Below the Surface

What happens when cybersecurity, AI, and government policy collide?

In this episode of Below the Surface, Yonesy Núñez sits down with Sanjeev Bhasker, Partner at K&L Gates and former Acting General Counsel for the White House’s Office of the National Cyber Director.

Drawing on his experience across two presidential administrations, Sanjeev shares an insider’s perspective on AI governance, post-quantum cryptography, regulatory risk, and the evolving responsibilities of security leaders. From preparing for Q-Day to separating real AI innovation from the hype, they explore what CISOs and boards need to be thinking about today to stay ahead of tomorrow’s threats.

Yonesy Núñez sits down with Pete Chronis — Operating Partner at Cyberstarts and a two-decade CISO at Paramount, WarnerMedia, Turner, and EarthLink — on how things change when attacks turn machine-speed and bespoke, hitting one company at a time rather than blasting everyone at once. Pete argues that buying more tools won't help: the real enemy is the status quo, and the CISOs who pull ahead build innovation into the way their people, process, and technology work together. They close on a gap Yonesy sees widening — founders build for the demo, while operators buy what survives the Tuesday afternoon when everything's on fire.