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Sean Martin

ITSPmagazine

Redefining CyberSecurity Podcast
Hosted by Sean Martin, CISSP

Have you ever thought that we are selling cybersecurity insincerely, buying it indiscriminately, and deploying it ineffectively?

For cybersecurity to be genuinely effective, we must make it consumable and usable. We must also bring transparency and honesty to the conversations surrounding the methods, services, and technologies upon which businesses rely. If we are going to protect what matters and bring value to our companies, our communities, and our society, in a secure and safe way, we must begin by operationalizing security.

Executives are recognizing the importance of their investments in information security and the value it can have on business growth, brand value, partner trust, and customer loyalty.

Together with executives, lines of business owners, and practitioners, we are Redefining CyberSecurity.

Redefining CyberSecurity

In this thought leadership session, ITSPmagazine co-founders Sean Martin and Marco Ciappelli moderate a dynamic conversation with five industry leaders offering their take on what will dominate the show floor and side-stage chatter at Black Hat USA 2025.

Leslie Kesselring, Founder of Kesselring Communications, surfaces how media coverage is shifting in real time—no longer driven solely by talk submissions but now heavily influenced by breaking news, regulation, and public-private sector dynamics. From government briefings to cyberweapon disclosures, the pressure is on to cover what matters, not just what’s scheduled.

Daniel Cuthbert, member of the Black Hat Review Board and Global Head of Security Research at Banco Santander, pushes back on the hype. He notes that while tech moves fast, security research often revisits decades-old bugs. His sharp observation? “The same bugs from the ‘90s are still showing up—sometimes discovered by researchers younger than the vulnerabilities themselves.”

Michael Parisi, Chief Growth Officer at Steel Patriot Partners, shifts the conversation to operational risk. He raises concern over Model-Chained Prompting (MCP) and how AI agents can rewrite enterprise processes without visibility or traceability—especially alarming in environments lacking kill switches or proper controls.

Richard Stiennon, Chief Research Analyst at IT-Harvest, offers market-level insights, forecasting AI agent saturation with over 20 vendors already present in the expo hall. While excited by real advancements, he warns of funding velocity outpacing substance and cautions against the cycle of overinvestment in vaporware.

Rupesh Chokshi, SVP & GM at Akamai Technologies, brings the product and customer lens—framing the security conversation around how AI use cases are rolling out fast while security coverage is still catching up. From OT to LLMs, securing both AI and with AI is a top concern.

This episode is not just about placing bets on buzzwords. It’s about uncovering what’s real, what’s noise, and what still needs fixing—no matter how long we’ve been talking about it.

___________

Guests:

Leslie Kesselring, Founder at Cyber PR Firm Kesselring Communications | On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lesliekesselring/
“This year, it’s the news cycle—not the sessions—that’s driving what media cover at Black Hat.”

Daniel Cuthbert, Black Hat Training Review Board and Global Head of Security Research for Banco Santander | On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-cuthbert0x/
“Why are we still finding bugs older than the people presenting the research?”

Richard Stiennon, Chief Research Analyst at IT-Harvest | On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiennon/
“The urge to consolidate tools is driven by procurement—not by what defenders actually need.”

Michael Parisi, Chief Growth Officer at Steel Patriot Partners | On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-parisi-4009b2261/
“Responsible AI use isn’t a policy—it’s something we have to actually implement.”

Rupesh Chokshi, SVP & General Manager at Akamai Technologies | On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rupeshchokshi/
“The business side is racing to deploy AI—but security still hasn’t caught up.”

Hosts:
Sean Martin, Co-Founder at ITSPmagazine | Website: https://www.seanmartin.com

Marco Ciappelli, Co-Founder at ITSPmagazine | Website: https://www.marcociappelli.com

___________

Episode Sponsors

ThreatLocker: https://itspm.ag/threatlocker-r974

BlackCloak: https://itspm.ag/itspbcweb

Akamai: https://itspm.ag/akamailbwc

DropzoneAI: https://itspm.ag/dropzoneai-641

Stellar Cyber: https://itspm.ag/stellar-9dj3

___________

Resources

Learn more and catch more stories from our Black Hat USA 2025 coverage: https://www.itspmagazine.com/bhusa25

ITSPmagazine Webinar: What’s Heating Up Before Black Hat 2025: Place Your Bet on the Top Trends Set to Shake Up this Year’s Hacker Conference — An ITSPmagazine Thought Leadership Webinar | https://www.crowdcast.io/c/whats-heating-up-before-black-hat-2025-place-your-bet-on-the-top-trends-set-to-shake-up-this-years-hacker-conference

Catch all of our event coverage: https://www.itspmagazine.com/technology-and-cybersecurity-conference-coverage

Want to tell your Brand Story Briefing as part of our event coverage? Learn More 👉 https://itspm.ag/evtcovbrf

Want Sean and Marco to be part of your event or conference? Let Us Know 👉 https://www.itspmagazine.com/contact-us

___________

KEYWORDS

sean martin, marco ciappelli, leslie kesselring, daniel cuthbert, richard stiennon, michael parisi, rupesh chokshi, blackhat2025, event coverage, on location, conference

Black Hat 2025: More Buzzwords, Same Breaches? | What’s Heating Up Before Black Hat 2025: Top Trends Set to Shake Up this Year’s Hacker Conference | An ITSPmagazine Webinar: On Location Coverage with Sean Martin and Marco Ciappelli

⬥GUEST⬥

Sean Metcalf, Identity Security Architect at TrustedSec | On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seanmmetcalf/

⬥HOST⬥

Host: Sean Martin, Co-Founder at ITSPmagazine and Host of Redefining CyberSecurity Podcast | On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/imsmartin/ | Website: https://www.seanmartin.com

⬥EPISODE NOTES⬥

Sean Metcalf, a frequent speaker at conferences like Black Hat, DEF CON, and RSAC, brings a sharp focus to identity security—especially within Microsoft environments like Active Directory and Entra ID. In this episode, he walks through the practical and tactical role of honeypots and deception in detecting intrusions early and with higher fidelity.

While traditional detection tools often aim for broad coverage, honeypots flip the script by offering precise signal amidst the noise. Metcalf discusses how defenders can take advantage of the attacker’s need to enumerate systems and accounts after gaining access. That need becomes an opportunity to embed traps—accounts or assets that should never be touched unless someone is doing something suspicious.

One core recommendation: repurpose old service accounts with long-lived passwords and believable naming conventions. These make excellent bait for Kerberoasting attempts, especially when paired with service principal names (SPNs) that mimic actual applications. Metcalf outlines how even subtle design choices—like naming conventions that fit organizational patterns—can make a honeypot more convincing and effective.

He also draws a distinction between honeypots and deception technologies. While honeypots often consist of a few well-placed traps, deception platforms offer full-scale phantom environments. Regardless of approach, the goal remains the same: attackers shouldn’t be able to move around your environment without tripping over something that alerts the defender.

Importantly, Metcalf emphasizes that alerts triggered by honeypots are high-value. Since no legitimate user should interact with them, they provide early warning with low false positives. He also addresses the internal politics of deploying these traps, from coordinating with IT operations to ensuring SOC teams have the right procedures in place to respond effectively.

Whether you’re running a high-end deception platform or just deploying free tokens and traps, the message is clear: identity is the new perimeter, and a few strategic tripwires could mean the difference between breach detection and breach denial.

⬥SPONSORS⬥

LevelBlue: https://itspm.ag/attcybersecurity-3jdk3

ThreatLocker: https://itspm.ag/threatlocker-r974

⬥RESOURCES⬥

Inspiring Post: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/activity-7353806074694541313-xzQl/

Article: The Art of the Honeypot Account: Making the Unusual Look Normal: https://www.hub.trimarcsecurity.com/post/the-art-of-the-honeypot-account-making-the-unusual-look-normal

Article: Trimarc Research: Detecting Kerberoasting Activity: https://www.hub.trimarcsecurity.com/post/trimarc-research-detecting-kerberoasting-activity

Article: Detecting Password Spraying with Security Event Auditing: https://www.hub.trimarcsecurity.com/post/trimarc-research-detecting-password-spraying-with-security-event-auditing

⬥ADDITIONAL INFORMATION⬥

✨ More Redefining CyberSecurity Podcast: 

🎧 https://www.seanmartin.com/redefining-cybersecurity-podcast

Redefining CyberSecurity Podcast on YouTube:

📺 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnYu0psdcllS9aVGdiakVss9u7xgYDKYq

📝 The Future of Cybersecurity Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7108625890296614912/

Interested in sponsoring this show with a podcast ad placement? Learn more:

👉 https://itspm.ag/podadplc

Making Honeypots Useful Again: Identity Security, Deception, and the Art of Detection | A Conversation with Sean Metcalf | Redefining CyberSecurity with Sean Martin

⬥GUEST⬥

John Salomon, Board Member, Cybersecurity Advisors Network (CyAN) | On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnsalomon/

⬥HOST⬥

Host: Sean Martin, Co-Founder at ITSPmagazine and Host of Redefining CyberSecurity Podcast | On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/imsmartin/ | Website: https://www.seanmartin.com

⬥EPISODE NOTES⬥

The cybersecurity industry keeps repeating a familiar line: there’s a shortage of talent. But what if the real issue isn’t the number of people—but the lack of access, mentorship, and investment in human potential?

In this episode of Redefining CyberSecurity, Sean Martin speaks with John Salomon, an independent cybersecurity consultant and a contributor to the Cybersecurity Advisors Network (CyAN), about how the hiring structure in our industry may be the problem—not the solution. Together, they explore why entry-level roles rarely provide an actual point of entry, and how hiring practices have been shaped more by finance and compliance than by people development.

Salomon draws on decades of experience to outline the problem: security is often treated as a pure cost center, so training and mentorship are deprioritized. Early-career professionals are expected to be “job-ready” from day one, and organizations rarely account for the long-term payoff of investing in apprenticeships or junior hires.

