Razorwire Cyber Security & InfoSec Insights

When Megan Brown, Jonathan Care, and I explore the world of penetration testing, we uncover the missing links between the testing itself and having a secure organisation and patched vulnerabilities.

In this episode, you will learn how to maximise the potential of your penetration tests and increase the depth of your organisation's cyber security. 

“Pen tests on their own don’t do anything if you don’t have a way of tracking the issues, resolving the issues.” Jonathan Care

• How regularly penetration testing should be carried out to ensure that the organisation is secure as well as compliant
• Driving accountability and how to use the data from pen testing
• Expectations vs outcomes from pen testing
• What additional value do you get with a continuous pen testing (CPT) service?
• How does Razorthorn bridge the gaps between testing, tracking and resolving vulnerabilities with their CPT service, Razor’s Edge?
• How cyber insurance premiums can be reduced through CPT
• Are bug bounties complimentary to pen tests and what benefits and drawbacks do they have? 
• How GRC can support a company following a pen test to increase internal and customer confidence by closing security gaps
• What challenges arise when recruiting and retaining qualified pen testers given the current market conditions?

Megan, Jonathan, and I had an interesting discussion about the current trends in the penetration testing industry. We discuss the various ways organisations are utilising penetration testing, from quarterly snapshots in time to continuous pen testing, with reference to Razorthorn’s new CPT platform, Razor’s Edge.

We talk about how difficult it is to find and retain skilled professionals, when better-paying jobs are dangled like carrots in an industry where there is a notable skills shortage. 

We also talk about how to use intelligence to find new threats on the dark web and how to combine vulnerability scanning with pen testing. 

Find out more about Razor’s Edge here: https://www.razorthorn.com/cyber-security-testing/next-gen-continuous-pen-testing/ 

Listen to this episode on your favourite podcasting platform: https://razorwire.captivate.fm/listen

Megan Brown has spent over 15 years in SAAS and technology leadership roles. For the past 5 years, she has worked alongside the founding team at LogicGate to help scale the Risk Cloud, a next gen GRC workflow automation SaaS platform, around the world. Megan currently works as the Head of International Sales after having developed the Strategic Alliances and Partner Function at LogicGate. Megan leads the international market expansion strategy and sales team covering global markets. In her free time, she loves podcasts and is a host herself - you can hear more from Megan on LogicGate's GRC & Me podcast. She is a live music fan, marathon runner, and mom to a 3 year old daughter. Megan, her husband, and their daughter will be moving to Richmond, UK, this year, a long way from their previous home in Chicago, IL where the company has its US headquarters. 

Jonathan Care is a recognised expert in the field of Cybersecurity & Fraud Detection. A former top-rated Gartner analyst, Care was responsible for defining the Fraud market, and leading Gartner’s Insider Threat and Risk research. He regularly advises cybersecurity industry leaders on strategic growth and has worked with key figures in industry and government across the globe. He is a lead contributor for Dark Reading, an industry-defining publication. Jonathan has testified in court as an expert witness and forensic investigator and is a Fellow of the British Computer Society. He also fuels his creative passion as a composer of film/TV music.  

Social media: @jonathanhcare & https://linkedin.com/in/computercrime  

LogicGate Security

Lionfish Security

Push Security

Dark Reading

Black Hat 

Razor’s Edge

Tech Vets

44 Con

The Cyber Security Skills Shortage | Razorwire Podcast

https://www.razorthorn.com/the-cyber-security-skills-shortage/

Ex-Military Cyber Security Experts: How Military Training Prepares You for a Successful Career in Cybersecurity

https://www.razorthorn.com/ex-military-cyber-security-experts-how-military-training-prepares-you-for-a-successful-career-in-cybersecurity/

Hello, I am James Rees, the host of the Razorwire podcast. This podcast brings you insights from leading cyber security professionals who dedicate their careers to making a hacker’s life that much more difficult.

Our guests bring you experience and expertise from a range of disciplines and from different career stages. We give you various viewpoints for improving your cyber security – from seasoned professionals with years of experience, triumphs and lessons learned under their belt, to those in relatively early stages of their careers offering fresh eyes and new insights.

With new episodes every other Wednesday, Razorwire is a podcast for cyber security enthusiasts and professionals providing insights, news and fresh ideas on protecting your organisation from hackers.

For more information about us or if you have any questions you would like us to discuss email [email protected].

If you need consultation, visit www.razorthorn.com, We give our clients a personalised, integrated approach to information security, driven by our belief in quality and discretion.

Linkedin: Razorthorn Security

Youtube: Razorthorn Security

Twitter:   @RazorThornLTD

Website: www.razorthorn.com

Loved this episode? Leave us a review and rating here

All rights reserved. © Razorthorn Security LTD 2025

Josh Davies, Keith Christie-Smith, and I dive into the world of legislation and compliance and explore the stark contrast between the need for rigorous security and the burden placed on businesses to comply.

“One of the big problems we have in security is that you spend all this money pre-empting your defence in depth to try to protect you against things that you could perceive could happen to you." Josh Davies

Listen to this episode on your favourite podcasting platform: https://razorwire.captivate.fm/listen

• What do the changing regulations and compliance requirements in the information security field mean for businesses?
• The advantages of a security first approach
• How being compliant in itself doesn’t necessarily mean your organisation secure
• The irony of having a cyber incident justifying the budget for adequate security measures
• The opposition of legislation vs growth and innovation
• The concept of ‘legislation fatigue’ – is there a danger of having to comply with too many standards?
• The importance of understanding the intent behind the compliance requirement
• What is the difference between too much or too little legislation on security measures?
• The limitations of generic security frameworks vs frameworks targeted to specific industries such as PCI DSS
• The challenges of creating universal standards

Josh Davies is a Product Manager at Fortra by Alert Logic. Formerly a Security Analyst and Solutions Architect, Josh has hands on experience in incident response and threat hunting activities before working with organisations to identify appropriate security solutions. Josh continues to be closely involved with security operations and threat research.  

Keith is a sales director with Claroty, covering the Government, Defence and Healthcare verticals. Keith has worked in the cyber security field for both vendors and resellers. He has been in cyber security for over a decade having worked in IT managed services for almost a decade beforehand.  

Ransomware Sanctions: Exploring the Fallout

https://www.razorthorn.com/ransomware-sanctions/

Threat Intelligence: Why Awareness is Critical, and Collaboration is Essential

https://www.razorthorn.com/threat-intelligence-why-awareness-is-critical-and-collaboration-is-essential-razorwire-podcast/

Hello, I am James Rees, the host of the Razorwire podcast. This podcast brings you insights from leading cyber security professionals who dedicate their careers to making a hacker’s life that much more difficult.

Our guests bring you experience and expertise from a range of disciplines and from different career stages. We give you various viewpoints for improving your cyber security – from seasoned professionals with years of experience, triumphs and lessons learned under their belt, to those in relatively early stages of their careers offering fresh eyes and new insights.

With new episodes every other Wednesday, Razorwire is a podcast for cyber security enthusiasts and professionals providing insights, news and fresh ideas on protecting your organisation from hackers.

For more information about us or if you have any questions you would like us to discuss email [email protected].

If you need consultation, visit www.razorthorn.com, We give our clients a personalised, integrated approach to information security, driven by our belief in quality and discretion.

Linkedin: Razorthorn Security

Youtube: Razorthorn Security

Twitter:   @RazorThornLTD

Website: www.razorthorn.com

Loved this episode? Leave us a review and rating here

All rights reserved. © Razorthorn Security LTD 2025

In this podcast episode, Jamie Hayward, Tom Mills, Michael Aguilera and I explore the perplexing irony of the UK government's recent proposal to ban payments to Russian ransomware groups. We debate the ethical, legal and financial implications of such a move and challenge organisations to pre-emptively defend against cyber attacks. 

"The best way to defeat exfiltration of your data - one of the best ways, there's a few - is using encryption." - Jamie Hayward 

We were discussing the recent news about new regulations on paying ransomware groups connected to Russia. We explored the implications of this ruling, how it may affect companies and the potential problems and risks it could cause. 

Through the discussion, we talk about the problem of reactive security and the proactive steps organisations can take to protect their data and be prepared for the worst case scenarios. 

While this law is designed to protect businesses, it is not, in itself, a solution to the ransomware problem.  We discuss how likely it might be that ransomware payments may be made illegal across the board and the implications of similar rulings on public, private, national and international organisations.

In this episode, you will learn the following: 

• What are the implications for organisations when the so-called ‘safety net’ of paying a ransom is taken away
• Why reactive cyber security strategies are so risky
• What proactive recommendations we would give for securing an organisation
• The effect the ruling might have on cyber insurance
• The role of cyber education and training 
• How can a universal set of regulations be created for information security? 

If you are a new listener to Razorwire, we would love to hear from you. For more information about us or if you have any questions you would like us to discuss on the podcast email [email protected].  

Other episodes you'll enjoy: 

How to Negotiate with Ransomware Groups 

https://www.razorthorn.com/how-to-negotiate-with-ransomware-groups/ 

Threat Intelligence: Why Awareness is Critical, and Collaboration is Essential | Razorwire Podcast 

https://www.razorthorn.com/threat-intelligence-why-awareness-is-critical-and-collaboration-is-essential-razorwire-podcast/ 

Connect with Your host James Rees 

Hello, I am James Rees, the host of the Razorwire podcast. This podcast brings you insights from leading cyber security professionals who dedicate their careers to making a hacker’s life that much more difficult. 

Our guests bring you experience and expertise from a range of disciplines and from different career stages. We give you various viewpoints for improving your cyber security – from seasoned professionals with years of experience, triumphs and lessons learned under their belt, to those in relatively early stages of their careers offering fresh eyes and new insights. 

With new episodes every other Wednesday, Razorwire is a podcast for cyber security enthusiasts and professionals providing insights, news and fresh ideas on protecting your organisation from hackers. 

Listen to this episode on your favourite podcasting platform and for more information about us or if you have any questions you would like us to discuss on the podcast email [email protected]. 

If you need consultation, visit www.razorthorn.com, We give our clients a personalised, integrated approach to information security, driven by our belief in quality and discretion. 

Linkedin: Razorthorn Security 

Youtube: Razorthorn Security 

Twitter:  @RazorThornLTD 

Website: www.razorthorn.com

All rights reserved. © Razorthorn Security LTD 2025

Are you concerned about the recent ransomware attacks? Listen to this episode to learn important things about how hard it is to talk to a ransomware group. 

In this episode, I am joined by cyber security experts, Richard Cassidy and Oliver Rochford, to share their experiences and knowledge to help you understand the impact of ransomware and how best to respond to ransomware groups if you find yourself in that situation.  

In this episode, we covered the following topics: 

• How ransomware became both a technological and economic problem 
• The rise of ransomware in relation to cryptocurrency 
• Examples of a ransomware attacks 
• What to look out for to protect your company from ransomware 
• The measures to take when dealing with a ransomware attack 
• How the government can further improve the authorities’ response to ransomware attacks 
• The preferred skill sets to successfully mitigate the impact of a ransomware attack 
• Having the right people to negotiate with ransomware groups 

Oliver argues that ransomware is not just a technological issue but also a human and economic problem. Richard concurs, noting that having a team with the technical skills to confront ransomware groups is not enough and that it also requires a different type of training and capability. 

This highlights the need to look at ransomware from different angles and to invest in developing skill sets to tackle the problem from all sides. With the right combination of technological, human, and economic skills, the fight against ransomware can be successful. 

Listen to this episode on your favourite podcasting platform. 

If you are a new listener to the Razorwire, we would love to hear from you. For more information about us or if you have any questions you would like us to discuss on the podcast email [email protected]. 

GUEST BIOS   

Richard Cassidy 

Richard Cassidy has been consulting to businesses on cyber security strategies and programs for more than two decades, working across highly regulated industries including finance, insurance, retail, manufacturing, government and military. During his career Richard has been heavily engaged in the design and implementation of infrastructure & cyber security solutions, helping organisations in evolving security, compliance, risk management, data assurance, automation, orchestration & breach response practices.  

Richard’s security operations experience includes managing Computer Emergency Response Teams (CERT), breach response teams, threat intelligence and hunting teams, as well as educating the industry on how data and assets are targeted by cyber-criminal groups, which in return supports effective security practices and mitigation strategies. Richard has led major breach investigations across CNI (Critical National Infrastructure), Finance, Military and Educational institutions over the past decade, with specific expertise in financial fraud investigations on SWIFT payment networks and OT Manufacturing environments, helping align technical investigation processes to business risk analysis to better serve breach response plans. 

Combining hands-on experience with the technologies and services that have evolved over the past two decades, with a detailed perspective on end-user security risks, Richard focuses on delivering thought leadership tracks that help decision-makers define practical security, compliance, and data assurance strategies. He is well versed in showing organisations how to better navigate a highly complex and automated threat landscape, in tandem with achieving (and maintaining) regulatory, compliance and data assurance mandates that business leaders face in today’s technology landscape.  

Richard is an active industry contributor, regularly delivering speaker sessions at events including SANS, BlackHat, IP Expo, InfoSec, FSISAC, and security seminars EMEA-wide, not to mention many article publications in the arena of cybersecurity, compliance, industrial control, and emerging technology matters.  

Oliver Rochford 

Oliver Rochford has worked in cyber security as a penetration tester, consultant, researcher, and industry analyst for over 20 years. He has been interviewed, cited, and quoted by media, think tanks, and academia, he has written for Securityweek, CSO Online, and Dark Reading. While working at Gartner, he co-named the Security Orchestration, Automation and Response (SOAR) market, worked on the SIEM Magic Quadrant, and also covered the European MSSP Market. Prior to joining Securonix, Oliver worked for Qualys, Verizon, Gartner,  Tenable, and Securonix. Oliver is Chief Furitist at Tenzir, where he works on product strategy and marketing.  

Connect with Your host James Rees 

Hello, I am James Rees, the host of the Razorwire podcast. This podcast brings you insights from leading cyber security professionals who dedicate their careers to making a hacker’s life that much more difficult. 

Our guests bring you experience and expertise from a range of disciplines and from different career stages. We give you various viewpoints for improving your cyber security – from seasoned professionals with years of experience, triumphs and lessons learned under their belt, to those in relatively early stages of their careers offering fresh eyes and new insights. 

With new episodes every other Wednesday, Razorwire is a podcast for cyber security enthusiasts and professionals providing insights, news and fresh ideas on protecting your organisation from hackers 

Listen to this episode on your favourite podcasting platform and for more information about us or if you have any questions you would like us to discuss on the podcast email [email protected]. 

If you need consultation, visit www.razorthorn.com, We give our clients a personalised, integrated approach to information security, driven by our belief in quality and discretion. 

Linkedin: Razorthorn Security 

Youtube: Razorthorn Security 

Twitter:  @RazorThornLTD 

Website: www.razorthorn.com 

All rights reserved. © Razorthorn Security LTD 2025

In this episode, I am joined by Chris Dawson and Iain Pye to talk about the biometric technology, what can be done to improve it,  and how it might be utilised in the future. 

In this episode, we covered the following topics:

• How biometrics has been altered and adapted since its early days
• How biometric data are being stored
• What damage can a personal data breach cause to consumers
• Is personal data at risk of deepfake technology?
• What do we as consumers really know about how our data is stored and secured? 
• The lack of clear guidelines and framework for the use of biometric data
• Who actually owns our biometric data? Individuals or the company collecting it?

We discuss biometrics and the security and management of the data collected, and how the data has been collected and used by the government, the military, and corporations. We also talk about the moral and legal issues of how biometric data is used and stored, and how individuals can be put at risk.

Biometrics is a technology that has always been surrounded by questions about data security and misuse, even though it is undeniably useful. The technology offers many benefits in terms of security, ease of use, and access to different services. However, it also raises important ethical and legal questions. As biometric data is used more and more, we discuss the need for a clear set of rules and guidelines to ensure people's privacy and civil liberties are respected and protected. 

We talk about the potential for abuse or manipulation of personal data as a key reason for the need for advancements in both biometrics as a technology and the management of the data.

Listen to this episode on your favourite podcasting platform.

If you are a new listener to Razorwire, we would love to hear from you. For more information about us or if you have any questions you would like us to discuss on the podcast email [email protected].

Iain Pye

Iain is a Cyber Security, Data Protection and Risk Specialist with over 20 years of experience in the public and private sectors. Iain has worked in a range of industries from finance, legal, security and government. When Iain is not fighting fires or arguing personal data ethics, Iain likes exploring the world with his family and occasionally going for a run through the Fens with the dog. If the dog is up for it, which she is usually not. 

Hello, I am James Rees, the host of the Razorwire podcast. This podcast brings you insights from leading cyber security professionals who dedicate their careers to making a hacker’s life that much more difficult.

Our guests bring you experience and expertise from a range of disciplines and from different career stages. We give you various viewpoints for improving your cyber security – from seasoned professionals with years of experience, triumphs and lessons learned under their belt, to those in relatively early stages of their careers offering fresh eyes and new insights.

With new episodes every other Wednesday, Razorwire is a podcast for cyber security enthusiasts and professionals providing insights, news and fresh ideas on protecting your organisation from hackers.

Listen to this episode on your favourite podcasting platform and for more information about us or if you have any questions you would like us to discuss on the podcast email [email protected].

If you need consultation, visit www.razorthorn.com, We give our clients a personalised, integrated approach to information security, driven by our belief in quality and discretion.

Linkedin: Razorthorn Security

Youtube: Razorthorn Security

Twitter:   @RazorThornLTD

Website: www.razorthorn.com

All rights reserved. © Razorthorn Security LTD 2025

Today we discuss recruiting in the cyber security field from a forces perspective - what to expect coming out of the military, recruiting people from the forces, and how we can bring people into this particular field to address the cyber security skills gap. 

In this episode, we cover:

• The experience of veterans and services leavers when they came out of the military – what can a leaver expect?
• How to prepare yourself, mentally and practically, for leaving the military
• Causes of underemployment among people from the forces
• Who are TechVets and how does their programme help the forces community
• Crafting a CV that shows your skills for corporate/non-military employment
• Translating experience and soft skills from military training into desirable corporate skills
• Recruitment of people from the forces into the field of cyber security
• How veterans and service leavers can help fill the skills shortage in information security

All our guests in this episode are ex-forces themselves – I’m joined by James Murphy, Claire Davies and Tom Mills to discuss their experiences after leaving the military, as well as how the qualities and skills they gained from their military training can help fill the cyber security skills gap.

Claire talks about how she went from a senior position in the military to a role in commercial security. Tom talks about some of the problems he ran into as he moved from the military to the business world. James tells us about hiring veterans and service members and helping them get jobs after they leave the military. 

When people leave the military and go into business, they often find it easy to port across the skills they learned there. There is a lack of skilled information security people in the job market, so tapping into the potential of veterans and helping them find a place in this field is an excellent way to make use of the skills honed in the forces. 

This episode gives a great guide to moving from the forces into the world of commerce from people who have been through the process themselves.

Listen to this episode on your favourite podcasting platform.

If you are a new listener to Razorwire, we would love to hear from you. For more information about us or if you have any questions you would like us to discuss on the podcast, email [email protected].

James Murphy

James joined TechVets from GDS, where he was employed as the Head of Threat Intelligence.  

James served for 19 years in the British Military, deploying to Northern Ireland, East Africa and Afghanistan with the Infantry, receiving lifelong injuries as a result of enemy action. James then served until 2018 in intelligence, delivering support to global Joint Military operations. 

Since becoming CEO, he has used his military experience to build an unrivalled programme of professional tech training, resources, and support for UK veterans and their families. He is an excellent ambassador for the military and has proven his commercial prowess and business excellence by securing strategic partnerships with some of the world's leading tech companies. 

—

Claire Davies MBE 

Claire has over 30 years of experience in the field of intelligence and security.   She cut her teeth within the UK military where she enjoyed a globe-trotting career identifying, assessing, exploiting and ultimately defeating the threat to the security of assets posed by those engaged in terrorism, espionage, sabotage and subversion.  In more recent times, she leads a team of information security and data protection professionals within Arriva Group.  She is particularly passionate about creating momentum around increased awareness of the cyber threat across the industry, mentoring new recruits into the field (so she can retire) and helping to fly the flag in providing a safe and trusted public transport network.      

Tom Mills

Tom Mills is an Information Security Consultant working for Razorthorn Security. Formerly a Counter-Intelligence and Security subject matter expert with the British Army specialising in physical security vulnerability identification and penetration testing, Tom has hands-on experience identifying and managing security threats and risks in a variety of operational environments. Transferring his military experience, he now supports and guides organisations to ensure their information security and cyber defence postures meet national and international regulatory compliance standards along with supporting key organisational outputs for Razorthorn Cyber Defence. Tom actively supports service leavers where possible and is a Member of the Security Institute and pursues CPD opportunities where possible. 

