhishek Agrawal, CEO and co-founder, Material Security. In this episode: What does defense in depth look like in the cloud? Collaborating on insider risk Email is a vector and a target Understand risk during an IPO Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Material Security! Material Security is a multi-layered email threat detection & response toolkit designed to stop attacks and reduce the threat surface across all of Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace. Learn more at material.security.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Mike Johnson, CISO, Rivian. Joining us is Jana Moore, CISO, Belron. In this episode: SEC disclosure rules require cyber readiness Breaking up the "boys club" Building a threat intelligence ecosystem Blending InfoSec communities and careers Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Vanta! Whether you're starting or scaling your security program, Vanta helps you automate compliance across SOC 2, ISO 27001, and more. Streamline security reviews by automating questionnaires and demonstrating your security posture with a customer-facing Trust Center. Over 7,000 global companies use Vanta to manage risk and prove security.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Mike Johnson, CISO, Rivian. Joining us is our sponsored guest, Jason Clark, chief strategy officer, Cyera. In this episode: Does AI require new security measures?  Meeting the new SEC requirements Empowerment through data security Upskilling with Gen AI? Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Cyera! Cyera's AI-powered data security platform gives companies visibility over their sensitive data, context over the risk it represents, and actionable, prioritized remediation guidance.
 As a cloud-native, agentless platform, Cyera provides holistic data security coverage across SaaS, PaaS, IaaS and On-premise environments. Visit www.cyera.io to learn more.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), operating partner, YL Ventures. Joining us is our guest and winner of Season 2 of Capture the CISO, Russell Spitler, CEO and co-founder, Nudge Security. In this episode: The Gordian knot of EDR Can we keep up with patching? Making AI practical Standardization or granularity? Thanks to our podcast sponsor, ThreatLocker! ThreatLocker® is a global leader in Zero Trust endpoint security offering cybersecurity controls to protect businesses from zero-day attacks and ransomware. ThreatLocker operates with a default deny approach to reduce the attack surface and mitigate potential cyber vulnerabilities. To learn more and start your free trial, visit ThreatLocker.com.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Mike Johnson, CISO, Rivian. Joining us is our sponsored guest, Allan Alford, CISO, Eclypsium. In this episode: Evolving public-private partnerships New technology, but not a new challenge Securing the hidden layers of the supply chain Balancing usability and control Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Eclypsium Eclypsium is helping enterprises and government agencies mitigate risks to their infrastructure from complex technology supply chains. Our cloud-based and on-premises platform provides digital supply chain security for software, firmware and hardware in enterprise infrastructure. Get started today at eclypsium.com/spark.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), operating partner, YL Ventures. Joining us is our guest, Ryan Bachman, evp and global CISO, GM Financial. In this episode: A changing of the executive guard? Playing nice with cyber insurance What does leadership want out of a CISO? Who does a CISO call first? Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Vanta Whether you're starting or scaling your security program, Vanta helps you automate compliance across SOC 2, ISO 27001, and more. Streamline security reviews by automating questionnaires and demonstrating your security posture with a customer-facing Trust Center. Over 7,000 global companies use Vanta to manage risk and prove security.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), operating partner, YL Ventures. Joining me is my guest, Aamir Niazi, executive director and CISO, SMBC Capital Markets. In this episode: Communicating security accomplishments Spotting red flags in an interview What does offensive security look like today? Where Gen AI is fitting into cybersecurity Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Cyera Cyera's AI-powered data security platform gives companies visibility over their sensitive data, context over the risk it represents, and actionable, prioritized remediation guidance.
 As a cloud-native, agentless platform, Cyera provides holistic data security coverage across SaaS, PaaS, IaaS and On-premise environments. Visit www.cyera.io to learn more.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Mike Johnson, CISO, Rivian. Joining us is Steve Zalewski, co-host, Defense in Depth. Recorded live at BSidesSF. In this episode: Are companies taking the air out of the open source balloon? What's broken about cybersecurity hiring? Do we need minimum requirements for cybersecurity knowledge in sales? Thanks to our podcast sponsors, Devo, Eclypsium & NetSPI Devo replaces traditional SIEMs with a real-time security data platform. Devo's integrated platform serves as the foundation of your security operations and includes data-powered SIEM, SOAR, and UEBA. AI and intelligent automation help your SOC work faster and smarter so you can make the right decisions in real-time. Eclypsium is helping enterprises and government agencies mitigate risks to their infrastructure from complex technology supply chains. Our cloud-based and on-premises platform provides digital supply chain security for software, firmware and hardware in enterprise infrastructure. Get started today at eclypsium.com/spark. NetSPI ASM continuously scans your external perimeter to identify, inventory, and reduce risk to both known and unknown assets. It blends scanning methodology with our consultants' human intelligence to identify previously undiscovered data sources and vulnerabilities so you can remediate what matters most.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), operating partner, YL Ventures. Joining us is our sponsored guest, Jeremiah Roe, advisory CISO, OffSec. In this episode: What happens as data minimization in the US changes from a potential policy goal to a regulatory imperative? How does this impact the rest of the industry? How do CISOs start getting ready for compliance? How to improve cybersecurity training and development? Thanks to our podcast sponsor, OffSec OffSec helps companies like Cisco, Google, and Salesforce upskill cybersecurity talent through comprehensive training and resources. With programs ranging from red team and blue team training and more, your team will be ready to face real-world threats. Request a free trial for your team to explore OffSec's learning library and cyber range.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), operating partner, YL Ventures. Joining us is our guest, Martin Mazor, vp and CISO, onsemi. In this episode: Has the shine worn off the cybersecurity promise of MFA? Why are threat actors increasingly finding ways to get around it? Given the high profile attacks we've seen getting around MFA, how much security stock should we put into it going forward? Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Material Security Material Security is a multi-layered email threat detection & response toolkit designed to stop attacks and reduce the threat surface across all of Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace. Learn more at material.security.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Mike Johnson, CISO, Rivian. Joining us is our guest, TC Niedzialkowski, CISO, Nextdoor. In this episode: Has the line between work and personal devices blurred? Why are we seeing signs that that line no longer exists for employees? What is the path of cybersecurity to keep company data secured when its continually commingling with personal devices? Thanks to our podcast sponsors, Eclypsium and Normalyze Eclypsium is helping enterprises and government agencies mitigate risks to their infrastructure from complex technology supply chains. Our cloud-based and on-premises platform provides digital supply chain security for software, firmware and hardware in enterprise infrastructure. Get started today at eclypsium.com/spark Where is my data? Is it sensitive? Who has access to the data? What are the risks? What is the cost of exposure? Am I compliant now? Enter Normalyze. Normalyze's agentless, machine-learning scanning platform continuously discovers sensitive data, resources, and access paths in all cloud environments. Learn more.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Mike Johnson, CISO, Rivian. Joining me is our sponsored guest, Aaron Shaha, CISO, CyberMaxx. In this episode: Is technical debt an inevitability in any organization? How do you go about "paying it down?" How do you decide when you need a systematic refresh and when can you kick the can down the road a little longer? Thanks to our podcast sponsor, CyberMaxx CyberMaxx offers MaxxMDR, our next-generation managed detection and response (MDR) solution that helps customers assess, monitor, and manage their cyber risks. MaxxMDR fuels defensive capabilities with insights from offensive security, DFIR, and threat hunting, on top of a technology-agnostic deployment model. We think like an adversary but defend like a guardian.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), operating partner, YL Ventures. Joining us is my guest, Thom Langford, CISO, Velonetic. In this episode: Why do lots of businesses pledge to never pay ransomware demands? And why do their priorities quickly change when they need to get the business back to normal after an attack occurs? What good is a pledge like that without the infrastructure and organizational commitment to make it possible? Thanks to our podcast sponsor, CyberMaxx CyberMaxx offers MaxxMDR, our next-generation managed detection and response (MDR) solution that helps customers assess, monitor, and manage their cyber risks. MaxxMDR fuels defensive capabilities with insights from offensive security, DFIR, and threat hunting, on top of a technology-agnostic deployment model. We think like an adversary but defend like a guardian.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Mike Johnson, CISO, Rivian. Joining me is our sponsored guest, Matt Radolec, vp, incident response and cloud operations, Varonis. In this episode: Why is retaining cyber talent so hard? How can organizations keep an employee from going elsewhere? Why do organizations often not prioritize the factors to keep key employees? Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Varonis Ready to reduce your risk without taking any? Try Varonis' free data risk assessment. It takes minutes to set up and in 24 hours you'll have a clear, risk-based view of the data that matters most and a clear path to automated remediation. Get started for free today.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), operating partner, YL Ventures. Joining us is our guest, Joshua Brown, vp and global CISO, H&R Block. In this episode: Why is retaining cyber talent so hard? How can organizations keep an employee from going elsewhere? Why do organizations often not prioritize the factors to keep key employees? Thanks to our podcast sponsor, CyberMaxx CyberMaxx offers MaxxMDR, our next-generation managed detection and response (MDR) solution that helps customers assess, monitor, and manage their cyber risks. MaxxMDR fuels defensive capabilities with insights from offensive security, DFIR, and threat hunting, on top of a technology-agnostic deployment model. We think like an adversary but defend like a guardian.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), operating partner, YL Ventures. Joining me is our guest, Alex Green, CISO, Delta Dental. In this episode: Is it true that employees cause as many significant cybersecurity incidents as outside threat actors? Does this come down to a lack of awareness or poorly designed security implementation? And what can we do to improve this situation? Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Silk Security Silk makes it easy for security teams to resolve more critical cyber risks in a fraction of the time. Instead of toiling over spreadsheets, and watching alert backlog graphs go up, Silk helps security teams contextualize, prioritize and collaborate with stakeholders in IT to regain control over their risk posture.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), operating partner, YL Ventures. Joining us is our guest, Shawn Bowen, svp and CISO, World Kinect Corporation. In this episode: Is it true that CISOs feel their jobs are harder than ever with higher levels of stress? Yet why does research also show that CISO job satisfaction increasing? How do we make sense of this contradiction? Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Silk Security Silk makes it easy for security teams to resolve more critical cyber risks in a fraction of the time. Instead of toiling over spreadsheets, and watching alert backlog graphs go up, Silk helps security teams contextualize, prioritize and collaborate with stakeholders in IT to regain control over their risk posture.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Mike Johnson, CISO, Rivian. Joining me is our sponsored guest, Nadav Lotan, product management team leader, Cisco. In this episode: How can security teams do their jobs without seeming like an impediment to developers? Why can this relationship seem oppositional? How can both sides work together to better secure software without seeming like a road block? Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Panoptica, Cisco's Cloud Application Security Platform Panoptica, Cisco's Cloud Application Security solution, provides end-to-end lifecycle protection for cloud native application environments. It empowers organizations to safeguard their APIs, serverless functions, containers, and Kubernetes environments. Panoptica ensures comprehensive cloud security, compliance, and monitoring at scale, offering deep visibility, contextual risk assessments, and actionable remediation insights for all your cloud assets.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Mike Johnson, CISO, Rivian. Joining me is our guest, Jamil Farshchi, evp and CISO, Equifax. In this episode: Data leaks are hard enough to deal with when caused by threat actors, but how bad is a self-inflicted data leak? Why do these types of incidents happen? How should an organization assess the risk it introduced? Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Varonis Ready to reduce your risk without taking any? Try Varonis' free data risk assessment. It takes minutes to set up and in 24 hours you'll have a clear, risk-based view of the data that matters most and a clear path to automated remediation. Get started for free today.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), operating partner, YL Ventures. Joining me is our sponsored guest, Yoav Nathaniel, co-founder and CEO, Silk Security. In this episode: Why does it seem like securing APIs is so hard? Is it just a matter of complexity?  