He also points to the silent collapse of informal mentorship that once defined the field. Leaders used to take risks on new talent. Now, hiring decisions are driven by headcount limitations and performance metrics that leave no room for experimentation or learning through failure.

The conversation shifts toward action. Business and security leaders need to reframe cybersecurity as a growth enabler and start viewing mentorship as a risk mitigation tool. Investing in new talent not only strengthens your team—it supports the stability of the industry as a whole.

And it’s not just on companies. Universities and student organizations must create more opportunities for experiential learning and interdisciplinary collaboration. Leaders can support these efforts with time, not just budget, by showing up and sharing what they’ve learned.

Whether you’re a CISO, founder, or just getting started, this episode challenges the idea that “mentorship is nice to have” and shows how it’s a cornerstone of sustainable cybersecurity.

⬥SPONSORS⬥

LevelBlue: https://itspm.ag/attcybersecurity-3jdk3

ThreatLocker: https://itspm.ag/threatlocker-r974

⬥RESOURCES⬥

Inspiring Post: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/activity-7332679935557300224-1lBv/

⬥ADDITIONAL INFORMATION⬥

✨ More Redefining CyberSecurity Podcast: 

🎧 https://www.seanmartin.com/redefining-cybersecurity-podcast

Redefining CyberSecurity Podcast on YouTube:

📺 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnYu0psdcllS9aVGdiakVss9u7xgYDKYq

📝 The Future of Cybersecurity Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7108625890296614912/

Interested in sponsoring this show with a podcast ad placement? Learn more:

👉 https://itspm.ag/podadplc

Hiring for the Present Is Hurting the Future of Cybersecurity: Why “Entry-Level” Rarely Means Entry | A Conversation with John Salomon | Redefining CyberSecurity with Sean Martin

⬥GUEST⬥

Tobias Halmans, OT Incident Responder | GIAC Certified Incident Handler | Automation Security Consultant at admeritia GmbH | On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tobias-halmans/

⬥HOST⬥

Host: Sean Martin, Co-Founder at ITSPmagazine and Host of Redefining CyberSecurity Podcast | On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/imsmartin/ | Website: https://www.seanmartin.com

⬥EPISODE NOTES⬥

Business continuity planning is a familiar exercise for most IT and security leaders—but when you move into operational technology (OT), the rules change. In this episode of Redefining CyberSecurity, Sean Martin talks with Tobias Halmans, an incident responder at admeritia, who helps organizations prepare for and respond to incidents in OT environments. Tobias shares why disaster recovery planning in OT requires more than simply adapting IT frameworks. It demands a change in approach, mindset, and communication.

OT engineers don’t think in terms of “ransomware readiness.” They think in terms of safety, uptime, manual fallback options, and how long a plant can stay operational without a SCADA system. As Tobias explains, while IT teams worry about backup integrity and rapid rebooting, OT teams are focused on whether shutting down a system—even safely—is even an option. And when the recovery plan depends on third-party vendors, the assumptions made on both sides can derail the response before it begins.

Tobias walks us through the nuances of defining success in OT recovery. Unlike the IT world’s metrics like mean time to recover (MTTR), OT environments often hinge on production impacts and safety thresholds. Recovery Time Objectives (RTOs) still exist—but they must be anchored in real-world plant operations, often shaped by vendor limitations, legacy constraints, and tightly regulated safety requirements.

Perhaps most importantly, Tobias stresses that business continuity planning for OT can’t just be a cybersecurity add-on. It must be part of broader risk and operational conversations, ideally happening when systems are being designed or upgraded. But in reality, many organizations are only starting these conversations now—often driven more by compliance mandates than proactive risk strategy.

Whether you’re a CISO trying to bridge the gap with your OT counterparts or an engineer wondering why cyber teams keep showing up with playbooks that don’t fit, this conversation offers grounded, real-world insight into what preparedness really means for critical operations.

⬥SPONSORS⬥

LevelBlue: https://itspm.ag/attcybersecurity-3jdk3

ThreatLocker: https://itspm.ag/threatlocker-r974

⬥RESOURCES⬥

Inspiring Article: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/sarah-fluchs_notfallvorsorge-in-der-ot-traut-euch-activity-7308744270453092352-Q8X1

⬥ADDITIONAL INFORMATION⬥

✨ More Redefining CyberSecurity Podcast: 

🎧 https://www.seanmartin.com/redefining-cybersecurity-podcast

Redefining CyberSecurity Podcast on YouTube:

📺 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnYu0psdcllS9aVGdiakVss9u7xgYDKYq

📝 The Future of Cybersecurity Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7108625890296614912/

Interested in sponsoring this show with a podcast ad placement? Learn more:

👉 https://itspm.ag/podadplc

OT Emergency Preparedness: When Disaster Recovery Meets Real-World Safety | A Conversation with Tobias Halmans | Redefining CyberSecurity with Sean Martin

Before a power crew rolls out to check a transformer, sensors on the grid have often already flagged the problem. Before your smart dishwasher starts its cycle, it might wait for off-peak energy rates. And in the world of autonomous vehicles, lightweight systems constantly scan road conditions before a decision ever reaches the car’s central processor.

