Cyber Inspiration

Hosted by Evgeniy Kharam and Security Architecture

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Sep 2026

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About the show

Cyber Inspiration podcast explores the minds of CTOs and CEOs, at the time they started their cyber security companies. We find out what happened in their technical or personal lives that motivated them to start the company. Cyber Inspiration will also cover social, technological and business aspects. This show is affiliated with https://www.security-architecture.org/ podcast! Patreon page https://www.patreon.com/cyber_Inspiration_2022

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September 22, 202625 min

Building TGT Solutions: 30 Years of Technology, Cybersecurity, and Adaptation with Robert Maxwell

Robert Maxwell, CEO of TGT Solutions Inc., joins Cyber Inspiration to share the story of building a technology company that has survived and evolved through 30 years of change. The story begins in 1996. At the time, Robert was working at National Trust and could see an acquisition approaching. Having experienced an acquisition before, he knew he didn't want to wait for someone else to determine his future. At the same time, he and his colleagues saw an opportunity. Software was proliferating, client-server computing was emerging, and ERP systems were gaining momentum. But there was still a major gap between buying technology and actually integrating it into an organization in a meaningful and profitable way. Robert persuaded two colleagues to get ahead of the curve and build something of their own. That became TGT Solutions. Over the next 30 years, the company evolved alongside technology. About nine years ago, a major client implementation presented another opportunity when a simple question came up: Who is going to secure this? That question helped lead TGT Solutions into cybersecurity. Robert shares why collaboration has remained central to the company's approach, how TGT evaluates potential team members based first on whether they genuinely care about the client's problem, and what has kept him motivated after three decades. The conversation also looks ahead at AI and vibe coding, including why Robert believes new tools can provide enormous value but don't eliminate the need to understand requirements, manage technology carefully, and test what you build. Finally, Robert reflects on what he would change if he could start again, including hiring more leaders earlier, paying closer attention to emerging technology trends, and considering greater industry specialization. It's a conversation about longevity, leadership, collaboration, and what it takes to keep evolving when the technology around you never stops changing. Learn more about TGT Solutions: www.tgtsolutions.com

August 11, 202629 min

Building WMC Global: 20 Years of Pivots, Growth, and Fighting Fraud with Ian Matthews

Ian Matthews, Founder and President of WMC Global, joins Cyber Inspiration to share the nearly 20-year journey behind the company and the lessons learned from building, bootstrapping, pivoting, and eventually raising outside capital. Ian's experience in mobile technology began before WMC Global existed, during the early days of SMS when text messaging was still an emerging technology. That experience gave Ian and his team deep knowledge of the mobile ecosystem and eventually helped them identify an opportunity to tackle mobile billing fraud. WMC Global was founded in 2006 and initially built its business around that problem. But as technology evolved, app stores emerged, billing models changed, and the market the company originally served began to disappear. Ian explains how WMC Global responded by reinventing itself, expanding into smishing, social engineering, brand impersonation, and broader mobile threat intelligence. The conversation also explores the business decisions behind that evolution, including experiments that failed because of insufficient market validation, learning to listen more closely to customers, the tradeoffs that come with bootstrapping, and why WMC Global ultimately decided to raise outside capital in 2025 after nearly two decades of building independently. Ian and Evgeniy also discuss today's mobile fraud landscape, including encrypted messaging, phishing-as-a-service, AI, security awareness, and why fighting fraud requires greater collaboration across the cybersecurity, telecommunications, financial services, and government ecosystems. The episode closes with a candid conversation about founder burnout, work-life balance, and why stepping away from the business can ultimately help leaders make better decisions.

