Breaking Through in Cybersecurity Marketing

Episode Summary: AI is affecting how cybersecurity teams operate and how security vendors build products.  In this episode, Steve Piper, Founder and CEO of CyberEdge Group and author of the Cyber Threat Defense Report, is here to talk about AI-powered spear phishing, deepfake fraud, and how generative and agentic AI are being integrated into security platforms. Data from the 2025 Cyber Threat Defense Report shows: 82% of security professionals prefer tools with AI capabilities. 80% believe AI will reduce workforce needs in the coming years. More respondents say security teams currently have the upper hand over threat actors. For marketers, this clarifies something important: AI is influencing buyer expectations, product positioning, and hiring conversations across the industry. About Steve: Steve Piper is the Founder and CEO of CyberEdge Group, the largest marketing and research firm dedicated to serving cybersecurity marketing teams. He is also the Editor-in-Chief of Security Buzz, a leading cybersecurity news website. Steve is a highly regarded author, analyst, instructor, and consultant with more than 30 years of tech industry experience. He holds a CISSP certification from ISC2 and has authored more than a dozen books on information security topics. Links & Resources: Check out CyberEdge Group here.  Security Buzz 2025 Cyberthreat Defense Report Steve Piper on LinkedIn Cyber Threat Defense Report Sponsorship Information: View the Sponsor One-Sheet CDR Sponsor Prospectus Subscribe & Review:  👉 Enjoyed this one? Drop us a quick ⭐ rating or review, it helps more cyber marketers find the show. 📩 Questions, feedback, or want to be a guest? Email: podcast@cybersecuritymarketingsociety.com  Follow the Host: Gianna Whitver on LinkedIn Thank you for tuning in to another episode of Breaking Through in Cybersecurity Marketing. You can join the Cybersecurity Marketing Society on our website, on our main LinkedIn page, our Instagram page, or our podcast LinkedIn page.  See you in the next episode!

Episode Summary: AI has changed how buyers do their research. By the time they land on your website, most of the education is already done. That is where many cybersecurity sites start to fall apart. Suyog Deshpande, Co-Founder and CEO of Webless.ai, joins us to break down what this shift means for website strategy. He explains why today’s visitors are often deeper in the buying journey, how cybersecurity buying committees complicate the experience, and why education-first sites do not always serve buyers who are ready to act. Gianna and Suyog also get into how on-site search behavior reveals real buyer intent and why more AI-generated content is not the answer. If your website still assumes buyers are at the top of the funnel, this episode is for you! About Suyog: Suyog Deshpande is the Co-Founder and CEO of Webless.ai, where he works on generative search and content discovery for B2B websites. Before starting Webless, he led product and technical marketing teams at Samsara, Salesforce, and Amplitude. His work sits at the intersection of marketing, product, and how buyers actually find and use information. Links & Resources: Follow Suyog on LinkedIn Check out the Webless.ai  Subscribe & Review: 👉 Enjoyed this one? Drop us a quick ⭐ rating or review, it helps more cyber marketers find the show. 📩 Questions, feedback, or want to be a guest? Email: podcast@cybersecuritymarketingsociety.com  Follow the Hosts: Gianna Whitver on LinkedIn Maria Velasquez on LinkedIn Thank you for tuning in to another episode of Breaking Through in Cybersecurity Marketing. You can join the Cybersecurity Marketing Society on our website, on our main LinkedIn page, our Instagram page, or our podcast LinkedIn page.  See you in the next episode!

Episode Summary: Community gets talked about a lot in cybersecurity; what’s less clear is what it’s supposed to actually look like. In this conversation, Avital Knoller, Head of Ecosystem, Community, and CXO Relationships at Orchid Security, walks through how she thinks about community when it’s tied directly to product and growth.  She breaks down the difference between practitioner-led product communities and broader communities of interest, and why that distinction matters so much in security. Drawing on her experience building communities across nonprofit, startup, and cybersecurity environments, Avital shares how investing in community can create super-users, surface real product feedback, and support go-to-market efforts without feeling salesy or forced. Tune in to hear about practical realities, platform choices, launch timing, engagement expectations, and how to think about ROI while keeping the focus on trust, peer learning, and long-term value. About Avital:Avital (Avi) Knoller is the Head of Ecosystem, Community, and CXO Relationships at Orchid Security, where she leads practitioner community programs and ecosystem engagement for the company’s identity security platform. Avital has experience building and running communities across nonprofit, startup, and cybersecurity environments, with a focus on practitioner engagement and product-focused communities inside security companies. Links & Resources: Avital (Avi) Knoller on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/avital-knoller/ Orchid Security - https://www.orchid.security/ Subscribe & Review: 👉 Enjoyed this one? Drop us a quick ⭐ rating or review, it helps more cyber marketers find the show. 📩 Questions, feedback, or want to be a guest? Email: podcast@cybersecuritymarketingsociety.com  Follow the Hosts: Gianna Whitver on LinkedIn Maria Velasquez on LinkedIn Thank you for tuning in to another episode of Breaking Through in Cybersecurity Marketing. You can join the Cybersecurity Marketing Society on our website, on our main LinkedIn page, our Instagram page, or our podcast LinkedIn page.  See you in the next episode!

