CISO Series Podcast

Latest Episodes:

"I Love Being Monitored Online," Said No Employee Ever Dec 21, 2021

Show notes

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series

What do you do if your boss gave you a corporate laptop and you fear they installed some tracking software? Should you wipe the drive or simply quit?

This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Mike Johnson. Our sponsored guest is Purandar Das (@dasgp), co-founder and president, Sotero.

Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Sotero

Today's compliance requirements require a security mindset that focuses on the data itself. We can't truly protect sensitive data when our solutions only provide protection at the network, application or database level. The good news is that you can now protect the actual data itself. Click to learn how.

In this episode:

Did the pandemic lead to innovations in cybersecurity?
What should a company do when an employee makes a major mistake like emailing PII?
Have we all heard enough about encryption?
What do we do when the boss gives us a "new" computer with monitoring tech on board?

If We Don't Talk About Cyber Risk, Will It Go Away? Dec 14, 2021

Show notes

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series

Risk is scary. Cyber risk is scarier. Not because it's worse, but mostly because we barely understand it. We've gone this long not understanding it. Maybe just ignoring it will allow us to wish it away.

On this week's episode of CISO/Security Vendor Relationship Podcast we have our first in-studio guest (since we moved the studio). Joining me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Mike Johnson is our in-studio guest TJ Lingenfelter (@tj_555), sr. program manager, information security, Taylormade Golf.

Thanks to our podcast sponsor, BitSight

These are challenging times for security professionals. From managing third party supply chain risk, to quantifying financial exposure, to reducing the likelihood of ransomware, BitSight helps security and risk professionals create more effective cybersecurity programs with cybersecurity ratings and analytics. Learn why Moody's, the Department of Defense, and other leading institutions partner with BitSight at www.bitsight.com

In this episode:

How can competitive companies can help each other be more secure?
What to do when you can't get time with your CIO to discuss plans?
Are we fooling ourselves to think we can maintain privacy for ourselves and that organizations can do it for us as well?
What new cybersecurity buzzwords should be put to rest?

After a Breach It's Really Easy to Calculate Risk Dec 07, 2021

Show notes

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series

There's no question calculating risk is tricky. Because once you understand your risk then you can assign budget appropriately to reduce your risk. OR, you could just wait until you're breached and you'll know exactly what your risk is and how much it costs.

This week's episode of CISO/Security Vendor Relationship Podcast is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Mike Johnson. Our guest is Dan Walsh, CISO, VillageMD.

Thanks to our podcast sponsor, deepwatch

Increasing ransomware attacks and their evolving sophistication have been putting more pressure on security teams than ever before. Luckily, managed detection and response (or MDR) has emerged as a critical component for improving security operations, reducing ransomware risk, and minimizing the overall impact an attack can have. Visit deepwatch.com to see how we help to prevent breaches for our customers, by working together.

In this episode:

What can we learn from a 10-year cybersecurity veteran?
What can state governments do to 'hire better' in cybersecurity?
What can companies do to attract cybersecurity professionals to their location?
What are ways to bring a clearer understanding of risk to the business without being alarmist?

I've Got Zero Trust In My Understanding of Zero Trust Nov 30, 2021

Show notes

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series

Don't look at me to explain zero trust to you, because I'm just as confused. I've heard plenty of definitions, and they all sound good. I just don't know which one is right, or maybe they're all right.

This week's episode of CISO/Security Vendor Relationship Podcast was recorded in front of a live audience at KeyConf at the City Winery in New York City. My guest co-host for this special episode is JJ Agha, CISO, Compass. Joining us on stage were a host of guests, Admiral Rogers, former NSA director and Commander US Cyber Command, Oded Hareven, CEO and co-founder, Akeyless, and Dr. Zero Trust, Chase Cunningham (@cynjaChaseC).

Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Akeyless

As organizations embrace automation, they must control their secrets sprawl. Security teams must enable the transition with centralized access to secrets, and consistent policies to limit risk and maintain compliance. Akeyless provides a unified, SaaS based solution for Secrets Management, Secure Remote Access, and Data Protection. More about Akeyless

In this episode:

Is zero trust easy for organizations to deploy and control?
Are we taking zero trust too far?
Does it help to have more eyes on the problem?
What are the problems with secure remote access that we're still struggling with?

We're Very Good at SAYING We Care About Diversity Nov 23, 2021

Show notes

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series

It's extremely easy to say you want to diversify. In fact, I'll do it right now three times. We want diversity. We're very pro diversity and it's our focus for the next year. Diversity is a very important part of our security program.

Please don't ask to though look at the lack of diversity on our staff. It doesn't match our rhetoric.

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 Sujeet Bambawale (@sujeet), CISO, 7-11.

Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Vulcan Cyber

Vulnerability scanners are commoditized. Cloud service providers provide free scanners. Open source scanners are plentiful. Your team doesn't need another scanner, but they need to get better at identifying and prioritizing the risk that is buried in that scan data. Attend the Vulcan Cyber virtual user conference and learn how to assess and mitigate risk across all of your surfaces. Go to vulcan.io and click the button at the top of the screen to register for the event.

In this episode:

How are you overcoming the challenges of diversity hiring?
Are robocalls defeating MFA?
Are you collaborative in cyber with your direct competitors?
Were you sold something differently when you started in cyber?

Chances Are We'll Be Attacked the Day Before Your Vacation Nov 16, 2021

Show notes

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series

Do the cybercriminals know my vacation schedule? If they're already in our network, they probably do. Why don't they share their vacation schedule with me. That way we can all enjoy our time off.

This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Mike Johnson. Our guest is Patti Titus (@rusecur), CISO, Markel.

Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Sotero

In this episode:

What role is the quickest to a CISO role?
How can we best correlate security behavior to business actions?
Are attacks more likely on Fridays, just before a long weekend or vacation?
Which breaches this year caused a shift in focus of your security program?

Did You Get My Last Email? This One Has a Joke In It. Nov 09, 2021

Show notes

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series

At one point a sales representative will get so desperate trying to get a reply from a prospect that they'll resort to some tepid attempt a humor. We've all seen the email that is trying to understand why we're not replying. And the salesperson tries to make it easy for the recipient to respond by just pressing a single digit. 1: You're too busy, 2: You didn't see my email, 3: You really wanted to respond but you're stuck in a well.

This week's episode of CISO/Security Vendor Relationship Podcast was recorded in front of a live audience at the SF-ISACA conference in San Francisco. It features me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Mike Johnson. Our guest is my other co-host Andy Ellis (@csoandy), operating partner, YL Ventures.

Huge thanks to our podcast sponsors, Code42, Sotero, and Constella Intelligence

As organizations gradually and cautiously move out of adapt-or-die mode into the post-pandemic era, we can expect a second phase of digital transformation: resilience building. This presents an opportunity for security teams. An opportunity to re-imagine data security. More from Code42.

Threat actors target key employees due to their privileged access to sensitive data which can lead to credential theft, ATO, & ransomware attacks. Find out if your key employees and company have been exposed – without any obligation. More from Constella Intelligence.

In this episode:

How do you go about making a business case for further investment in cyber security initiatives?
Is it possible to get people to get security people change their behaviors?
Using humor in cold sales. Does it ever work?
...and what happens when it backfires?

Hackers of the World Unite… When We Can Agree on a Time Nov 02, 2021

Show notes

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series

"Look, you wanna be elite? You have to do a righteous hack."

This entire episode we pay tribute to the movie "Hackers" with quotes all throughout the programming. This episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series, and my guest co-host Roland Cloutier (@CSORoland), CISO, TikTok. Joining us in this discussion is Steve Tran (@steveishacking), CISO, MGM Studios.

Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Code42

In this episode:

Is it time to start thinking about protecting data differently?
What is the biggest scam in tech that is deemed acceptable?
Why is the convergence of security between physical and digital still not happening?
Which part of your role is science vs art?

Is Our CISO Doing a Good Job? Our CISO Doesn't Even Know. Oct 26, 2021

Show notes

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series

It's extremely hard to tell if a cybersecurity leader is doing a good job. In fact, it's tough for even them to know. Our best bet is watching for an improvement in the cybersecurity program over time.

This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Mike Johnson. Our sponsored guest is Mark Wojtasiak (@markwojtasiak), vice president, research & strategy, Code42 and co-author of "Inside Jobs."

Thanks to this week's podcast sponsor, Code42

As organizations gradually and cautiously move out of adapt out of adapt-or-die mode into the post-pandemic era, we can expect a second phase of digital transformation: resilience building. This presents an opportunity for security teams. An opportunity to re-imagine data security. More from Code42.

In this episode:

What is your business's biggest frustration when managing cybersecurity?
Aaaand...what is your biggest frustration when managing cybersecurity?
How do you know when a Security Leader (including yourself) is doing a good job?
Would it help if Security hired a marketing manager?

BONUS Episode: Innovation Spotlight Oct 22, 2021

Show notes

Here's an awesome bonus episode of CISO/Security Vendor Relationship Podcast featured as the closing event at Evanta's Global CISO Virtual Executive Summit.

Here's what went down. The day before our recording, three representatives presented their unique and innovative security solutions to a panel of CISOs and the virtual audience in attendance.

The next day, everyone came back to offer up a quick elevator pitch and to be grilled by the CISOs. That's exactly what you get to hear on this bonus episode of CISO/Security Vendor Relationship Podcast.

Thanks to all our sponsors for this bonus episode of the podcast

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