CISO Series Podcast

By David Spark, Mike Johnson, and Andy Ellis

What's CISO Series Podcast about?

Formerly named CISO/Security Vendor Relationship Podcast. Discussions, tips, and debates from security practitioners and vendors on how to work better together to improve security for themselves and everyone else.

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CISO Series Podcast episodes:

04.23.2024
We’ll Invest in Resilience as Soon as the Ransom Payment Clears
All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week’s episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), operating partner, YL Ventures. Joining us is my guest, Thom...
04.16.2024
We Could Lower Risk If We Shrunk Our Business
All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week’s episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Mike Johnson, CISO, Rivian. Joining me is our sponsored guest, Matt Radolec,...
04.09.2024
Our Benefits Include Medical, Dental, and Burnout
All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week’s episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), operating partner, YL Ventures. Joining us is our guest,...
04.02.2024
Your Biggest Threats Don’t Get a Ransom Payment, They Get a Paycheck
All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week’s episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), operating partner, YL Ventures. Joining me is our guest, Alex...
03.26.2024
A Stressed CISO Is a Happy CISO
All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week’s episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), operating partner, YL Ventures. Joining us is our guest, Shawn...
03.19.2024
BREAKING: “Department of No” Upgraded to “Department of Slow”
All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week’s episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Mike Johnson, CISO, Rivian. Joining me is our sponsored guest, Nadav Lotan,...
03.12.2024
A Threat Actor Just “Liked” My Dashboard Screenshot
All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week’s episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Mike Johnson, CISO, Rivian. Joining me is our guest, Jamil Farshchi, evp...
03.05.2024
We Can’t Fail at API Security If We Never Even Try
All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week’s episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), operating partner, YL Ventures. Joining me is our sponsored guest,...
02.27.2024
I’m Stuffed, I Just Couldn’t Take Another Credential
All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week’s episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), operating partner, YL Ventures. Joining me is our sponsored guest,...
02.20.2024
Is There a Konami Code For Cyber Talent?
All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week’s episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Mike Johnson, CISO, Rivian. Joining me is our guest Kelly Haydu, vp,...
02.13.2024
It’s Like a Trust Fall, But We Know You’ll Hit the Floor
All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week’s episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), operating partner, YL Ventures. Joining me is our guest, Grant...
02.06.2024
How Can We Apply Our Shadow IT Failings to Botch Our AI Policy? (LIVE in Clearwater)
All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week’s episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Brett Conlon, CISO, American Century Investments. Joining me is our guest, Mical...
01.30.2024
Maybe If You Worked Harder Your Burnout Wouldn’t Be Such a Liability
All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week’s episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Mike Johnson, CISO, Rivian. Joining me is our guest, Shyama Rose, CISO...
01.23.2024
For CISOs, It’s Less of a Golden Parachute and More a Pair of Brown Pants
All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week’s episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), operating partner, YL Ventures. Joining me is our guest, Trina Ford, CISO, iHeartMedia. In this episode: ...
01.16.2024
Elvis Is Alive and He’s Reusing Your Passwords
All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week’s episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), operating partner, YL Ventures. Joining me is our guest, Bob...
01.09.2024
SSO No You Didn't (LIVE in La Jolla, CA)
All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week’s episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Billy Norwood, CISO, FFF Enterprises. Joining us is our guest, Joshua Barons,...
01.02.2024
This Security Crisis Is the Perfect Time to Tell You I Was Right
All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week’s episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), operating partner, YL Ventures. Joining me is our guest...
12.12.2023
You’re Not Leaving This House Until You Cover Up That LLM
All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week’s episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), operating partner, YL Ventures. Joining me is our guest, Richard Ford, CTO, Praetorian. In this episode: ...
12.05.2023
We Got This Far Without Hiring a Prompt Engineer
All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week’s episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Mike Johnson, CISO, Rivian. Joining me is our guest, Suresh Vasudevan, CEO,...
11.28.2023
Ugh, Lawyers Take All the Fun Out of Surviving a Cyberattack (LIVE in Las Vegas)
All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week’s episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and sponsored co-host Jason Sabin, CTO, DigiCert. Joining us is our guest, Alexandra...
11.21.2023
Dear Abby: Should I Sell to a CISO During a Cyberattack? (LIVE in Mountain View)
All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week’s episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Mike Johnson, CISO, Rivian. Joining me is our guest, Kurt Sauer,...
11.14.2023
We’re Not Home. Please Leave Your Company’s Data After the Beep
All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week’s episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Andy Ellis (@csoandy), operating partner, YL Ventures. Joining me is our guest, Arvin...
11.07.2023
Hey, Let’s Merge Our Technical Debt With Your Understaffed Security Team! (LIVE in Miami)
All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week’s episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and Adam Zoller, svp, CISO at Providence. Joining me is our guest...
10.31.2023
I Taught DeNiro Security Theater, I Can Teach You.
All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. In principle, we can generally all agree that security theater is a waste of time for security teams. But the reality is that these are things that...
10.24.2023
A CEO’s Guide To Ignoring Your Security Program (LIVE in Santa Monica)
All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. Usually the buck stops with the CEO. But for a CISO, what do you do when a CEO wants to exempt themselves from your security program? Whether...