Episode Summary: Dan Lowden has a pretty incredible track record—12 startups and eight exits to count—so when he talks about building a marketing engine from scratch, people listen. In this CMO Confidential segment, Dan joins Gianna and Charles to talk about his latest challenge at Blackbird.ai: defining the "Narrative Intelligence" category and helping companies fight disinformation. They get into the real-world grit of going from leading a 70-person team back to being a solo marketer. Dan shares his "punch above your weight" playbook, including why he hired a former CBS news reporter to lead content and how he landed NATO as a marquee customer. Listen to this episode if you are looking to make a small startup feel like an industry giant, build deep analyst credibility without a "pay-to-play" budget, or understand the next big CISO blind spot in narrative intelligence. About Dan:  Dan Lowden is the CMO at Blackbird.ai and a seasoned leader with over 30 years of experience building brands in the tech and cybersecurity spaces. A veteran of 12 startups and eight successful exits, Dan has led marketing for companies such as HUMAN (formerly White Ops), Digital Shadows, and Invincea. He is known for his "hands-on" approach to leadership, often joining as the first marketing hire to transform complex technology into a clear, compelling story. When he isn't defining new security categories like Narrative Intelligence, Dan is an author; he wrote and published the romance novel The Met Kiss during the pandemic. Follow Dan on LinkedIn. Links & Resources: Blackbird.ai: Learn more about narrative intelligence and disinformation security. The Raven Blog: Where Dan’s team publishes primary research on narrative attacks. The Met Kiss: Dan Lowden’s debut romance novel, written during the pandemic. Subscribe & Review: 👉 Enjoyed this one? Drop us a quick ⭐ rating or review, it helps more cyber marketers find the show. 📩 Questions, feedback, or want to be a guest? Email: podcast@cybersecuritymarketingsociety.com  Follow the Hosts: Gianna Whitver on LinkedIn Charles Gold on LinkedIn Thank you for tuning in to another episode of Breaking Through in Cybersecurity Marketing. You can join the Cybersecurity Marketing Society on our website, on our main LinkedIn page, our Instagram page, or our podcast LinkedIn page.  See you in the next episode!

Episode Summary: What happens when a "privacy freak" takes over customer advocacy? You get the DataGrail’s Data Privacy Awards Program, an industry staple that doubles as a masterclass in community building and product research. In this episode, Ian Phippen, Head of Content and Community Marketing at DataGrail, joins Gianna and Maria to pull back the curtain on running a high-impact awards program. Ian shares how they transformed a standard advocacy play into a mission-driven brand engine that attracts hundreds of nominations, of which only 40% are customers. Whether you're launching your first awards ceremony or looking for more human ways to connect with your technical audience, Ian’s insights offer a roadmap for marketing with integrity. About Ian:  Ian Phippen is the Head of Content and Community at DataGrail and the architect of the Data Privacy Hero Awards.  A 2025 Marquee Award winner for Best New-to-Cyber Talent, they moved from a background in education and e-commerce marketing at companies like Recharge and Provi to become a dedicated "privacy freak" in the cybersecurity space.  Ian specializes in building high-trust recognition programs that turn industry advocacy into deep market intelligence. Follow Ian on LinkedIn.  Links and Resources: DataGrail: The data privacy platform leading the shift toward "human-centric" privacy. 2025 Data Privacy Heroes: The official announcement and profiles of the most recent award winners. Sessionize: The event management tool mentioned for handling speaker and award calls. Recharge & Provi: Previous companies where Ian built their marketing and community foundation. Subscribe & Review: 👉 Enjoyed this one? Drop us a quick ⭐ rating or review, it helps more cyber marketers find the show. 📩 Questions, feedback, or want to be a guest? Email: podcast@cybersecuritymarketingsociety.com  Follow the Hosts: Gianna Whitver on LinkedIn Maria Velasquez on LinkedIn Thank you for tuning in to another episode of Breaking Through in Cybersecurity Marketing. You can join the Cybersecurity Marketing Society on our website, on our main LinkedIn page, our Instagram page, or our podcast LinkedIn page.  See you in the next episode!

