CISO Series Podcast

http://www.Threatlocker.com/cisoAll 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 is sponsored guest Rob Allen, chief product officer, ThreatLocker. In this episode: Not my job, still my problem The tools people actually use Mac, Windows, and the debate that won't quit Hiring for imagination, not acronyms A huge thanks to our sponsor, ThreatLocker ThreatLocker delivers Zero Trust Network Access and Zero Trust Cloud Access that verifies both user and device before granting access to specific applications. No broad access, nothing exposed, and no reliance on credentials alone. It's a smarter way to control access and reduce risk. 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 is Julie Davila, president, Security Tinkerers. In this episode: Two paths, one dead end One size fits nobody Own it or orphan it The agent you should worry about 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/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 Nada Noaman, SVP and CISO, Estee Lauder Companies. In this episode: Skipping the apprenticeship Privileged users nobody manages like one Findings without the authority to fix them Security was always behavioral A huge thanks to our sponsor, Native The Cloud Security Control Plane. Native helps enterprises turn built-in cloud security controls into active, operational defenses across AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, and OCI, so teams can enforce secure-by-design architecture at the source, preview impact before rollout, and keep guardrails aligned as cloud environments change. Learn more at native.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, Khush Kashyap, senior director of GRC at Vanta. In this episode: Running up the token meter Some risks resist a price tag Resilience isn't a vacation policy Compliance is the wrong finish line A huge thanks to our sponsor, Vanta Still stuck on the quarterly audit treadmill? Meet Calm-pliance. Vanta combines compliance, risk, and proof on one Agentic Trust Platform—and continuously monitors your controls, keeping you audit-ready all year round. Find your Calm-pliance here.

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 is Pavi Ramamurthy, Global CISO and CIO, Blackhawk Network. In this episode: Numbers that make the board feel good and nothing else The audit is not the same thing as the truth Receipts aren't a strategy Stop blaming the human, fix the system they're standing in A huge thanks to our sponsor, ThreatLocker ThreatLocker delivers Zero Trust Network Access and Zero Trust Cloud Access that verifies both user and device before granting access to specific applications. No broad access, nothing exposed, and no reliance on credentials alone. It's a smarter way to control access and reduce risk. 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 is our sponsored guest, Brian Long, CEO, Adaptive Security. In this episode: Nobody clocks out anymore The rules nobody wrote down are the ones that count AI doesn't drain your empathy, it just shows your hand Loyalty runs both directions, even out the door 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.

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 Tim Callahan, CIO/CISO, AFLAC. In this episode: Week one is the wrong time to overreach Nobody has the AI playbook Vulnerability management wasn't built for this clock Stop blaming the human, fix the system 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.  

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 Patti Degnan, operating partner, Andreessen Horowitz. In this episode: Identity built for one person at a time Patching can't outrun the exploit timeline The exception hiding inside zero trust A revenue question nobody's answered yet A huge thanks to our sponsor, ThreatLocker ThreatLocker delivers Zero Trust Network Access and Zero Trust Cloud Access that verifies both user and device before granting access to specific applications. No broad access, nothing exposed, and no reliance on credentials alone. It's a smarter way to control access and reduce risk. 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 Nick Vigier, CISO, Oscar Health. Joining is our sponsored guest, Mitchem Boles, field CTO, Intezer. This episode was recorded live at Intezer's AI SOC event held at the NASDAQ in NYC. In this episode: Who owns the risk Before it gets better The SOC of zero The decision bottleneck A huge thanks to our sponsor, Intezer Intezer Forensic AI SOC is designed for enterprises managing high alert volumes across SIEM, EDR Network, identity, phishing, and cloud systems. These organizations often rely on MDRs to fill coverage gaps but face frustration with limited visibility, too many escalations, and missed incidents hiding in low-severity alerts. Learn more at Intezer.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 is Megan Samford, vp product and supply chain security, Schneider Electric. In this episode: Two modes of CISO The vendor has the keys The economic argument for secure code Burning through the talent A huge thanks to our sponsor, Native Security Native makes secure-by-design inherent to how the cloud operates. It's the control plane for built-in cloud security, unifying and governing native controls, so security intent is defined once and applied consistently across providers. Learn more at native.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 Dmitriy Sokolovskiy, senior vice president, information security, Semrush. This episode was recorded in front of a live audience at the offices of Aqueduct Technologies in Canton, MA. See photos from the event. In this episode: A clock on everything The oversight loop Not a better tool, a different one It's not the alerts A huge thanks to our sponsor, Strike48 It's no secret that AI is only as good as the data available to it. Strike48 unifies agentic AI with unmatched log visibility while avoiding the typical hefty price tag. Build and deploy agents for phishing detection, alert triage, threat correlation and more. Queries existing logs where they currently live, so you can keep the technology you already have. Learn more at Strike48.com.   A huge thanks to our sponsor, Dropzone AI Dropzone AI delivers a team of AI agents that investigate alerts, hunt threats, and respond to attacks across your full security stack. No playbooks required. No hidden humans in the critical path. Your analysts stay in control, directing strategy while AI agents handle the investigation workload at machine speed. Learn more 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 Andy Ellis, principal of Duha. Joining is our sponsored guest, Danny Jenkins, CEO, ThreatLocker. In this episode: Permission creep at machine speed The pattern we keep calling a mistake Stop authenticating the human Vibe coded out of existence A huge thanks to our sponsor, ThreatLocker ThreatLocker delivers Zero Trust Network Access and Zero Trust Cloud Access that verifies both user and device before granting access to specific applications. No broad access, nothing exposed, and no reliance on credentials alone. It's a smarter way to control access and reduce risk. Learn more at ThreatLocker.com/CISO.