10.17.2023
Security Awareness Lifecycle: Turn On, Tune In, Drop Out
All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. When it comes to security awareness, the advice generally doesn't change. There are a set of best practices that have proven to be effective. So we know...
10.10.2023
Threats In SaaS Are Closer Than They Appear
All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. Organizations know that securing SaaS is vital. But polls consistently show they also know their current security isn’t cutting it. With security teams acting more as SaaS...
10.03.2023
We Can Name 50 CISOs. Let’s Give Them an Award!
All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. If you search online, you'll find no dearth of lists claiming to rank the top security leaders. The question is, how do these actually get created? Most...
09.26.2023
C is for C-Suite, Except If You’re a CISO
All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. CISOs are common among the Fortune 500. But it remains rare to see them listed in executive leadership. Given that every company says security is of prime...
09.19.2023
Part Man. Part Machine. All CISO. (Live in D.C.)
All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. We’ve heard a lot of talk about the security risks with emerging AI technologies. A lot of these center around employees using large language models. But what about...
09.12.2023
Is This Just Bad Or “Call The Feds” Bad?
All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. In everyday life, it's often clear when to call in the authorities. Someone egging your house might not rise to the occasion, but a break-in gets a...
09.05.2023
Giving Slack Slack Will Lead Your Teams to Discord
All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. Even before the pandemic, we've been increasingly living in online collaboration apps. So why are organizations still making basic security mistakes with them? Is this a case...
08.29.2023
Please Take Some Pens and Our Company Data On Your Way Out
All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. Every company deals with off-boarding employees. Yet it feels like many organizations make basic security mistakes in this process. Is it just a case of HR and...
08.22.2023
If You Care About Security, Maybe This Guilt Tactic Will Work
All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. Security vendors want to engage with CISOs. Yet many choose tactics that seem blatantly insulting. It might seem obvious that asking a CISO if they care about...
08.15.2023
5 Years Required to Write a Better Job Description
All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. We're seeing increasing recognition that cybersecurity jobs should focus on competency rather than years of experience. But how do you create job posts to encourage that? And...
08.08.2023
When Do I Fix the Toilet Myself or Call the Plumber?
All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. For some security problems, it can be tough to know when to try to fix the problem yourself or turn to a vendor. Deciding this shouldn't start...
08.01.2023
Cyber Advice So Generic, You’ll Assume It Came from ChatGPT
All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. Shifting Left is so five years ago. Advice and best practices are great, but context is king. Is there a mixture of best practices AND doing what's...
07.25.2023
Vendors Are From Mars. Their Security Is From Venus.
All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. There are so many third party vendors we want to work with, but uggh, their security and privacy is so troublesome. Is it only the security...
07.18.2023
We're So Special Gartner Hasn't Even Thought Of Our Category Yet
All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. Do you know what security categories were created this year? I have no idea. Do you know which ones were deleted? I don't think any. Is...
07.11.2023
Who’s in Charge of Stopping Stupid Ideas? (LIVE in Tel Aviv)
All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This week’s episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series and guest co-host Jesse Whaley, CISO, Amtrak. Our guest was Paul Branley, CISO,...
06.27.2023
Password Rules Make Us Feel More Secure
All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. Troy Hunt's new site, "Dumb Password Rules," demonstrates yet another slice of security theater. Rules designed to make the creator believe they're making the business more secure,...
06.20.2023
Make Them a Passwordless Offer They Can’t Refuse (LIVE in Denver)
This week’s episode was recorded in front of a live audience at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver as we kicked off the Rocky Mountain Information Security Conference (RMISC). See the blog post for this episode here. Joining me, David Spark...
06.13.2023
After a Breach, Security and Privacy Are Very Important to Us
All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. Why does it seem that the only time we hear about a company’s concern about security and privacy is after they’re compromised. It is only at that...
06.06.2023
Your Lips Say “No,” But I’m Not Listening
All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. There is a long history of security professionals complaining about the insecurity of new technologies. When new technologies take off, they rarely have lots of great security...
05.30.2023
Failure Is The Likely Option
All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. When cybersecurity needs to cut budget, first move is to look where you have redundancy. That way you're not actually reducing the security effort. But after that,...
05.23.2023
A Fireman? A Princess? How About a CISO?
All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. As children, we don't dream of becoming a CISO, but yet we still have them. What is it a security professional can learn or even show, to...
05.16.2023
I’ve Got Plenty of Risk If You Want More
All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. It seems anything that's added to a business, like a new app or a third party vendor, just adds more risk. Risk definitely piles up faster than...
05.09.2023
What Kind of Challenges Do You Foresee In Firing Me?
All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. This show was recorded in front of a live audience in New York City! This week’s episode is hosted by me, David Spark (@dspark), producer of CISO Series, and...
05.02.2023
I Wouldn’t Trust Everything You Read… On My Resume
All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. Turns out cybersecurity professionals lie on their resumes. They add degrees and certifications they don't have. They omit degrees for fear of looking overqualified. And sometimes,...
04.25.2023
Can’t You Just Pop Out of Zeus’ Head a Fully Formed Security Professional?
All links and images for this episode can be found on CISO Series. Companies want to hire security professionals who know everything. Eager professionals who want all those skills are screaming please hire me and train me. But unlike the...

