Synopsis
Join Allan Alford, CISO of Mitel, and David Spark, founder of CISOSeries.com, each week as we choose one controversial cybersecurity debate and use the InfoSec communitys insights to lead our discussion.
Episodes
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What Soft Skills Do You Need in Cyber?
16/10/2025 Duration: 24minAll links and images can be found on CISO Series. Check out this post by Evgeniy Kharam for the discussion that is the basis of our conversation on this week’s episode co-hosted by David Spark, the producer of CISO Series, and Edward Contreras, senior evp and CISO, Frost Bank. Joining them is Ryan Dunn, Leader of Product and Supply Chain Technology, Specialized Bicycle Components. And check out "Architecting Success: The Art of Soft Skills in Technical Sales: Connect to Sell More" by Evgeniy Kharam we referenced in this episode. In this episode: Beyond the technical playbook Influencing without authority Partnering, not just selling The deliberate work of connection Thanks to our sponsor, HackerOne Discover how AI innovators like Adobe, Anthropic, and Snap are using AI to find and fix vulnerabilities across the software development lifecycle. HackerOne, the global leader in offensive security solutions, reveals all in the CISOs’ guide to securing the future of AI. Download it now to see how AI can streng
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What is the Visibility That Security Teams Need?
09/10/2025 Duration: 27minAll links and images can be found on CISO Series. Check out this post for the discussion that is the basis of our conversation on this week’s episode co-hosted by David Spark, the producer of CISO Series, and Bil Harmer, security advisor, Craft Ventures. Joining them is James Bruce, business security services director, WPP. In this episode: Turning visibility into actionable intelligence Pure visibility still provides an essential security foundation Finding strategic value The risk of gaps in identity management Huge thanks to our sponsor, ThreatLocker Human error remains one of the top cybersecurity threats. Just one wrong click can open the door to ransomware or data loss. With ThreatLocker, unauthorized apps, scripts, and devices are blocked before they can ever run. See how ThreatLocker can help you gain more control over your environment. Threatlocker.com/CISO
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Data Governance in the Age of AI
02/10/2025 Duration: 26minAll links and images can be found on CISO Series. Check out this post for the discussion that is the basis of our conversation on this week’s episode co-hosted by David Spark, the producer of CISO Series, and Dan Walsh, CISO, Datavant. Joining them is their sponsored guest, Ash Hunt, vp, strategy, EMEA, Cyera. In this episode: The access creep challenge Bridging intent and execution Looking for integrity Racing against exponential complexity Huge thanks to our sponsor, Cyera AI is moving fast - can your security keep up? Join the leaders shaping the future of data and AI security at DataSecAI Conference 2025, hosted by Cyera, Nov 12–13 in Dallas. Register now at https://www.cyera.com/?utm_source=cisoseries
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How Can Security Vendors Better Stand Out?
25/09/2025 Duration: 37minAll links and images can be found on CISO Series. Check out this post by David Mundy of Tuskira for the discussion that is the basis of our conversation on this week’s episode co-hosted by David Spark, the producer of CISO Series, and Edward Contreras, senior evp and CISO, Frost Bank. Joining them is Jason Taule, CISO, Luminis Health. In this episode: ROI challenges Venture capital saturation Risk aversion and organizational politics A GTM transformation Huge thanks to our sponsor, Doppel Doppel is the first social engineering defense platform built to dismantle deception at the source. It uses AI and infrastructure correlation to detect, link, and disrupt impersonation campaigns before they spread - protecting brands, executives, and employees while turning every threat into action that strengthens defenses across a shared intelligence network. Learn more at https://www.doppel.com/platform
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What New Risks Does AI Introduce?