—

Hello, I am James Rees, the host of the Razorwire podcast. This podcast brings you insights from leading cybersecurity professionals who dedicate their careers to making a hacker’s life that much more difficult.

Our guests bring you experience and expertise from a range of disciplines and from different career stages. We give you various viewpoints for improving your cyber security—from seasoned professionals with years of experience, triumphs and lessons learned under their belt, to those in relatively early stages of their careers offering fresh eyes and new insights.

With new episodes every other Wednesday, Razorwire is a podcast for cyber security enthusiasts and professionals, providing insights, news, and fresh ideas on protecting your organisation from hackers.

Listen to this episode on your favourite podcasting platform and for more information about us or if you have any questions you would like us to discuss on the podcast, email [email protected].

If you need consultation, visit www.razorthorn.com, We give our clients a personalised, integrated approach to information security, driven by our belief in quality and discretion.

Linkedin: Razorthorn Security

Youtube: Razorthorn Security

Twitter:   @RazorThornLTD

Website: www.razorthorn.com

Whether you are training to become an information security professional or if you are more seasoned in the cyber security industry, this is an episode you don’t want to miss.

In this episode, I am joined by Josh Davies and Keith Christie-Smith to talk about what the cyber security skills shortage means for the industry and how we can address this. 

Josh explains how the pandemic affected the problem while Keith emphasises how essential people, policies and procedures are in cyber security in addition to the technological tools. We talk about the current situation in the industry and what we can do to bring more talent into it. 

Ultimately, we can begin to address the cyber security skills shortage by actually talking about it. Help us close the skills gap in cyber security by listening to this episode.

In this episode, we covered the following topics:

• Defining cyber security skills shortage and how to address it
• The current situation in the cyber security industry 
• What to expect if you want to be an information security professional
• The importance of people, policies and procedures in cyber security 
• The effect of the pandemic on the cyber security industry
• Closing the knowledge and skills gap in cyber security
• How sparking discussion on addressing the skills shortage and leveraging remote work setup can bring more people into the industry
• Introducing the idea of cyber security in schools and universities with support from the government

If you are a new listener to Razorwire, we would love to hear from you. For more information about us or if you have any questions you would like us to discuss on the podcast email [email protected].

GUEST BIOS - 

Josh Davies

Josh Davies is a Product Manager at Fortra by Alert Logic. Formerly a Security Analyst and Solutions Engineer, Josh has hands-on experience in incident response and threat-hunting activities before working with organisations to identify appropriate security solutions. Josh continues to be closely involved with security operations and threat research. 

Keith Christie-Smith

Keith is a sales director with Claroty, covering the Government, Defence and Healthcare verticals. Keith has worked in the cyber security field for both vendors and resellers. He has been in cyber security for over a decade having worked in IT-managed services for almost a decade beforehand. 

Hello, I am James Rees, the host of the Razorwire podcast. This podcast brings you insights from leading cyber security professionals who dedicate their careers to making a hacker’s life that much more difficult.

Our guests bring you experience and expertise from a range of disciplines and from different career stages. We give you various viewpoints for improving your cyber security – from seasoned professionals with years of experience, triumphs and lessons learned under their belt, to those in relatively early stages of their careers offering fresh eyes and new insights.

With new episodes every other Wednesday, Razorwire is a podcast for cyber security enthusiasts and professionals providing insights, news and fresh ideas on protecting your organisation from hackers.

Listen to this episode on your favourite podcasting platform and for more information about us or if you have any questions you would like us to discuss on the podcast email [email protected].

If you need consultation, visit www.razorthorn.com, We give our clients a personalised, integrated approach to information security, driven by our belief in quality and discretion.

Linkedin: Razorthorn Security

Youtube: Razorthorn Security

All rights reserved. © Razorthorn Security LTD 2025

Collecting information on cyber threats and analysing data on a regular basis is essential to ensure your defences are tight and to allow you to pre-empt potential attacks. 

Richard Cassidy and Josh Davies, experts in the cyber threat intelligence field, join us today to discuss how collaboration between cyber professionals when it comes to data and intelligence is essential for keeping your environment secure in a world where threats evolve on a daily basis.   

Hear from the experts on the benefits of ‘tribal’ (or shared) or threat intelligence, how it can help your enterprise defend against cyber threats while also giving you better value from your security tools, and why information silos still exist when we know that sharing information makes us stronger.  