Why does it seem like we can't go a week without hearing reports of a data leak caused by a failure in API security? Why do organizations struggle with API security? Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Silk Silk makes it easy for security teams to resolve more critical cyber risks in a fraction of the time. Instead of toiling over spreadsheets, and watching alert backlog graphs go up, Silk helps security teams contextualize, prioritize and collaborate with stakeholders in IT to regain control over their risk posture.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), operating partner, YL Ventures. Joining me is our sponsored guest, Jay Trinckes, director of compliance, Thoropass. In this episode: Why do credential stuffing attacks put organizations in such a tricky spot? Why is blaming the victim rarely the right move? What kind of reasonable expectations can companies have about how much users will do to protect themselves? Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Thoropass Still spending time collecting evidence and worrying about breaking free of an infinite audit loop? Relax! We fixed audits. Thoropass provides complete infosec compliance management, continuous monitoring, and security audits through AI-infused software and expert guidance – allowing you to do business with confidence. Learn more at www.thoropass.com.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Mike Johnson, CISO, Rivian. Joining me is our guest Kelly Haydu, vp, infosec, technology, and enterprise applications, CarGurus. In this episode: What other career fields are rife with talent that could successfully transition into our industry? What kind of framework do we need to surface a more diverse array of talent? Also, what happens when a vendor goes over your head to the CEO? Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Panoptica, Cisco's Cloud Application Security Platform Panoptica, Cisco's Cloud Application Security solution, provides end-to-end lifecycle protection for cloud native application environments. It empowers organizations to safeguard their APIs, serverless functions, containers, and Kubernetes environments. Panoptica ensures comprehensive cloud security, compliance, and monitoring at scale, offering deep visibility, contextual risk assessments, and actionable remediation insights for all your cloud assets.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), operating partner, YL Ventures. Joining me is our guest, Grant Anthony, CISO, Orion Health. In this episode: Why getting buy-in to your security awareness program is so critical? Why do so many organizations get it so wrong? What framework can we apply to actually build trust with security awareness? Thanks to our podcast sponsors, Varonis Ready to reduce your risk without taking any? Try Varonis' free data risk assessment. It takes minutes to set up and in 24 hours you'll have a clear, risk-based view of the data that matters most and a clear path to automated remediation. Get started for free today.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Brett Conlon, CISO, American Century Investments. Joining me is our guest, Mical Solomon, CISO, Port Authority of NY and NJ. In this episode: Does the hype around generative AI tools make it seem like these are a totally new technological challenge for cybersecurity? Are many of the challenges with securing them the same that we've seen from the rise of SaaS and proliferation of shadow IT? What lessons from that transition can we apply to AI? Thanks to our podcast sponsors, Living Security & KnowBe4 Living Security is the global leader in human risk management. Our HRM platform Unify transforms human risk into proactive defense by quantifying human risk and engaging the workforce with relevant training and communications proven to change human behavior. Living Security is trusted by security-minded organizations, including Mastercard, Verizon, Biogen, AmerisourceBergen, and Hewlett-Packard. Learn more at www.livingsecurity.com. KnowBe4's SecurityCoach enables real-time security coaching of your users in response to risky behavior. Based on the rules in your existing security software stack, you can configure your real-time coaching campaign to determine the frequency and type of SecurityTip that is sent to users at the moment risky behavior is detected.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Mike Johnson, CISO, Rivian. Joining me is our guest, Shyama Rose, CISO and head of IT, Affirm. In this episode: What is the impact of burnout to your security team directly? Does burnout directly play a role in how an organization can respond to security incidents.? All jobs involve dealing with stress, but what should we consider normal in cybersecurity? And when does that stress endanger your security mission? Thanks to our podcast sponsors, Panoptica, Cisco's Cloud Application Security Platform Panoptica, Cisco's Cloud Application Security solution, provides end-to-end lifecycle protection for cloud native application environments. It empowers organizations to safeguard their APIs, serverless functions, containers, and Kubernetes environments. Panoptica ensures comprehensive cloud security, compliance, and monitoring at scale, offering deep visibility, contextual risk assessments, and actionable remediation insights for all your cloud assets.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), operating partner, YL Ventures. Joining me is our guest, Trina Ford, CISO, iHeartMedia. In this episode: Why has the landscape for CISOs seemed particularly perilous in the past year? Does there  seem to be more responsibilities with very real legal consequences attached to the role? There is a lot of guidance out there for CISO candidates negotiating for a new position, but what can a current CISO do once they are already in the role? Thanks to our podcast sponsors, Thoropass Still spending time collecting evidence and worrying about breaking free of an infinite audit loop? Relax! We fixed audits. Thoropass provides complete infosec compliance management, continuous monitoring, and security audits through AI-infused software and expert guidance – allowing you to do business with confidence. Learn more at www.thoropass.com.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), operating partner, YL Ventures. Joining me is our guest, Bob Schuetter, CISO, Ashland. In this episode: What should a company do when their name is in the press, but they didn't actually suffer a security incident? How much difference is there in responding to a fake data breach versus a real one? How would you handle responding to a fake breach claim? Thanks to our podcast sponsors, Thoropass Still spending time collecting evidence and worrying about breaking free of an infinite audit loop? Relax! We fixed audits. Thoropass provides complete infosec compliance management, continuous monitoring, and security audits through AI-infused software and expert guidance – allowing you to do business with confidence. Learn more at www.thoropass.com.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Billy Norwood, CISO, FFF Enterprises. Joining us is our guest, Joshua Barons, head of information security at San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. In this episode: Wasn't single sign-on supposed to solve all of our security woes? So why are we still seeing everything from phishing to session hijacking with SSO? Is this just growing pains for SSO or does this hint at a persistent problem? Thanks to our podcast sponsors, Praetorian Praetorian helps companies adopt a prevention-first cybersecurity strategy by actively uncovering vulnerabilities and minimizing potential weaknesses before attackers can exploit them.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), operating partner, YL Ventures.  Joining me is our guest this week, Mike Kelley, CISO, EW Scrips. In this episode: Why do a lot of security professionals feel unheard? Does this frustration lead to some turning into scolds during a security incident, quick to say "I told you so"? How do you manage these security pros when they don't feel heard, both before and during a crisis? Thanks to our podcast sponsors, Praetorian Praetorian helps companies adopt a prevention-first cybersecurity strategy by actively uncovering vulnerabilities and minimizing potential weaknesses before attackers can exploit them.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), operating partner, YL Ventures. Joining me is our guest, Richard Ford, CTO, Praetorian. In this episode: Why do many CISOs think adopting new LLM-based tools will make breaches more likely? Why the rush to throw money at them? How do you go about building a security program that doesn't depend on individuals? Thanks to our podcast sponsors, Praetorian Praetorian helps companies adopt a prevention-first cybersecurity strategy by actively uncovering vulnerabilities and minimizing potential weaknesses before attackers can exploit them.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Mike Johnson, CISO, Rivian. Joining me is our guest, Suresh Vasudevan, CEO, Sysdig. In this episode: What will the employment landscape look like with Generative AI becoming the next big thing? Will we be hiring prompt engineers in a few years? Or will it become like putting "search engine proficiency" on your resume? Thanks to our podcast sponsors, Sysdig For businesses innovating in the cloud, every second counts. Sysdig strengthens cyber resilience by reducing the attack surface, detecting threats in real time, and accelerating incident response. Our platform correlates signals across cloud workloads, identities, and services to enable businesses to prioritize risks and act decisively. Sysdig. Secure every second.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and sponsored co-host Jason Sabin, CTO, DigiCert. Joining us is our guest, Alexandra Landegger, executive director of security, Collins Aerospace. In this episode: Are CISOs prepared for the legal surprises that can come in the aftermath of a cyberattack? What about the legal fallout that can occur afterward? How does a security team work with legal beforehand to address these issues when drawing up incident response? Thanks to our podcast sponsors, DigiCert DigiCert is a leading global provider of digital trust, the infrastructure that enables individuals and businesses to have confidence that their digital interactions are secure. DigiCert's award-winning solutions enable organizations to establish, manage, and extend public and private trust across their digital footprint, securing users, servers, devices, software and content.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Mike Johnson, CISO, Rivian. Joining me is our guest, Kurt Sauer, CISO, Docusign. We recorded in front of a live audience at Microsoft's offices in Mountain View, CA as part of the ISSA-Silicon Valley chapter meeting. Check out all the photos from the event. In this episode: Is a high profile cyberattack the best time for salespeople to come out of the woodwork asking if the affected CISO would like to see their product, which would have helped prevent the attack? Is there any way for a vendor to positively reach out to victims after a cyberattack? Also, what could be some effective ways to invest IP with generative AI to create value for the organization? Thanks to our podcast sponsors, Veza, Sysdig, and SlashNext 75% of breaches happen because of bad permissions. The problem is that you don't know exactly WHO has access to WHAT data in your environment. For example, roles labeled as "read-only" can often edit and delete sensitive data. Veza automatically finds and fixes every bad permission—in every app—across your environment. For businesses innovating in the cloud, every second counts. Sysdig strengthens cyber resilience by reducing the attack surface, detecting threats in real time, and accelerating incident response. Our platform correlates signals across cloud workloads, identities, and services to enable businesses to prioritize risks and act decisively. Sysdig. Secure every second. SlashNext Complete delivers zero-hour protection for how people work today across email, mobile, and browser apps.  With SlashNext's generative AI to defend against advanced business email compromise, smishing, spear phishing, executive impersonation, and financial fraud, your people are always protected anywhere they work.  Request a demo today.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), operating partner, YL Ventures. Joining me is our guest, Arvin Bansal, former CISO for Nissan Americas. In this episode: Why are so many companies unprepared for phone-based social engineering? Why do many orgs not give this attack surface the attention it deserves? Are we doing enough to support whistleblowers in cybersecurity? Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Palo Alto Networks As cloud attacks increase, how should AppSec respond? Hear from Daniel Krivelevich, CTO of AppSec at Palo Alto Networks, as he dives into modern application security strategies that can help teams defend their engineering ecosystems from modern attacks. Watch now to level up your AppSec program.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Adam Zoller, svp, CISO at Providence. Joining me is our guest Sam Jacques, vp of clinical engineering, McLaren Health Care. In this episode: When should cybersecurity be brought into the discussion when a merger is underway? Why is security always going to be an issue in a merger or acquisition? If we know it's so important, why does it always feel like we're reinventing the wheel each time? Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Claroty Claroty enables varied sectors to protect their cyber-physical systems, known as the Extended IoT. The platform integrates seamlessly, offering comprehensive controls for visibility, risk management, network protection, and more. Trusted by global leaders, Claroty operates in hundreds of organizations worldwide. Headquartered in NYC, it spans Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. In principle, we can generally all agree that security theater is a waste of time for security teams. But the reality is that these are things that look good, so it can be hard to justify to non-technical leadership why you're eliminating something they see as secure. So how can we positively identify actual security theater practices and how do we communicate that to the rest of the organization? This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), operating partner, YL Ventures. Joining me is our guest, Davi Ottenheimer, vp of trust and digital ethics, Inrupt. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Sysdig For businesses innovating in the cloud, every second counts. Sysdig strengthens cyber resilience by reducing the attack surface, detecting threats in real time, and accelerating incident response. Our platform correlates signals across cloud workloads, identities, and services to enable businesses to prioritize risks and act decisively. Sysdig. Secure every second. In this episode: Is security theater a waste of time for security teams? Why can it be hard to justify to non-technical leadership why you're eliminating something they see as secure? How can we positively identify actual security theater practices and how do we communicate that to the rest of the organization?

