CISO Series Podcast

Latest Episodes:

We Lead the Industry in OT (Obviously Terrible) Security Oct 27, 2026

Show notes

All links and images can be found on CISO Series

This week's episode is hosted by David Spark, producer of CISO Series and Edward Contreras, senior evp and CISO, Frost Bank. Joining us is Jerich Beason, CISO, WM.

This episode was recorded in front of a live audience at CYBR.SEC.CON. in Houston.

In this episode:

Contain first, ask questions later
Borrowed rules break in the field
Buy the thing everyone else already needed
Somebody still has to own the mistake

A huge thanks to our sponsor, Dragos

Dragos protects critical infrastructure with industry-leading OT threat detection and asset visibility. Six hundred organizations globally trust Dragos Platform, OT Watch, and Expert Services to safeguard their operational environments. Built on over a decade of OT-specific intelligence and frontline incident response experience. Learn more at dragos.com.

Why Should AI Give You Back Time When It Could Just Replace You? Oct 20, 2026

Show notes

All links and images can be found on CISO Series

This week's episode is hosted by David Spark, producer of CISO Series, and Jacob Combs, CISO, Tandem Diabetes Care. Joining us is Alexandra Landegger, corporate CISO, RTX.

In this episode:

The bug that wasn't a bug
Nobody reopens the decision
Outrun the slowest guy, not the tiger
Four questions every CEO should ace

Thanks to Dutch Schwartz of SideChannel for providing our "What's Worse" scenario.

A huge thanks to our sponsor, Vanta

Your GRC team is dealing with more and more frameworks, vendors, and risk. The board wants it all in one place, but your compliance data lives all over. Vanta's agentic trust platform connects compliance, risk, and trust at enterprise scale and delivers a 526% ROI over three years. 16,000+ companies trust Vanta, including Snowflake, Atlassian, and Ramp. Visit Vanta.com/CISO to learn more.

I Sent the AI a Strongly Worded Prompt. I Think We'll Be Fine. Oct 13, 2026

Show notes

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 Chad Rubin, svp cybersecurity, Publicis Re:Sources.

In this episode:

Getting started beats getting it perfect
Bring security in before the concrete dries
The instruction was never the control
If everyone likes your idea, you're already too late

Thanks to Joshua Carpenter of Alliance InfoSystems for providing our "What's Worse" scenario.

A huge thanks to our sponsor, Adaptive Security

Adaptive Security helps organizations stay ahead of AI-powered social engineering, including deepfake phishing, vishing, and multi-channel attacks. With simulations and personalized training, teams learn to recognize and respond to modern threats before they cause harm. Turn human risk into resilience with security awareness built for the AI era. Learn more at adaptivesecurity.com.

Data Is the New Oil, in That It's Useless Until You Refine It Oct 06, 2026

Show notes

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 Jake Lorz, vp information technology and CISO, Cintas.

In this episode:

Security's identity crisis
The AI that never has a bad day
Your permissions have secrets
Nobody wrote it down

A huge thanks to our sponsor, ThreatLocker

An AI-generated attack may be new, but it still needs to execute, access data, and move through your environment. ThreatLocker applies enforceable controls at each of those points, limiting what attackers can do regardless of how their code was created. Book a demo at threatlocker.com/ciso.

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall, Who Has the Best Infrastructure of Them All? Sep 29, 2026

Show notes

All links and images can be found on CISO Series

This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark, the producer of CISO Series, and Geoff Belknap. Joining us is our sponsored guest Ryan Lloyd, chief product officer, GuardSquare.

In this episode:

Determinism was never the point
Every MCP server is an uncontracted vendor
Mobile security, the version everyone's tired of hearing
Architectural vanity

A 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.

Our AI Agents Are So Safe and Reliable You Can't Buy Insurance for Them Sep 22, 2026

Show notes

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 Aaron Stanley, former vp of security, DBT Labs.

In this episode:

Saying no just hides the agent
Communication is not a side project
Even OpenAI can't buy enough coverage
Identity governance beats the illusion of control

A huge thanks to our sponsor, Arctic Wolf

Security leaders need to reduce complexity, strengthen resilience, and prove value. Arctic Wolf's Security Operations ROI Calculator helps estimate operational value, potential risk exposure reduction, and projected payback based on your environment. See what a modern, AI-powered security operations model could mean for your business at arcticwolf.com/CISO today, right now.

BONUS EPISODE: Super Cyber Friday Express - Hacking Vendor Selection Sep 21, 2026

Show notes

All links and images can be found on CISO Series

This is a bonus episode of our brand new podcast, Super Cyber Friday Express — a 20-minute highlight version of our live one-hour show we do every available Friday at 1 p.m. Eastern.

In this episode, David Spark is joined by Karl Mattson, founder and managing director of Squared Circle Ventures, and Howard Holton, founder and principal analyst at Phronia Counsel LLC, to discuss how your existing environment shapes what you buy next — and whether that's a strategy or just inertia.

Watch the full one-hour show at Crowdcast.

Subscribe to Super Cyber Friday Express, or any show on CISO Series, at CISOseries.com/subscribe.

We Strongly Value Your Willingness to Accept Less Sep 15, 2026

Show notes

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 Gina Ciavarro, former managing director of infrastructure and CISO at Accordion.

In this episode:

Patching won't evict a squatter
Boards accept risk by saying nothing
Fast enough to hide the damage
Job posting for a unicorn

A huge thanks to our sponsor, Arctic Wolf

Backlogs? Where We're Going We Don't Need Backlogs. Sep 08, 2026

Show notes

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 Steve Zalewski. Joining us is Varsha Agrawal, head of information security, Prosper Marketplace.

In this episode:

Lock-in was never about the tech
The board wants a green light, not a lesson
Time was never the constraint
What founders keep getting wrong about security

A huge thanks to our sponsor, Vanta

No, it's not your imagination. Risk and regulations ARE ramping up—and customers now expect proof of security just to do business. That's why Vanta is a game-changer. Vanta automates your compliance process and 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. Companies like Ramp and Writer spend 82% less time on audits with Vanta. That's not just faster compliance—it's more time for growth. Get started at Vanta.com/CISO.

When Frameworks Stop Being Polite and Start Getting Real Sep 01, 2026

Show notes

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 Will Gregorian, CISO, Galileo Medical. Joining us is Ryan Brown, director and head of cybersecurity operations, Children's National Hospital.

In this episode: