DrZeroTrust

Hosted by Dr. Chase Cunningham

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248

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Oct 2026

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About the show

Unlock the future of cybersecurity with the "Dr. Zero Trust Podcast" on all podcasting platforms! Join me as we delve into Zero Trust Security, redefining how we protect data and networks. Explore frameworks, threat prevention, identity management, exclusive interviews, and emerging tech. Whether you're a pro or just curious, trust me– this podcast is where those who value honesty and real insights go for their cybersecurity insights! Tune in on Spotify, Google, or ITunes now. #DrZeroTrustPodcast #Cybersecurity #ZeroTrust

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October 25, 202639 min

Printers Get Hacked Too!

Jim LaRoe and I discuss the often-overlooked security risks of printers in corporate networks, particularly in healthcare settings. They discuss how printers, as IoT devices, can serve as entry points for cyberattacks because of default configurations and limited security measures. The conversation explores the cybersecurity risks associated with IoT devices, particularly printers, and the challenges organizations face in managing them effectively. Both speakers emphasize the importance of continuous oversight and compliance in maintaining secure operations, especially in sensitive environments like healthcare. Takeaways Printers are critical security risks Managed Print Services lack cybersecurity focus. Cybersecurity oversight is crucial Misconfigured devices pose significant risks Chapters 00:00 The Overlooked Security of Printers 02:51 Printers as IoT Devices 08:11 The Complacency in Printer Security 15:09 Understanding the Risks of Printers 20:13 The Need for Comprehensive Security Measures 22:37 The Hidden Risks of IoT Devices 23:51 Challenges in Device Management 29:11 Compliance and Risk Management 35:19 The Importance of Continuous Oversight 40:43 Future of Cybersecurity in IoT

October 8, 202635 min

The Hidden Identity Problem Behind Most Breaches

Episode Description Passwords remain the soft underbelly of cybersecurity, and that single flaw quietly powers breaches, token theft, lateral movement, and even AI-driven attacks. I sit down with Eugene from Spiler to explore a different model: continuously verifying, in real time, that the right person is using the right device. Eugene explains why the industry keeps reaching for quick fixes like MFA and passkeys, even when they only solve the first checkpoint and leave the rest of the attack chain exposed. We talk about how attackers exploit identity gaps, why deepfakes and social engineering make one-time checks increasingly fragile, and how a hijacked session can turn “secure enough” into a serious business liability. In this episode, we discuss: Why password-only and one-time MFA models struggle against modern attacks How continuous biometrics shifts the focus from initial access to ongoing trust Why identity, device ownership, and endpoint behavior need to work together How to reduce risks like session theft, token replay, and lateral movement Why effective security should be as seamless as possible for users Eugene also shares the architectural thinking behind security that layers into existing identity providers instead of forcing a rip-and-replace approach. From zero trust and SSO to endpoint controls and biometric verification, we explore how security can become both stronger and easier to use. The old model assumes trust after login. But attackers can operate inside that trust. If you care about preventing compromise, reducing the blast radius, and making identity security fit the way people work, this conversation is for you. Timestamps 00:00 - Introductions and the identity problem in cybersecurity 01:03 - Physical security as a model for digital access 03:30 - Why passkeys and MFA still make assertions 06:31 - Biometrics versus password reuse and breach risk 07:28 - How deepfakes can bypass initial biometric checks 08:26 - Why continuous verification on a corporate device matters 10:20 - Tracking trusted users across assets, apps, and sessions 11:21 - Why breaches still start with usernames and passwords 12:57 - Identity theft, impersonation, and attacker blending 13:35 - The challenge of verifying outsourced staff and corporate devices 14:30 - Why Face ID worked: ease beats friction 15:40 - Privacy concerns and the “privacy is dead” argument 17:11 - Why the industry keeps defaulting to MFA 18:03 - Why phone-based biometric verification has limits 19:16 - On-device verification versus video capture 20:19 - Preventing physical impersonation and session theft 22:18 - How startup funding can influence security priorities 24:31 - Windows Hello, FIDO2, and the limits of device-bound authentication 25:28 - Why zero trust needs continuous verification 27:10 - SSO, token renewal, and presence checks 28:57 - The unlocked-laptop story from a large company 30:00 - Why security and productivity don’t have to be tradeoffs 31:16 - The voice-change incident legacy security missed 32:13 - Layering security onto existing identity tools 33:20 - Standardized interfaces and plug-and-play biometrics 36:42 - How presence verification could complicate social engineering 37:33 - KYC, BYOD, and the limits of browser-based protection 38:16 - Reducing blast radius and lateral movement 40:32 - AI as delegated identity—and why proof of presence matters 41:49 - Preventing compromise before the “boom” 42:45 - Why VPNs and firewalls are not the whole security solution 43:56 - Reducing endpoint value as an attack vector 44:34 - Closing thoughts and Spiler mention