These aren’t the heroes of their respective systems. They’re the scouts, the context-builders: automated agents that make the entire operation more efficient, timely, and scalable.

Cybersecurity is beginning to follow the same path.

In an era of relentless digital noise and limited human capacity, AI agents are being deployed to look first, think fast, and flag what matters before security teams ever engage. But these aren’t the cartoonish “AI firefighters” some might suggest. They’re logical engines operating at scale: pruning data, enriching signals, simulating outcomes, and preparing workflows with precision.

"AI agents are redefining how security teams operate, especially when time and talent are limited," says Kumar Saurabh, CEO of AirMDR. "These agents do more than filter noise. They interpret signals, build context, and prepare response actions before a human ever gets involved."

This shift from reactive firefighting to proactive triage is happening across cybersecurity domains. In detection, AI agents monitor user behavior and flag anomalies in real time, often initiating mitigation actions like isolating compromised devices before escalation is needed. In prevention, they simulate attacker behaviors and pressure-test systems, flagging unseen vulnerabilities and attack paths. In response, they compile investigation-ready case files that allow human analysts to jump straight into action.

"Low-latency, on-device AI agents can operate closer to the data source, better enabling anomaly detection, threat triaging, and mitigation in milliseconds," explains Shomron Jacob, Head of Applied Machine Learning and Platform at Iterate.ai. "This not only accelerates response but also frees up human analysts to focus on complex, high-impact investigations."

Fred Wilmot, Co-Founder and CEO of Detecteam, points out that agentic systems are advancing limited expertise by amplifying professionals in multiple ways. "Large foundation models are driving faster response, greater context and more continuous optimization in places like SOC process and tools, threat hunting, detection engineering and threat intelligence operationalization," Wilmot explains. "We’re seeing the dawn of a new way to understand data, behavior and process, while optimizing how we ask the question efficiently, confirm the answer is correct and improve the next answer from the data interaction our agents just had."

Still, real-world challenges persist. Costs for tokens and computing power can quickly outstrip the immediate benefit of agentic approaches at scale. Organizations leaning on smaller, customized models may see greater returns but must invest in AI engineering practices to truly realize this advantage. "Companies have to get comfortable with the time and energy required to produce incremental gains," Wilmot adds, "but the incentive to innovate from zero to one in minutes should outweigh the cost of standing still."

Analysts at Forrester have noted that while the buzz around so-called agentic AI is real, these systems are only as effective as the context and guardrails they operate within. The power of agentic systems lies in how well they stay grounded in real data, well-defined scopes, and human oversight. ¹ ²

While approaches differ, the business case is clear. AI agents can reduce toil, speed up analysis, and extend the reach of small teams. As Saurabh observes, AI agents that handle triage and enrichment in minutes can significantly reduce investigation times and allow analysts to focus on the incidents that truly require human judgment.

As organizations wrestle with a growing attack surface and shrinking response windows, the real value of AI agents might not lie in what they replace, but in what they prepare. Rob Allen, Chief Product Officer at ThreatLocker, points out, "AI can help you detect faster. But Zero Trust stops malware before it ever runs. It’s not about guessing smarter; it’s about not having to guess at all." While AI speeds detection and response, attackers are also using AI to evade defenses, making it vital to pair smart automation with architectures that deny threats by default and only allow what’s explicitly needed.

These agents are the eyes ahead, the hands that set the table, and increasingly the reason why the real work can begin faster and smarter than ever before.

References

1. Forrester. (2024, February 8). Cybersecurity’s latest buzzword has arrived: What agentic AI is — and isn’t. Forrester Blogs. https://www.forrester.com/blogs/cybersecuritys-latest-buzzword-has-arrived-what-agentic-ai-is-and-isnt/ (cc: Allie Mellen and Rowan Curran)

2. Forrester. (2024, March 13). The battle for grounding has begun. Forrester Blogs. https://www.forrester.com/blogs/the-battle-for-grounding-has-begun/ (cc: Ted Schadler)

________

This story represents the results of an interactive collaboration between Human Cognition and Artificial Intelligence.

Enjoy, think, share with others, and subscribe to "The Future of Cybersecurity" newsletter on LinkedIn.

Sincerely, Sean Martin and TAPE3

________

Sean Martin is a life-long musician and the host of the Music Evolves Podcast; a career technologist, cybersecurity professional, and host of the Redefining CyberSecurity Podcast; and is also the co-host of both the Random and Unscripted Podcast and On Location Event Coverage Podcast. These shows are all part of ITSPmagazine—which he co-founded with his good friend Marco Ciappelli, to explore and discuss topics at The Intersection of Technology, Cybersecurity, and Society.™️

Want to connect with Sean and Marco On Location at an event or conference near you? See where they will be next: https://www.itspmagazine.com/on-location

To learn more about Sean, visit his personal website.

