How do you build real trust between GRC and engineering? In this episode of Security & GRC Decoded, host Raj Krishnamurthy welcomes Tristan Ingold, Security GRC Program Manager at Meta. Tristan shares how consulting shaped his approach, why “policing” doesn’t work, and how GRC earns influence by acting as a partner to engineering -- not a blocker.

He discusses the cultural friction between audit, security, and product teams, how to communicate in the language of engineering, and why the right role for GRC is a “sparring partner” that helps teams ship safer, faster. From reframing control objectives to focusing on evidence the business already produces, this conversation is a practical playbook for building credibility and velocity at the same time.

5 Key Takeaways

• Partnership Over Policing: GRC earns influence by modeling partnership behaviors and meeting teams where they are.
• Translate Controls to Engineering: Use product language and existing telemetry; design evidence around the way the system actually works.
• Make It Observable: Treat GRC like an observability layer -- surface risk signals the business already emits.
• Tell the Story, Not the Score: Dashboards support the narrative; they aren’t the narrative. Lead with context and trade-offs.
• Define the Right Role: The best GRC teams act as a sparring partner --challenging, supportive, and focused on outcomes.

What You’ll Learn

• How to rebuild trust with engineering after “audit fatigue”
• Practical ways to convert control requirements into product language
• How to design evidence from logs, pipelines, and tickets you already have
• When to push, when to partner, and how to escalate with credibility
• Communicating risk trade-offs without killing roadmap velocity

Connect With Our Guest:
Tristan Ingold | Security GRC Program Manager | Meta

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In this episode, Raj Krishnamurthy speaks with Tony Martin-Vegue, seasoned risk practitioner, speaker, and co-chair of the FAIR Institute San Francisco chapter. Tony shares decades of lessons learned from leading cyber risk management at Netflix, Gap, and other major enterprises—showing how to move from qualitative heat maps to quantitative insights that drive smarter business decisions.

He breaks down Monte Carlo simulations, risk modeling, and the six levers that influence risk—all through a practical, approachable lens. Tony also explores how generative AI is transforming risk quantification and what every CISO, analyst, and engineer can do today to make risk measurable, actionable, and business-aligned.

Key Takeaways

1. CRQ doesn’t require perfection—start with what you have and refine over time.
2. The most effective risk programs focus on directionally correct data, not precision.
3. Good risk scenarios clearly define asset, threat, and effect to avoid misalignment.
4. Generative AI accelerates scenario development, data research, and model creation.
5. CISOs should demand more from risk teams—move beyond “pick a color” heat maps.

Topics Covered

• Cyber risk quantification (CRQ)
• Monte Carlo simulations and modeling
• Risk scenario design and measurement
• GRC and compliance integration
• Generative AI in risk management
• Moving from qualitative to quantitative risk
• Improving risk hygiene and maturity
• CISO leadership and risk culture
  
  

What You’ll Learn

• The difference between qualitative and quantitative risk methods
• How to conduct your first risk quantification in Excel
• Why Monte Carlo simulations are simpler than most think
• How GRC, compliance, and security teams can collaborate effectively
• The six levers that influence risk magnitude and frequency

This podcast is brought to you by ComplianceCow:

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Connect with our guest: Tony Martin-Vegue on LinkedIn

• Co-Chair, FAIR Institute San Francisco Chapter
• Former Risk Leader at Netflix and Gap Inc.
• Author, From Heat Maps to Histograms (coming 2026)

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In this episode of Security & GRC Decoded, host Raj Krishnamurthy sits down with Kenneth Moras, Head of Security GRC at Plaid. Kenneth shares his journey from web developer and pen tester to building GRC and assurance teams at scale across leading companies like Adobe, Meta, and now Plaid.

The conversation explores how GRC must balance governance, risk, and compliance as distinct but interdependent functions — and why great programs require clarity, collaboration, and simplicity. Kenneth also dives into the origins of the Adobe Common Control Framework (CCF), co-authoring the Open Finance Data Security Standard (OFDSS), and how Plaid applies these principles to secure the future of fintech.

From reducing GRC toil through engineering and automation, to the role of AI and LLMs in risk management, Kenneth makes the case that GRC isn’t just about passing audits — it’s about building trust, reducing risk, and enabling innovation.

🔑 5 Key Takeaways

• 🌐 Career Evolution: Kenneth’s path from developer to GRC leader shows how diverse skills — from IT audit to consulting — strengthen risk leadership.
  
  
• 🏗️ Building Frameworks: Adobe CCF and OFDSS highlight the importance of reducing complexity and standardizing security controls for scalability.
  
