WELCOME TO THE SECURITY COCKTAIL HOUR PODCAST

In this episode, industry veteran Gurinder Bhatti tells us how seizing an opportunity propelled him from an internship to a thriving career in cybersecurity. 

From navigating unexpected outages to landing a spot on NBC News, Gurinder recounts the lessons learned and takeaways from his experiences in his varied career. He discusses the importance of learning through experience, constantly adapting, and the bold moves that accelerated his career forward.

Why are data breaches escalating, even in companies with massive security budgets? In this episode, we reveal the hidden factors fueling the rise of breaches that expose the data of hundreds of millions of people at a time. Has this become the new normal, or will things get better? Tune in to learn what’s really going on behind the scenes in cybersecurity, and how companies keep failing to protect your personal information.

Our panel of cyber security all-stars dishes on how the industry is thinking about and handling artificial intelligence (AI). Get ready for surprising insights on hot topics like deepfakes, privacy and the real dangers and promise of AI. What they believe everyone should worry about most will surprise you.

Thanks to guests Francie Dudrey, Mike Pedrick and Chris Roberts.

This is our first panel discussion - tell us in the comments if you like it and want to see more!

With fierce competition and the rise of AI, the job market for information security sure ain't what it used to be. Security recruiter Alexandra Nickoli shares her advice for landing a job in this tough market. Plus, get her veteran insights on:

• How today compares to the dark days of 2009;
• When we'll pull out of this tailspin;
• Whether AI will prove a benefit or a challenge for job seekers in the future.

Information security demands both brains and mental toughness. Watch how podcast co-host Adam Roth sharpens his mind with an intense boxing workout with trainer Phil Russo.

In this special Afterparty episode, discover how boxing boosts not only physical health but also sharpens mental resilience - essential skills for tackling cybersecurity challenges. You'll learn how the discipline and community built through fitness parallel the perseverance needed to succeed in information security.

People often take a non-traditional path into the field of information  security, and Nathali Cano’s journey is one of the most unique we’ve  ever encountered. How she became “a social worker that happens to be a  cybersecurity engineer” is a fascinating story of a single mom making  opportunities for herself out of nothing but hard work and  determination, and how she continues to give back to the community. Join  us for an episode you’ll want to hear until the end.

When you lead an information security organization, you get asked one question constantly: Are we secure? Veteran Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) Douglas Marzano joins us to discuss how to answer this seemingly simple question, which cuts to the core of the security leader’s job of managing perceptions and expectations. Whether you’re a ‘civilian’ looking to understand the real art of security or a security technologist who wonders what the boss does all day, tune in for an episode that might change the way you look at the field.

Your digital identity is more than just your username and password. In fact, as AI continues to evolve, how we define identity online is changing, and so is how we prove who we are.In this episode, we delve into the future of digital identity with Venkat Raghavan, the CEO of Stack Identity and a seasoned expert in the field. Venkat breaks down the latest challenges and their real-world implications for all of us, from how we sign in to how hackers breach systems.

We usually talk about information technology, but the real world runs on power, water and factories – and protecting them from attack is a whole different ballgame. Robert Lee, CEO of Dragos, gives us a fascinating introduction to Operational Technology (OT) cyber security. Listen in to learn about how Robert and colleagues secure the infrastructure that keeps civilization running. Spoiler Alert: It’s not what you expect, even if you’re an IT security expert.

The Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) is a fairly new position in the business world, and changing as rapidly as any other facet of information security. We talk with former CISO Sivan Tehila about the challenges of the role, and how they inspired her to found security startup Onyxia where she serves as CEO. 

Let’s be honest: Not everyone’s cut out to be the boss, and those who are often don’t want the job. That’s especially true in security, where many people consider the role of Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) more of a sentence than a promotion. Executive, author, podcaster and recovering CISO May Brooks-Kempler gives us her take on whether sitting in the big chair is all it’s cracked up to be, as well as her unorthodox take on privacy that’ll get you thinking.

We jump back into the world of generative AI with CEO and entrepreneur Michael Silva. Michael gives us his take on how a large language model (LLM) can steer you wrong and how to stay on a path to reality.

What is threat intelligence, and what makes it so...threat-y? Ryan Westman of eSentire explains it to us, and also shows us a neat Mac trick that'll make you feel better about overpaying for a laptop.

What we’re drinking: Buffalo Trace bourbon

Security consulting executive Reut Weitzman returns to the show to talk about one of our favorite topics, conducting a purple team exercise. Join us to learn what happens when attackers square off against defenders to test a security team’s capabilities.

What we’re drinking: Strawberry Gin & Tonic

Security incident response veteran John Dwyer joins us for a deep dive into how AI is poised to bend reality, and what that means for both attackers and defenders. We also cover how security incidents are now straddling the cyber and real worlds. Join us for some fresh thinking on where security is headed.

What we’re drinking: Bourbon and Ginger