When AI Looks First: How Agentic Systems Are Reshaping Cybersecurity Operations | A Musing On the Future of Cybersecurity and Humanity with Sean Martin and TAPE3 | Read by TAPE3

Cyber threat intelligence (CTI) is no longer just a technical stream of indicators or a feed for security operations center teams. In this episode, Ryan Patrick, Vice President at HITRUST; John Salomon, Board Member at the Cybersecurity Advisors Network (CyAN); Tod Beardsley, Vice President of Security Research at runZero; Wayne Lloyd, Federal Chief Technology Officer at RedSeal; Chip Witt, Principal Security Analyst at Radware; and Jason Kaplan, Chief Executive Officer at SixMap, each bring their perspective on why threat intelligence must become a leadership signal that shapes decisions far beyond the security team.

From Risk Reduction to Opportunity

Ryan Patrick explains how organizations are shifting from compliance checkboxes to meaningful, risk-informed decisions that influence structure, operations, and investments. This point is reinforced by John Salomon, who describes CTI as a clear, relatable area of security that motivates chief information security officers to exchange threat information with peers — cooperation that multiplies each organization’s resources and builds a stronger industry front against emerging threats.

Real Business Context

Tod Beardsley outlines how CTI can directly support business and investment moves, especially when organizations evaluate mergers and acquisitions. Wayne Lloyd highlights the importance of network context, showing how enriched intelligence helps teams move from reactive cleanups to proactive management that ties directly to operational resilience and insurance negotiations.

Chip Witt pushes the conversation further by describing CTI as a business signal that aligns threat trends with organizational priorities. Jason Kaplan brings home the reality that for Fortune 500 security teams, threat intelligence is a race — whoever finds the gap first, the defender or the attacker, determines who stays ahead.

More Than Defense

The discussion makes clear that the real value of CTI is not the data alone but the way it helps organizations make decisions that protect, adapt, and grow. This episode challenges listeners to see CTI as more than a defensive feed — it is a strategic advantage when used to strengthen deals, influence product direction, and build trust where it matters most.

Tune in to hear how these leaders see the role of threat intelligence changing and why treating it as a leadership signal can shape competitive edge.

________

This story represents the results of an interactive collaboration between Human Cognition and Artificial Intelligence.

Enjoy, think, share with others, and subscribe to "The Future of Cybersecurity" newsletter on LinkedIn.

Sincerely, Sean Martin and TAPE3

________

Sean Martin is a life-long musician and the host of the Music Evolves Podcast; a career technologist, cybersecurity professional, and host of the Redefining CyberSecurity Podcast; and is also the co-host of both the Random and Unscripted Podcast and On Location Event Coverage Podcast. These shows are all part of ITSPmagazine—which he co-founded with his good friend Marco Ciappelli, to explore and discuss topics at The Intersection of Technology, Cybersecurity, and Society.™️

Want to connect with Sean and Marco On Location at an event or conference near you? See where they will be next: https://www.itspmagazine.com/on-location

To learn more about Sean, visit his personal website.

From Feed to Foresight: Cyber Threat Intelligence as a Leadership Signal | A Musing On the Future of Cybersecurity and Humanity with Sean Martin and TAPE3 | Read by TAPE3

⬥GUESTS⬥

Frida Torkelsen, PhD | AI Solution Architect at Newcode.ai | On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/frida-h-torkelsen/

Maged Helmy, PhD | Assoc. Professor - AI at University of South-Eastern Norway and Founder & CEO of Newcode.ai | On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/magedhelmy/

⬥HOST⬥

Host: Sean Martin, Co-Founder at ITSPmagazine and Host of Redefining CyberSecurity Podcast | On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/imsmartin/ | Website: https://www.seanmartin.com

⬥EPISODE NOTES⬥

Agentic AI is rapidly moving from theoretical promise to practical implementation, and few sectors are feeling this shift as acutely as the legal industry. In this episode of Redefining CyberSecurity, Sean Martin is joined by Frida Torkelsen, a Solution Architect, and Maged Helmy, a professor of AI, to explore how law firms and in-house counsel are applying AI agents to reduce costs, improve efficiency, and unlock strategic capabilities—while navigating critical privacy and security concerns.

Frida explains how large firms are seeking to extract value from their troves of historical legal data through bespoke AI agents designed to automate workflows and improve institutional knowledge sharing. Smaller firms, on the other hand, benefit by building narrow, purpose-driven agents that automate core functions and give them a tactical edge. This democratization of capability—fueled by faster iteration and reduced development cost—could be a strategic win for niche firms that are disciplined in their focus.

Maged emphasizes the architectural shift AI agents introduce. Unlike static queries to large language models with fixed knowledge, agents access tools, data, and live systems to execute tasks dynamically. This expands the use case potential—but also the risk. Because agentic systems operate probabilistically, consistent outputs aren’t guaranteed, and testing becomes more about evaluating outcomes across a range of inputs than expecting deterministic results.

Security risk looms large. Maged shares how a single oversight in permissions allowed an agent to make system-wide changes that corrupted his environment. Frida cautions against over-permissive access, noting that agents tapping into shared calendars or HR databases must respect internal boundaries and compliance obligations. Both guests agree that human-in-the-loop validation is essential, especially in environments with strict data governance needs.