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. Usually the buck stops with the CEO. But for a CISO, what do you do when a CEO wants to exempt themselves from your security program? Whether it's granting privileged network access or just ignoring protocols, it can put a CISO in a tough spot. So how do you deal with a leader that thinks they're above the controls you have in place? Is it enough to document your disagreement or is there anything else you can do in that position?  This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and John C. Underwood, VP, information security, Big 5 Sporting Goods. Joining me is our guest, Joshua Scott, Head of Security and IT, Postman. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Veza 75% of breaches happen because of bad permissions. The problem is that you don't know exactly WHO has access to WHAT data in your environment. For example, roles labeled as "read-only" can often edit and delete sensitive data. Veza automatically finds and fixes every bad permission—in every app—across your environment. In this episode: For a CISO, what do you do when a CEO wants to exempt themselves from your security program? How do you deal with a leader that thinks they're above the controls you have in place? Is it enough to document your disagreement or is there anything else you can do in that position?

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. When it comes to security awareness, the advice generally doesn't change. There are a set of best practices that have proven to be effective. So we know what we want to tell people. Communicate it consistently. So how do we relay that information without sounding like a broken record? This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Steve Zalewski. Joining us is our sponsored guest, Daniel Krivelevich, CTO for Appsec, Palo Alto Networks. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Palo Alto Networks As cloud attacks increase, how should AppSec respond? Hear from Daniel Krivelevich, CTO of AppSec at Palo Alto Networks, as he dives into modern application security strategies that can help teams defend their engineering ecosystems from modern attacks. Watch now to level up your AppSec program. In this episode: What security measures have been the most successful in preventing cyberattacks? What do we need to better understand about misconfigurations to better secure the cloud? How do we relay this information without sounding like a broken record?

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. Organizations know that securing SaaS is vital. But polls consistently show they also know their current security isn't cutting it. With security teams acting more as SaaS supervisors than app owners, how can we reduce the glaring gaps in our SaaS defenses? This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), operating partner, YL Ventures. Joining us is our sponsored guest, Rohan Sathe, co-founder and CTO, Nightfall AI. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Nightfall Nightfall is the leader in cloud data leak prevention. Integrate in minutes with cloud apps such as Slack and Jira to instantly protect data (PII, PHI, Secrets and Keys, PCI) and prevent breaches. Stay compliant with frameworks such as ISO 27001 and more — all powered by Nightfall's industry-leading ML detection. In this episode: With security teams acting more as SaaS supervisors than app owners, how can we reduce the glaring gaps in our SaaS defenses? How can we secure new technology without creating new risks? If security no longer owns SaaS security, then how can they go about closing these gaps?

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. If you search online, you'll find no dearth of lists claiming to rank the top security leaders. The question is, how do these actually get created? Most of the time, these lists include CISOs from the biggest companies, or the ones with the best name recognition. But is that any kind of objective criteria? These lists generally serve the interest of boosting the credibility of the publisher, rather than being based on any kind of rigor. Is there any way to make these lists anything but fluff? This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), operating partner, YL Ventures. Joining us is our guest, Janet Heins, CISO, iHeartMedia. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, LimaCharlie Whether you're looking for endpoint security, an observability pipeline, detection and response rules, or other underlying security capabilities, LimaCharlie's SecOps Cloud Platform helps you build a flexible and scalable security program that can evolve as fast as threat actors. Move your SecOps into the modern era. Learn more at limacharlie.io. In this episode: If you search online, you'll find no dearth of lists claiming to rank the top security leaders. The question is, how do these actually get created? Is there any kind of objective criteria? Is there any way to make these lists anything but fluff?

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. CISOs are common among the Fortune 500. But it remains rare to see them listed in executive leadership. Given that every company says security is of prime importance, why aren't CISOs named within the top company echelons? This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series, and Allan Cockriel, CISO of Shell. Joining us is our special guest, Mary Rose Martinez, CISO, Marathon Petroleum. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Censys Censys is the leading Internet Intelligence Platform for Threat Hunting and Exposure Management. We provide the most comprehensive, accurate, and up-to-date map of the internet, which scans 45x more services than the nearest competitor across the world's largest certificate database (>10B). Learn more at www.censys.com.  In this episode: Given that every company says security is of prime importance, why aren't CISOs named within the top company echelons? Can you think of a security action that did work at one organization that simply wouldn't work in another because of the culture? When it comes to communicating bad news to the board and c-suite, what techniques have worked the best?

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. We've heard a lot of talk about the security risks with emerging AI technologies. A lot of these center around employees using large language models. But what about the potential benefits of this technology for cybersecurity? Could we eventually see a de facto AI CISO on the job? This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Rob Duhart, deputy CISO, Walmart. Joining us is our special guest, Aaron Hughes, CISO, Albertsons. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, KnowBe4 In this episode: What are the potential benefits of A.I. for cybersecurity? Could we eventually see a de facto AI CISO on the job? How does neurodiversity improve awareness in your security program? Where have you taken advantage of AI for your security program? And specifically so you can do your job better as a CISO, where does AI deliver opportunities?

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. In everyday life, it's often clear when to call in the authorities. Someone egging your house might not rise to the occasion, but a break-in gets a call to the cops. It's less clear when it comes to a cyberattack. What constitutes a significant attack and what are the regulatory requirements? Once you make the call, how do they help in your response? This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), operating partner, YL Ventures. Joining us is our special guest, David Ring, section chief at FBI, Cyber Division. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Hunters Hunters SOC Platform is a SIEM alternative, delivering data ingestion, built-in and always up-to-date threat detection, and automating correlation and investigation processes to reduce risk, complexity, and cost for security teams. Learn more at hunters.security. In this episode: What constitutes a significant attack and what are the regulatory requirements? Once you make the call, how do they help in your response? How do you approach "skills-and competency-based" hiring? And are there certain positions for which a 4-year degree is necessary?

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. Even before the pandemic, we've been increasingly living in online collaboration apps. So why are organizations still making basic security mistakes with them? Is this a case of shadow IT or do these apps present unique challenges? This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Mike Johnson, CISO, Rivian. Joining us is our sponsored guest, Rich Dandliker, chief strategist, Veza. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Veza 75% of breaches happen because of bad permissions. The problem is that you don't know exactly WHO has access to WHAT data in your environment. For example, roles labeled as "read-only" can often edit and delete sensitive data. Veza automatically finds and fixes every bad permission—in every app—across your environment. Learn more at Veza.com. In this episode: We've been increasingly living in online collaboration apps. So why are organizations still making basic security mistakes with them? Is this a case of shadow IT or do these apps present unique challenges? Startups are by nature a risky business, most fail. Why do they?

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. Every company deals with off-boarding employees. Yet it feels like many organizations make basic security mistakes in this process. Is it just a case of HR and IT being out of sync, or is this an inevitably leaky process? This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), operating partner, YL Ventures. Joining us is our special guest Lorna Koppel, CISO, Tufts University. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, LimaCharlie Whether you're looking for endpoint security, an observability pipeline, detection and response rules, or other underlying security capabilities, LimaCharlie's SecOps Cloud Platform helps you build a flexible and scalable security program that can evolve as fast as threat actors. Move your SecOps into the modern era. Learn more at limacharlie.io. In this episode: What can a vendor do that will actually make a CISO want to respond to a message? What are we doing right and wrong when it comes to hardening our environments? Do you think organizations are still struggling with hardening their environments and if so, why?

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. Security vendors want to engage with CISOs. Yet many choose tactics that seem blatantly insulting. It might seem obvious that asking a CISO if they care about security does nothing to ingratiate yourself, but we still have inboxes full of these types of messages. So what can a vendor do that will actually make a CISO want to respond to a message? This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), operating partner, YL Ventures. Joining us is our special guest, Jeff Hudesman, CISO, Pinwheel. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Balbix Balbix is a cyber risk quantification platform that discovers and manages all your cyber assets, identifies and prioritizes vulnerabilities, and delivers a monetary assessment of cyber risk. This enables CISOs to articulate the value of risk to the board and obtain support and budgets for security programs. In this episode: What can a vendor do that will actually make a CISO want to respond to a message? What are we doing right and wrong when it comes to hardening our environments? Do you think organizations are still struggling with hardening their environments and if so, why?

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. We're seeing increasing recognition that cybersecurity jobs should focus on competency rather than years of experience. But how do you create job posts to encourage that? And how do applicants even show that on a resume? This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Mike Johnson, CISO, Rivian. Joining us for the episode is our special guest TC Niedzialkowski‌, CISO, Nextdoor. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Reqfast Stop treating your various intelligence and security functions as if they are separate, unrelated activities and, instead, bring them together with Reqfast. Identify what's needed, identify areas for improvement, and make data-driven decisions with confidence. In this episode: Are we finally seeing increasing recognition that cybersecurity jobs should focus on competency rather than years of experience? How do you create job posts to encourage that? How do applicants even show that on a resume?

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. For some security problems, it can be tough to know when to try to fix the problem yourself or turn to a vendor. Deciding this shouldn't start with talking to someone that wants to sell you something. But how do you determine when it's time to call in a vendor? This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Mike Johnson, CISO, Rivian. Joining us for this episode is our special guest, Katie Ledoux, CISO, Attentive. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Palo Alto Networks As cloud attacks increase, how should AppSec respond? Hear from Daniel Krivelevich, CTO of AppSec at Palo Alto Networks, as he dives into modern application security strategies that can help teams defend their engineering ecosystems from modern attacks. Watch now to level up your AppSec program. In this episode: Why do many organizations have a problem relating quantification to something meaningful to the business? Is there a way to understand risks on a continuum that will make relating these to business a little more manageable? What are the questions security professionals should be asking themselves?

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. Shifting Left is so five years ago. Advice and best practices are great, but context is king. Is there a mixture of best practices AND doing what's right for your business that's actually practical? This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Steve Zalewski. Joining us for the episode is our sponsored guest Gaurav Banga, CEO, Balbix. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Balbix Balbix is a cyber risk quantification platform that discovers and manages all your cyber assets, identifies and prioritizes vulnerabilities, and delivers a monetary assessment of cyber risk. This enables CISOs to articulate the value of risk to the board and obtain support and budgets for security programs. In this episode: What are your most successful tactics when talking to the boardroom? Is there a mixture of best practices AND doing what's right for your business that's actually practical? What have you heard enough with automation and what would you like to hear a lot more?