Episode Summary: Cat Allen, Senior Product Marketing Manager at SpyCloud, brings a rare mix of technical grounding and ethical clarity to cybersecurity marketing. Her path into the industry was unconventional, shaped by psychology, hands-on technical training, and a deep interest in privacy, surveillance, and responsible data use. The conversation focuses on what it means to market security products responsibly, especially in an industry where marketers are frequent targets and data collection can quietly introduce risk. Cat shares how her technical background helps her bridge engineering and go-to-market teams while keeping trust, accuracy, and transparency at the center. The episode also explores tougher questions about workplace ethics, the limits of compliance, personal responsibility for data privacy, and the broader implications of AI. About Cat:  Cat Allen is a Senior Product Marketing Manager at SpyCloud, working on product messaging, enablement, and go-to-market support for cybersecurity teams. She has held senior product marketing roles at Cloudflare and Everfox (formerly Forcepoint). She is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Cybersecurity and brings a technical foundation into her work, partnering closely with product, engineering, and revenue teams. Follow her on LinkedIn.  Links & Resources: SpyCloud Signal (secure messaging)Proton Mail DeleteMe1Password Subscribe & Review: 👉 Enjoyed this one? Drop us a quick ⭐ rating or review, it helps more cyber marketers find the show. 📩 Questions, feedback, or want to be a guest? Email: podcast@cybersecuritymarketingsociety.com  Follow the Hosts: Gianna Whitver on LinkedIn Maria Velasquez on LinkedIn Thank you for tuning in to another episode of Breaking Through in Cybersecurity Marketing. You can join the Cybersecurity Marketing Society on our website, on our main LinkedIn page, our Instagram page, or our podcast LinkedIn page.  See you in the next episode!

Episode Summary: Maria and Gianna are joined this week by Tyler Lessard, Chief Marketing Officer at TechnologyAdvice, for a grounded look at how cybersecurity and B2B buying behavior are shifting and what that means for marketers trying to break through the noise. The conversation centers on preference marketing and why buyers are forming vendor shortlists earlier than ever, often before any formal evaluation begins. Tyler shares insights from TechnologyAdvice’s research on how younger buying committees, particularly Millennial and Gen Z decision-makers, rely less on legacy analyst models and more on trusted external channels like creators, newsletters, niche communities, Reddit, and peer-driven influence. The discussion wraps with a takeaway for marketers planning: TechnologyAdvice’s Cybersecurity Marketing Handbook, built to help teams identify where influence actually lives and how to show up there with intent. About Tyler Tyler Lessard is the Chief Marketing Officer at TechnologyAdvice, where he focuses on research-led perspectives on buyer behavior and helping cybersecurity and B2B marketers navigate how influence and trust are formed today.  He works closely with marketing teams across the industry, drawing on TechnologyAdvice’s portfolio of enterprise IT and cybersecurity media brands to identify where buyers research, who they trust, and how preferences are shaped before formal evaluations begin. Follow Tyler on LinkedIn.  Links & Resources: 3 Trends that will Redefine B2B Marketing in 2026 Cybersecurity Marketing Handbook TechnologyAdvice Subscribe & Review: 👉 Enjoyed this one? Drop us a quick ⭐ rating or review, it helps more cyber marketers find the show. 📩 Questions, feedback, or want to be a guest? Email: podcast@cybersecuritymarketingsociety.com  Follow the Hosts: Gianna Whitver on LinkedIn Maria Velasquez on LinkedIn Thank you for tuning in to another episode of Breaking Through in Cybersecurity Marketing. You can join the Cybersecurity Marketing Society on our website, on our main LinkedIn page, our Instagram page, or our podcast LinkedIn page.  See you in the next episode!

Episode Summary: We’re starting 2026 with a topic every marketer claims to love until they’re actually in it: rebrands. Gianna sits down with Alicia Di Vittorio, Head of Brand & Corporate Marketing at Silverfort, to talk through what a real rebrand looks like when you’re doing it inside a fast-moving cybersecurity startup. They get into the actual messy parts: getting execs aligned on positioning, figuring out who’s allowed to give input (and who isn’t), redesigning a logo way later than anyone wants to admit, and trying to keep the team creative while the production backlog is eating everyone alive. It’s honest, funny, and painfully relatable for anyone who’s ever opened a RACI chart in desperation. If you’re planning a rebrand this year, this episode will either make you feel seen… or slightly afraid. Both are useful. About Alicia:  Alicia Di Vittorio is the Head of Brand & Corporate Marketing at Silverfort, where she leads the company’s brand, communications, AR/PR, content, and creative strategy. Before Silverfort, she drove corporate marketing at DataGrail and helped launch Stairwell out of stealth as Interim CMO. She’s led multiple rebrands across fast-moving cybersecurity startups and has the scars (and wisdom) to prove it. Follow Alicia on LinkedIn.  🔗 Links & Resources: Silverfort – Identity Security Platform https://www.silverfort.com Subscribe & Review: 👉 Enjoyed this one? Drop us a quick ⭐ rating or review, it helps more cyber marketers find the show. 📩 Questions, feedback, or want to be a guest? Email: podcast@cybersecuritymarketingsociety.com  Follow the Hosts: Gianna Whitver on LinkedIn Maria Velasquez on LinkedIn Thank you for tuning in to another episode of Breaking Through in Cybersecurity Marketing. You can join the Cybersecurity Marketing Society on our website, our main LinkedIn page, our Instagram page, or our podcast LinkedIn page.  See you in the next episode!