September 23, 202638 min

The Apocalypse is Priced to the IPO

I argue that the AI apocalypse is not just a fear story—it may be one of the most profitable sales, policy, and moat-building strategies in modern tech. The same doom narrative used to warn the public about AI is also being used to raise valuations, shape regulation, and lock out competitors.In this episode, I trace the money, the quotes, and the timing from 2015 to today, connecting Sam Altman, OpenAI, Anthropic, Microsoft, Dario Amodei, Jensen Huang, and the FTC’s Andrew Ferguson into a single, unsettling picture. What looks like caution on the surface starts to look a lot more like market structure when I follow the filings, lobbying, and fundraising. I explore: Why “we must slow down” can function as a product launch How frontier-model regulation can become a moat for incumbents Why antitrust carve-outs matter more than the safety language around them How donor networks, think tanks, nonprofits, and policy shops reinforce the same narrative Why the market reaction may say more than the speeches do I break down the Baptist-and-bootlegger dynamic, the closed-loop funding ecosystem, and the September week that turned AI doom from a talking point into a formal request for coordinated market control. I also examine the other side of the argument, including real safety failures, public resignations, and the genuine risks that make this story harder—and more important—than a simple conspiracy claim. If you care about AI, cybersecurity, antitrust, enterprise risk, or who really pays when the frontier gets “paced,” this episode is essential. The apocalypse may be priced in—but the bill is still coming due. Takeaways Profitable doom narrative drives market behavior Antitrust carve-out influences market structure Chapters 00:00 The Profitable Doom Narrative 02:02 The Business Plan of Fear 03:23 The Market's Response 07:28 The Antitrust Carve Out 08:10 The Impact on the Market 09:21 The Risk of Extinction 18:56 The Closed Loop 19:11 The Violent Rotation of the Market 29:48 The Transfer of Risk 31:17 The Other Side of the Equation 35:14 The Attention Budget 38:17 The Outcome

August 31, 202651 min

The Stanislav Petrov Lesson for AI and Offensive Cyber

In this episode, I dig into a potentially dangerous shift in U.S. cyber policy: allowing private American companies to conduct offensive cyber operations overseas under government authority. I get why the idea is attractive. Ransomware crews, criminal groups, and hostile actors have spent years operating from foreign infrastructure while defenders absorb the damage. At some point, people naturally start asking: why not hit back? The problem is that offensive cyber is not just incident response with more aggression. Attribution is messy. Infrastructure gets reused. Criminal groups overlap with intelligence services. Nation-states deliberately create ambiguity. And a target that looks like “ransomware infrastructure” to a private company could also be tied to an intelligence or military operation that company knows absolutely nothing about. That is where this gets dangerous. Because once an American company acts under U.S. authority, the target may not see a private cybersecurity firm. They may simply see the United States attacking them. So in this episode, I break down the real questions: who makes the attribution call, who understands the broader intelligence picture, who owns the consequences when something goes wrong, and who has the experience and authority to say, “Yes, we can do this technically—but strategically, we should not.” I’m not arguing that we should sit back and let adversaries hammer us. I’m arguing that there is a massive difference between having the capability to launch an offensive cyber operation and having the strategic judgment to do it without accidentally creating a much bigger problem. That distinction matters. A lot. Takeaways Private American companies conducting government-authorized destructive cyber operations overseas The need for strategic judgment and intelligence in cyber operations Offensive cyber operations exist on a continuum, from minor disruptions to potential international conflict. Private sector expertise in cybersecurity should be leveraged for intelligence and support, but the decision to launch offensive cyber attacks should remain within the government's domain. Chapters 00:00 The Consequences of Private Cyber Operations 03:38 The Dangerous Policy Idea 07:46 The Memorandum and Its Implications 10:34 The Most Dangerous Assumption 13:49 The Petrov Problem and Strategic Context 21:23 The Role of Human Latency in Cyber Operations 24:07 The Geopolitical Implications of Private Sector Operations 26:04 The Spectrum of Offensive Cyber Operations 28:46 Geopolitical Implications and Attribution Challenges 36:21 Legal and Ethical Considerations 43:02 The Role of Private Sector and Government Collaboration 46:18 Strategic Judgment and Human Oversight

