CISO Series Podcast

Episodes

• Mirror, Mirror on the Wall, Who Has the Best Infrastructure of Them All?All links and images can be found on CISO Series This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark, the producer of CISO Series, and Geoff Belknap. Joining us is our sponsored guest Ryan Lloyd, chief product officer, GuardSquare. In this episode: • Determinism was never the point • Every MCP server is an uncontracted vendor • Mobile security, the version everyone's tired of hearing • Architectural vanity 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.

  426|42M
• Our AI Agents Are So Safe and Reliable You Can't Buy Insurance for ThemAll 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 Aaron Stanley, former vp of security, DBT Labs. In this episode: • Saying no just hides the agent • Communication is not a side project • Even OpenAI can't buy enough coverage • Identity governance beats the illusion of control A huge thanks to our sponsor, Arctic Wolf Security leaders need to reduce complexity, strengthen resilience, and prove value. Arctic Wolf's Security Operations ROI Calculator helps estimate operational value, potential risk exposure reduction, and projected payback based on your environment. See what a modern, AI-powered security operations model could mean for your business at arcticwolf.com/CISO today, right now.

  425|46M
• BONUS EPISODE: Super Cyber Friday Express - Hacking Vendor SelectionAll links and images can be found on CISO Series This is a bonus episode of our brand new podcast, Super Cyber Friday Express — a 20-minute highlight version of our live one-hour show we do every available Friday at 1 p.m. Eastern. In this episode, David Spark is joined by Karl Mattson, founder and managing director of Squared Circle Ventures, and Howard Holton, founder and principal analyst at Phronia Counsel LLC, to discuss how your existing environment shapes what you buy next — and whether that's a strategy or just inertia. Watch the full one-hour show at Crowdcast. Subscribe to Super Cyber Friday Express, or any show on CISO Series, at CISOseries.com/subscribe.

  424|21M
• We Strongly Value Your Willingness to Accept LessAll 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 Gina Ciavarro, former managing director of infrastructure and CISO at Accordion. In this episode: • Patching won't evict a squatter • Boards accept risk by saying nothing • Fast enough to hide the damage • Job posting for a unicorn A huge thanks to our sponsor, Arctic Wolf Security leaders need to reduce complexity, strengthen resilience, and prove value. Arctic Wolf's Security Operations ROI Calculator helps estimate operational value, potential risk exposure reduction, and projected payback based on your environment. See what a modern, AI-powered security operations model could mean for your business at arcticwolf.com/CISO today, right now.

  423|43M
• Backlogs? Where We're Going We Don't Need Backlogs.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 Steve Zalewski. Joining us is Varsha Agrawal, head of information security, Prosper Marketplace. In this episode: • Lock-in was never about the tech • The board wants a green light, not a lesson • Time was never the constraint • What founders keep getting wrong about security 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.

  422|41M
• When Frameworks Stop Being Polite and Start Getting RealAll links and images can be found on CISO Series This week's episode is hosted by me, David Spark, producer of CISO Series and Will Gregorian, CISO, Galileo Medical. Joining us is Ryan Brown, director and head of cybersecurity operations, Children's National Hospital. In this episode: • Policy is easy. The exam room isn't. • Robotics, Asimov, and the gap before regulation • The token bill nobody can explain • The 3 AM call is a warning sign 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.

  421|37M
• "Ignorance Is Bliss" Is Our Acceptable Use Policyhttp://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.

  420|39M
• Secure by Design. Ignored by Default.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.

  419|37M
• Why Solve Your Problems When We Can Just Scare You?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.

  418|41M
• See, Our Compliance Framework Includes a Checkbox for ResilienceAll 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.

  417|43M