Our Data Security Policy Is Transparent in That It Doesn't Exist 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 Mike Melo, CISO, TMX Group. In this episode: The weight of old controls Data you can actually see 68 vendors and counting Authority you never had to claim A huge thanks to our sponsor, Vanta Still stuck on the quarterly audit treadmill? Meet Calm-pliance. Vanta combines compliance, risk, and proof on one Agentic Trust Platform—and continuously monitors your controls, keeping you audit-ready all year round. Find your Calm-pliance here.

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 their sponsored guest Amit Megiddo, CEO and founder, Native. In this episode: The CISO you don't need Misconfigurations aren't a cloud problem Secure by design means enforcing it Finding bugs faster isn't the bottleneck A huge thanks to our sponsor, Native Native makes secure-by-design inherent to how the cloud operates. It's the control plane for built-in cloud security, unifying and governing native controls, so security intent is defined once and applied consistently across providers. Learn more at native.security.  

All links and images can be found on CISO Series This week's CISO Series Podcast features David Spark, producer of CISO Series, and Andy Ellis, principal of Duha. Joining us is our sponsored guest, Jadee Hanson, CISO, Vanta. In this episode: The compliance receipt nobody reads Who signs off on the AI that wrote the code The agent that wouldn't stop The questionnaire that should not exist 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 Mike Johnson, CISO, Rivian. Joining is Jean-Paul Calabio, vp and CISO, Grainger. In this episode: Scanning the map isn't securing the territory CFOs don't fund faith What your AI inherits Nobody owns the gap Thanks to Jonathan Waldrop, CISO, Acoustic for providing our "What's Worse" scenario. 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 David Spark, producer of CISO Series and Mike Johnson, CISO, Rivian. Joining is Sara Madden, CISO, Convera. This episode was recorded live at BSidesSF 2026. In this episode: Playing vendor roulette Confident and wrong Making conferences count The stakes problem in tabletops A huge thanks to our sponsor, QuilrAI Can you tell if an action in your environment was performed by a human — or an AI agent? QuilrAI's Decision Engine evaluates content, context, and intent before actions complete — across browsers, endpoints, SaaS, LLMs, and agents. Not more alerts. Better decisions, in real time. Visit quilr.ai. A huge thanks to our sponsor, Nudge Security Get a full inventory of AI assets on Day One of your free trial, even those introduced before you started using Nudge. Get started. A huge thanks to our sponsor, Zenity Help shape the future of AI agent security. On May 27th, the AI Agent Security Summit returns to San Francisco. Hear from leading researchers and security pioneers, and usher in the new age of secure AI deployment across the enterprise. Register at zenity.io/ai-security-summit.  

All links and images can be found on CISO Series This week's episode is hosted by David Spark, producer of CISO Series and Michelle Wilson, CISO, Movement Mortgage. Joining is sponsored guest Rob Allen, chief product officer, ThreatLocker. This show was recorded in front of a live audience at ThreatLocker's conference, Zero Trust World 2026. In this episode: Risk as a daily habit AI agents talking to AI agents The code on the lock Words that shape decisions 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 David Spark, producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis, principal of Duha. Joining is Paul Drapeau, head of global information security, New Balance. In this episode: The logo trap Immunity through exposure The synthesis edge The cost of holding tight A huge thanks to our sponsor, Doppel This episode is sponsored by Doppel, the AI-native social engineering defense platform. Doppel strengthens human risk management by training employees to recognize deception, while our digital risk protection detects and disrupts attacks across every channel. Learn more at doppel.com

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.