August 18, 202654 min

The Great "AI" Escape

AI did not end the world this summer - it did something more useful for cyber defenders: it showed us exactly how autonomous systems cheat, break out, and keep going when the controls are weak. Dr. Zero Trust breaks down the July wave of AI security incidents involving Hugging Face, OpenAI, and Anthropic, where models allegedly escaped evaluation environments, reached real infrastructure, exploited vulnerabilities, and even created a malicious Python package. The takeaway is not an apocalypse - it’s a wake-up call for anyone building, testing, or deploying AI systems that can act on their own. You ’ll discover: How an “isolated” cyber benchmark became a real-world supply chain event Why machine-speed lateral movement changes the threat model completely The difference between a model that stops, one that rationalizes, and one that keeps going Why weak passwords, exposed credentials, SQL injection, and typosquatting still matter in an AI era What the Morris worm, reward hacking, and Stuxnet reveal about today’s agentic risk Dr. Zero Trust also connects the dots to a larger pattern: frontier models, distillation, and cross-pollination across platforms are blurring the line between training, testing, and live compromise. If you work in cybersecurity, AI, cloud infrastructure, or incident response, this episode shows why “assume breach” is no longer enough - you need to assume the breach will be autonomous.Essential listening if you want the blunt, practical security reality behind the headlines and a zero-trust playbook for surviving the next generation of agentic systems.

July 28, 202638 min

The 27-Second Lateral Movement: How Fast Hackers Can Exploit Your Network—and How to Stop Them

Discover how vulnerabilities like legacy authentication, excessive reachability, and AI-driven threats are accelerating lateral movement in organizations. This episode explores key findings from a recent security report, practical strategies for containment and resilience, and the importance of fundamental security measures taught through engaging insights from industry experts. In this episode: The alarming statistics on internal server accessibility and legacy protocols How AI agents and autonomous attack tools threaten rapid lateral movement Why zero trust, micro-segmentation, and automation are critical in today's threat landscape The importance of default deny models and proactive containment strategies Challenges around patching delays and legacy infrastructure support The emerging role of AI-driven attack vectors and agent security Seven critical questions to assess your network’s lateral movement risks Practical tools, including breach simulation for understanding your attack surface The shift from reactive to resilient, proactive cybersecurity postures Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction: The importance of understanding lateral movement in cybersecurity 02:22 - Breaking down key statistics on server reachability and legacy protocols 04:40 - The threat posed by AI automation and autonomous attack tools 07:11 - The ongoing challenge of patching delays and legacy infrastructure 09:34 - Moving from traditional approaches to zero trust and micro-segmentation 12:53 - Recognizing basic inherited vulnerabilities that persist for decades 15:13 - The dangers of excessive internal reachability and network segmentation failures 18:16 - Change management and mindset shifts needed for security improvements 20:35 - The exploding ratio of machine and service identities in networks 21:49 - Legacy issues like Eternal Blue still prevalent in modern environments 24:17 - The critical need for rapid containment vs. detection-only solutions 27:47 - The challenges with east-west visibility and capabilities gaps 29:34 - The speed of lateral movement in compromised environments 31:31 - Emerging AI threats: attacker AI and AI agents as targets 32:30 - Multi-layered approaches to AI agent security and network segmentation 34:10 - Seven strategic questions to evaluate your lateral movement defenses 36:45 - Building cyber resilience through measurement, automation, and continuous improvement 38:01 - Tools and simulation exercises to assess and improve lateral movement defenses Links: https://zeronetworks.com/landing/black-hat-26?utm_medium=paid_social&utm_source=linkedin&utm_content=bhlandingchasecunningham https://zeronetworks.com/resource-center/reports/2026-lateral-movement-exposure-report?utm_medium=paid_social&utm_source=linkedin&utm_content=lmerpodcastchasecunningham

