In this episode, we sit down with author and AI expert Rock Lambros to explore the evolving landscape of AI governance. We discuss the risks of AI chatbots, comparing OpenAI and DeepSeek, and examine current and emerging governance frameworks. As AI adoption accelerates, organizations must determine the right guardrails and critical questions to as…

In this episode, we sit down with experienced CISO Gavin Reid to explore the escalating online threats to privacy, focusing on adversaries and companies illicitly scraping website data for profit. We dive into the implications of such unauthorized data collection and its impact on individual and organizational privacy. Reid also shares insights fro…

In this episode of CISO Stories, Jess Hoffman and Sheena Thomas explore the challenges of cloud security in higher education. They discuss trust issues with cloud providers, the importance of understanding data sensitivity, and navigating regulatory compliance. Sheena highlights the vulnerabilities educational institutions face, the value of incide…

Jessica Hoffman and Melina Scotto discuss the evolution of cybersecurity, focusing on cloud security, business responsibilities, and the importance of basic cyber hygiene. They highlight the role of communication, consulting, and integrating security into business operations, concluding with advice for future cybersecurity professionals. This segme…

Jess and Adam discuss cloud security challenges for SMBs, emphasizing strategic planning, compliance with regulations like CMMC, and vendor due diligence. They highlight common pitfalls like the illusion of security and inadequate staffing while offering cost-effective solutions like virtual CISOs. Practical tips help SMBs secure their data, naviga…

In this episode, we dive into the critical role of proper configurations in cloud environments and why misconfigurations remain the leading cause of security breaches. From overly permissive access controls to unencrypted data stores and default credentials left unchanged, we explore real-world examples that adversaries exploit. Learn how organizat…

Bertrum Carroll dives into the evolution of cloud service adoption, comparing early concerns—like data storage, access, and usage—to current apprehensions about AI. We explore how leadership can empower teams with the right training to harness technology effectively. Learn why understanding the shared responsibilities between providers and customer…

In this episode, we’re joined by Tammy Klotz, a 3x CISO in the manufacturing industry, to explore identity security challenges in manufacturing environments. Tammy discusses the differences in access management for frontline workers versus knowledge workers, touching on the unique devices and role-based training requirements. Tune in to learn how t…

In this episode of CSP, we sit down with Dr. Sean Murphy, the CISO of BECU, one of Seattle’s largest credit unions, to discuss the shifts in identity security brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Murphy highlights how Zero Trust architecture became crucial for verifying internal users, especially as remote work became the norm. He shares insigh…

Let’s talk about what CISOs look for when hiring identity and access management team members. What training and experience is most attractive for the business and team. This segment is sponsored by CyberArk. Visit https://cisostoriespodcast.com/cyberark to learn more about them! This segment is sponsored by Saviynt. Please visit https://cisostories…

Guessing the answer is yes. Well, let's talk about some of the simple ways you can avoid account compromises by strengthening your identity security through MFA, least privilege, account reviews, and all the things! This segment is sponsored by CyberArk. Visit https://cisostoriespodcast.com/cyberark to learn more about them! This segment is sponsor…

Let's talk about how important having a customer success manager, or equivalent, to assist you with your tool integration can make the difference between resource fatigue and success. On top of having solid relationships with our tool vendors, long time CISO Jake Lorz, shares with us how important tool interoperability is, proper governance reviews…

Let's talk to cybersecurity expert, Lalisha Hurt, about her approach to selecting the right tools for your organization by using proven methods such as referencing the Gartner Magic Quadrant, thinking about the entire IT portfolio as part of your selection process, and what a successful 'Vendor Day' can do! Visit https://cisostoriespodcast.com for …

What if there was more to making those impactful decisions that you haven’t considered? Let’s talk about how being open minded can directly impact the success of tool selection and optimization in your company. Is a SOC report enough or are there other criteria needed to make that risk based decision? Let’s discuss cognitive biases in tool selectio…

Let’s talk to our favorite Tokyo security leader about how she has experienced tool selection across the world. To be risk adverse or not to be risk adverse. What a question! Segment Resources: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdFzJxSemKo Visit https://cisostoriespodcast.com for all the latest episodes! Show Notes: https://cisostoriespodcast.com/csp…

Hear from expert TimBall, CISO for NGO-ISAC, on his experiences in the industry and how he advises his members on finding the right tool. Especially when it comes to making sure the tool isn’t a ‘shiny object’ purchase but actually addressing your organizations underlying issues and bringing value! Bonus, let’s talk about election security! Segment…