What do we cover in this episode? 

• The application and utilisation of threat intelligence in decision making 
• How to use intelligence and threat data to get the most out of your security tools 
• The difficulties of getting threat intelligence and why we are reluctant to share information 
• Great examples of collaboration in fighting threats, e.g. Log4j 
• The importance of the Intelligence Cycle  
• Platforms for intelligence sharing and collaboration 

Have comments about the show? 

Thank you for listening to today’s episode of the Razorwire podcast. Be sure you subscribe to Razorwire and leave a review! Use the social media buttons below and share them with your connections. For topic ideas you want to hear, I’d love to hear from you at [email protected]. 

Guest Bio(s):  

Richard Cassidy 

Richard Cassidy has been consulting businesses on cyber security strategies and programs for over two decades, working across highly regulated industries, including finance, insurance, retail, manufacturing, government, and military. Richard Cassidy has been consulting businesses on cyber security strategies and programs for over two decades, working across highly regulated industries, including finance, insurance, retail, manufacturing, government, and military.  

Josh Davies  

Josh Davies is a Product Manager at Fortra by Alert Logic. Formerly a Security Analyst and Solutions Architect, Josh has hands-on experience in incident response and threat-hunting activities before working with organisations to identify appropriate security solutions. Josh continues to be closely involved with security operations and threat research. 

Connect with Your host James Rees 

Hello, I am James Rees, the host of the Razorwire podcast. This podcast brings insights from leading cyber security professionals who dedicate their careers to making a hacker’s life much more difficult. 

Our guests bring you experience and expertise from various disciplines and career stages. We give you various viewpoints for improving your cyber security - from seasoned professionals with years of experience, triumphs, and lessons learned under their belt to those in relatively early stages of their careers offering fresh eyes and new insights. 

With new episodes every other Wednesday, Razorwire is a podcast for cyber security enthusiasts and professionals providing insights, news, and fresh ideas on protecting your organisation from hackers. 

Episode Resources:  

1. Razorthorn - Leaders in Cyber Security Consultancy  
2. Linkedin 
3. Twitter 
4. Youtube 

Catch Up On The Most Recent Episodes! Check out these:  

The Future Of Security For Working From Home 

The Evolution Of Cyber Security & Trends To Watch For 

Cyber Security Professionals Shortage, Burnout & How To Protect Against It 

Have comments about the show? 

What do you want us to talk about in our next episode? Reply with your questions you'd like us to cover, or email us at [email protected].  

All rights reserved. © Razorthorn Security LTD 2025

Most businesses will have a plethora of insurances - employer liability, public liability and indemnity, for example - but what about cyber insurance? It is a relatively new area of insurance, although the risk has existed almost since we started using computers and mobile devices. 

According to the UK Government Cyber Security Breaches report, 39% of UK businesses have identified at least one cyber attack in the past 12 months, making cyber insurance more crucial than ever. 

Nobody knows more about risk than people that work in insurance, so I have invited Matt Clark, expert in international risk management and insurance, to join me for this new episode. We discuss how cyber insurance has evolved from solely protecting breaches to covering risks and how insurance companies calculate premiums based on threats in cyberspace.  Further, we cover the expectations of both the company and insurer in the case of a breach and the rising cost of cyber insurance. 

Listen to this episode on your favourite podcasting platform. 

If you are a new listener to Razorwire, we would love to hear from you. For more information about us or if you have any questions you would like us to discuss on the podcast email [email protected]. 

In this episode, we covered the following topics: 

• An overview of cyber insurance and how it has evolved since it was first introduced 
• Who really needs to have cyber insurance?  
• How cyber insurance companies calculate your insurance premiums 
• The challenge of promoting awareness of cyber insurance in companies 
• Do the expectations of the company and the insurer differ in the event of a breach? 
• Is cyber insurance becoming more expensive and what value do you get for your money? 

GUEST BIO  

Matt Clark 

Matt Clark has over 30 years’ experience in international risk management and insurance. He specialises in science and technology businesses, including those working in IT, communications tech, life science and healthcare and emerging tech. Matt is a Chartered Insurance Risk Manager with experience in the US, Middle East & Far East. 

Connect with Your host James Rees 

Hello, I am James Rees, the host of Razorwire podcast. This podcast brings you insights from leading cyber security professionals who dedicate their careers to making a hacker’s life that much more difficult. 

Our guests bring you experience and expertise from a range of disciplines and from different career stages. We give you various viewpoints for improving your cyber security – from seasoned professionals with years of experience, triumphs and lessons learned under their belt, to those in relatively early stages of their careers offering fresh eyes and new insights. 

With new episodes every other Wednesday, Razorwire is a podcast for cyber security enthusiasts and professionals providing insights, news and fresh ideas on protecting your organisation from hackers. 

Listen to this episode on your favourite podcasting platform and for more information about us or if you have any questions you would like us to discuss on the podcast email [email protected]. 

If you need consultation, visit www.razorthorn.com, We give our clients a personalised, integrated approach to information security, driven by our belief in quality and discretion. 

Linkedin: Razorthorn Security 

Youtube: Razorthorn Security 

Twitter:  @RazorThornLTD 

Website: www.razorthorn.com 

All rights reserved. © Razorthorn Security LTD 2025

Sun Tzu wrote that if you know your enemy and yourself then you need not fear the outcome of all your battles. In this episode, we discuss the enemy, how they work, how the larger gangs are set up and the dangers of large, organised cybercrime gangs vs the smaller gangs. We also take a look at how they chose a target and why.  

And for this, we have been joined by two new guests today - Richard Cassidy, Cyber Security Consultant and Victor Acin, leader of the Kraken Labs unit at Outpost24. 

Further, Richard and Victor shared an analysis of ongoing cyber attacks from a psychological perspective and a history of ransomware attacks.   

You can listen to this episode on your favourite podcasting platform. 

If you are a new listener to Razorwire, we would love to hear from you. For more information about us or if you have any questions you would like us to discuss on the podcast email [email protected]. 

In this episode, we covered the following topics: 

• What kind of cybercriminals are there, and what are their motives? 
• An analysis of ongoing cyber attacks from a psychological perspective 
• History of ransomware attacks  
• Changing mindsets of cyber criminals and their attack methods 

GUEST BIOS -    

Richard Cassidy 

Richard Cassidy has been consulting businesses on cybersecurity strategies and programs for more than two decades. During his career Richard has been heavily engaged in the design and implementation of infrastructure & cyber security solutions, helping organizations in evolving security, compliance, risk management, data assurance, automation, orchestration and breach response practices.  

Richard has led major breach investigations across CNI (Critical National Infrastructure), Finance, Military and Educational institutions over the past decade, with specific expertise in financial fraud investigations on SWIFT payment networks. Richard is an active industry contributor, regularly delivering speaker sessions at events including SANS, BlackHat, IP Expo, InfoSec, FS-ISAC and security seminars EMEA-wide. 

Victor Acin 

Victor Acin has been working in threat intelligence since 2016 and is now leading the Kraken Labs unit at Outpost24, performing tasks related to the generation of threat intelligence (mainly reverse engineering of malicious samples and research of global actors), and the development of the department's internal products, such as the malware analysis sandbox. In addition, he has also worked as an ethical hacker, performing penetration tests against web applications, external and internal infrastructure, and mobile devices.   

Connect with Your host James Rees 

Hello, I am James Rees, the host of the Razorwire podcast. This podcast brings you insights from leading cybersecurity professionals who dedicate their careers to making a hacker’s life that much more difficult. 

Our guests bring you experience and expertise from a range of disciplines and different career stages. We give you various viewpoints for improving your cyber security – from seasoned professionals with years of experience, triumphs and lessons learned under their belt, to those in relatively early stages of their careers offering fresh eyes and new insights. 

With new episodes every other Wednesday, Razorwire is a podcast for cyber security enthusiasts and professionals providing insights, news and fresh ideas on protecting your organisation from hackers. 

Listen to this episode on your favourite podcasting platform and for more information about us or if you have any questions you would like us to discuss on the podcast email [email protected]. 

If you need a consultation, visit www.razorthorn.com. We give our clients a personalised, integrated approach to information security, driven by our belief in quality and discretion. 

Linkedin: Razorthorn Security 

Youtube: Razorthorn Security 

Twitter:  @RazorThornLTD 

Website: www.razorthorn.com 

All rights reserved. © Razorthorn Security LTD 2025