Law firms must reassess both internal information architecture and team readiness before implementing agentic systems. Start with a clear understanding of the business problem, validate access scopes, and track outcomes for accuracy, speed, and cost. Legal tech teams are forming around these efforts, but success will depend on whether these roles stay grounded in solving specific legal problems—not chasing the latest AI trend.

⬥SPONSORS⬥

LevelBlue: https://itspm.ag/attcybersecurity-3jdk3

ThreatLocker: https://itspm.ag/threatlocker-r974

⬥RESOURCES⬥

Newsletter: The Law's Great Recalibration: Inside the Tech-Driven Puzzle of Legal Firm Transformation: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/laws-great-recalibration-inside-tech-driven-puzzle-sean-martin-cissp-clnoe/

⬥ADDITIONAL INFORMATION⬥

✨ More Redefining CyberSecurity Podcast: 

🎧 https://www.seanmartin.com/redefining-cybersecurity-podcast

Redefining CyberSecurity Podcast on YouTube:

📺 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnYu0psdcllS9aVGdiakVss9u7xgYDKYq

📝 The Future of Cybersecurity Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7108625890296614912/

Interested in sponsoring this show with a podcast ad placement? Learn more:

👉 https://itspm.ag/podadplc

Agentic AI to the Rescue? From Billable Hours to Bots: The New Legal Workflow | A Conversation with Frida Torkelsen and Maged Helmy | Redefining CyberSecurity with Sean Martin

During RSAC Conference 2025, Andrew Carney, Program Manager at DARPA, and (remotely via video) Dr. Kathleen Fisher, Professor at Tufts University and Program Manager for the AI Cyber Challenge (AIxCC), guide attendees through an immersive experience called Northbridge—a fictional city designed to showcase the critical role of AI in securing infrastructure through the DARPA-led AI Cyber Challenge.

Inside Northbridge: The Stakes Are Real

Northbridge simulates the future of cybersecurity, blending AI, infrastructure, and human collaboration. It’s not just a walkthrough — it’s a call to action. Through simulated attacks on water systems, healthcare networks, and cyber operations, visitors witness firsthand the tangible impacts of vulnerabilities in critical systems. Dr. Fisher emphasizes that the AI Cyber Challenge isn’t theoretical: the vulnerabilities competitors find and fix directly apply to real open-source software relied on by society today.

The AI Cyber Challenge: Pairing Generative AI with Cyber Reasoning

The AI Cyber Challenge (AIxCC) invites teams from universities, small businesses, and consortiums to create cyber reasoning systems capable of autonomously identifying and fixing vulnerabilities. Leveraging leading foundation models from Anthropic, Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI, the teams operate with tight constraints—working with limited time, compute, and LLM credits—to uncover and patch vulnerabilities at scale. Remarkably, during semifinals, teams found and fixed nearly half of the synthetic vulnerabilities, and even discovered a real-world zero-day in SQLite.

Building Toward DEFCON Finals and Beyond

The journey doesn’t end at RSA. As the teams prepare for the AIxCC finals at DEFCON 2025, DARPA is increasing the complexity of the challenge—and the available resources. Beyond the competition, a core goal is public benefit: all cyber reasoning systems developed through AIxCC will be open-sourced under permissive licenses, encouraging widespread adoption across industries and government sectors.

From Competition to Collaboration

Carney and Fisher stress that the ultimate victory isn’t in individual wins, but in strengthening cybersecurity collectively. Whether securing hospitals, water plants, or financial institutions, the future demands cooperation across public and private sectors.

The Northbridge experience offers a powerful reminder: resilience in cybersecurity is built not through fear, but through innovation, collaboration, and a relentless drive to secure the systems we all depend on.

___________

Guest: 
Andrew Carney, AI Cyber Challenge Program Manager, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) | https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-carney-945458a6/

Hosts:
Sean Martin, Co-Founder at ITSPmagazine | Website: https://www.seanmartin.com

Marco Ciappelli, Co-Founder at ITSPmagazine | Website: https://www.marcociappelli.com

______________________

Episode Sponsors

ThreatLocker: https://itspm.ag/threatlocker-r974

Akamai: https://itspm.ag/akamailbwc

BlackCloak: https://itspm.ag/itspbcweb

SandboxAQ: https://itspm.ag/sandboxaq-j2en

Archer: https://itspm.ag/rsaarchweb

Dropzone AI: https://itspm.ag/dropzoneai-641

ISACA: https://itspm.ag/isaca-96808

ObjectFirst: https://itspm.ag/object-first-2gjl

Edera: https://itspm.ag/edera-434868

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Resources

The DARPA AIxCC Experience at RSAC 2025 Innovation Sandbox: https://www.rsaconference.com/usa/programs/sandbox/darpa

Learn more and catch more stories from RSAC Conference 2025 coverage: https://www.itspmagazine.com/rsac25

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KEYWORDS

andrew carney, kathleen fisher, marco ciappelli, sean martin, darpa, aixcc, cybersecurity, rsac 2025, defcon, ai cybersecurity, event coverage, on location, conference

