CISO Series Podcast

Latest Episodes:

We're Experts At Telling You To Fix Your Problems Mar 07, 2023

Show notes

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?

_Saying_ "We're 100% Secure" Is Not the Problem Feb 28, 2023

Show notes

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?

This Unwanted Cold Call Made Possible Thanks to This Month's Sales Quota Feb 21, 2023

Show notes

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?

Adversaries Beef Up Their Shiny Object Distraction Campaign Feb 14, 2023

Show notes

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

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?

21 "Dark Side"-Approved Ways to Threaten Your Prospects Feb 07, 2023

Show notes

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?

Let's Pretend We're Getting Hacked. Who Wants to Panic First? Jan 31, 2023

Show notes

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?

Today's Agenda: When Will This Meeting End? Jan 24, 2023

Show notes

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?

Your Password Is Too Long. Please Shorten It. Jan 17, 2023

Show notes

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

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?

Stir in a Little Merger and Acquisition, and Voilà, You're a Target Jan 10, 2023

Show notes

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

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?

We're Here. We're Highly Unqualified. Get Used To It Jan 03, 2023

Show notes

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?

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