Over the past week, our Reporter, Mirren McDade has been in Nashville attending OpenText World. Over the week she attended a series of keynotes, interviewed leading minds, and connected with cybersecurity innovators from across the world.

In this episode, we’ve included two of the interviews that Mirren conducted during the week. The first is from Scott Richards, SVP, AI & Discovery, and Cybersecurity, and the other from Muhi Majzoub, EVP of Cybersecurity Engineering at OpenText. The guests discuss the evolving nature of cybersecurity regulation, AI advances, and the steps that organizations need to take to protect themselves.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit podcasts.expertinsights.com

Many founders build a single company, take their exit, and step back. Mike Walters has done it twice.

First with Netwrix, and now with Action1, Walters has a track record of building highly successful cybersecurity companies, laser focused on a specific niche.

What set Walters on this path?

It began with writing software. An early appreciation of scale and the realization that writing code alone couldn’t deliver impact fast enough pushed him and business partner Alex Vovk toward executing their own product vision.

From here, the pair launched Netwrix and Action1 into profitable, founder led businesses with no outside capital or investor pressure. Today, Netwrix is a multibillion-dollar organization with thousands of employees.

With Action1, Walters and Vovk are doing it again—but with even bigger ambition. They reinvested $20 million of their own capital to build a cloud-native platform engineered for the remote-work era. The bet has paid off. Action1 is now the fastest-growing private software company in America.

In this episode, Expert Insights’ Head of Content, Joel Witts, sits down with Mike Walters to explore his career and how patching is an often overlooked area of cybersecurity - as well as the parallels between building a company and surfing.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit podcasts.expertinsights.com

What if vibe coding — the wave of developers using AI assistants to generate code — could actually lead to better security outcomes?

Today, host Joel Witts is joined by Manoj Nair, Chief Innovation Officer at Snyk, to explore how AI is transforming the way we build and secure software.

From his early work pioneering data leakage prevention at RSA, through to leading cloud startups, and now driving innovation at Snyk, Manoj has had a front-row seat to cybersecurity’s biggest shifts.

We’ll dive into why traditional approaches to AppSec are no longer enough, how “shift left” is evolving in the AI era, and why — with the right guardrails — AI-generated code could actually be more secure than code written by humans.

Takeaways

* Vibe coding could lead to better security outcomes with the right guardrails.

* Shift left is evolving in the age of AI, moving security earlier in the development process.

* Almost every company is now a software company, making custom software the crown jewels.

* Security teams need to enable developers rather than act as gatekeepers.

* AI is being used in offensive ways, creating new vulnerabilities.

* The awareness of security risks is increasing among leading companies.

* AI-generated code can be more insecure than human-generated code.

* Proactive security measures are essential in the AI era.

* Secure code generation should be integrated into the development pipeline.

* Understanding and visibility of AI components in code is crucial for security.

Chapters

00:00 The Evolution of Application Security in the AI Era

10:01 Vibe Coding: Risks and Opportunities

19:55 The Future of AI in Cybersecurity

About Expert Insights

Expert Insights saves you time and hassle by rigorously analyzing cybersecurity solutions and cutting through the hype to deliver clear, actionable shortlists. We specialize in cybersecurity. So, our focus is sharper, our knowledge is deeper, and our insights are better. What’s more, our advice is completely impartial.

In a world saturated with information, we exist to arm experts with the insights they need to protect their organization. That is why over 1 million businesses have used us to inform their cybersecurity research.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit podcasts.expertinsights.com

This year, we have seen the two biggest cybersecurity acquisitions ever made: Google Cloud’s acquisition of Wiz, for $32bn USD, and Palo Alto Networks’ $25bn deal to acquire CyberArk. And it’s only August!

Cybersecurity investment continues to grow at a staggering pace. According to Return On Security, cybersecurity funding is up 202% in Q2/3 2025 compared to the same period last year, with M&A deals up 92%.

What’s driving these trends? What are the hottest areas to invest in cybersecurity today? Who are the hottest companies to watch, and who could be next in line for a $20bn USD+ acquisition?

At Black Hat USA 2025, we spoke with Deepak Jeevankumar, Managing Director at Dell Technologies Capital, to cover these questions, and much more.

Chapters

00:00 Cybersecurity Investment Surge

02:35 Trends in Cybersecurity: Evergreen vs. Cyclical

05:43 The Importance of Identity in Cybersecurity

08:42 AI's Impact on Cybersecurity

11:37 Navigating the Evolving AI Security Landscape

14:21 Challenges and Opportunities for Startups

17:20 Future Predictions in Cybersecurity Acquisitions

About Expert Insights

Expert Insights saves you time and hassle by rigorously analyzing cybersecurity solutions and cutting through the hype to deliver clear, actionable shortlists. We specialize in cybersecurity. So, our focus is sharper, our knowledge is deeper, and our insights are better. What’s more, our advice is completely impartial.

In a world saturated with information, we exist to arm experts with the insights they need to protect their organization. That is why over 1 million businesses have used us to inform their cybersecurity research.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit podcasts.expertinsights.com

What happens when criminals on keyboards thousands of miles away can hold a hospital hostage, or take down the critical systems a nation relies on?

In this conversation, Cynthia Kaiser, a former FBI Deputy Assistant Director and now SVP Ransomware Research Center at Halcyon, shares her journey into the cybersecurity field, detailing her experiences in both government and industry.

She discusses the evolution of ransomware threats, the challenges faced by law enforcement, and the initiatives at Halcyon to combat ransomware.