As we take a brief end-of-year pause for CyberMarketingCon and holiday chaos, we’re bringing back one of 2025’s most replayed and requested episodes. Consider this your chance to revisit the insights you loved or catch an episode you might’ve missed. Episode Summary: This week, we’ve got an extra special guest, Joe Aurilia, Jr., SVP of Operations at Cyware. Joining Gianna and Maria to talk more about the art of scaling, automating, and just plain getting stuff done. Joe takes us on a ride from being Cyware’s first U.S. hire (aka "the guinea pig") to building and overseeing every corner of operations from legal and IT to rev ops and marketing ops.  We chat about how to spot and fix the messiest processes, why RevOps is the unsung hero of the GTM engine, and what happens when contracts, people, and data collide. Joe also drops gems on internal sales/marketing for change management, and we close out with his dream career as an ice cream shop owner. Plus: purple dashboards, auctioneer aspirations, and a serious stance on free sprinkles. 🔗Links & Resources Mentioned: Cyware Asana Cybersecurity Marketing Society CyberMarketingCon25 🔔 Subscribe & Review: If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a rating & review on your favorite podcast platform. It helps us grow and brings you more awesome guests! 📩 Got feedback or want to be on the show? Email us at podcast@cybersecuritymarketingsociety.com  Be sure also to follow our hosts on LinkedIn: 👉 Gianna Whitver 👉 Maria Velasquez Thanks for tuning in. Remember, every Wednesday, we drop a new episode guaranteed to knock your SOCs off. 😎

As we take a brief end-of-year pause for CyberMarketingCon and holiday chaos, we’re bringing back one of 2025’s most replayed and requested episodes. Consider this your chance to revisit the insights you loved or catch an episode you might’ve missed. Episode Summary: Tom Wentworth, CMO at Incident.io, got tired of doing the same stuff over and over, so he built AI agents to do it for him. Sales call summaries? Automated. Blog posts from discovery calls? Done in minutes. Battle cards? They update themselves. He’s wiring together Slack, Notion, Zapier, Gong, and ChatGPT in ways that help his team move faster without adding headcount or complexity. There are no big declarations, just real systems that save time and don’t annoy people. We talk about what’s working, what’s breaking, and how far you can push things without sounding like a robot. Also: cold plunges, prompt rage, and the Notion doc that’s 90 pages long. 🎧 Press play to hear how Tom stretches modern marketing ops with the right automation setup. Links & Resources Mentioned: ⁠Incident.io⁠ ⁠Gong⁠ ⁠Zapier⁠ ⁠ChatGPT⁠ ⁠Notion⁠ ⁠Slack⁠ ⁠Common Room⁠ ⁠Sanity CMS⁠ ⁠11Labs (Voice AI)⁠ About Tom: Tom is a high-growth SaaS marketing leader with experience across enterprise GTM and product-led models. He writes occasionally about tech marketing at⁠ tomwentworth.com⁠ and previously hosted the Scaleup Marketing podcast. Follow Tom on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ Subscribe & Review: Enjoyed this episode? Leave us a ⭐ rating or review, it helps more marketers find the show. 📩 Questions, feedback, or want to be a guest? Email: ⁠podcast@cybersecuritymarketingsociety.com⁠  Follow the Hosts: Gianna Whitver on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ Charles Gold on ⁠LinkedIn⁠  Thank you for tuning in to another episode of Breaking Through in Cybersecurity Marketing. You can join the Cybersecurity Marketing Society on ⁠our website⁠, main ⁠LinkedIn page⁠, ⁠Instagram⁠ page, or podcast ⁠LinkedIn⁠ page.  See you in the next episode!

As we take a brief end-of-year pause for CyberMarketingCon and holiday chaos, we’re bringing back one of 2025’s most replayed and requested episodes. Consider this your chance to revisit the insights you loved or catch an episode you might’ve missed. Episode Summary: What do VCs think about your GTM strategy? This week, Gianna and Maria chat with Asad Khaliq and Mark Kraynak, two of Acrew Capital's founding members, about what it takes to build or break a go-to-market motion at an early-stage cyber startup. Asad and Mark share how Acrew was founded, why they’re so focused on cyber and data, and what they’ve learned from backing some of the most well-known names in the industry. From hiring your first salesperson to avoiding “we stop threats” messaging, they’ve seen it all and they’re sharing the good, the bad, and the surprisingly funny. About the guest:  Follow Asad on LinkedIn. Follow Mark on LinkedIn.  Follow Acrew Capital on LinkedIn or the website.  💌 Feedback or Wanna Be on the Show? Email: podcast@cybersecuritymarketingsociety.com  Follow your hosts on LinkedIn: 👉Gianna Whitver👉Maria Velasquez Thank you for tuning in to another episode of Breaking Through in Cybersecurity Marketing. Join the Cybersecurity Marketing Society on our website, on our main LinkedIn page, or on our podcast LinkedIn page, and keep up with us on Twitter. See you in the next episode!