18/09/2025 Duration: 30minAll links and images can be found on CISO Series. Check out this post for the discussion that is the basis of our conversation on this week’s episode co-hosted by me, David Spark, the producer of CISO Series, and Geoff Belknap. Joining us is our sponsored guest, Kara Sprague, CEO, HackerOne. In this episode: Shadow AI as a control problem Rethinking identity for autonomous agents When process meets momentum Beyond blocking: channeling AI usage Huge thanks to our sponsor, HackerOne Discover how AI innovators like Adobe, Anthropic, and Snap are using AI to find and fix vulnerabilities across the software development lifecycle. HackerOne, the global leader in offensive security solutions, reveals all in the CISOs’ guide to securing the future of AI. Download it now to see how AI can strengthen your security posture. Learn more at https://www.hackerone.com/
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The Pattern of Early Adoption of Security Tools
11/09/2025 Duration: 29minAll links and images can be found on CISO Series. Check out this post for the discussion that is the basis of our conversation on this week’s episode co-hosted by me, David Spark, the producer of CISO Series, and Edward Contreras, senior evp and CISO, Frost Bank. Joining us is CISO Series reporter and CISO herself, Hadas Cassorla. In this episode: Security poverty line excludes SMBs Skills gap and channel dynamics slow SMB security adoption The startup disadvantage cycle Technology adoption flows from enterprise complexity to market simplification Huge thanks to our sponsor, ThreatLocker ThreatLocker® is a global leader in Zero Trust endpoint security, offering cybersecurity controls to protect businesses from zero-day attacks and ransomware. ThreatLocker operates with a default deny approach to reduce the attack surface and mitigate potential cyber vulnerabilities. To learn more and start your free trial, visit ThreatLocker.com.
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How Are You Managing the Flow of AI Data
04/09/2025 Duration: 31minAll links and images can be found on CISO Series. Check out this post for the discussion that is the basis of our conversation on this week’s episode co-hosted by David Spark, the producer of CISO Series, and Geoff Belknap. Joining us is our sponsored guest Mokhtar Bacha, founder and CEO, Formal. In this episode: Access management faces transformation AI agents demand new authentication paradigms AI complexity demands simplified governance approaches Data-centric identity management replaces role-based approaches Huge thanks to our sponsor, Formal Formal secures humans, AI agent’s access to MCP servers, infrastructure, and data stores by monitoring and controlling data flows in real time. Using a protocol-aware reverse proxy, Formal enforces least-privilege access to sensitive data and APIs, ensuring AI behavior stays predictable and secure. Visit joinformal.com to learn more or schedule a demo.
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How to Deal with Last Minute Compliance Requirements
28/08/2025 Duration: 31minAll links and images can be found on CISO Series. Check out this post by Geoff Belknap, co-host of Defense in Depth, for the discussion that is the basis of our conversation on this week’s episode co-hosted by me, David Spark, the producer of CISO Series, and John Overbaugh, CISO, Alpine Investors. Joining us is our sponsored guest, Pukar Hamal, founder and CEO at SecurityPal. In this episode: When business moves faster than security Turning obstacles into opportunities The art of saying "not like that" Know your regulatory landscape Huge thanks to our sponsor, SecurityPal AI SecurityPal is the leader in Customer Assurance, helping companies accelerate security assurance without compromising accuracy. Their AI + human expertise approach, dynamic Trust Center, and modern TPRM solution eliminate manual work and streamline vendor security at scale. To learn more, visit securitypal.ai.
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Do You Have a Functional Policy or Did You Just Write One?
21/08/2025 Duration: 32minAll links and images can be found on CISO Series. Check out this post for the discussion that is the basis of our conversation on this week’s episode co-hosted by me, David Spark, the producer of CISO Series, and Edward Contreras, senior evp and CISO, Frost Bank. Joining us is Justin Berman, formerly vp of platform engineering and CISO at Thirty Madison Health. In this episode: Maps without transportation The untouchable employee problem Attestation theater The lightbulb moment Huge thanks to our sponsor, SecurityPal SecurityPal is the leader in Customer Assurance, helping companies accelerate security assurance without compromising accuracy. Their AI + human expertise approach, dynamic Trust Center, and modern TPRM solution eliminate manual work and streamline vendor security at scale. To learn more, visit securitypal.ai.
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Where are We Struggling with Zero Trust
14/08/2025 Duration: 33minAll links and images can be found on CISO Series. Check out this post for the discussion that is the basis of our conversation on this week’s episode co-hosted by me, David Spark, the producer of CISO Series, and Steve Zalewski. Joining us is our sponsored guest, Rob Allen, chief product officer, ThreatLocker. In this episode: Legacy infrastructure creates the biggest hurdles More marketing than methodology Implementation complexity makes zero trust a Sisyphean task Don't ignore human factors Huge thanks to our sponsor, ThreatLocker ThreatLocker® is a global leader in Zero Trust endpoint security, offering cybersecurity controls to protect businesses from zero-day attacks and ransomware. ThreatLocker operates with a default deny approach to reduce the attack surface and mitigate potential cyber vulnerabilities. To learn more and start your free trial, visit Threatlocker.com/CISO
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Cybersecurity Has a Prioritization Problem
07/08/2025 Duration: 31minAll links and images can be found on CISO Series. Check out this post for the discussion that is the basis of our conversation on this week’s episode co-hosted by me, David Spark, the producer of CISO Series, and Steve Zalewski. Joining them is Terry O'Daniel, former CISO at Amplitude. In this episode: Beyond prioritization: aligning risk with reality From signals to strategy The Case for Maturity Models Security Starts With Culture Huge thanks to our sponsor, SecurityPal SecurityPal is the leader in Customer Assurance, helping companies accelerate security assurance without compromising accuracy. Their AI + human expertise approach, dynamic Trust Center, and modern TPRM solution eliminate manual work and streamline vendor security at scale. To learn more, visit securitypal.ai.
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How Can AI Provide Useful Guidance from Fragmented Security Data?
31/07/2025 Duration: 29minAll links and images can be found on CISO Series. Check out this post for the discussion that is the basis of our conversation on this week’s episode co-hosted by David Spark, the producer of CISO Series, and Steve Zalewski. Joining them is their sponsored guest, Matt Eberhart, CEO, Query. In this episode: Quality over quantity in AI decision-making Process before technology The connectivity challenge The context complexity paradox Huge thanks to our sponsor, Query Query is a Federated Search and Analytics platform that builds a security data mesh, giving security teams real-time context from all connected sources. Analysts move faster and make better decisions with AI agents and copilots that handle the grunt work and guide each step. Learn more at query.ai
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Why Salespeople's Knowledge of Cybersecurity Is Critical for the Ecosystem
24/07/2025 Duration: 28minAll links and images can be found on CISO Series. Check out this post for the discussion that is the basis of our conversation on this week’s episode co-hosted by me, David Spark, the producer of CISO Series, and Steve Zalewski. Joining us is Jason Thomas, senior director, technology security, governance, and risk, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. In this episode: The trust deficit Defending the non-technical roles The business accountability gap The communication imperative Huge thanks to our sponsor, Query.ai Query is a Federated Search and Analytics platform that builds a security data mesh, giving security teams real-time context from all connected sources. Analysts move faster and make better decisions with AI agents and copilots that handle the grunt work and guide each step. Learn more at query.ai
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What Are the Cybersecurity Trends We Need To Follow?
17/07/2025 Duration: 24minAll links and images can be found on CISO Series. Check out this post for the discussion that is the basis of our conversation on this week’s episode, co-hosted by me, David Spark, the producer of CISO Series, and Dan Walsh, CISO, Datavant. Joining them is Sneha Parmar, former information security officer, Lufthansa Group Digital. In this episode: Shifting left, broadening out The insurance wake-up call Building trust into the system Security’s identity crisis A huge thanks to our sponsor, Doppel Doppel is the first social engineering defense platform built to dismantle deception at the source. It uses AI and infrastructure correlation to detect, link, and disrupt impersonation campaigns before they spread - protecting brands, executives, and employees while turning every threat into action that strengthens defenses across a shared intelligence network. Learn more at https://www.doppel.com/platform
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Is It Even Possible to Fast-Track Your Way Into Cybersecurity?
10/07/2025 Duration: 27minAll links and images can be found on CISO Series. Check out this post for the discussion that is the basis of our conversation on this week’s episode co-hosted by me, David Spark, the producer of CISO Series, and Edward Contreras, senior evp and CISO, Frost Bank. Joining us is David Cross, CISO, Atlassian. In this episode: The experience prerequisite The bootcamp reality check The compensation conundrum The domain expertise imperative A huge thanks to our sponsor, ThreatLocker ThreatLocker® is a global leader in Zero Trust endpoint security, offering cybersecurity controls to protect businesses from zero-day attacks and ransomware. ThreatLocker operates with a default deny approach to reduce the attack surface and mitigate potential cyber vulnerabilities. To learn more and start your free trial, visit ThreatLocker.com.