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Catch all of our event coverage: https://www.itspmagazine.com/technology-and-cybersecurity-conference-coverage

Want to tell your Brand Story Briefing as part of our event coverage? Learn More 👉 https://itspm.ag/evtcovbrf

Want Sean and Marco to be part of your event or conference? Let Us Know 👉 https://www.itspmagazine.com/contact-us

Inside the DARPA AI Cyber Challenge: Securing Tomorrow’s Critical Infrastructure Through AI and Healthy Competition | An RSAC Conference 2025 Conversation with Andrew Carney | On Location Coverage with Sean Martin and Marco Ciappelli

⬥GUEST⬥

Izar Tarandach, Sr. Principal Security Architect for a large media company | On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/izartarandach/

⬥HOST⬥

Host: Sean Martin, Co-Founder at ITSPmagazine and Host of Redefining CyberSecurity Podcast | On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/imsmartin/ | Website: https://www.seanmartin.com

⬥EPISODE NOTES⬥

In this episode of Redefining CyberSecurity, host Sean Martin sits down with Izar Tarandach, Senior Principal Security Architect at a major entertainment company, to unpack a concept gaining traction across some developer circles: vibe coding.

Vibe coding, as discussed by Izar and Sean, isn’t just about AI-assisted development—it’s about coding based on a feeling or a flow, often driven by prompts to large language models (LLMs). It’s being explored in organizations from startups to large tech companies, where the appeal lies in speed and ease: describe what you want, and the machine generates the code. But this emerging approach is raising significant concerns, particularly in security circles.

Izar, who co-hosts the Security Table podcast with Matt Coles and Chris Romeo, calls attention to the deeper implications of vibe coding. At the heart of his concern is the risk of ignoring past lessons. Generating code through AI may feel like progress, but without understanding what’s being written or how it fits into the broader architecture, teams risk reintroducing old vulnerabilities—at scale.

One major issue: the assumption that code generated by AI is inherently good or secure. Izar challenges that notion, reminding listeners that today’s coding models function like junior developers—they may produce working code, but they’re also prone to mistakes, hallucinations, and a lack of contextual understanding. Worse yet, organizations may begin to skip traditional checks like code reviews and secure development lifecycles, assuming the machine already got it right.

Sean highlights a potential opportunity—if used wisely, vibe coding could allow developers to focus more on outcomes and user needs, rather than syntax and structure. But even he acknowledges that, without collaboration and proper feedback loops, it’s more of a one-way zone than a true jam session between human and machine.

Together, Sean and Izar explore whether security leaders are aware of vibe-coded systems running in their environments—and how they should respond. Their advice: assume you already have vibe-coded components in play, treat that code with the same scrutiny as anything else, and don’t trust blindly. Review it, test it, threat model it, and hold it to the same standards.

Tune in to hear how this new style of development is reshaping conversations about security, responsibility, and collaboration in software engineering.

⬥SPONSORS⬥

LevelBlue: https://itspm.ag/attcybersecurity-3jdk3

ThreatLocker: https://itspm.ag/threatlocker-r974

⬥RESOURCES⬥

Inspiring LinkedIn Post — https://www.linkedin.com/posts/izartarandach_sigh-vibecoding-when-will-we-be-able-activity-7308105048926879744-fNMS

Security Table Podcast: Vibe Coding: What Could Possibly Go Wrong? — https://securitytable.buzzsprout.com/2094080/episodes/16861651-vibe-coding-what-could-possibly-go-wrong

Webinar: Secure Coding = Developer Power, An ITSPmagazine Webinar with Manicode Security — https://www.crowdcast.io/c/secure-coding-equals-developer-power-how-to-convince-your-boss-to-invest-in-you-an-itspmagazine-webinar-with-manicode-security-ad147fba034a

⬥ADDITIONAL INFORMATION⬥

✨ More Redefining CyberSecurity Podcast: 

🎧 https://www.seanmartin.com/redefining-cybersecurity-podcast

Redefining CyberSecurity Podcast on YouTube:

📺 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnYu0psdcllS9aVGdiakVss9u7xgYDKYq

Interested in sponsoring this show with a podcast ad placement? Learn more:

👉 https://itspm.ag/podadplc

Vibe Coding: Creativity Meets Risk in the Age of AI-Driven Development | A Conversation with Izar Tarandach | Redefining CyberSecurity with Sean Martin

⬥GUEST⬥

Ken Huang, Co-Chair, AI Safety Working Groups at Cloud Security Alliance | On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenhuang8/

⬥HOST⬥

Host: Sean Martin, Co-Founder at ITSPmagazine and Host of Redefining CyberSecurity Podcast | On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/imsmartin/ | Website: https://www.seanmartin.com

⬥EPISODE NOTES⬥

In this episode of Redefining CyberSecurity, host Sean Martin speaks with Ken Huang, Co-Chair of the Cloud Security Alliance (CSA) AI Working Group and author of several books including Generative AI Security and the upcoming Agent AI: Theory and Practice. The conversation centers on what agentic AI is, how it is being implemented, and what security, development, and business leaders need to consider as adoption grows.