Let’s talk about how regardless of your organizations data footprint being in the cloud or on prem, or if you’re a billion dollar organization or smaller, if the adversaries want in, they will find a way. Don’t fall victim because of bad cyber hygiene but instead work your experiences, your leadership, and train your people to limit exposure. Hear …

Let’s talk about the vCISO’s approach to Incident Response advisory with clients; particularly small and medium sized businesses (SMB). How can your cyber liability insurance support your organization outside of when an incident occurs? We will discuss strategies SMBs can take to strengthen their IR plans while keeping in mind their business needs …

Listen to the importance of legal relationships and interaction with the CISO and security program. Jess and Joe talk about the need for legal to understand the security team's day to day and also what incident response means to your organization. Bringing your legal reps into the folds when a breach happens is too late! Work as a team early to mak…

Todd Fitzgerald will be moving on from the CISO STORIES podcast after 185+ episodes, which was initiated almost 4 years ago following the publication of the #1 Best-Selling CISO COMPASS book, which has guided 1000’s of emerging, current, experienced, and new CISOs and their teams in their journey to protect our organizations’ and nation’s informati…

Vulnerabilities are the ‘front doors’ for attackers to infiltrate our systems and a key process organizations must get right into order to protect our systems and information assets. Join us as we discuss vulnerability management, identification of assets, prioritization, threat intelligence, leveraging tools, desired vulnerability product features…

Rapid advancement in the sophistication and availability of "deepfake" technology enabled by generative AI - the ability to generate convincing multimedia and interactive representations indistinguishable from the real thing - presents new and growing challenges for CISOs seeking to combat fraud, intrusion, disinformation, and other adverse consequ…

Managing vulnerabilities is a large, complex problem that can't be completely fixed. And still, many cybersecurity organizations continue with a traditional approach that attempts to address all vulnerabilities, spreading staff too thin and increasing exploitation windows. With a small set of vulnerabilities being the cause of most of the breaching…

Join us as we discuss how critically important it is for a CISO to establish, maintain, and frequently leverage in informal network. With almost daily changes in the threat landscape across all industries, it's critical to have informal but trusted resources to rely on for advice, information, and just overall "sounding board" opportunities. Visit …

Join us as we discuss the organization’s GRC program and how GRC helps drive the business of information security from internal and external perspectives to integrate security into the culture, while maintaining compliance with regulations imposed for insurance and public companies. Segment Resources: Webcast: https://www.scmagazine.com/cybercast/t…

CISOs need to enhance their strategic influence and operational impact within their organizations. This calls for a departure from traditional, insular security approaches towards a partnership model that aligns security initiatives with business growth and value. By adopting an attitude of listening, humility, and interdisciplinary collaboration, …

With the vast number of cybersecurity solutions in the marketplace, how do you identify what fits with your company’s strategic goals, then deploy and scale in a reasonable timeframe? Hear a CISO who has built a methodology for assessing and implementing new security technologies and successfully used it at several large global enterprises. Segment…

As organizations grow, there comes a time when managing by excel spreadsheets is not longer feasible and accurate data sources, regulations, and risk need to be accurately reflected within Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC) tools. Reporting to the board must be based upon accurate information. Join us as we discuss the important aspects of formi…

We discuss the topic of Human Centric Cybersecurity and the importance of empowering the 'people' aspect of the People, Process, Tech framework. In this conversation we raise the importance of well-being amongst Tech and Cyber leaders and how to keep calm through the chaos to lead our teams well. Also important is diversity in this field and the Ho…

Advisory Boards - helping cybersecurity companies grow is foundational to helping enterprises select best in class tools to protect their environments. If done properly, scaling cybersecurity companies can have a positive global impact on how information is protected and minimizing business disruption. Visit https://cisostoriespodcast.com for all t…

Many organizations are starting today down the Zero Trust path. Zero Trust is a strategy (vs an architecture) and to prove the value of this investment, we need to start thinking about metrics to demonstrate value. Join us as we discuss some of the metric directions to consider when moving our organizations towards Zero Trust. Visit https://cisosto…

The importance of CISO skills/metrics for the board, demonstrating the business value and necessity of good cybersecurity posture, as capabilities the CISO must master to be effective in securing the appropriate investment level. Join us as we discuss interactions with the board and leveraging metrics to show business value. Visit https://cisostori…

CISOs must prioritize the intelligent selection of cybersecurity products by considering the total cost of ownership (TCO) and whether point products or platforms are best suited. This includes the costs of deployment and operations for people, processes, and technology, as well as the ongoing maintenance and support of a product. By considering th…