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What's the Most Efficient Way to Rate Third Party Vendors?
03/07/2025 Duration: 28minAll posts and images can be found on CISO Series. Check out this post for the discussion that is the basis of our conversation on this week’s episode co-hosted by me, David Spark, the producer of CISO Series, and Geoff Belknap. Joining us is Steve Knight, former CISO, Hyundai Capital America. In this episode: Streamlining vendor evaluations Moving beyond compliance theater The scorecard skeptics Finding the right balance Thanks to our sponsor, Formal Formal secures humans, AI agent’s access to MCP servers, infrastructure, and data stores by monitoring and controlling data flows in real time. Using a protocol-aware reverse proxy, Formal enforces least-privilege access to sensitive data and APIs, ensuring AI behavior stays predictable and secure. Visit joinformal.com to learn more or schedule a demo.
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Don't Ask "Can" We Secure It, But "How" Can We Secure It
26/06/2025 Duration: 28minAll links and images can be found on CISO Series. Check out this post for the discussion that is the basis of our conversation on this week’s episode co-hosted by David Spark, the producer of CISO Series, and Mike Johnson, CISO, Rivian. Joining is Hanan Szwarcbord, vp, CSO and head of infrastructure, Micron Technology. In this episode Embracing growth An urgent need for creativity Get the business context Embrace your inner theater kid Huge thanks to our sponsor, Query.ai Query is a Federated Search and Analytics platform that builds a security data mesh, giving security teams real-time context from all connected sources. Analysts move faster and make better decisions with AI agents and copilots that handle the grunt work and guide each step. Learn more at query.ai
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Has the Shared Security Model for SaaS Shifted?
12/06/2025 Duration: 28minAll links and images can be found on CISO Series. Check out this post by Justin Pagano at Klaviyo for the discussion that is the basis of our conversation on this week’s episode co-hosted by me, David Spark, the producer of CISO Series, and Geoff Belknap. Joining us is Jesse Webb, CISO and svp information systems, Avalon Healthcare Solutions. In this episode: Align the incentives The feature and enforcement disconnect Putting the right people in the right place A need for transparency Huge thanks to our sponsor, ThreatLocker ThreatLocker® is a global leader in Zero Trust endpoint security, offering cybersecurity controls to protect businesses from zero-day attacks and ransomware. ThreatLocker operates with a default deny approach to reduce the attack surface and mitigate potential cyber vulnerabilities. To learn more and start your free trial, visit ThreatLocker.com.
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Improving the Efficiency of Your Threat Intelligence
05/06/2025 Duration: 26minAll links and images can be found on CISO Series. Check out this post for the discussion that is the basis of our conversation on this week’s episode co-hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), the producer of CISO Series, and Steve Zalewski. Joining us is our sponsored guest Jason Steer, CISO, Recorded Future. In this episode We don't need more indicators Creating more work Generating actionable intelligence Design for what you can do Huge thanks to our sponsor, Recorded Future Every day, security teams face an impossible challenge: sorting through millions of threats, each potentially critical. But somewhere in that noise are the signals you can't afford to miss. Recorded Future's gives you the power to outpace AI-driven threats through intelligence tuned specifically to your needs, enabling you to act with precision. Their advanced AI detects patterns human eyes might miss, while their experts provide context that machines alone cannot. Visit recordedfuture.com to learn more about securing what matters t
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Why Cybersecurity Professionals Lie on Their Resumes
29/05/2025 Duration: 32minAll images and links can be found on CISO Series. Check out this post by Gautam ‘Gotham’ Sharma of AccessCyber for the discussion that is the basis of our conversation on this week’s episode, co-hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), the producer of CISO Series, and Steve Zalewski. Joining us is Krista Arndt, associate CISO, St. Luke’s University Health Network. In this episode: Verify then trust Dishonesty on all sides A lack of flexibility What about integrity? Huge thanks to our sponsor, Formal Formal secures humans, AI agent’s access to MCP servers, infrastructure, and data stores by monitoring and controlling data flows in real time. Using a protocol-aware reverse proxy, Formal enforces least-privilege access to sensitive data and APIs, ensuring AI behavior stays predictable and secure. Visit joinformal.com to learn more or schedule a demo.