Agentic AI refers to systems that can autonomously plan, execute, and adapt tasks using large language models (LLMs) and integrated tools. Unlike traditional chatbots, agentic systems handle multi-step workflows, delegate tasks to specialized agents, and dynamically respond to inputs using tools like vector databases or APIs. This creates new possibilities for business automation but also introduces complex security and governance challenges.

Practical Applications and Emerging Use Cases

Ken outlines current use cases where agentic AI is being applied: startups using agentic models to support scientific research, enterprise tools like Salesforce’s AgentForce automating workflows, and internal chatbots acting as co-workers by tapping into proprietary data. As agentic AI matures, these systems may manage travel bookings, orchestrate ticketing operations, or even assist in robotic engineering—all with minimal human intervention.

Implications for Development and Security Teams

Development teams adopting agentic AI frameworks—such as AutoGen or CrewAI—must recognize that most do not come with out-of-the-box security controls. Ken emphasizes the need for SDKs that add authentication, monitoring, and access controls. For IT and security operations, agentic systems challenge traditional boundaries; agents often span across cloud environments, demanding a zero-trust mindset and dynamic policy enforcement.

Security leaders are urged to rethink their programs. Agentic systems must be validated for accuracy, reliability, and risk—especially when multiple agents operate together. Threat modeling and continuous risk assessment are no longer optional. Enterprises are encouraged to start small: deploy a single-agent system, understand the workflow, validate security controls, and scale as needed.

The Call for Collaboration and Mindset Shift

Agentic AI isn’t just a technological shift—it requires a cultural one. Huang recommends cross-functional engagement and alignment with working groups at CSA, OWASP, and other communities to build resilient frameworks and avoid duplicated effort. Zero Trust becomes more than an architecture—it becomes a guiding principle for how agentic AI is developed, deployed, and defended.

⬥SPONSORS⬥

LevelBlue: https://itspm.ag/attcybersecurity-3jdk3

ThreatLocker: https://itspm.ag/threatlocker-r974

⬥RESOURCES⬥

BOOK | Generative AI Security: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-54252-7

BOOK | Agentic AI: Theories and Practices, to be published August by Springer: https://link.springer.com/book/9783031900259

BOOK | The Handbook of CAIO (with a business focus): https://www.amazon.com/Handbook-Chief-AI-Officers-Revolution/dp/B0DFYNXGMR

More books at Amazon, including books published by Cambridge University Press and John Wiley, etc.: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Ken-Huang/author/B0D3J7L7GN

Video Course Mentioned During this Episode: "Generative AI for Cybersecurity" video course by EC-Council with 255 people rated averaged 5 starts: https://codered.eccouncil.org/course/generative-ai-for-cybersecurity-course?logged=false

Podcast: The 2025 OWASP Top 10 for LLMs: What’s Changed and Why It Matters | A Conversation with Sandy Dunn and Rock Lambros

⬥ADDITIONAL INFORMATION⬥

✨ More Redefining CyberSecurity Podcast: 

🎧 https://www.seanmartin.com/redefining-cybersecurity-podcast

Redefining CyberSecurity Podcast on YouTube:

📺 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnYu0psdcllS9aVGdiakVss9u7xgYDKYq

Interested in sponsoring this show with a podcast ad placement? Learn more:

👉 https://itspm.ag/podadplc

Building and Securing Intelligent Workflows: Why Your AI Strategy Needs Agentic AI Threat Modeling and a Zero Trust Mindset | A Conversation with Ken Huang | Redefining CyberSecurity with Sean Martin

The large ratio gap in the availability of IT security professionals to open positions existed long before COVID-19. And that gap has grown even bigger thanks to the great resignation that has continued to take place in the IT industry since the pandemic. This has created a huge challenge for CISOs and other security leaders in their efforts to recruit and retain skilled security teams.

In this episode, Megan McCann—CEO & Founder of the IT recruitment firm McCann Partners—presents creative approaches CISOs and hiring managers can apply to go beyond scanning resumes to finding prospects who can offer true value. McCann also discusses what CISOs can do to nurture their own careers.

_______________________

Community Member Contributor: Megan McCann
CEO & Founder at McCann Partners [@McCannPartners]
On Twitter | https://twitter.com/meganpmccann
On LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/meganpmccann/

Hosts: Sean Martin and Marco Ciappelli
On ITSPmagazine | https://www.itspmagazine.com/itspmagazine-podcast-radio-hosts/sean-martin
On ITSPmagazine | https://www.itspmagazine.com/itspmagazine-podcast-radio-hosts/marco-ciappelli

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For more podcasts from Crucial Conversations with The Blue Lava Community, visit: https://www.itspmagazine.com/crucial-conversations-podcast

To access the full collection of Blue Lava Community resources, visit: https://itspm.ag/blclog22

To learn more about Blue Lava, visit: https://itspm.ag/blue-lava-w2qs

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How CISOs Can Recruit And Retain IT Security Teams While Also Fulfilling Their Own Careers | A Crucial Conversation With Megan McCann

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