Cynthia emphasizes the importance of collaboration between public and private sectors and offers insights into future trends in ransomware, as well as practical advice for businesses to enhance their cyber resilience.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Cybersecurity Journey

02:53 The Evolution of Ransomware Threats

05:29 Challenges in Law Enforcement and Ransomware

08:02 Halcyon's Ransomware Research Initiatives

10:55 Future Trends in Ransomware

13:31 Advice for Businesses on Cyber Resilience

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit podcasts.expertinsights.com

In this episode of the Expert Insights podcast, Joel Witts sits down with Eoin Keary, the CEO and Founder at EdgeScan, to explore the limits of traditional pentesting, how to defend against new and unknown attacks, and why businesses should be thinking about risk-prioritized vulnerability intelligence.

About Expert Insights:

Expert Insights saves you time and hassle by rigorously analyzing cybersecurity solutions and cutting through the hype to deliver clear, actionable shortlists. We specialize in cybersecurity. So, our focus is sharper, our knowledge is deeper, and our insights are better. What’s more, our advice is completely impartial.

In a world saturated with information, we exist to arm experts with the insights they need to protect their organization. That is why over 1 million businesses have used us to inform their cybersecurity research.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit podcasts.expertinsights.com

Browser-based threats are evolving. While it’s still important for security teams to protect their organizations against issues like data leakage, risky browser extensions, and identity threats, they also need to tackle a new challenge: browser-based AI.

To explore this issue, we caught up with Or Eshed, CEO and Co-Founder at LayerX Security, on the Expert Insights Podcast.

Over the last two years, the kingpins of AI have decided that the browser is the place to consume AI, says Eshed, with 90% of AI apps currently being consumed primarily or secondarily in the browser. That’s because browsers are agnostic, and they enable users to deploy and interact with AI applications at speed.

However, while many browser-based AI tools enable productivity, they also introduce a host of new security risks, including prompt injection, questions around authorization, bias, and data leakage. “Employees can upload sensitive data to an AI tool that isn’t secure, and that AI model may train on your data and ‘burp’ that somewhere else,” says Eshed.

What’s The Solution? Banning browser-based GenAI tools isn’t the answer, says Eshed.

“A colleague in the CISO community told me that, just after ChatGPT emerged on the market, they did a survey asking who was planning on block ChatGPT, and half of the attendants raised their hands. They did another survey with the same question a couple of months ago, and under 10% raised their hands, because it’s impossible.”

Instead, CISOs today need to work out how to enable the secure use of browser-based AI tools, without limiting user productivity.

The Bottom Line: “In many cases, the most secure thing is to just avoid the risk. If you go to the beach, you may get sunburned; the safest thing to do is stay home. But you do want to go on vacation and have a good time! You just need to find the balance.”

Final Advice: Eshed’s advice for security teams looking to tackle browser-based threats is to first identify how much business is being carried out in the browser, because you can’t protect what you aren’t aware of.

“Most security teams don’t have any idea what shadow SaaS is being used in the browser or what their employees are doing. And with those unknown unknowns, you don’t really know how much impact [a browser-based threat] might have.”

The Expert Insights Podcast brings you insights and knowledge from cybersecurity and technology experts. Each episode, we conduct in-depth interviews with top cybersecurity leaders from leading vendors, practitioners and security teams. Guests include CEOs, Directors, CISOs, and more from innovative tech companies. We dive deep into the cybersecurity issues and trends that matter to your business.

For more interviews with industry experts, visit our podcast page here.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit podcasts.expertinsights.com

In this episode of the Expert Insights podcast, Joel Witts sits down with Gerasim Hovhannisyan, the co-founder of EasyDMARC. Gerasim shares his journey into the DMARC space, inspired by a personal experience with a phishing attack. We delve into the importance of DMARC for email security, the challenges organizations face in implementing it, and the global push towards its adoption.

About Expert Insights:

Expert Insights saves you time and hassle by rigorously analyzing cybersecurity solutions and cutting through the hype to deliver clear, actionable shortlists. We specialize in cybersecurity. So, our focus is sharper, our knowledge is deeper, and our insights are better. What’s more, our advice is completely impartial.

In a world saturated with information, we exist to arm experts with the insights they need to protect their organization. That is why over 1 million businesses have used us to inform their cybersecurity research.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit podcasts.expertinsights.com

Suresh Katukam is the Co-founder and CPO of Nile, a platform that monitors network traffic using AI. In this conversation, Suresh uses his wealth of experience to explain the significance of network security within today’s ever-evolving context. Nile’s solution uses behavioral analysis to understand what’s going on at every point within a network, ensuring that responses are targeted and effective.

About Expert Insights:

Expert Insights saves you time and hassle by rigorously analyzing cybersecurity solutions and cutting through the hype to deliver clear, actionable shortlists. We specialize in cybersecurity. So, our focus is sharper, our knowledge is deeper, and our insights are better. What’s more, our advice is completely impartial.

In a world saturated with information, we exist to arm experts with the insights they need to protect their organization. That is why over 1 million businesses have used us to inform their cybersecurity research.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit podcasts.expertinsights.com

Sounil Yu is Knostic’s Chief AI Security Officer, in addition to being a speaker, author, advisor, and board member. His 30+ years in security have shaped his unique perspective on AI safety and organizational privacy. In this episode, Sounil shares his journey from roles at Bank of America and venture capital to his current mission at Knostic.

About Expert Insights:

Expert Insights saves you time and hassle by rigorously analyzing cybersecurity solutions and cutting through the hype to deliver clear, actionable shortlists. We specialize in cybersecurity. So, our focus is sharper, our knowledge is deeper, and our insights are better. What’s more, our advice is completely impartial.

In a world saturated with information, we exist to arm experts with the insights they need to protect their organization. That is why over 1 million businesses have used us to inform their cybersecurity research.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit podcasts.expertinsights.com