Texas Cyber Alliance

Cyber doesn't slow down, and neither should your defenses. In this debut episode, Texas Cyber Alliance co-founders Caleb Queern and Gabe Lawrence break down two of the biggest conversations in cybersecurity right now: the Striker breach and its ripple effects across healthcare, and what a landmark AI-and-cyber conference signals about where the industry is heading. If you work in security, IT, or risk management, this one's worth your time. In This Episode- The Striker breach unpacked — what happened, how it affected healthcare systems in Texas, and why it matters beyond the headlines- Nation-state tactics vs. ransomware — how the threat landscape is shifting from financial motivation to disruption as the goal- "Living off the land" attacks — how attackers used standard administrative tooling to cause maximum damage, and what defenders should do about it- Third-party risk and tabletop exercises — practical questions to ask when a critical vendor goes down- The Unprompted conference recap — highlights from a sold-out AI-and-cyber event in San Francisco attended by Google, Adobe, Stripe, and leading security researchers- AI in the development pipeline — how companies are using AI for automated threat modeling and real-time developer feedback inside CI/CD workflowsKey Takeaways1. Don't overlook your admin tools. The same tools you use to manage your environment are high-value targets — harden them like any other critical asset.2. Third-party dependencies need a plan. Know what happens if a key vendor goes down, and make sure your risk team has that relationship covered.3. Asset management is still foundational. You can't protect what you don't know you have — and the tools that track your assets are assets too.4. AI can help you check your own blind spots. Use it to audit configurations, stress-test your assumptions, and identify gaps in hardening — it's a practical use case available right now.The opinions and views expressed herein are as of the date of publication, subject to change without notice, and may not necessarily reflect the institutional views of the Texas Cyber Alliance or the employers of the participants. The material provided is intended for informational purposes only, and does not constitute investment advice, a recommendation from the Texas Cyber Alliance or any participant's employer to take any particular action, or an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any securities or financial products. This material may contain forward-looking statements. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Neither the Texas Cyber Alliance nor any of the participants' employers make any representations or warranties, express or implied, as to the accuracy or completeness of the statements or information contained herein and disclaim any liability whatsoever for reliance on such information for any purpose. Each name of a third-party organization mentioned is the property of the company to which it relates, is used here strictly for informational and identification purposes only and is not used to imply any ownership or license rights between any such company and the Texas Cyber Alliance. A transcript is provided for convenience and may differ from the original video or audio content. The Texas Cyber Alliance is not responsible for any errors in the transcript. This material should not be copied, distributed, published, or reproduced in whole or in part or disclosed by any recipient to any other person without the express written consent of the Texas Cyber Alliance.https://texascyberalliance.org/connect [at] texascyberalliance [dot] org

In this inaugural episode of the Texas Cyber Alliance podcast, co-hosts Caleb Queern and Gabe Lawrence introduce themselves, explain why Texas needs a dedicated cybersecurity alliance, and share what listeners can expect from the show going forward.Texas would rank as roughly the 8th largest economy in the world by GDP — but does its cybersecurity posture reflect that? Caleb and Gabe believe the state has tremendous existing efforts, and even more room to grow. Drawing on a combined 50 years of experience in technology and cybersecurity, they're building TCA to strengthen community, support businesses, and raise the bar for cyber across the Lone Star State.In This Episode How Caleb and Gabe met through the San Diego cybersecurity community (OWASP chapter) and brought that community-building energy to Texas The case for a Texas-specific cybersecurity alliance — and why the state's massive economy demands a stronger cyber posture What to expect from the podcast: short, actionable episodes every two weeks focused on Texas cyber news and security takeaways Plans for in-person activity across the state and future guest episodesTimestamps 00:00 — Welcome and introductions 00:40 — The big "why" behind the Texas Cyber Alliance 02:23 — What to expect from the podcast 03:10 — Episode format: Texas cyber news, actionable takeaways, and community feedback 03:36 — Future plans: guest episodes and in-person events04:10 — How to get involved and closingThe opinions and views expressed herein are as of the date of publication, subject to change without notice, and may not necessarily reflect the institutional views of the Texas Cyber Alliance or the employers of the participants. The material provided is intended for informational purposes only, and does not constitute investment advice, a recommendation from the Texas Cyber Alliance or any participant's employer to take any particular action, or an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any securities or financial products. This material may contain forward-looking statements. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Neither the Texas Cyber Alliance nor any of the participants' employers make any representations or warranties, express or implied, as to the accuracy or completeness of the statements or information contained herein and disclaim any liability whatsoever for reliance on such information for any purpose. Each name of a third-party organization mentioned is the property of the company to which it relates, is used here strictly for informational and identification purposes only and is not used to imply any ownership or license rights between any such company and the Texas Cyber Alliance. A transcript is provided for convenience and may differ from the original video or audio content. The Texas Cyber Alliance is not responsible for any errors in the transcript. This material should not be copied, distributed, published, or reproduced in whole or in part or disclosed by any recipient to any other person without the express written consent of the Texas Cyber Alliance.