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. There are so many third party vendors we want to work with, but uggh, their security and privacy is so troublesome. Is it only the security department's job to vet these partners or should everyone have a responsibility of keeping tabs on third party security? This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Mike Johnson, CISO, Rivian. Our guest is Phil Beyer, former head of security, Etsy. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Balbix Balbix is a cyber risk quantification platform that discovers and manages all your cyber assets, identifies and prioritizes vulnerabilities, and delivers a monetary assessment of cyber risk. This enables CISOs to articulate the value of risk to the board and obtain support and budgets for security programs. In this episode: There are many third party vendors that CISOs & practitioners want to work with, but why is their security and privacy so troublesome? Is it only the security department's job to vet these partners or should everyone have a responsibility of keeping tabs on third party security? What can frontline employees do to manage third-party risk?

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. Do you know what security categories were created this year? I have no idea. Do you know which ones were deleted? I don't think any. Is category growth designed to make more money for the industry? Does it help customers build a better security strategy? It seems like a necessary evil that just confuses customers. The number of categories never decreases or replaces old categories. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Mike Johnson, CISO, Rivian. Our sponsored guest is Maxime Lamothe-Brassard (@_maximelb), CEO and co-founder at LimaCharlie. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, LimaCharlie LimaCharlie is inviting you for the unveiling of the SecOps Cloud Platform during a two-hour LinkedIn Live event on Wednesday, July 19th, starting at 10:00am PST.  For every registrant, LimaCharlie will be donating $5 to the Internet Archive. Register for the event at limacharlie.io or on the LimaCharlie LinkedIn page. In this episode:  Do you know what security categories were created this year? Do you know which ones were deleted? Is category growth designed to make more money for the industry? Does it help customers build a better security strategy?

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and guest co-host Jesse Whaley, CISO, Amtrak. Our guest was Paul Branley, CISO, TSB Bank. We recorded this episode in front of a live audience in Tel Aviv as part of Team8's CISO Summit 2023. CISO Series is honored to have been invited to record our show at the event. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Team8 Team8 is a global venture group that builds and invests in early stage companies focused on digital transformation: cybersecurity, data, fintech and digital health. Its strong expertise in cyber is the backbone of Team8's CISO Village - a community of hundreds of CISOs who enjoy access to thought leadership, networking events, and partner with Team8 to support its company building process. In this episode: Why should you NEVER boast about how good your security is? When upskilling your staff, how do you identify the knowledge that must be learned? Who will learn it? Who will provide it? What does this do to your current security if people are spending time teaching and learning?

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. Troy Hunt's new site, "Dumb Password Rules," demonstrates yet another slice of security theater. Rules designed to make the creator believe they're making the business more secure, but appear to do nothing more than create unnecessary roadblocks and confusion. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Mike Johnson, CISO, Rivian. Our guest is Dave Hannigan (@davidhannigan), CISO, Nubank. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Reqfast Stop treating your various intelligence and security functions as if they are separate, unrelated activities and, instead, bring them together with Reqfast. Identify what's needed, identify areas for improvement, and make data-driven decisions with confidence. In this episode: Are dumb password rules the result of security theater or limitations of old technology? What really causes lack of sleep and burnout among IT and Security leaders? Why are we still struggling with cybersecurity hiring?

This week's episode was recorded in front of a live audience at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver as we kicked off the Rocky Mountain Information Security Conference (RMISC). See the blog post for this episode here. Joining me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series, on stage was my guest co-host, Jay Wilson, CISO for Insurity. Our guest is Michelle Wilson, CISO, Movement Mortgage. HUGE thanks to our sponsor, Trend Micro The stakes are high for cybersecurity decision makers as the threat landscape and attack surface continue to evolve. Explore Trend Micro's CISO Resource Center for research-driven strategic insights and best practices to help leaders better understand, communicate, and minimize cyber risk across the enterprise. Learn more.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. Why does it seem that the only time we hear about a company's concern about security and privacy is after they're compromised. It is only at that moment they feel compelled to let us know that they're taking this situation very seriously because as we've ll heard before "security and privacy are very important to us." This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), operating partner, YL Ventures. Our guest is Andrea Bergamini, CISO, Orbia. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Varonis Everyday, your employees share thousands of sensitive files with too many people, exposing data to the entire organization – or even the entire internet. Varonis monitors sharing link activity and intelligently eliminates links that aren't needed – reducing your risk on a continual basis. Discover more at www.varonis.com/cisoseries. In this episode:  Why does it seem that the only time we hear about a company's concern about security and privacy is after they're compromised? Is it only because at that moment they feel compelled to let us know that they're taking this situation very seriously? How do you get things going before you have a massive breach?

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. There is a long history of security professionals complaining about the insecurity of new technologies. When new technologies take off, they rarely have lots of great security built in. The populace never comes around and says, "Security is right. We should stop using this thing we love." The popular technology ALWAYS wins. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), operating partner, YL Ventures. Our guest is Rinki Sethi (@rinkisethi), vp and CISO, BILL. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, OffSec With a Learn Enterprise plan, your employees get unlimited access to over 1,500 videos, 2,000 practical exercises, and more than 800 hands-on labs. The library is updated regularly with training content and modules defensive and offensive job role-specific content, from foundational to advanced. Google, Vmware, Microsoft all trust OffSec. In this episode: Is it a coincidence that there is a long history of security professionals complaining about the insecurity of new technologies? When new technologies take off, why do they rarely have lots of great security built in? How does a cyber aware c-suite/board make better decisions that help a CISO and the business?

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. When cybersecurity needs to cut budget, first move is to look where you have redundancy. That way you're not actually reducing the security effort. But after that, the CFO needs to know what are the most important areas of the business to protect. Where will they be willing to take on more risk? Because, with less security, the chances of failure increase. This show was recorded in front of a live audience in New Orleans as part of the BSidesNOLA 2023 reboot conference. The episode features me, David Spark (@dspark), host and producer of CISO Series. My guest co-host is my former co-host, Allan Alford (@allanalfordintx), CISO for Precedent and host of The Cyber Ranch Podcast. Our guest is Mike Woods, corporate CISO for GE. Thanks to our podcast sponsors: Conveyor, Nightfall AI, Rapid7 Love security questionnaires? Then you're going to hate Conveyor: the end-to-end trust platform built to eliminate questionnaires. Infosec teams reduce the volume of questionnaires with a customer-facing trust portal and for any remaining questionnaires, our GPT-Questionnaire Eliminator response tool or white-glove questionnaire completion service will knock them off your to-do list. www.conveyor.com Nightfall is the leader in cloud data leak prevention. Integrate in minutes with cloud apps such as Slack and Jira to instantly protect data (PII, PHI, Secrets and Keys, PCI) and prevent breaches. Stay compliant with frameworks such as ISO 27001 and more — all powered by Nightfall's industry-leading ML detection. Rapid7 is the only connected, cloud to on-prem cybersecurity partner with unlimited incident response, unlimited automated workflows, unlimited vulnerability management, unlimited app security, you get the idea. Add it up – with Rapid7's decades of practitioner-first problem solving – and there's unlimited opportunity for you. See for yourself at Rapid7.com/ciso-series. In this episode:  We always say, "trust but verify," but how do you actually verify? When it comes to cut budget, make sure you're already in the mind of the CFO. What's the difference between a good cybersecurity professional and a great one?

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. As children, we don't dream of becoming a CISO, but yet we still have them. What is it a security professional can learn or even show, to demonstrate that they're getting ready for the position of a CISO? This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark, producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis, operating partner, YL Ventures. Our guest is Paul Connelly, former CISO, HCA Healthcare. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Nightfall Nightfall is the leader in cloud data leak prevention. Integrate in minutes with cloud apps such as Slack and Jira to instantly protect data (PII, PHI, Secrets and Keys, PCI) and prevent breaches. Stay compliant with frameworks such as ISO 27001 and more — all powered by Nightfall's industry-leading ML detection. In this episode: What is it a security professional can learn or even show, to demonstrate that they're getting ready for the position of a CISO? How to tell that you are NOT CISO material? What don't CISOs know about physical security that they should know before they get into big trouble?

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. It seems anything that's added to a business, like a new app or a third party vendor, just adds more risk. Risk definitely piles up faster than CISOs can reduce it. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Mike Johnson. Our guest is Kurt Sauer (@kurtsauer), CISO, DocuSign (when we recorded the show, Kurt was the vp of security for Workday). Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Stairwell The standard cybersecurity blueprint is a roadmap for attackers to test and engineer attacks. With Inception, organizations can operate out of sight, out of band, and out of time. Collect, search, and analyze every file in your environment – from malware and supply chain vulnerabilities to unique, low-prevalence files and beyond. Learn about Inception. In this episode:  Does it seem like anything that's added to a business, like a new app or a third party vendor, just adds more risk? Does risk pile up faster than CISOs can reduce it? How do you avoid creating new risks when you add new applications, or even just update applications?

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This show was recorded in front of a live audience in New York City! This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series, and a special guest host, Aaron Zollman, CISO & vp, platform engineering, Cedar. Our guest is Colin Ahern, chief cyber officer for the State of New York. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, OpenVPN, SlashNext & Votiro Take the cost and complexity out of secure networking with OpenVPN. Whether you choose our cloud-delivered or self-hosted solution, subscriptions are based on concurrent connections, so you pay for what you actually use. Start today with free connections, no credit card required, and scale to paid when you're ready. SlashNext, a leader in SaaS-based Integrated Cloud Messaging Security across email, web, and mobile has the industry's first artificial intelligence solution, HumanAI, that uses generative AI to defend against advanced business email compromise (BEC), supply chain attacks, executive impersonation, and financial fraud. Request a demo today. No matter what technology or training you provide, humans are still the greatest risk to your security. Votiro's API-centric product sanitizes every file before it hits the endpoint, so the files that your employees open are safe. This happens in milliseconds, so the business stays safe and never slows down. In this episode: If you hired someone today, how would you know in 3 months time that they were the right fit? Do you have any other questions you've heard from candidates that you think are better? What doesn't the government currently know about cloud providers that they should know?

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. Turns out cybersecurity professionals lie on their resumes. They add degrees and certifications they don't have. They omit degrees for fear of looking overqualified. And sometimes, they flat out invent jobs. But given the responses as to why people do it, it's because they're trying to get by the unnecessary barriers of cybersecurity hiring. Does that make the lying justified? This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Mike Johnson. Our sponsored guest is David Nolan, vp, enterprise risk & CISO, Aaron's. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Varonis Everyday, your employees share thousands of sensitive files with too many people, exposing data to the entire organization – or even the entire internet. Varonis monitors sharing link activity and intelligently eliminates links that aren't needed – reducing your risk on a continual basis. Discover more at www.varonis.com/cisoseries. In this episode:  Do some cybersecurity professionals really lie on their resumes? Is this because they're trying to get by the unnecessary barriers of cybersecurity hiring? Does that make the lying justified?