  
• ⚖️ Governance vs. Risk vs. Compliance: These functions are distinct but must operate in harmony; misalignment creates organizational risk.
  
  
• 🤖 AI in GRC: Generative AI and MCP tools are shifting GRC from “click ops” to “chat ops,” enabling faster risk assessment and reducing toil.
  
  
• 🚀 GRC as an Enabler: Done right, GRC accelerates innovation by providing clarity, trust, and measurable security benefits.

📘 What You’ll Learn

• How to build a GRC program from scratch in a hyper-growth company.
  
  
• Why governance, risk, and compliance require unique skill sets but interlock as checks and balances.
  
  
• The story behind Adobe’s CCF and why Plaid open-sourced OFDSS.
  
  
• How AI and automation are changing GRC engineering and risk management.
  
  
• What Kenneth looks for when hiring the next generation of GRC professionals.
  
  

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🔗 Connect With Our Guest: Kenneth Moras | Head of Security GRC at Plaid

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How does a software engineer become a GRC leader? In this episode of Security & GRC Decoded, host Raj Krishnamurthy welcomes Varun Gurnaney, Staff Security Engineer at Apple. Varun shares his journey from writing janky Python scripts for compliance evidence collection to shaping the discipline of GRC engineering at some of the world’s biggest companies.

He discusses the cultural and technical gaps between security, engineering, GRC, and audit — and how automation can bridge them. From building one control really well to proving value through audit automation, Varun lays out why the GRC space is hotter than ever. This conversation is a must-listen for anyone navigating compliance at scale.

🔑 5 Key Takeaways

• Compliance ≠ Security: Passing audits is not enough — engineering-driven GRC is the future.
• Start Small: Automate one control well to prove value before scaling automation.
• Bridging Teams: Cultural friction between engineering, security, GRC, and audit is real — empathy and communication reduce the pain.
• Audit Anxiety: Audit automation is about reducing anxiety and toil as much as passing audits.
• GRC Engineering is a Discipline: Whether it lives inside GRC or security, automation is now essential.

📚 What You’ll Learn

• How Varun transitioned from software engineering into GRC leadership
• Why compliance automation looks different for SMBs, mid-market, and enterprises
• The technical and cultural blockers between engineering and GRC
• Practical strategies for proving automation value internally
• How generative AI and coding agents will shape audit and compliance automation

This podcast is brought to you by ComplianceCow — the smarter way to manage compliance. Automate evidence collection, eliminate screenshots, and scale your program with confidence.

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Connect With Our Guest:
Varun Gurnaney | Staff Security Engineer | Apple

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How does a network engineer become a GRC leader? Ramya Subramanian’s journey spans nearly two decades across IT, security, and governance. Now serving as Director of GRC & Privacy Operations at Freshworks, she joins Raj to unpack the evolving role of GRC: from quantifying risk and managing compliance debt to building automation that doesn’t slow engineering down.

Ramya also shares how storytelling, PR-style evangelism, and simplifying policies can shift the perception of GRC from policing to business enabler. This episode is a playbook for anyone trying to modernize risk and compliance in fast-moving environments.

5 Key Takeaways

• Engineer’s edge in GRC: Why Ramya’s technical background makes her approach to governance unique.
• Quantifying risk with dollars: Why risk measurement needs financial context, not just “likelihood x impact.”
• Automation as a path forward: How Freshworks is reducing compliance toil for engineers.
• Simplify policies and awareness: Cutting policy docs by 90% and building bite-sized security training.
• GRC as PR: Storytelling and evangelism can reframe GRC as a business enabler, not a blocker.

What You’ll Learn

• How GRC and security complement each other
• Challenges of risk quantification and continuous measurement
• Why engineers perceive GRC as compliance tax
• How automation and GRC engineering can reduce manual effort
• The cultural perception of GRC and how to change it

⏱️ (Approximate) Timestamps

[00:01:43] From network engineer to GRC leader
 [00:03:37] How Ramya defines Governance, Risk, and Compliance
 [00:05:28] Quantifying risk: from controls to financial impact
 [00:07:41] Why continuous risk measurement is so hard
 [00:11:49] How others perceive GRC inside organizations
 [00:13:43] Changing the “policing” perception of GRC
 [00:17:50] Rewriting policies & security awareness at Freshworks
 [00:19:38] Bringing auditors along the journey
 [00:21:33] Reducing compliance tax with automation
 [00:26:10] Why GRC needs engineering skills
 [00:29:58] Technical vs non-technical sides of GRC
 [00:31:47] Skills Ramya looks for when hiring
 [00:33:53] Generative AI’s impact on GRC
 [00:37:49] Dream GRC solution: context-aware automation
 [00:39:32] Building a business case for automation
 [00:44:00] Who should tell the GRC automation story?
 [00:45:54] Challenges with auditors in the AI era
 [00:46:49] From city editor to GRC leader — storytelling roots
 [00:52:26] Rajinikanth’s influence at Freshworks

