CISO Series Podcast

Hosted by David Spark, Mike Johnson, and Andy Ellis

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Episodes

428

Latest episode

Oct 2026

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About the show

Discussions, tips, and debates from security practitioners and vendors on how to work better together to improve security for themselves and everyone else.

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60 recent

October 13, 202639 min

I Sent the AI a Strongly Worded Prompt. I Think We'll Be Fine.

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 us is Chad Rubin , svp cybersecurity, Publicis Re:Sources . In this episode: Getting started beats getting it perfect Bring security in before the concrete dries The instruction was never the control If everyone likes your idea, you're already too late Thanks to Joshua Carpenter of Alliance InfoSystems for providing our "What's Worse" scenario. A huge thanks to our sponsor, Adaptive Security Adaptive Security helps organizations stay ahead of AI-powered social engineering, including deepfake phishing, vishing, and multi-channel attacks. With simulations and personalized training, teams learn to recognize and respond to modern threats before they cause harm. Turn human risk into resilience with security awareness built for the AI era. Learn more at adaptivesecurity.com .

October 6, 202644 min

Data Is the New Oil, in That It's Useless Until You Refine It

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 , principal of Duha. Joining us is Jake Lorz , vp information technology and CISO, Cintas . In this episode: Security's identity crisis The AI that never has a bad day Your permissions have secrets Nobody wrote it down A huge thanks to our sponsor, ThreatLocker An AI-generated attack may be new, but it still needs to execute, access data, and move through your environment. ThreatLocker applies enforceable controls at each of those points, limiting what attackers can do regardless of how their code was created. Book a demo at threatlocker.com/ciso .

September 29, 202642 min

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 .

September 22, 202646 min

Our AI Agents Are So Safe and Reliable You Can't Buy Insurance for Them

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 , 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.

September 21, 202621 min

BONUS EPISODE: Super Cyber Friday Express - Hacking Vendor Selection

All 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 .

September 15, 202643 min

We Strongly Value Your Willingness to Accept Less

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 , 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.

September 8, 202641 min

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 .

September 1, 202637 min

When Frameworks Stop Being Polite and Start Getting Real

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 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 .

August 25, 202639 min

"Ignorance Is Bliss" Is Our Acceptable Use Policy

http://www.Threatlocker.com/ciso All 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 .

August 18, 202637 min

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 .