Data Governance is a key component in protecting the data from different points of view including information security confidentiality, integrity, and availability. There are several standards that have control requirements for Data Governance relating to PCI, HIPAA, and PII, data security and more. Two of the Internal Standards having Data Governa…

Data is the fuel of modern organizations. Data governance ensures the quality of that fuel, as well as ensure its optimal utilization. It ensures that people use and access data appropriately. This value is timely in the face of artificial intelligence offerings whose utility relies on quality data. This segment is sponsored by Spirion. Visit https…

As technology has enabled high speed access and massive amounts of inexpensive storage, data is being created at a logarithmic hockey-stick pace. Not all this data is important for the organization, however the organization must understand what data is important to run the business. Join us as we discuss this dilemma, with an eye to protecting esse…

Security is both overcooked and underdeveloped at the same time, and we keep doubling down on insanity. Our own community is at great fault for pushing fear and ignoring service, leading to consistent, negative experiences for all other stakeholders in the organization - and ultimately the CISOs themselves. "Do more cyber" never had, does not, and …

The terminology of ICS has morphed into OT (Operational Technology) security; however many organizations are lacking in addressing the OT security controls. As some companies talk about air gapping as the primary method of securing OT, the reality is many times true air gapping does not exist. Join us as we discuss why these gaps occur and what nee…

For manufacturing companies, technology has taken over a good deal of the day-to-day operations occurring on the manufacturing floor. Things like robotics, CNC machines and automated inventory management. There are even systems that track what tools are used, by whom and for how long. This technology often works outside of or flies under the radar …

Manufacturing environments rely heavily on Operational Technology (OT) systems – such as industrial control systems, supervisory control, PLCs etc. to manage production processes. Compromises of these networks and systems can have devastating consequences, including: • Production disruptions and downtime • Safety hazards: • Data breaches and intell…

The cybersecurity threat landscape is constantly evolving, and experience has shown that everyone and every organization is prone to being breached. How do you prepare for what seems inevitable? You assume breach and plan accordingly. Cyber resilience has become a top priority as organizations figure out how to build a network that can either conti…

Operational Technology (OT) security is concerned with protecting embedded, purpose-built technologies enabling our industrial processes. You also may have heard “adjacent” buzzwords like Internet of Things (IOT) and Fog (like “cloud” but close to the ground). OT security has significant challenges in terms of cost/size/weight, capability, ability …

Third-Party Risk Management is essential for safeguarding an organization's assets, reputation, and operations. By identifying, assessing, and managing risks associated with external partners, organizations can enhance their resilience, protect sensitive information, and maintain the trust of stakeholders in an increasingly interconnected business …

Schneider Electric has over 52,000 suppliers and sells hundreds of thousands of products of which 15,000 would be classified as intelligent products. To address risks stemming from third-party suppliers, and in recognition of the risks posed to customers, we have a holistic approach to value chain security, by implementing security controls at ever…

Breaches at software vendors used by many organizations have highlighted the external software supplier risk, requiring organizations to be even more diligent. Join us as we discuss the supply chain issues and their relationship to software supply chain issues and how organizations should approach environment with supplier software risk, geo-politi…

With CISA just putting out new “secure by design” guidance, Lexmark CISO Bryan Willett pulls the curtain back on the curtain back on how Lexmark is approaching secure-by-design in its products Lexmark is at the forefront of secure by design as their products constantly touch highly confidential information in regulated industries, along with an est…

Generative AI security and integrity. This is important to me because it's a cool new commercially available technology that promises efficiency and time savings--and therefore everyone wants to use it without a thorough understanding of how to secure data used with it or correcting model bias introduced through improper governance. The implication…

Responsible use and governance of AI are key issues today, as training data limitations and data retention issues must be addressed. The risk of exposing PII or other confidential data, managing bias, hallucination, misinterpretation risks and other AI considerations are discussed. Fitzgerald, T. 2019. Chapter 4: Emerging Technologies and Trends in…

Artificial Intelligence: Currently these two words can mean a world of difference to different people. How do you bring this topic to the board, to executives, or to business partners, and help them understand the risks without the FUD or technical language that so often creeps into the conversation? The goal is to engage in an action driven conver…

Generative AI has hit the world by storm, but unfortunately is widely misunderstood. While it brings great promise for companies, it also has risks. As employees and corporate applications begin making use of generative AI, it is important to ensure that proper safety and security mechanisms are put in place to allow value to be obtained while mini…