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. Companies want to hire security professionals who know everything. Eager professionals who want all those skills are screaming please hire me and train me. But unlike the military which can turn a teenager into a soldier in 16 weeks, corporations in dire of cybersecurity help have little to no means to train. They're just hoping they'll show up perfect and ready to fight in a digital war. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), operating partner, YL Ventures. Our guest is Joe Lowis, CISO, CDC. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Cyolo Too many critical assets and systems remain exposed because traditional secure access solutions are not able to protect the high-risk access scenarios and legacy applications that keep business operations running. With its trustless zero-trust access solution, Cyolo gives organizations the visibility and access control they need to secure every connection. In this episode: Is it realistic for companies to hire security professionals who know everything? Do companies realize that there are professionals who want all those skills and are eager to learn? Why isn't there more emphasis on providing training like how the military trains all new recruits?

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. Given the ease of sharing data, our sensitive information is going more places that we want it. We have means to secure data, but you really can't do that if you don't know where your data actually is. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), operating partner, YL Ventures. Our sponsored guest is Brian Vecci (@BrianTheVecci), field CTO, Varonis. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Varonis Everyday, your employees share thousands of sensitive files with too many people, exposing data to the entire organization – or even the entire internet. Varonis monitors sharing link activity and intelligently eliminates links that aren't needed – reducing your risk on a continual basis.  Discover more at www.varonis.com/cisoseries. In this episode: What exactly is "dark data"? Are we creating more problems for ourselves by holding onto dark data? What is this generated yet unused data? Is this the same as ROT data or redundant, obsolete, trivial data? How can it be discovered and classified?

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. No department is immune to budget cuts. When the budget cuts come in, where can security look first to save money? Mike Johnson said, "An expensive tool that doesn't mitigate risk should be at the top of the chopping block." This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Mike Johnson. Our sponsored guest is Almog Apirion (@almogap), CEO and cofounder, Cyolo. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Cyolo Too many critical assets and systems remain exposed because traditional secure access solutions are not able to protect the high-risk access scenarios and legacy applications that keep business operations running. With its trustless zero-trust access solution, Cyolo gives organizations the visibility and access control they need to secure every connection. In this episode: When the budget cuts come in, where can security look first to save money?  Where has change management gotten easier and more difficult for you over the years? And how do you engage with your team and affected users about making a change that works best for the business?

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. Is chaos engineering the secret sauce to creating a resilient organization? Purposefully disrupt your architecture to allow for early discovery of weak points. Can we take it even further to company environment, beyond even a tabletop exercise? How far can we test our limits while still allowing the business to operate? This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), operating partner, YL Ventures. Our sponsored guest is Mike Wiacek, CEO, Stairwell. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Stairwell The standard cybersecurity blueprint is a roadmap for attackers to test and engineer attacks. With Inception, organizations can operate out of sight, out of band, and out of time. Collect, search, and analyze every file in your environment – from malware and supply chain vulnerabilities to unique, low-prevalence files and beyond. Learn about Inception. In this episode: Is chaos engineering the secret sauce to creating a resilient organization?  Purposefully disrupt your architecture to allow for early discovery of weak points. Can we take it even further to company environment, beyond even a tabletop exercise? How far can we test our limits while still allowing the business to operate?

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. In order to get any work done we try to shut out all possible distractions. That includes messaging apps. But those people who want to connect become annoyed that they can't reach you. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), operating partner, YL Ventures. Our guest is Howard Holton, CTO, GigaOm. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Cyolo Too many critical assets and systems remain exposed because traditional secure access solutions are not able to protect the high-risk access scenarios and legacy applications that keep business operations running. With its trustless zero-trust access solution, Cyolo gives organizations the visibility and access control they need to secure every connection. In this episode: In order to get any work done, why do we try to shut out all possible distractions, including messaging apps?  What happens when those people who want to connect become annoyed that they can't reach you? Who are the true innovators in cybersecurity? Is it the attackers or the defenders?

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. What happens to your team after the layoffs? Your overextended team now realizes they're going to have to pick up the slack for those who left. How do you shift responsibilities in such a situation? Does anything fall away? Because you can't still operate at the same level. How do you adjust while maintaining morale and not burning out those who are there? This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Dan Walsh, CISO, VillageMD. Our guest is Nick Vigier, CISO, Talend. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Sentra Sentra's Data Security Posture Management Solution not only discovers and classifies cloud data, but ensures it always has the proper security posture. No matter where the data is moved or copied, Sentra can identify the type of data, who has access to it, and how it's meant to be secured. In this episode:  What happens to your team after the layoffs? Your overextended team now realizes they're going to have to pick up the slack for those who left. How do you shift responsibilities in such a situation? How do you adjust while maintaining morale and not burning out those who are there?

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. Future cybersecurity talent is frustrated. The industry demand for cybersecurity professionals is huge, but the openings for green cyber people eager to get into the field are few. They want professional training, and they want the hiring companies to provide the training. Problem is not enough companies have training programs in place and as a result they can only hire experienced cyber talent, shutting out those who want to get in. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Mike Johnson. Our sponsored guest is Matt Radolec, sr. director incident response and cloud operations, Varonis. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Varonis Everyday, your employees share thousands of sensitive files with too many people, exposing data to the entire organization – or even the entire internet. Varonis monitors sharing link activity and intelligently eliminates links that aren't needed – reducing your risk on a continual basis. Discover more at www.varonis.com/cisoseries. In this episode:  The industry demand for cybersecurity professionals is huge, so why are the openings for green cyber people eager to get into the field so few? Should more hiring companies provide the training? Is the problem that not enough companies have training programs in place?

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. I don't need another vendor to find my problems. Finding my problems has not been the issue. That's the easy part. Fixing them with the staff I have is definitely "the problem." Vulnerability management must include ways to remediate, quickly. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Mike Johnson. Our guest is John C. Underwood, vp, information security, Big 5 Sporting Goods. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Pentera Pentera is the category leader for Automated Security Validation, allowing every organization to test with ease the integrity of all cybersecurity layers including their ransomware readiness, unfolding true, current security exposures at any moment, at any scale. In this episode:  Do you need another vendor to find your problems when finding your problems has not been the issue? Or is actually fixing them with your staff "the problem"? Do you think vendors are finally moving away from offering "just" visibility and giving proactive advice and some cases automation to fix it?

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. It's pretty darn easy to just utter the words "we're 100% secure." Pulling that off seems universally impossible, but some organizations are adamant about certain types of safety so they aim for 100%. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Mike Johnson. Our sponsored guest is Yoav Regev (@yoav_regev), CEO, Sentra. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Sentra Sentra's Data Security Posture Management Solution not only discovers and classifies cloud data, but ensures it always has the proper security posture. No matter where the data is moved or copied, Sentra can identify the type of data, who has access to it, and how it's meant to be secured. In this episode:  What does it take to have a successful security program? What are the things to focus on when speaking with executives? How do you stay innovative as a security professional and have new fresh perspectives?

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. A CISO calls on security vendors to stop the spamming and cold calling. Are these annoyances the direct result the way salespeople are measured? Is that what drives the desperation and bad behavior? This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), operating partner, YL Ventures. Our guest is Dmitriy Sokolovskiy, CISO, Avid. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Varonis Everyday, your employees share thousands of sensitive files with too many people, exposing data to the entire organization – or even the entire internet. Varonis monitors sharing link activity and intelligently eliminates links that aren't needed – reducing your risk on a continual basis. Discover more at www.varonis.com/cisoseries. In this episode: What NEW ways could salespeople be measured that would encourage good behavior with CISOs? There's still this desire to draw a linear path to sales, but how often does it cleanly play out that way? Are integrators, MSSPs, and resellers leveling the playing field for cybersecurity vendors?

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. We are all very easily distracted, and adversaries know that. So they'll try any little trick to make us not pay attention, look away, or do what we're not supposed to do all in an effort to break our human defenses. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), operating partner, YL Ventures. Our guest is Shaun Marion, CISO, McDonald's. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Sentra Sentra's Data Security Posture Management Solution not only discovers and classifies cloud data, but ensures it always has the proper security posture. No matter where the data is moved or copied, Sentra can identify the type of data, who has access to it, and how it's meant to be secured. In this episode: Do you have a "security hive" and what does it do for you? What are the active behaviors you're deploying to reduce the stress in your life as a CISO and how are you doing it for your team, and all staff as well? ? Could volunteering help with burnout and recruitment?

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. For those security practitioners who leave a job to go work for a security vendor, please stop calling it "going to the dark side." This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Mike Johnson. Our sponsored guest is Jason Mar-Tang, director of sales engineering, Pentera. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Pentera Pentera is the category leader for Automated Security Validation, allowing every organization to test with ease the integrity of all cybersecurity layers including their ransomware readiness, unfolding true, current security exposures at any moment, at any scale. In this episode: Why do we call security practitioners who leave a job to go work for a security vendor, "going to the dark side?" Do security professionals say this because once they go work for a vendor their motivation shifts from protecting to sales? Over the years what other small steps have we seen that have made improvements in the vendor/practitioner divide?

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. Tabletop exercises are critical procedures to learn how everyone will react during an actual attack. Panic is usually the first response, so why don't we do that when we're playing our pretend game of getting our business compromised by a nefarious hacker? This week's episode of CISO Series Podcast was recorded in front of a live audience in Clearwater, Florida for the Convene conference produced by the National Cybersecurity Alliance (AKA StaySafeOnline.org). Joining me on stage for the recording was my guest co-host, Hadas Cassorla, CISO, M1 and our guest, Kathleen Mullin (@kate944032), CISO, Cancer Treatment Centers of America. Thanks to our podcast sponsors, Cofense, KnowBe4 & Terranova Cofense is the only company to combine a global network of 32 million people reporting phish with advanced AI-based automation to stop phishing attacks. Our global phishing defense centers work 24/7 to support more than 2,000 enterprise customers, providing the technology and insights needed to identify & block threats. KnowBe4 is the world's largest integrated Security Awareness Training and Simulated Phishing platform. KnowBe4 helps organizations manage the ongoing problem of social engineering through a comprehensive new-school awareness training approach. Tens of thousands of organizations worldwide use KnowBe4's platform to mobilize their end users as a last line of defense. Get free phishing benchmarking data to drive effective behavior change and grow your organization's security-aware culture with the latest edition of the Phishing Benchmark Global Report! Taken from this year's Gone Phishing Tournament, this report gives security and risk management leaders the insight they need to strengthen data protection. More at terranovasecurity.com. In this episode: Where do you see tabletops coming apart and being ineffective and what are the core elements that truly make them succeed? Have you ever seen a real incident play out where you can point to the tabletop as the reason you were able to handle the incident? Are people the safety net for your security controls OR should security controls the safety net for your people?