Episode Summary: We’re back in Las Vegas for Part 2 of our live series from the ManageEngine User Conference, this time shifting from the conference floor to the hallways, lobby couches, and those slightly delirious late-night conversations fueled entirely by hotel coffee. Part 1 focused on how ManageEngine builds trust from the inside. Part 2 flips the perspective outward, bringing in three very different voices: an AI governance advisor, an innovation leader, and a veteran tech journalist, all wrestling with how AI, security, and trust are colliding across the industry. It’s a grounded, candid look at what people are really thinking about AI right now, far beyond the keynote slides and vendor hype. (And yes, all three guests happen to be named Alex. I promise we didn’t plan that.) Have a listen — this one hits a different part of the conversation. About Guests:  Alex Sharpe — Board Advisor & Cyber Governance Expert (Sharpe LLC) Alex works at the intersection of business strategy, cyber governance, and operational resilience. He’s advised Fortune 100 boards, taught resilience at NYU, and helped companies navigate everything from AI risk to major M&A events.  Alex Goryachev — WSJ Bestselling Author & AI Innovation Exec Alex helps companies make sense of AI, build innovation programs that actually work, and navigate the cultural side of transformation. He’s led AI and innovation efforts at Cisco, Dell, Amgen, and the California State University system. In this episode, he breaks down trust, safety, and why employees quietly automate half their jobs. Alex Williams — Founder & Publisher, The New Stack Alex is a veteran tech journalist and the founder of The New Stack, where he covers how modern software gets built and operated at scale. Before that, he wrote about cloud and enterprise tech at ReadWriteWeb and TechCrunch. 🔗 Links & Resources: Attend the ManageEngine User Conference The New Stack — Alex Williams’ publication: https://thenewstack.io Alex Goryachev — AI & innovation keynote site: https://alexgoryachev.com  Subscribe & Review: 👉 Enjoyed this one? Drop us a quick ⭐ rating or review, it helps more cyber marketers find the show. 📩 Questions, feedback, or want to be a guest? Email: podcast@cybersecuritymarketingsociety.com  Follow the Hosts: Gianna Whitver on LinkedIn Maria Velasquez on LinkedIn Thank you for tuning in to another episode of Breaking Through in Cybersecurity Marketing. You can join the Cybersecurity Marketing Society on our website, our main LinkedIn page, our Instagram page, or our podcast LinkedIn page.  See you in the next episode!

Episode Summary: We took the podcast on the road for this one. Gianna spent two days roaming the ManageEngine User Conference in Las Vegas,  mic in hand, slightly over-caffeinated, talking with the people who actually keep this massive IT management ecosystem running. This episode brings together conversations with the CMO, the team leading North America operations and partnerships, and one of ManageEngine’s longtime global channel partners. Different roles, different vantage points, but everyone came back to the same theme: trust. Not the buzzword version, the real kind, where meeting someone face-to-face finally puts a human behind the support ticket. And yes, Part 2 is on the way. We’ve got more interviews from the conference floor, including late-night influencer conversations and a studio-recorded session with the VP of Product. Think of this episode as the first half of the full story. About Guests:  Ajay Kumar — Head of Global Marketing, ManageEngine (a division of Zoho Corp.)Ajay leads global marketing across the entire ManageEngine portfolio. Haja Moideen — Head of North America Business, Operations & Strategic Channel Partnerships; Official Spokesperson for ManageEngineHaja runs the operations and partner ecosystem across the U.S. and Canada. Mohamed Abdelhay — Co-Founder & Business Development Director, SanaTech Global Solutions (ManageEngine Partner)Mohamed has been deploying, integrating, and selling ManageEngine products for well over a decade. He started in Egypt, grew his customer base one implementation at a time, and now runs SanaTech’s business development efforts from Los Angeles. 🔗 Links & Resources: ManageEngine User Conference (Las Vegas)ManageEngine product documents — full list of features, use cases, and technical specs.  Subscribe & Review: 👉 Enjoyed this one? Drop us a quick ⭐ rating or review, it helps more cyber marketers find the show. 📩 Questions, feedback, or want to be a guest? Email: podcast@cybersecuritymarketingsociety.com  Meet us at CyberMarketingCon 2025! Want to level up your cybersecurity marketing? Join us Dec 7–10 in Austin, TX, for four days of zero-fluff workshops, real-deal networking, and maybe the best BBQ meetup you’ll ever have. 👉 Snag your ticket now! See you in Austin, where the insights and vibes are hotter. Follow the Hosts: Gianna Whitver on LinkedIn Maria Velasquez on LinkedIn Thank you for tuning in to another episode of Breaking Through in Cybersecurity Marketing. You can join the Cybersecurity Marketing Society on our website, our main LinkedIn page, our Instagram page, or our podcast LinkedIn page.  See you in the next episode!

Episode Summary: This week, we’re sharing a special crossover episode originally recorded for ITSP Magazine. Gianna and Maria join hosts Sean Martin and Marco Ciappelli for an on-location conversation about how the Cybersecurity Marketing Society got started, why our industry’s buyers behave the way they do, and what makes cybersecurity marketing fundamentally different from every other field. They discuss trust, burnout, AI buzzwords, why buyers dislike being sold to, and how marketing teams can effectively demonstrate value in a saturated, hyper-technical market. You’ll also hear what to expect at CyberMarketingCon 2025, from hands-on AI workshops to a marketer-only CTF, and why the event has become a reunion for practitioners across the ecosystem. If you want a grounded conversation about real marketing challenges (minus the fluffy vendor vibes), this one’s worth your time. About Sean and Marco: Sean Martin, CISSP, is Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief at ITSP Magazine, a multimedia platform exploring the intersection of technology, cybersecurity, and society. He hosts their “On Location” podcast series and several other shows, blending deep cybersecurity insights with human-scale storytelling. Marco Ciappelli is Co-Founder and Creative Director at ITSP Magazine, host of its podcasts, and lead for their “At the Intersection” story platform. He brings branding, media, and societal insight to the conversation about cybersecurity’s broader role. 🔗 Links & Resources: ITSP Magazine  ITSP Magazine On-Location Podcast Series  Subscribe & Review: 👉 Enjoyed this one? Drop us a quick ⭐ rating or review, it helps more cyber marketers find the show. 📩 Questions, feedback, or want to be a guest? Email: podcast@cybersecuritymarketingsociety.com  Meet us at CyberMarketingCon 2025! Want to level up your cybersecurity marketing? Join us Dec 7–10 in Austin, TX, for four days of zero-fluff workshops, real-deal networking, and maybe the best BBQ meetup you’ll ever have. 👉 Snag your ticket now! See you in Austin, where the insights and vibes are hotter. Follow the Hosts: Gianna Whitver on LinkedIn Maria Velasquez on LinkedIn Thank you for tuning in to another episode of Breaking Through in Cybersecurity Marketing. You can join the Cybersecurity Marketing Society on our website, our main LinkedIn page, our Instagram page, or our podcast LinkedIn page.  See you in the next episode!

Episode Summary: Gianna sits down and talks with Adam Vincent, founder and CEO of Bricklayer AI, about selling first and letting the market shape your message. After bootstrapping and shipping an MVP in summer 2023, Adam called (literally phone called) his way into product clarity and pipeline, then watched curiosity turn into urgency in Q2 2025. They get practical on where agents help today, so security teams finally use the tools they already pay for. You’ll hear: The words that make buyers lean in. Agents that handle alert triage, weekly intel briefs, and vulnerability prioritization. Meeting to SQO rising from about 30% (Q1 2025) to about 78% (Q2 2025). If you’re looking for buyer-tested phrasing, three practical agent workflows, and a simple outreach pattern you can run tomorrow, this episode is for you. About Adam: Adam Vincent is the Founder and CEO of Bricklayer AI. He’s spent his career building software that helps security analysts do their jobs better and has worn the hats: QA, engineering, and CTO. Early at Layer 7 Technologies, he built the federal practice across sales, marketing, and tech.  In his last startup, he says the team grew revenue from zero to $30M ARR. He founded Bricklayer AI, bootstrapped for about a year, launched an MVP in summer 2023, and runs founder-led sales while standing up marketing and sales leadership. Follow Adam on LinkedIn 🔗 Links & Resources: Bricklayer AI  ThreatConnect  Layer 7 (now Broadcom Layer7 API Management) Subscribe & Review: 👉 Enjoyed this one? Drop us a quick ⭐ rating or review, it helps more cyber marketers find the show. 📩 Questions, feedback, or want to be a guest? Email: podcast@cybersecuritymarketingsociety.com  Meet us at CyberMarketingCon 2025! Want to level up your cybersecurity marketing? Join us Dec 7–10 in Austin, TX, for four days of zero-fluff workshops, real-deal networking, and maybe the best BBQ meetup you’ll ever have. 👉 Snag your ticket now! See you in Austin, where the insights and vibes are hotter. Follow the Hosts: Gianna Whitver on LinkedIn Maria Velasquez on LinkedIn Thank you for tuning in to another episode of Breaking Through in Cybersecurity Marketing. You can join the Cybersecurity Marketing Society on our website, main LinkedIn page, Instagram page, or podcast LinkedIn page.  See you in the next episode!