What's CISO Series Podcast about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

CISO Series Podcast episodes:

We’ll Invest in Resilience as Soon as the Ransom Payment Clears

We Could Lower Risk If We Shrunk Our Business

Our Benefits Include Medical, Dental, and Burnout

Your Biggest Threats Don’t Get a Ransom Payment, They Get a Paycheck

A Stressed CISO Is a Happy CISO

BREAKING: “Department of No” Upgraded to “Department of Slow”

A Threat Actor Just “Liked” My Dashboard Screenshot

We Can’t Fail at API Security If We Never Even Try

I’m Stuffed, I Just Couldn’t Take Another Credential

Is There a Konami Code For Cyber Talent?

It’s Like a Trust Fall, But We Know You’ll Hit the Floor

How Can We Apply Our Shadow IT Failings to Botch Our AI Policy? (LIVE in Clearwater)

Maybe If You Worked Harder Your Burnout Wouldn’t Be Such a Liability

For CISOs, It’s Less of a Golden Parachute and More a Pair of Brown Pants

Elvis Is Alive and He’s Reusing Your Passwords

SSO No You Didn't (LIVE in La Jolla, CA)

This Security Crisis Is the Perfect Time to Tell You I Was Right

You’re Not Leaving This House Until You Cover Up That LLM

We Got This Far Without Hiring a Prompt Engineer

Ugh, Lawyers Take All the Fun Out of Surviving a Cyberattack (LIVE in Las Vegas)

Dear Abby: Should I Sell to a CISO During a Cyberattack? (LIVE in Mountain View)

We’re Not Home. Please Leave Your Company’s Data After the Beep

Hey, Let’s Merge Our Technical Debt With Your Understaffed Security Team! (LIVE in Miami)

I Taught DeNiro Security Theater, I Can Teach You.

A CEO’s Guide To Ignoring Your Security Program (LIVE in Santa Monica)

Security Awareness Lifecycle: Turn On, Tune In, Drop Out

Threats In SaaS Are Closer Than They Appear

We Can Name 50 CISOs. Let’s Give Them an Award!

C is for C-Suite, Except If You’re a CISO

Part Man. Part Machine. All CISO. (Live in D.C.)

Is This Just Bad Or “Call The Feds” Bad?

Giving Slack Slack Will Lead Your Teams to Discord

Please Take Some Pens and Our Company Data On Your Way Out

If You Care About Security, Maybe This Guilt Tactic Will Work

5 Years Required to Write a Better Job Description

When Do I Fix the Toilet Myself or Call the Plumber?

Cyber Advice So Generic, You’ll Assume It Came from ChatGPT

Vendors Are From Mars. Their Security Is From Venus.

We're So Special Gartner Hasn't Even Thought Of Our Category Yet

Who’s in Charge of Stopping Stupid Ideas? (LIVE in Tel Aviv)

Password Rules Make Us Feel More Secure

Make Them a Passwordless Offer They Can’t Refuse (LIVE in Denver)

After a Breach, Security and Privacy Are Very Important to Us

Your Lips Say “No,” But I’m Not Listening

Failure Is The Likely Option

A Fireman? A Princess? How About a CISO?

I’ve Got Plenty of Risk If You Want More

What Kind of Challenges Do You Foresee In Firing Me?

I Wouldn’t Trust Everything You Read… On My Resume

Can’t You Just Pop Out of Zeus’ Head a Fully Formed Security Professional?