The Geopolitical Security Playbook: When Nations Clash in Cyberspace

In this episode of ⁠Data Security Decoded⁠, host ⁠Caleb Tolin⁠ sits down with ⁠Dustin Droullard⁠, a cyber threat intelligence expert and former Army intelligence analyst, to discuss how global conflict is increasingly playing out in cyberspace, from digital espionage to civilian-targeted cyber operations. This episode highlights why organizations must rethink their cyber risk strategies in light of modern geopolitical threats and growing digital exposure. What You’ll Learn: How influence operations are used to confuse, divide, and destabilize Understanding your organization’s role in geopolitical conflicts What basic cybersecurity practice still gets overlooked Where small businesses can find free resources to improve security posture and resilience  How anthropology, business, and literature studies can power cyber careers The gap in current cyber education and how to fix it with critical thinking and specialization Episode Highlights: [00:00:33] From Army Intelligence to Cyber Operations [00:02:45] Espionage vs. Effects: Cyber Tactics in Geopolitical Conflict [00:06:38] Influence Operations and Psychological Warfare [00:10:39] Why Every Business is a Target, Whether They Know It or Not [00:13:21] Cybersecurity on a Budget: Resources for Underserved Organizations [00:15:57] Anthropology in Cyber: Understanding the Human Behind the Hack [00:20:33] Non-Tech Majors That Thrive in Cybersecurity [00:23:03] What Cyber Schools Are Missing: Business, Collaboration & Critical Thinking Episode Resources: Caleb Tolin on LinkedIn Dustin Droullard on LinkedIn CISA – Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency