CISO Series Podcast

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, Duha. Joining us is our sponsored guest, Edward Wu, CEO and founder, Dropzone AI. In this episode:  Building context-aware verification frameworks Understanding why UX fails Moving beyond AI replacement narratives Building for a crisis A 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 me, David Spark, producer of CISO Series and Edward Contreras, senior evp and CISO, Frost Bank. Joining us is Anthony Candeias, CISO, Weight Watchers. In this episode: AI agents require structured supervision, not autonomy Hiring for potential over credentials in cybersecurity AppSec training effectiveness depends on organizational relevance AI oversight requires purpose-built models, not general solutions A huge thanks to our sponsor, Vanta Vanta’s Trust Management Platform helps 10k+ companies—like Atlassian, Quora, and Chili Piper—start and scale their security programs and build trust with buyers. Vanta saves security teams time and improves program visibility by automating 35+ compliance frameworks, such as SOC 2 and ISO 27001, and GRC workflows, like risk management. Get started at Vanta.com/CISO

All links and images can be found on CISO Series. Check out this post for the discussion that is the basis of our conversation on this week’s episode co-hosted by me, David Spark, the producer of CISO Series, and Mike Johnson, CISO, Rivian. Joining us is Anne Marie Zettlemoyer, former vp of security, Activision Blizzard. In this episode SOC automation: Moving beyond alert fatigue The entry-level security talent reality Learning from security incidents without blame Evaluating security vendor viability and partnerships A huge thanks to our sponsor, ThreatLocker ThreatLocker® is a global leader in Zero Trust endpoint security, offering cybersecurity controls to protect businesses from zero-day attacks and ransomware. ThreatLocker operates with a default deny approach to reduce the attack surface and mitigate potential cyber vulnerabilities. To learn more and start your free trial, visit ThreatLocker.com.

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 Edward Contreras, senior evp and CISO, Frost Bank. Joining us is Ryan Bachman, executive vice president and CISO, GM Financial. In this episode Identity consolidation versus simplification Entry-level pathways into cybersecurity Evolution of the CISO role toward business resilience Applying simplification principles to cybersecurity complexity Huge thanks to our sponsor, Doppel Doppel is the first social engineering defense platform built to dismantle deception at the source. It uses AI and infrastructure correlation to detect, link, and disrupt impersonation campaigns before they spread - protecting brands, executives, and employees while turning every threat into action that strengthens defenses across a shared intelligence network.

All links and images can be found on CISO Series. This week’s episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), partner, YL Ventures. Joining us is Alex Hall, CISO, Gensler. In this episode: Evaluating secure messaging beyond the app Reframing compliance as a business enabler Incremental security investment vs. crisis response Why culture, not punishment, drives secure behavior Huge thanks to our sponsor, Vanta Automate, centralize, & scale your GRC program with 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. And the impact is real: A recent IDC analysis found that compliance teams using Vanta are 129% more productive. Get started 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, partner, YL Ventures. Joining us is our sponsored guest, Sam Curry, global vp, CISO at Zscaler. This episode was recorded at a Zscaler event in Boston, MA. In this episode: Guardrails for decision making under fatigue Preparing for quantum threats Strategic use of generative AI Reassessing outdated knowledge Huge thanks to our sponsor, Zscaler Zscaler is a cloud-based cybersecurity company that provides secure internet access and private application access. Its platform replaces traditional network security by delivering Zero Trust architecture, protecting users, data, and applications regardless of location. Zscaler’s scalable services help organizations modernize IT and reduce risk with seamless, cloud-native security solutions.

All images and links can be found on CISO Series. This week’s episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), partner, YL Ventures. Joining us is Alexandra Landegger, global head of cyber strategy & transformation, RTX. In this episode: A cybersecurity fast-track? When Ambition Becomes a Liability Giving the CVE Program the Credit It Deserves Elevating human cyber talent with AI Huge thanks to our sponsors, Nudge Security, SecurityScorecard, and Vanta Take control of SaaS security and AI governance with Nudge Security. Start a free trial today and get a full inventory of all SaaS and GenAI accounts in minutes along with risk insights and automation to help you quickly improve your security posture. Get started here: nudgesecurity.com/cisoseries   Third-party risk doesn’t stop at monitoring. SecurityScorecard delivers real-time detection and response across your supply chain—helping you fix vulnerabilities before they become breaches. Empower your team with expert-driven remediation, continuous vendor oversight, and board-ready insights that drive results.   Automate, centralize, & scale your GRC program with 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. And the impact is real: A recent IDC analysis found that compliance teams using Vanta are 129% more productive. Get started at Vanta.com/ciso.

All links and images can be found on CISO Series. This week’s episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), partner, YL Ventures. Joining us is Tim Jacobs, vp, CISO, Commonwealth Care Alliance. In this episode: Starting from zero Prepare for decisive decisions Working back from unacceptable Discovering inefficiencies  A huge thanks to our sponsor, ThreatLocker ThreatLocker® is a global leader in Zero Trust endpoint security, offering cybersecurity controls to protect businesses from zero-day attacks and ransomware. ThreatLocker operates with a default deny approach to reduce the attack surface and mitigate potential cyber vulnerabilities. To learn more and start your free trial, visit ThreatLocker.com.  

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. I host this week’s episode, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Jesse Whaley, CISO, Amtrak. Joining them is their guest Vaughn Hazen, CISO, CN. In this episode: The classics endure The rules of the rail "Prove It. With data." It's all just software A huge thanks to our sponsor, Doppel Doppel is the first social engineering defense platform built to dismantle deception at the source. It uses AI and infrastructure correlation to detect, link, and disrupt impersonation campaigns before they spread - protecting brands, executives, and employees while turning every threat into action that strengthens defenses across a shared intelligence network. Learn more at https://www.doppel.com/platform

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week’s episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), partner, YL Ventures. Joining us is our sponsored guest, Saket Modi, co-founder and CEO, SAFE Security. In this episode: Elevating AI to table stakes Security for the real world Using dynamic models for TPRM The agentic AI augmentation  Huge thanks to our sponsor, SAFE Security SAFE (#1 platform to unify the management of all cyber risks) has reinvented cyber risk management with Agentic AI. We help CISOs, TPRM, and GRC leaders become strategic business partners by automating the understanding, prioritization and management of cyber risk—accelerating AI adoption and digital transformation.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week’s episode is hosted by me, David Spark, producer of CISO Series, and Andy Ellis, partner of YL Ventures. Their sponsored guest is Jadee Hanson, CISO of Vanta. In this episode: Find a partner to work with Fixing the root of burnout The limitations of human vigilance Balancing openness and control Thanks to our sponsor, Vanta. Automate, centralize, & scale your GRC program with 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. And the impact is real: A recent IDC analysis found that compliance teams using Vanta are 129% more productive. Get started at Vanta.com/ciso.

All links and images for this episode 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 Charles Blauner, formerly of Team8 (at time of recording) and now operating partner, Crosspoint Capital. In this episode: Expanding collective defense Getting talent to the municipal level A mature reporting structure A pill for that cyberailment Huge thanks to our sponsor, Material Security Material Security is purpose-built to protect the entire cloud workspace – email, data, and accounts. With deep integration and powerful automations, Material prevents and detects a wider range of threats, responds to active attacks faster, and secures data and accounts even after a breach. See Material in action today!

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week’s episode is hosted by me, David Spark, producer of CISO Series, and Andy Ellis, partner, YL Ventures. Joining us is Mandy Huth, svp, CISO, Ultra Clean Technology. In this episode: Start with good defaults Building talent bridges Don’t forget the humans Differentiating with privacy Automate, centralize, & scale your GRC program with 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. And the impact is real: A recent IDC analysis found that compliance teams using Vanta are 129% more productive. Get started at Vanta.com/ciso.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week’s episode is hosted by me, David Spark, producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis, partner, YL Ventures. Joining us is Mike D’Arezzo, executive director of infosec and GRC, Wellstar Health Systems. In this episode: The shift left myth Reconsidering CISO evaluations The power of “how” Building bridges Huge thanks to our sponsor, ThreatLocker ThreatLocker® is a global leader in Zero Trust endpoint security, offering cybersecurity controls to protect businesses from zero-day attacks and ransomware. ThreatLocker operates with a default deny approach to reduce the attack surface and mitigate potential cyber vulnerabilities. To learn more and start your free trial, visit ThreatLocker.com.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week’s episode is hosted by me, David Spark, producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis, partner, YL Ventures. Joining us is our sponsored guest Nathan Hunstad, director, security at Vanta. In this episode: Thinking like AI Building off a solid foundation Start with ownership Following the leader Big thanks to our sponsor, Vanta Automate, centralize, & scale your GRC program with 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. And the impact is real: A recent IDC analysis found that compliance teams using Vanta are 129% more productive. Get started at Vanta.com/ciso.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week’s episode is hosted by me, David Spark, producer of CISO Series and Christina Shannon, CIO, KIK Consumer Products. Joining them is Jim Bowie, CISO, Tampa General Hospital. In this episode: A journey, not a destination The difference between pressure and stress Fighting commodity deepfakes Getting leadership on the same page HUGE thanks to our sponsors, Proofpoint, Cofense, & KnowBe4 With an integrated suite of cloud-based cybersecurity and compliance solutions, Proofpoint helps organizations around the world stop targeted threats, safeguard their data, and make their users more resilient against cyber attacks. Discover cutting-edge security insights and industry trends from leading experts at Proofpoint Power Series—a monthly virtual event designed to empower the security community. Learn more at proofpoint.com Powered by 35 million trained employee reporters, the exclusive Cofense® PhishMe® Email Security Awareness Training with Risk Validation and Phishing Threat Detection and Response Platforms combine robust training with advanced tools for phishing identification and remediation. Together, our solutions empower organizations to identify, combat, and eliminate phishing threats in real-time. Learn more at cofense.com KnowBe4's PhishER Plus is a lightweight SOAR platform that streamlines threat response for high-volume, potentially malicious emails reported by users. It automatically prioritizes messages, helping InfoSec and Security Operations teams quickly address the most critical threats, reducing inbox clutter and enhancing overall security efficiency. Learn more at knowbe4.com

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week’s episode is hosted by me, David Spark, producer of CISO Series and Trina Ford, CISO, iHeartMedia. Joining us is our sponsored guest Rob Allen, chief product officer, ThreatLocker. This episode was recorded in front of a live audience at Zero Trust World in Orlando, Florida. In this episode: Severity versus impact Breaking the anti-pattern Take the first step to zero trust What are your demands? ThreatLocker® is a Zero Trust endpoint protection platform that provides enterprise-level cybersecurity to organizations globally. With easy onboarding, management, and 24/7/365 support, ThreatLocker makes default deny a reality for businesses. Only allow what you need in your environment and block everything else, including ransomware!

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week’s episode is hosted by me, David Spark, producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis, partner, YL Ventures. Joining us is Edward Contreras, senior evp and CISO, Frost Bank.  In this episode: A gradual language shift Don’t reflexively rise and grind Lean into focus Gauging the unmeasurable  Huge thanks to our sponsor, ThreatLocker ThreatLocker® is a global leader in Zero Trust endpoint security, offering cybersecurity controls to protect businesses from zero-day attacks and ransomware. ThreatLocker operates with a default deny approach to reduce the attack surface and mitigate potential cyber vulnerabilities. To learn more and start your free trial, visit ThreatLocker.com.

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week’s episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), partner, YL Ventures. Joining us is Mike Wilkes, former CISO, Major League Soccer. In this episode: Are we misusing vCISOs? Cybersecurity is out to sea Planning for your exit Building up your quantum reflexes Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Tines Build, run, and monitor your most important workflows with Tines. Tines' smart, secure workflow platform empowers your whole team regardless of their coding abilities, environment complexities, or tech stack. From low code, no code to natural language, anyone can get up and running in minutes – not days or weeks. Learn more at https://tines.com/cisoseries

All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series.   This week’s episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), partner, YL Ventures. Joining us is Adam Holland, former CISO, the Wendy’s Company, now CISO of Ascension Healthcare.   In this episode: The long road to influence The effort to build a bridge Living within limits Motivation for security awareness  Thanks to our podcast sponsor, Vanta! Say goodbye to spreadsheets and screenshots. Vanta automates evidence collection needed for audits with over  350 integrations—giving you continuous visibility into your compliance status. And with cross-mapped controls across over 35 frameworks, you’ll streamline compliance— and never duplicate your efforts.