June 16, 202621 min

The Reality of Startup Life with Graham Neray, CEO of Oso

Graham Neray, Co-Founder and CEO of Oso, joins Cyber Inspiration to discuss the realities of startup life and what it takes to build a company through uncertainty. Unlike many founders who begin with a specific problem they are passionate about solving, Graham shares that his journey started with a desire to build something meaningful and create his own path. From early conversations with the founder of MongoDB to raising venture capital and navigating pivots, Graham provides an honest look at the founder experience. Topics include: Entrepreneurship and startup decision-making Product-market fit myths and realities Raising venture capital Lessons from failed product ideas Startup hiring challenges Leadership under uncertainty Customer-driven product development AI in recruiting and hiring Managing founder stress and setbacks Advice Graham would give his younger self A thoughtful conversation for anyone interested in startups, technology, leadership, and growth.

May 26, 202622 min

From Nuclear Weapons Systems to Cybersecurity Leadership with Kevin Spease

In this episode of Cyber Inspiration, Evgeniy Kharam speaks with Kevin Spease, founder of ISSE Services, about cybersecurity in highly sensitive military environments and what it truly means to build security into systems from day one. Kevin shares how working on the Minuteman III missile program shifted his view of cybersecurity from compliance-driven documentation to engineering-driven protection. He explains why “security baked in” matters far more than simply checking boxes. The discussion also dives into: FedRAMP and government cybersecurity requirements Supply chain security risks Growing a cybersecurity company organically over 20 years The importance of honesty, ethics, and curiosity in hiring Why soft skills matter in technical environments Advice for veterans transitioning into cybersecurity careers Leadership lessons from difficult moments and uncertainty This episode is packed with practical insights for cybersecurity professionals, founders, engineers, veterans, and anyone interested in critical infrastructure security.

March 22, 202624 min

Zero Trust Done Right: Why Most Initiatives Fail and How to Fix Them

In this episode of Cyber Inspiration, Evgeniy Kharam is joined by John Spiegel, Jaye Tillson, and Graham Ludlow, authors of Zero Trust Done Right: A practitioner’s guide to zero trust security in the age of AI. Based on decades of real world experience, they break down why most Zero Trust initiatives fail and what organizations need to do differently. This is not a technical deep dive. It is a practical conversation about leadership, communication, and execution. We cover: • Why Zero Trust is a business initiative, not an IT project • The human side of Zero Trust and why culture matters • How to communicate with executives and gain buy in • Why most initiatives never get finished • How to position Zero Trust without even using the term • Lessons learned from real world failures If you are attending RSA, you can meet the authors and get your copy signed: • Monday at the Cloud Security Alliance event • Wednesday at the RSA Bookstore Grab the book here

March 18, 202631 min

Trust on the Edge: Why IoT Security Starts at Day One

In this episode of Cyber Inspiration, Evgeniy Kharam sits down with David Sequino and Bill Lattin of OmniTrust (formally INTEGRITY Security Services - ISS), and authors of Trust on the Edge: The New Front Line in IoT Cybersecurity . With decades of experience in cryptography and embedded systems, David and Bill share how a real world manufacturing challenge led them to build solutions focused on securing connected devices. As everything from vehicles to medical devices becomes connected, cybersecurity is no longer optional. It must be built into products from the very beginning. This conversation explores why embedded security is different from enterprise security, how the attack surface is rapidly expanding, and why leadership must take responsibility for security across the entire product lifecycle.

March 2, 202634 min

Building Through Crashes, Crises, and Comebacks with Stanley Li

In this episode of Cyber Inspiration, Evgeniy Kharam sits down with Stanley Li, Founder of Netswitch Technology Management, to unpack a 30 year journey through technology, entrepreneurship, and cyber governance. Born in Hong Kong, educated in England, and building his career in San Francisco, Stanley’s path was anything but linear. From bartending at a yacht club to becoming a cable puller, to network architect, to founder during the dot com era, his story reflects persistence, risk, and reinvention. We discuss: • Starting at the bottom and learning the industry from the ground up • Launching a company in 2000 just as the dot com crash hit • Building early voice recognition technology before the iPhone existed • The emotional toll of failed partnerships • Trust but verify in business relationships • Why entrepreneurship is different when it is your own money • How cyber governance became the next chapter • The vision behind their open source Risk Indicator data visualization tool Stanley also shares powerful advice about staying focused, elevating awareness, and protecting your character in business. If you are navigating leadership, startups, or cybersecurity strategy, this episode is a masterclass in resilience. ---- Read more on Netswitch: https://www.netswitch.net Connect with Stanley Li: https://www.linkedin.com/in/netswitchstanleyli/ Connect with Evgeniy Kharam: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ekharam/