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. Everyone's favorite meeting is a short meeting. But does anyone want a fun or entertaining meeting? Or is that a bad idea? This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Mike Johnson. Our guest is Jeremy Embalabala, CISO, HUB International. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, SlashNext With today's transition to hybrid working, phishing attacks are becoming more prevalent than ever. Mobile phishing and credential harvesting are exploding and affecting business reputations, finances and most importantly, data loss. With new methods of phishing attacks appearing year over year, enterprises need more robust phishing protection to better protect this expanding attack surface and companies' most valuable assets. Check out the report. In this episode: Everyone's favorite meeting is a short meeting. But does anyone want a fun or entertaining meeting? Or is that a bad idea? How do we make our security teams more productive? The cost of getting and paying for cybersecurity insurance is so darn high. Would it be worth it to just self-insure?

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. What happens when you want to adhere to more secure behavior, but the tool you're using forces you to be less secure, solely because they didn't architect in more stringent security when they created the program. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Mike Johnson. Our guest is Terrance Cooley, CISO, Air Force JADC2 R&D Center. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Varonis Everyday, your employees share thousands of sensitive files with too many people, exposing data to the entire organization – or even the entire internet. Varonis monitors sharing link activity and intelligently eliminates links that aren't needed – reducing your risk on a continual basis. Discover more at www.varonis.com/cisoseries. In this episode: What is the worst security behavior you've seen from an IT vendor? Are you applying talent-to-value recruiting techniques to reduce corporate risk? What are your predictions for the evolution of cyber threats?

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. There is a lot unknown before, during, and after a merger and that can make employees very susceptible to phishing attacks. But, at the same time, the due diligence that goes into an M&A can often open up signs of previous or active compromise, noted Rich Mason of Critical Infrastructure. What does a proposed merger do to a security program?" This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), operating partner, YL Ventures. Our guest is Nicole Ford (@nicoledgray), global vp and CISO, Rockwell Automation. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Pentera Pentera is the category leader for Automated Security Validation, allowing every organization to test with ease the integrity of all cybersecurity layers including their ransomware readiness, unfolding true, current security exposures at any moment, at any scale. In this episode: As a security leader, how does your security posture change when you know given your assets you are a specific target vs. just an opportunity? Could similar critical infrastructure agencies be grouped together and therefore share cybersecurity resources? What does a proposed merger do to a security program?

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. "Does anyone else feel like the security field is attracting a lot of low-quality people and hurting our reputation," asked a redditor on the cybersecurity subreddit who remembers a time when security personnel were seen as highly experienced technologists. But now they believe people view cybersecurity as an easy tech job to break into for easy money. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), operating partner, YL Ventures. Our guest is Stephen Cicirelli, CISO, American Bureau of Shipping. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Stairwell The standard cybersecurity blueprint is a roadmap for attackers to test and engineer attacks. With Inception, organizations can operate out of sight, out of band, and out of time. Collect, search, and analyze every file in your environment – from malware and supply chain vulnerabilities to unique, low-prevalence files and beyond. Learn about Inception. In this episode: Does anyone else feel like the security field is attracting a lot of low-quality people and hurting our reputation? Do people view cybersecurity as an easy tech job to break into for easy money? With all this talk of needing more cyber talent, are we attracting quality or just quantity?

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. It appears our security awareness training is working, up to a point. Most people are well aware of the need for secure passwords, but they don't actually create secure passwords. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), operating partner, YL Ventures. Our sponsored guest is Patrick Harr, CEO, SlashNext. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, SlashNext With today's transition to hybrid working, phishing attacks are becoming more prevalent than ever. Mobile phishing and credential harvesting are exploding and affecting business reputations, finances and most importantly, data loss. With new methods of phishing attacks appearing year over year, enterprises need more robust phishing protection to better protect this expanding attack surface and companies' most valuable assets. Check out the report. In this episode: Why does it seem like our security awareness training is only working up to a certain point? Most people are well aware of the need for secure passwords, but why don't they actually create secure passwords? Is it true that, "people are not the weakest link, they're just the top attack vector?"

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. It appears we're not providing security awareness training fast enough. That's because hackers are specifically targeting brand new employees who don't yet know the company's procedures. Illicit hackers are discovering they're far easier to phish. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Mike Johnson. Our guest is Gene Spafford (@therealspaf), Professor, Purdue University. Gene's book available for pre-order Cybersecurity Myths and Misconceptions: Avoiding the Hazards and Pitfalls that Derail Us. 25th anniversary of CERIAS Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Lacework Lacework offers the data-driven security platform for the cloud and is the leading cloud-native application protection platform (CNAPP) solution. Only Lacework can collect, analyze, and accurately correlate data — without requiring manually written rules — across an organization's AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, and Kubernetes environments, and narrow it down to the handful of security events that matter. Security and DevOps teams around the world trust Lacework to secure cloud-native applications across the full lifecycle from code to cloud. Get started at lacework.com/cisoseries. In this episode: Is cybersecurity awareness a long term marketing effort? Where are we making progress with the general populous when it comes to improving the human aspect of cybersecurity? How difficult and how long can it take to discover what a company's crown jewels are, and what needs to be done?

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. That headline is not a joke. An actual job listing on LinkedIn requested just that. We're all hoping this was an error. Regardless, the community response to it was truly overwhelming, speaking much to the frustration of green and junior cybersecurity job seekers who are truly looking for entry level jobs.  This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), operating partner, YL Ventures. Our guest is Bryan Willett, CISO, Lexmark. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, AuditBoard CrossComply is AuditBoard's award-winning security compliance solution that allows organizations to build trust and scale their security compliance program with a connected risk platform that unifies SOC 2, ISO 2700x, NIST, CMMC, PCI DSS, and more across your organization. In this episode: Why do some job listing seem to have unrealistic requirements for entry level job-seekers? Who needs 15+ years experience in practically anything? What is the value of security operations if you're not detecting and dealing with incidents? What do you think cybersecurity awareness month should accomplish?

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. CISOs and other security leaders have a lot of stress. But so do other C-level employees. Why does a CISO's stress seem that much more powerful? Is it that their job is still in constant development, or is the "C" in their name just in title, but not authority? This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), operating partner, YL Ventures. Our guest is Aman Sirohi (@amangolf), CISO, People.ai. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, AuditBoard CrossComply is AuditBoard's award-winning security compliance solution that allows organizations to build trust and scale their security compliance program with a connected risk platform that unifies SOC 2, ISO 2700x, NIST, CMMC, PCI DSS, and more across your organization. In this episode: Why does a CISO's stress seem that much more powerful? Is it that their job is still in constant development, or is the "C" in their name just in title, but not authority? What part of the supply chain security effort is truly building trust in your supplier and having ongoing reassurances that that trust is being maintained?

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. "The biggest threat to national security is that many of the most vital systems on the planet CURRENTLY run on outdated and insecure software," said Robert Slaughter of Defense Unicorns on LinkedIn. That's at the core of the third-party security issue. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), operating partner, YL Ventures. Our sponsored guest is Richard Marcus, vp, InfoSec, AuditBoard. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, AuditBoard CrossComply is AuditBoard's award-winning security compliance solution that allows organizations to build trust and scale their security compliance program with a connected risk platform that unifies SOC 2, ISO 2700x, NIST, CMMC, PCI DSS, and more across your organization. In this episode: How big of a problem is outdated software in our industry? Is insecurity just the result of a lack of efficient process? How much does a company's transparency before, during, and after a breach tell us about their corporate character? What's the behavior after a breach you want to see that reaffirms your commitment to doing business with a vendor?

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series Security leaders will often ask challenging or potentially gotcha questions as barometers to see if you can handle a specific job. They're looking not necessarily for a specific answer, but rather a kind of answer and they're also looking to make sure you don't answer the question a specific way. Don't get caught in the trap. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), operating partner, YL Ventures. Our guest is Quincy Castro, CISO, Redis. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Okta Auth0 is the leading provider of customer identity solutions. Watch Jameeka Aaaron, CISO for Auth0, explain how to balance security with friction to create a safe authentication experience without compromising on privacy. In this episode: What parts of cybersecurity can you comfortably outsource? What parts of cybersecurity do you want to outsource, but can't? One of the major arguments for outsourcing is "Finding cyber talent is really tough." Do you agree with that rationale to outsource? When building a security program for a startup, how do you establish scope and requirements?

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series If you know a difficult concept very well and you're incapable of explaining it simply to others who don't understand it, it's known as the "curse of knowledge." It is for this reason far too many talented cybersecurity professionals struggle to educate others. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Mike Johnson. Our guest is Okey Obudulu (@okeyobudulu), CISO, Skillsoft. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Trend Micro Trend Micro Cloud One, a security services platform for cloud builders, delivers the broadest and deepest cloud security offering in one solution, enabling you to secure your cloud infrastructure with clarity and simplicity. Discover your dynamic attack surface, assess your risk, and respond with the right security at the right time. Discover more! In this episode: How important is knowing the crown jewels in your security program? Wouldn't a "crown jewel"-focused security program be myopic? Have you been guilty of "curse of knowledge" when you tried to explain something and what did you do to improve? How often does a security leader come into a program and have the sense they're starting out at square one?

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series CISOs say stress and burnout are their top personal risks. Breaches, increased regulations, and the tech talent shortage are all contributors to the stress. Sure would be nice for the CISO and the rest of the team to look at a chart that showed the CISO's stress level in real time. This week's episode co-hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), the producer of CISO Series, and special guest co-host Shawn Bowen (@SMbowen), CISO, World Fuel Services. Our guest is Meredith Harper (@mrhciso), svp, CISO, Synchrony. This episode was recorded in front of a live audience in Chicago at The City Hall nightclub for the opening night of Evanta's Global CISO Executive Summit. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Cisco Cisco Secure delivers a streamlined, customer-centric approach to security that ensures it's easy to deploy, manage, and use. We help 100 percent of the Fortune 100 companies secure work – wherever it happens – with the broadest, most integrated platform. Learn more at cisco.com/go/secure. In this episode: What do you think companies can do to alleviate this pressure and help a CISO better succeed? Why is there such a significant disconnect between companies' increased commitment to diversity and inclusion and the day-to-day experiences of women of color? How can enterprise security maintain visibility into, and control over who and what is accessing their data?

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series For some reason, the ABCs of sales ("Always Be Closing") in the world of cybersecurity sales has translated into "Always Be Creepy." Eagerness to make just a connection, forget closing, has turned into extremely forward approaches that would make anyone feel uncomfortable. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and my guests will be Steve Tran, CSO, Democratic National Committee and Matt Crouse, CISO, Taco Bell. It was recorded in front of a live audience in Santa Monica as part of the ISSA-LA Information Security Summit XII. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Ostrich Cyber-Risk Ostrich Cyber-Risk "Birdseye" is a unified qualitative and quantitative cyber risk management application that allows you to quickly assess, prioritize and quantify your organization's financial and operational risks in real-time, in one place. Benchmarked against industry-standards (NIST, CIS, ISO), Birdseye simulates risk scenarios, continuously tracks roadmap progress, and creates shareable reports. In this episode: What do security leaders do when they can't push through security initiatives they know should be done? Is this a real concern for CISOs, and if so, how does a CISO handle their staff when best efforts get thwarted? What's your advice for new CISOs when dealing with unsolicited sales emails from security vendors? Do they just ignore it all? Should they filter it out?