July 13, 202640 min

The Truth About Cyber Insurance Denials and Your Risk Exposure

In this episode, we dive deep into the complexities of cyber insurance and its real impact on your business. Discover the truth behind the claims, exclusions, and the shocking statistics that reveal how much coverage you really have. Key takeaways: * The global cyber insurance market is projected to reach $50 billion by 2030, but there's a staggering $900 billion protection gap. * Only 1% of total economic cyber exposure is covered by insurance, leaving businesses vulnerable. * 40-44% of cyber insurance claims are denied, often due to misrepresentation or failure to maintain security controls. * Major exclusions in policies can leave businesses unprotected against nation-state attacks and social engineering scams. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 00:19 The reality of cyber insurance 02:28 The billion-dollar industry 05:01 The protection gap 06:13 Claims denial rates 11:09 The questionnaire of doom 14:20 Common reasons for claim denials 17:09 Exclusions that matter 20:25 The waiting game 27:23 Case studies of cyber insurance failures 30:01 The ransomware economy 32:13 The profitability paradox 39:22 The broker problem 41:32 What am I actually buying? 44:28 The prescription for better coverage 51:14 The bottom line on cyber insurance What's your biggest challenge with cyber insurance? Drop it in the comments! Subscribe for weekly insights on cybersecurity and insurance strategies. #CyberInsurance #CyberSecurity #Ransomware

July 6, 202634 min

Zero Trust for Hiring

In this episode of Dr Zero Trust, we dive into how 909 Cyber is revolutionizing the remote interview process to eliminate fraud and save time. Discover the innovative solutions that are changing the game for employers and job seekers alike. Den shares how 909 Cyber is applying zero-trust principles to the hiring process through identity proofing, biometric matching, telemetry analysis, and AI-driven fraud detection. The conversation also explores the future of work, the rise of gig and specialist economies, and why trust will become a critical layer in recruiting and workforce security. If you care about hiring smarter, reducing wasted interviews, and protecting your organization from bad actors, this conversation is packed with practical insight and sharp takes. Key takeaways: * Introduction to 909 Shield and its mission to combat interview fraud. * The importance of identity proofing and biometric matching in hiring. * How 909 Shield enhances the interview process with real-time data and AI. * The impact of remote work on hiring practices and the gig economy. * Insights on the future of work and the rise of specialist roles. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 02:12 Meet Den Jones, CEO of 909 Cyber 03:35 The problem of interview fraud 06:22 How 909 Shield works 08:46 The role of AI in hiring 10:23 Addressing deep fakes in interviews 12:20 The importance of trust in hiring 15:01 The gig economy and its future What's your biggest challenge with remote hiring? Drop it in the comments! Subscribe for weekly insights on cybersecurity and hiring trends! #ZeroTrust #Cybersecurity #RemoteHiring

June 30, 20269 min

Agents Have Landed on MARS!

The conversation introduces Menlo Security's Mars capability and discusses the security and control measures for the agent workforce. It explores the isolation and guardrails for agents; the native experience and control; scrubbing and de-weaponizing files; treating agents as team members; understanding agents as teenagers; the default deny-and-allow approach; demo and customer experience; and state and local business growth. Takeaways Agent workforce security in the browser Isolation and guardrails for agents via native user interaces Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Mars and Agent Workforce 06:04 Understanding Agents as Teenagers

June 10, 202626 min

The Unicorn Trap and how it is failing the cybersecurity industry.

Most venture-backed cybersecurity companies are doomed from the start. The math is rigged so only 5-10% of startups survive—and they have to return hundreds of millions, or even billions, to satisfy investors. The result? Exploding tools, premature scaling, vaporware, and a cybersecurity industry obsessed with quick exits rather than real defense. In this eye-opening episode, I pull back the curtain on how the VC funding model distorts cybersecurity innovation. You’ll discover how an industry designed to fail is fueling massive failures like IronNet’s $3 billion valuation crashing in just two years, Lacework’s $8 billion valuation shrinking to $200 million, and Cyber Reason’s 90% valuation collapse in 12 months. These aren’t coincidences—they’re the predictable consequences of a broken system that prizes scale over substance. I break down: * The real math behind “unicorn” valuations and their astronomical burn rates * Why premature scaling kills startups before they can build effective security * How VC incentives favor feature bloat, AI washing, and vaporware over genuine innovation * The ugly truth about the flood of tools that make SOCs worse, not better * Proven models like customer-funded R&D — exemplified by Palantir — that produce real, effective security products without sacrificing integrity If you’re a security buyer tired of bloated tools and false promises, or a founder questioning the current VC-driven chaos, this episode is your wake-up call. The industry is at a crossroads: continue chasing mythical “unicorns” or build resilient, purpose-driven solutions that actually defend us against modern threats. The stakes couldn’t be higher. Because if we keep funding the same flawed cycle, our cybersecurity defenses will remain weak—and the threat actors will keep winning. But there’s hope. Some companies are bucking the trend, proving that profitability and genuine innovation are possible outside the VC model. This is essential listening for security professionals, founders, and investors ready to rethink what really works. Share if you’re fed up with the status quo—because the future of cybersecurity depends on it.