Episode Summary: We’re back with another round of Cyber CMO Confidential, where Gianna and Charles ask the questions every cybersecurity marketer wishes they could ask their CMO. This time, Karl Van den Bergh, Illumio’s CMO, shares why he dropped the “ing” and became a Chief Market Officer. He unpacks Illumio’s shift from zero trust segmentation to breach containment, the fine line between AI innovation and AI nonsense, and why marketers need to stop selling and start representing the market. 🎧 Listen to the full episode for Karl’s take on authenticity, AI hype, and what it really means to market the market. About Karl:  Karl Van den Bergh is the Chief Market Officer at Illumio, where he leads global marketing for the company’s breach containment and Zero Trust Segmentation platform. With over two decades in enterprise software and cybersecurity, he’s known for transforming complex technology brands into clear, market-driven stories. Before joining Illumio, Karl served as CMO at Gigamon and DataStax, where he helped reposition both companies for modern, security-focused growth. His work centers on connecting product strategy to real market needs and building brands that lead with clarity, not jargon. Follow Karl on LinkedIn.  🔗 Links & Resources: Illumio – Learn more about the company’s breach containment and Zero Trust Segmentation platform. Subscribe & Review: 👉 Enjoyed this one? Drop us a quick ⭐ rating or review, it helps more cyber marketers find the show. 📩 Questions, feedback, or want to be a guest? Email: podcast@cybersecuritymarketingsociety.com  Meet us at CyberMarketingCon 2025! Want to level up your cybersecurity marketing? Join us Dec 7–10 in Austin, TX, for four days of zero-fluff workshops, real-deal networking, and maybe the best BBQ meetup you’ll ever have. 👉 Snag your ticket now! See you in Austin, where the insights and vibes are hotter. Follow the Hosts: Gianna Whitver on LinkedIn Maria Velasquez on LinkedIn Thank you for tuning in to another episode of Breaking Through in Cybersecurity Marketing. You can join the Cybersecurity Marketing Society on our website, main LinkedIn page, Instagram page, or podcast LinkedIn page.  See you in the next episode!

Episode Summary: Gianna and Maria take a break from guest interviews to share what’s ahead at CyberMarketingCon 2025, coming December 7–10 in Austin, TX, and streaming online. From building your first AI agent or tackling a marketer’s CTF, to designing sharper content in Canva, this year’s workshops go hands-on fast. They walk through new summits for CMOs, founders, and sales teams, introduce fresh AI-driven sponsors, and preview Austin’s most unexpected highlight, a cybersecurity-themed wrestling show. It’s a glimpse at how the community keeps growing, connecting, and having fun. 👉 Listen to the full episode for insider updates, practical tips, and a few behind-the-scenes laughs from the team bringing CyberMarketingCon to life. About the hosts: Gianna Whitver and Maria Velasquez are the co-founders of the Cybersecurity Marketing Society and organizers of CyberMarketingCon, the annual conference for security marketers, founders, and GTM leaders to connect, learn, and grow together. Meet us at CyberMarketingCon 2025! Want to level up your cybersecurity marketing? Join us Dec 7–10 in Austin, TX, for four days of zero-fluff workshops, real-deal networking, and maybe the best BBQ meetup you’ll ever have. 👉 Snag your ticket now! See you in Austin, where the insights and vibes are hotter. Subscribe & Review: 👉 Enjoyed this one? Drop us a quick ⭐ rating or review, it helps more cyber marketers find the show. 📩 Questions, feedback, or want to be a guest? Email: podcast@cybersecuritymarketingsociety.com  Follow the Hosts: Gianna Whitver on LinkedIn Maria Velasquez on LinkedIn Thank you for tuning in to another episode of Breaking Through in Cybersecurity Marketing. You can join the Cybersecurity Marketing Society on our website, main LinkedIn page, Instagram page, or podcast LinkedIn page.  See you in the next episode!

Episode Summary: Most marketers learn executive communication the hard way. Rob Sobers, CMO at Varonis, joins Gianna and Charles to share what he’s figured out along the way, how to lead with the answer, give data real context, and know when to stop talking. He explains how to tailor communication for CEOs, boards, and peers, and why too much detail can make you sound less senior, not more informed. The conversation also covers the habits that build trust over time: using templates for consistency, setting clear values so teams can move without micromanagement, and preparing for the “most obvious objections” before they’re raised. 👉 Listen to the full episode for practical examples, career lessons, and Rob’s take on the one buzzword he’d retire from cybersecurity marketing for good. About Rob: Rob Sobers is the Chief Marketing Officer at Varonis, a leader in data security. He began his career as a software engineer before moving into marketing, giving him a unique perspective on how technical and business teams communicate. At Varonis, Rob leads global marketing strategy and focuses on helping organizations understand and reduce data risk. He’s also the co-author of Learn Ruby the Hard Way and a longtime advocate for practical, transparent communication inside complex organizations. Follow Rob Sobers on LinkedIn 🔗 Links & Resources: Varonis: varonis.com Dave Kellogg’s Blog (Kellblog): kellblog.com Carilu Dietrich’s Post on Executive Communication: LinkedIn article  Elevate Your Marketing Dashboard: How to Impress the CEO, CRO, and CFO — Carilu Dietrich (Substack) Wes Kao’s “15 Principles for Managing Up”: weskao.com  Subscribe & Review: 👉 Enjoyed this one? Drop us a quick ⭐ rating or review, it helps more cyber marketers find the show. 📩 Questions, feedback, or want to be a guest? Email: podcast@cybersecuritymarketingsociety.com  Meet us at CyberMarketingCon 2025! Want to level up your cybersecurity marketing? Join us Dec 7–10 in Austin, TX, for four days of zero-fluff workshops, real-deal networking, and maybe the best BBQ meetup you’ll ever have. 👉 Snag your ticket now! See you in Austin, where the insights and vibes are hotter. Follow the Hosts: Gianna Whitver on LinkedIn Maria Velasquez on LinkedIn Thank you for tuning in to another episode of Breaking Through in Cybersecurity Marketing. You can join the Cybersecurity Marketing Society on our website, main LinkedIn page, Instagram page, or podcast LinkedIn page.  See you in the next episode!

Episode Summary: What started as two marketers looking for support has grown into a 4,000-member community and CyberMarketingCon, the go-to conference for anyone driving go-to-market in security. In this replay from Chris Hughes’ Resilient Cyber show, Gianna and Maria share what makes the Society different, why the event feels more like a reunion than a conference, and what’s waiting in Austin this December (or online if that’s easier): hands-on workshops, founder + investor sessions, and this year’s theme — the Marketing Time Machine. Make sure you get your ticket today: https://www.cybermarketingconference.com/  About: Chris Hughes is the host of Resilient Cyber and the President and CEO of Aquia, where he helps organizations securely adopt cloud and modern software practices. His show brings practitioners, builders, and leaders together to talk openly about the challenges and opportunities in cybersecurity. Follow Chris on LinkedIn Gianna Whitver is Co-Founder and CEO of the Cybersecurity Marketing Society, and Maria Velasquez is Co-Founder and Chief Growth Officer. They started the Society in 2020 to build a community for cyber marketers, now 4,000+ strong. They also run CyberMarketingCon, the go-to industry conference for anyone working in go-to-market. 🔗 Links & Resources: Chris Hughes’ Resilient Cyber show  Get your ticket for CyberMarketingCon 2025  Cybersecurity Marketing Society Resilient Cyber podcast: resilientcyber.io  Subscribe & Review: 👉 Enjoyed this one? Drop us a quick ⭐ rating or review, it helps more cyber marketers find the show. 📩 Questions, feedback, or want to be a guest? Email: podcast@cybersecuritymarketingsociety.com  Meet us at CyberMarketingCon 2025! Want to level up your cybersecurity marketing? Join us Dec 7–10 in Austin, TX, for four days of zero-fluff workshops, real-deal networking, and maybe the best BBQ meetup you’ll ever have. 👉 Snag your ticket now! See you in Austin, where the insights and vibes are hotter. Follow the Hosts: Gianna Whitver on LinkedIn Maria Velasquez on LinkedIn Thank you for tuning in to another episode of Breaking Through in Cybersecurity Marketing. You can join the Cybersecurity Marketing Society on our website, main LinkedIn page, Instagram page, or podcast LinkedIn page.  See you in the next episode!

Episode Summary: RSAC has officially expanded its research team with 11 new hires, plus another major research release is dropping this October. Guests Ben Waring and Jessica Porter join us to break down what the expansion means for the industry and how RSAC is stepping into year-round thought leadership. They also take us inside the new RSAC digital community, where AI-powered tools, curated news briefs, and private peer groups keep cybersecurity pros connected long after the conference floor closes. On the startup side, it’s the 20th anniversary of Innovation Sandbox with submissions up nearly 40% and a new $5M investment fueling each finalist’s growth. Plus, for anyone eyeing the RSAC 2026 stage, Ben and Jessica share what makes a Call for Speakers submission stand out and what gets it cut. Listen to this episode before your next submission, pitch, or conference plan; you’ll thank yourself later. About guests: Ben Waring is the Director of Global PR and Communications at RSAC. He leads the global public relations strategy for the conference and its year-round community platform, managing media engagement, high-profile speaker press, and live event communications. Follow Ben on LinkedIn. Jessica Porter is Senior Director of Marketing at RSAC, where she has worked since 2017. She drives go-to-market strategy, targeted attendance, and community engagement, building RSAC into a year-round hub for cybersecurity learning. Previously, Jessica held integrated marketing roles at RSA Security. Follow Jessica on LinkedIn . 🔗 Links & Resources: RSAC Membership overview (launch blog) RSAC Membership platform demo (video) RSAC Cybersecurity Atlas (interactive tool)  RSAC Innovation Sandbox (program) Innovation Sandbox — How it Works (submission details) RSAC Launch Pad (program) RSAC Call for Submissions (Closed)  RSAC Research (report landing example) Subscribe & Review: 👉 Enjoyed this one? Drop us a quick ⭐ rating or review, it helps more cyber marketers find the show. 📩 Questions, feedback, or want to be a guest? Email: podcast@cybersecuritymarketingsociety.com  Meet us at CyberMarketingCon 2025! Want to level up your cybersecurity marketing? Join us Dec 7–10 in Austin, TX, for four days of zero-fluff workshops, real-deal networking, and maybe the best BBQ meetup you’ll ever have. 👉 Snag your ticket now! See you in Austin, where the insights and vibes are hotter. Follow the Hosts: Gianna Whitver on LinkedIn Maria Velasquez on LinkedIn Thank you for tuning in to another episode of Breaking Through in Cybersecurity Marketing. You can join the Cybersecurity Marketing Society on our website, main LinkedIn page, Instagram page, or podcast LinkedIn page.  See you in the next episode!