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series After every breach, you hear the same mantra from the attacked company: "We take security and privacy seriously." It's lost all its meaning. But what if you truly ARE serious about how you handle security and privacy? Should you say "seriously" twice? This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Mike Johnson. Our guest is Geoff Belknap (@geoffbelknap), CISO, LinkedIn and co-host of Defense in Depth. It was recorded in front of a live audience at Microsoft's Silicon Valley Campus in Mountain View, California as part of a regular ISSA-SV and ISSA-SF meeting. Check out all the fantastic photos from the event here. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, SafeBreach and Noname Security SafeBreach provides continuous security control validation powered by our breach and attack simulation (BAS) platform. We enable security leaders to proactively prioritize remediation efforts and drive ROI quickly by consolidating technology costs around what truly enhances your security posture. Real-world attacks. Real-time results. Prevent API attacks in real-time with automated AI and ML-based detection from Noname Security. Monitor API traffic for data leakage, data tampering, data policy violations, suspicious behavior, and API security attacks. Integrate with your existing IT workflow management system like Jira, ServiceNow, or Slack for seamless remediation. Learn more at nonamesecurity.com/runtime-protection In this episode: If you truly ARE serious about how you handle security and privacy, should you say "seriously" twice? Given the immense complexity not just on integration but also training, are we going to see more consolidation of point solutions into suites? When would it make sense for a company to completely dump their security team and completely outsource it? And if you were to outsource it, what the heck would that look like?

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series There are vendors that CISOs can't look away from. Who are they and what did they do to get so much attention from CISOs? This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Mike Johnson. Our guest is Saša Zdjelar, svp, security assurance, Salesforce. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Sysdig Sysdig is driving the standard for cloud and container security. With Sysdig, teams find and prioritize software vulnerabilities, detect and respond to threats, and manage cloud configurations, permissions and compliance. Customers get a single view of risk from source to run, with no blind spots, no guesswork, no black boxes. In this episode: What's a great approach from a security vendor? What techniques do CISOs deploy to cut through the marketing noise? Can you think of vendors that were so good that you couldn't ignore them. What made them achieve that status?

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series If you want to build a successful cybersecurity team, you need to be diverse, mostly in thought. But that diversity in thought usually is the result of people with diverse backgrounds who have had different experiences and have solved problems differently. It's actually really hard to hire a diverse team because what you want to do is simply hire people who look, talk, and sound like you. People who come from the same background as you. While that may work for building friends, it's not necessarily the best solution when building a team to secure your company. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), operating partner, YL Ventures. Our guest is George Finney (@wellawaresecure), CISO, Southern Methodist University and author of "Well Aware: The Nine Cybersecurity Habits to Protect Your Future" and "Project Zero Trust." Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Feroot Feroot secures client-side web applications so that businesses can deliver a flawless and safe digital user experience to their customers. Our automated, client-side, data protection capabilities increase web application visibility, facilitate threat analysis, and detect and protect from client-side attacks, such as Magecart, XSS, e-skimming, and other threats focused on front-end web applications. In this episode: What are the personality types you need on your staff? Can you be a vCISO if you're not a CISO first. And if you're a vCISO without ever being a CISO, are you just a cybersecurity consultant? Also, what are some creative uses of honeypots most users don't consider?

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series What are signs your team is getting burnt out? It's not an imbalance of work and family, it's feeling you're having no impact. That you're working your tail off and nothing is getting accomplished. This happens often in cybersecurity. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Mike Johnson. Our guest is Sara-Michele Lazarus, vp/head of trust and security, Stavvy. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Sysdig Sysdig is driving the standard for cloud and container security. With Sysdig, teams find and prioritize software vulnerabilities, detect and respond to threats, and manage cloud configurations, permissions and compliance. Customers get a single view of risk from source to run, with no blind spots, no guesswork, no black boxes. In this episode: What are signs your team is getting burnt out? What's the most valuable skill in a cybersecurity analyst? Why are we seeing so many zero day exploits right now?

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series Uggh, just saying "zero trust" sends shivvers down security professionals' spines. The term is fraught with so many misnomers. The most important is who are you going to trust to actually help you build that darn zero trust program? Are you going to look at a vendor that's consolidated solutions and has built programs like this repeatedly or are you going to look for the best solutions yourself and try to figure out how best to piece it together to create that "zero trust" program? This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), operating partner, YL Ventures. Our sponsored guest is David Chow, global chief technology strategy officer, Trend Micro. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Trend Micro Trend Micro Cloud One, a security services platform for cloud builders, delivers the broadest and deepest cloud security offering in one solution, enabling you to secure your cloud infrastructure with clarity and simplicity. Discover your dynamic attack surface, assess your risk, and respond with the right security at the right time. Discover more! In this episode: Why is the term "zero trust" fraught with so many misnomers? Is there such a thing as privacy anymore? Do you agree with the term "good enough", and if so what is a "good enough" factor, what does it entail, and what should we expect from that? Where has the United States done the most to improve national cybersecurity?

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. You want an awesome job in cybersecurity, and you want to ask the right questions. What are the right answers, and which ones are red flags that should cause you to run? This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), operating partner, YL Ventures. Our guest is Renee Guttman, former CISO, Campbell's, Coca-Cola, and Time Warner. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Okta Auth0 is the leading provider of customer identity solutions. Watch Jameeka Aaaron, CISO for Auth0, explain how to balance security with friction to create a safe authentication experience without compromising on privacy. In this episode: When interviewing, what are the right answers, and which ones are red flags that should cause you to run? Has the cloud just created a bigger security problem that's creeped up on us?  Are legacy systems just a ticking time bomb or have you seen success in managing them?

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series Are RSA and other big conferences worth it? It seems that fewer CISOs are actually walk the floor at these big trade shows. The really big meetings are happening outside of the conference. Why would CISOs attend these big conferences with airfares costing over $1000 and hotel rooms costing $500 to $800 a night? Are the customers and vendors getting priced out? This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Mike Johnson. Our guest is Jessica Ferguson, CISO, DocuSign. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, SlashNext SlashNext protects the modern workforce from phishing and human hacking across all digital channels. SlashNext Complete™ utilizes our patented AI SEER™ technology to detect zero-hour phishing threats by performing dynamic run-time analysis on billions of URLs a day through virtual browsers and machine learning. Take advantage of SlashNext's phishing defense services for email, browser, mobile, and API. In this episode: Are big conferences like RSA worth it? What's the value of the trade show floor at RSA? Why would CISOs attend these big conferences with airfares costing over $1000 and hotel rooms costing $500 to $800 a night? Are the customers and vendors getting priced out?

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series Security professionals should turn in the cyber hero mentality for the "sidekick" role. Many cybersecurity leaders believe they need to save the company from all the stupid users who can't protect themselves. The reality is security professionals should lose the saviour mentality for a supporting role where they're running alongside different business units trying to find a way to make their process run smoother and more secure. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), operating partner, YL Ventures. Our wponsored guest Clyde Williamson, product management, innovations, Protegrity. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Protegrity Protegrity empowers intelligence-driven organizations to use data to drive innovation with secure analytics and artificial intelligence, without fear of violating compliance or jeopardizing privacy. To make this vision a reality, we protect sensitive data anywhere and everywhere to create secure data agility that aligns with the speed of modern business. In this episode: Is it OK if users see security as heroes but security professionals shouldn't see themselves that way? What have you heard enough about when it comes to data protection, and what would you like to hear a lot more? How can we best create a cyber risk balance sheet?

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series Just the words "zero trust" often causes security professionals to shiver. In general, CISOs are on board with the concepts of "zero trust," we just think they're uncomfortable with how it's being used for branding and marketing efforts. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Mike Johnson. Our guest is David Cross (@mrdbcross), SVP/CISO for Oracle SaaS Cloud. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Protegrity Protegrity empowers intelligence-driven organizations to use data to drive innovation with secure analytics and artificial intelligence, without fear of violating compliance or jeopardizing privacy. To make this vision a reality, we protect sensitive data anywhere and everywhere to create secure data agility that aligns with the speed of modern business. In this episode: Should certifications be a requirement on your job listings? Are the SIEMs failing or do the users not know how to configure them? Or is it both? Why do security professionals treat the term "zero trust" so negatively? How should vendors approach zero trust and how should the C-suite understand it?

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series You can make the right decision given the information you have, but everything is a risk, so there are times those good decisions are going to result in not the result you were hoping for. In essence, plenty of good decisions result in poor outcomes. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), operating partner, YL Ventures. Our guest is Aviv Grafi, founder and CTO, Votiro and winner of season one of Capture the CISO. In this episode: We welcome the winner of "Capture The CISO!" How did they prepare in terms of making the demo and for appearing on the show? And what advice would they give for contestants in season 2? What do employers look for or ask in an interview that would lead them to hire and promote someone into a CISO role in their company? How can cybersecurity professionals improve their decision making over time?

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series We explore the world of dishonesty in cybersecurity. Practitioners know that marketers will stretch the truth, but how far are we willing to let that go? Isn't this industry built on trust? Can cybersecurity continue to thrive if we can't trust each other? This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Mike Johnson. Our sponsored guest is Anna Belak (@aabelak), director of thought leadership, Sysdig. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Sysdig Sysdig is driving the standard for cloud and container security. With Sysdig, teams find and prioritize software vulnerabilities, detect and respond to threats, and manage cloud configurations, permissions and compliance. Customers get a single view of risk from source to run, with no blind spots, no guesswork, no black boxes. In this episode: What are the questions a CISO should be able to answer? How much dishonesty do you find in cybersecurity? How does one LEAD a cloud migration? What are some lies about machine learning that everyone needs to be aware of?

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series What can you do when your data keeps passing through different third party applications? Your data is being accessed and manipulated by more people, more applications, and more security policies that may not be aligned with your security policies. It seems once it leaves your environment, it's out of your control. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), operating partner, YL Ventures. Our sponsored guest is Elliot Lewis (@ElliotDLewis), CEO, Keyavi. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Keyavi Myth: Data can't protect itself. Fact: Now it does! You control where your data goes in the world, who can access it and when. On any device. Anytime. Anywhere. FOREVER. Learn more at Keyavi.com. In this episode: Can the US government, through regulation, shift the tide of never-ending cybersecurity failures? Your network was just hit with ransomware. What do you do in your environment? What should we be discussing more of when it comes to protecting data in the supply chain? What's the biggest security flaw you've seen in every environment you've ever worked?  

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series If they can find flaws, security professionals are quick to label it as bad security behavior. But often, what is marked as "bad" may have problems, but when looked at from a reducing risk perspective it's actually a very good security behavior. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Mike Johnson. Our guest is Carla Sweeney, vp information security, Red Ventures. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Protegrity Protegrity empowers intelligence-driven organizations to use data to drive innovation with secure analytics and artificial intelligence, without fear of violating compliance or jeopardizing privacy. To make this vision a reality, we protect sensitive data anywhere and everywhere to create secure data agility that aligns with the speed of modern business. In this episode: Is a CISO really an architect of choices, for themselves and the other business leaders? Why and how can controls impose friction or drag on business velocity? What are the types of questions you ask when you're referencing a resume and what are some examples of really impressive responses? What are some things that get a bad rap, but are actually quite secure?