January 22, 202627 min

From Military to Founder: How Sharon Isaaci Built Tonic Security with Context, Culture, and AI

Sharon Isaaci , Co-Founder and CEO of Tonic Security , joins Evgeniy Kharam to explore what it really takes to build a cybersecurity company that helps defenders focus on what matters. After years in military intelligence and incident response, Sharon kept seeing the same pattern. Organizations had visibility, alerts, and tools. But they still got breached. Why? Because they missed the context. This episode dives into how that insight led to Tonic Security, how GenAI is being used to cut through noise, and why Sharon now hires for values and learning ability instead of just technical skill. What You’ll Learn Why visibility is not the issue, but context is How Tonic reduces irrelevant security findings by over 99 percent The origin story behind Tonic Security Lessons from Israeli cyber teams and elite talent How Sharon approaches hiring and leadership The personal tools he uses to stay grounded, from martial arts to music

December 3, 202519 min

Episode 89 - Omar Romero - Founder and CEO of ROSE IT Services Limited

In this episode, host Evgeniy Kharam speaks with Omar Romero , CEO of Rose IT Services , a Trinidad-based MSP serving the Caribbean and North America. Omar shares his story of launching the company post-2008 crash, scaling without VC or franchising, building a team from scratch, and adapting to evolving tech, from cybersecurity to automation. He also explores cultural differences in client communication and how COVID shaped his documentation-first mindset. Key Topics: MSP growth lessons from New York to Trinidad How culture impacts IT service delivery Scaling a business without losing the personal touch Why cybersecurity became central to Rose IT Real work-life balance while running a global MSP Automating, documenting, and preparing for the unexpected 🔗 Learn more: https://www.rose-it.com/ 🔗 Guest: https://www.linkedin.com/in/omar-romero-roseitservices 🎧 Host: https://www.linkedin.com/in/evgeniykharam Mentioned in this episode: Cyber Innovation Showcase Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst is excited to invite you to the Cyber Innovation Showcase – a Brampton-based event uniting business leaders, cyber experts, and innovators to spotlight the cutting-edge technologies that can help protect and future-proof your business. Join us for an evening highlighting made-in-Canada solutions from this year’s Cyber Challenge companies, each driving the future of cybersecurity across Ontario’s most critical sectors. 📅 Thursday, December 11, 2025 ⏰ 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM 📍 The Rose Theatre, 1 Theatre Lane, Brampton, ON L6V 0A3 At the Showcase, you’ll be able to: ● Get early access to innovative Canadian cyber technologies ● Watch live demos featuring real-world industry applications ● Gain insights to strengthen your organization’s digital resilience ● Network with experts, tech providers, and business professionals Register today: https://luma.com/xxl336v2

November 20, 202532 min

Episode 88 - Ross Young - Author of Cybersecurity's Dirty Secret

Ross Young joins Evgeniy Kharam to talk about his new book Cybersecurity Secret: Why Most Budgets Go to Waste — and how the industry can do better. From optimizing spend and retiring underperforming tools, to writing a book using AI and creating onboarding frameworks for developers, Ross shares insights every cybersecurity leader can use. Topics Covered: Why cybersecurity spending often fails Who the book is for (CISOs, CFOs, vendors, and tech writers) The “Murder Board” framework to evaluate tool usage Total Cost of Ownership in cyber planning AI and ChatGPT for authorship + productivity Developer onboarding as a security risk Why Ross self-published and what’s next Buy your copy Guest: Ross Young Host: Evgeniy Kharam Resources: https://www.cisotradecraft.com/freetemplates https://www.cisotradecraft.com/course-master-the-budget-game-in-cybersecurity