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series Getting someone to purchase gift cards is a popular vector for theft. Given that the gift card theft technique is so well known, many online sites have put up additional barriers to purchasing gift cards. Trying to buy them legitimately has become increasingly difficult. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), operating partner, YL Ventures. Our guest is Ariel Weintrab (@securitymermaid), CISO, MassMutual. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, PlexTrac PlexTrac is a powerful, yet simple, cybersecurity platform that centralizes all security assessments, pentest reports, audit findings, and vulnerabilities. PlexTrac transforms the risk management lifecycle, allowing security professionals to generate better reports faster, aggregate and visualize analytics, and collaborate on remediation in real-time. Check out PlexTrac.com/CISOSeries to learn why PlexTrac is the perfect platform for CISOs! In this episode: What areas should we focus on improving the security user experience for non-security people? Does it get easier at the top? What factors do you think result in the workload being tougher or easier for a CISO? How can radical transparency help and where can it backfire? What can we do to avoid poisoned systems and how can we tell if our systems have been poisoned?

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series Should you monitor your staff? I mean reallymonitor them. Some bosses are installing screen grabbing and click tracking software to monitor employees and by most estimates employees hate it so much that half of them would quit if their supervisors installed monitoring software on their computers. But in some cases an employee's behavior may lend themselves to being monitored. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Mike Johnson. Our sponsored guest is Ian Hassard (@ihassard), director of product management, Okta. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Okta Auth0 is the leading provider of customer identity solutions. Watch Jameeka Aaaron, CISO for Auth0, explain how to balance security with friction to create a safe authentication experience without compromising on privacy. In this episode: What are the real world positive impacts that result on the business in terms of risk reduction, product development, and prevention? What are some alternatives to address the authentication problem? What have you heard enough about with authentication, and what would you like to hear a lot more about? To what level should you and shouldn't you monitor your staff? What cases do you feel you would have to install monitoring software?

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series Next time you're annoyed by a security vendor's pitch, instead of firing back at them at what an idiot they are, or complaining about it on social media, why not see if you can find a friendly manager at the vendor company and explain what happened so they can actually address the problem appropriately? This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Mike Johnson. Our guest is Rob Suarez, CISO, BD. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Trend Micro Trend Micro Cloud One, a security services platform for cloud builders, delivers the broadest and deepest cloud security offering in one solution, enabling you to secure your cloud infrastructure with clarity and simplicity. Discover your dynamic attack surface, assess your risk, and respond with the right security at the right time. Discover more! In this episode: Where could we possibly draw the line of what can be known to the public, but at the same time not offering insight to the attackers? We examine what makes medical establishments an attractive target. Why are medical records valuable and outside of havoc is there any other purpose of tampering with medical devices? How do you use industry-specific threat information to make better security decisions? Why do some cybersecurity companies succeed and others fail?

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series I have no idea what I need to spend to demonstrate our security program is working. What's it going to take? Or maybe I need just others on my team to just validate that they truly do care about security. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), operating partner, YL Ventures. Our guest is John McClure (@johnmcclure00), CISO, Sinclair Broadcast Group. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Keyavi Data that protects itself?  Now it does! We made data so smart it can think for itself. Secure itself. Stay continually aware of its surroundings. Control where, when and who is allowed access. And automatically report back to its owner. This changes the entire cybersecurity paradigm. Learn how. In this episode: What's your best indicator that your security program is actually improving? We examine certifications and separate myth from reality for those trying to get into cybersecurity and also for more seasoned professionals? What security flaw often gets overlooked? How does one go about asking for a team building budget for a remote team?

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series How dangerous is it for a cybersecurity professional to pull a G-d complex with the email server just because they didn't like the way one salesperson behaved? This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), operating partner, YL Ventures. Our sponsored guest is Jadee Hanson (@jadeehanson), CIO/CISO, Code42. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Code42. As the Insider Risk Management leader, Code42 helps security professionals protect corporate data and reduce insider risk while fostering an open and collaborative culture for employees. For security practitioners, it means speed to detection and response. For companies, it means a collaborative workforce that is productive and a business that is secure. Visit http://Code42.com/showme to learn more. In this episode: Is it alright to block a vendor because one salesperson is persistent and annoying? How can one go about creating a cybersecurity report card? Is it just inevitable that your staff is going to eventually violate policies? How to determine a delicate balance between a complete non-tolerance policy versus complete tolerance?

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series What if we could convince management that security is not a cost center, but a means to actually make and save money for the business? The concept isn't so completely outrageous. Companies are using privacy and security as differentiators, and certain security tools such as single sign on, password managers, and passwordless reduce operational costs in support tickets. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Mike Johnson. Our guest is Mary Gardner, CISO, The Greenbrier Companies. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Buchanan Technologies Short staffed and overworked IT groups can be overwhelmed by the massive scope of a comprehensive cybersecurity program. Buchanan Technologies makes the complex simple with our twenty-four by seven, customized, vetted strategies that identify risks, detect threats, implement security controls, and protect the confidentiality, availability, and integrity of your data. Discover more. In this episode: What are areas we should focus on improving the security user experience for non-security people? We ask if CISOs have it easier than their middle managers. We think about the factors that result in the workload being tougher or easier for a CISO. And we examine how we can protect our machine learning algorithms and AI from absorbing poisoned data.

To see the blog post and read the transcript, head over to CISO Series. We don't celebrate quitting. Maybe we should. When should you do it when you don't have another offer? This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Mike Johnson. Our guest is Hadas Cassorla, CISO, M1. On this episode: When a "good" security control is actually bad for business. A "how to" engage with a CISO during a presentation meeting. Losing your passion for cybersecurity. What next? Building a budget for remote team building. HUGE thanks to our sponsor, Keyavi Data that protects itself?  Now it does! We made data so smart it can think for itself. Secure itself. Stay continually aware of its surroundings. Control where, when and who is allowed access. And automatically report back to its owner. This changes the entire cybersecurity paradigm. Learn how.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series I have talked to vendors who get all excited about Gartner opening up a new category for them. All I can think is uggh, something new to confuse the security marketplace. I know there's a need to label products in categories to simplify sales. But the complexity is driving buyers nuts. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), operating partner, YL Ventures. Our sponsored guest is RJ Friedman, CISO, Buchanan Technologies. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Buchanan Technologies Short staffed and overworked IT groups can be overwhelmed by the massive scope of a comprehensive cybersecurity program. Buchanan Technologies makes the complex simple with our twenty-four by seven, customized, vetted strategies that identify risks, detect threats, implement security controls, and protect the confidentiality, availability, and integrity of your data. Discover more. In this episode:  Do we need another industry-produced acronym? How can a vendor better demonstrate they can become a partner? With the list of security "minimum requirements" constantly growing, do you believe more and more organizations are falling below the security poverty line? And we ask how best to reduce the amount of false positives?

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series Are bad security policies of yesteryear just because we didn't know any better at the time, or were they some bozos idea of legitimate security yet the rest of us knew it was just security theater? This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Mike Johnson. Our guest is Dr. Diane M Janosek (@dm_janosek), deputy director of compliance, NSA and senior legal advisor for Women in Cybersecurity. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Code42 As the Insider Risk Management leader, Code42 helps security professionals protect corporate data and reduce insider risk while fostering an open and collaborative culture for employees. For security practitioners, it means speed to detection and response. For companies, it means a collaborative workforce that is productive and a business that is secure. Visit http://Code42.com/showme to learn more. In this episode: We highlight obsolete security policies to steer clear of. We examine security in space and how can others who are not directly involved in these industries create some type of positive impact? And we ask how we can improve inclusion by decrypting the lack of diversity in our industry.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series Legacy tech can often be the anchor that prevents an organization from growing. Put the issue of dealing with legacy tech long enough and the problem could get bigger than the business itself. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), operating partner, YL Ventures. Our guest is TJ Mann (@teejaymann), CISO, Children's Mercy Kansas City. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, CYREBRO Ninety percent of post mortems show that the high cost of damage from a cyberattack was avoidable, but no one knew in time to stop it. CYREBRO's SOC Platform is your cybersecurity central command, integrating all your security events with 24/7 strategic monitoring, proactive threat intelligence, and rapid incident response. More from CYREBRO. In this episode: How legacy technology impedes business agility? Are we doing anything better to deal with legacy technology Is there anything that can be done at the purchase point to understand how you'll sunset equipment and technology And we ask whether or not our industry is willing to take the time and effort to hire and train the talent they so desperately want and need.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series People violate cybersecurity policies at a rate of one out of every 20 job tasks. It's just a matter of time before all your employees are in violation. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), operating partner, YL Ventures. Our guest is Bruce Schneier (@schneierblog), chief of security architecture, Inrupt and fellow and lecturer and Harvard Kennedy School. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, PlexTrac PlexTrac is a powerful, yet simple, cybersecurity platform that centralizes all security assessments, pentest reports, audit findings, and vulnerabilities. PlexTrac transforms the risk management lifecycle, allowing security professionals to generate better reports faster, aggregate and visualize analytics, and collaborate on remediation in real-time. Check out PlexTrac.com/CISOSeries to learn why PlexTrac is the perfect platform for CISOs! In this episode: Special tips for new CISOs just starting out and trying to establish their position. We examine where there are market forces fighting the most against achieving societal values in the digital space? What are signs that we're moving in the right direction of developing a digital social contract? And we ask, is "employees violating security policies" the top issue that needs to be resolved?

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series A young woman is killing it in her first cybersecurity job out of college. Management is so thrilled with her that they want to give her a promotion. Problem is the promotion reveals a lot of other innerworkings that don't speak well of the company's culture. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Mike Johnson. Davi Ottenheimer (@daviottenheimer), vp trust and digital ethics, Inrupt. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Code42 As the Insider Risk Management leader, Code42 helps security professionals protect corporate data and reduce insider risk while fostering an open and collaborative culture for employees. For security practitioners, it means speed to detection and response. For companies, it means a collaborative workforce that is productive and a business that is secure. Visit http://Code42.com/showme to learn more. In this episode: A student has some serious privacy concerns when they learn that "all data is being monitored and anonymously collected." We examine how we can break from the Internet Oligarchs who appear to be consuming, selling, and using so much of our data. How GDPR can benefit organizations to stay ahead of the competition. A young recruit facing imposter syndrome after receiving a promotion with added responsibilities.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series First job out of college and you get the cybersecurity job of your dreams... and nightmares. It's just too much, and you definitely don't have the experience to handle it all. This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Mike Johnson. Our guest is Rick Doten (@rick_doten), CISO, Carolina Complete Health. Check out Rick's Youtube channel with the CIS Critical Security Control videos. Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Kenna Security Kenna Security, now part of Cisco, is the pioneer of risk-based management. The Kenna Security Platform enables organizations to work cross-functionally to determine and remediate cyber risks. It leverages machine learning and data science to track and predict real-world exploitations, empowering security teams to focus on what matters most. In this episode: We look at the #1 job according to a U.S. News & World Report. Hint: It's Information Security Analyst. We examine the possibility & practicality of running a security program entirely based upon free and open-source software. We break down how to help brand new recruits on the ground as they start their careers in cybersecurity.