This podcast is brought to you by ComplianceCow — the smarter way to manage compliance. Automate evidence collection, eliminate screenshots, and scale your program with confidence. Learn more: compliancecow.com

Connect With Our Guest:

Ramya Subramanian | Director of GRC & Privacy Operations | Freshworks
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What’s the true relationship between compliance and security? According to Evan Millman, compliance may not be security—but it’s the necessary starting point for building it.

In this episode, Raj sits down with Evan to explore how organizations can shift their GRC approach from reactive checkbox checking to a proactive and risk-informed security practice. Evan shares stories from his work at Abnormal.AI, lessons from scaling GRC in fast-moving environments, and practical advice for anyone trying to align controls with business objectives.

5 Key Takeaways:

• Compliance is not the destination — but it is the framework for real security conversations.
• Say no to overkill — Right-size controls based on business needs, not frameworks.
• Decentralized GRC works — but only if there’s shared ownership and trust.
• “GRC therapy” is real — and it starts with building internal relationships.
•  Metrics matter — but only when they tell a story that drives action.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why compliance ≠ security (but still matters)
• The pitfalls of checklist-first GRC programs
• How to build GRC partnerships across product and engineering teams
• Why business-aligned storytelling is the future of risk communication
• How Abnormal Security approaches frameworks like SOC 2 and ISO 27001

This podcast is brought to you by ComplianceCow — the smarter way to manage compliance. Automate evidence collection, eliminate screenshots, and scale your program with confidence. Learn more: compliancecow.com

Connect With Our Guest:

Evan Millman | Security GRC Manager | Abnormal AI
Connect on LinkedIn

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🕒 (Approximate) Timestamps

[00:02:40] What makes Evan passionate about security GRC?
 [00:04:30] How compliance ≠ security — and why that distinction matters
 [00:06:50] When GRC goes wrong: overkill, checklists, and inefficiency
 [00:10:15] Building trust by embedding security into product discussions
 [00:14:40] Right-sizing controls: starting with SOC 2 vs ISO 27001
 [00:18:10] Managing a decentralized GRC team at Abnormal
 [00:23:02] Metrics and storytelling — what the board actually wants
 [00:29:45] Why GRC leaders need emotional intelligence and empathy
 [00:35:20] What GRC professionals can learn from product managers
 [00:39:11] Evan’s advice to vendors trying to break into GRC
 [00:41:05] How GRC can (and should) enable product velocity
 [00:44:55] If he could wave a magic wand, what would Evan fix in GRC?

What trade-offs are you willing to make in cybersecurity?
 In this episode of Security & GRC Decoded, host Raj Krishnamurthy is joined by Trupti Shiralkar, a seasoned cybersecurity leader and Advisory Board Member at Backslash Security, to explore how risk, ROI, and real-world constraints shape modern security programs. With decades of experience across AppSec, security architecture, and risk governance, Trupti brings a rare blend of deep technical insight and strategic thinking.

They dive into cyber economics, AI-driven tooling, and why security storytelling may soon matter more than fear-based metrics. Whether you're a security veteran or just entering the space, this is a must-listen on staying relevant and effective in the age of automation.

5 Key Takeaways

• Cybersecurity is about trade-offs – No org can secure everything; knowing what to ignore is just as critical.
• LLMs can’t fully replace layered defense – Copilots help, but context and reachability still matter.
• ROI matters more than ever – Security teams must prove business value in language execs understand.
• Storytelling wins boardrooms – Fear, uncertainty, and doubt (FUD) is out. Framing risk with narrative is in.
• Reinvent or be replaced – AI won’t eliminate jobs—it’ll replace outdated versions of them.

What You’ll Learn

• How cyber economics helps frame decision-making
• The evolving role of LLMs and software composition tools in vulnerability management
• Why OWASP hasn’t solved insecure code after decades
• How to prioritize reachability over volume
• What developers and security pros should focus on to stay relevant

This podcast is brought to you by ComplianceCow — the smarter way to manage compliance. Automate evidence collection, eliminate screenshots, and scale your program with confidence. Learn more: compliancecow.com

Connect With Our Guest:

Trupti Shiralkar | Advisory Board Member, Backslash Security
Connect on LinkedIn

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Timestamps (Approx)

[00:00] Intro
 [02:47] Why cyber economics goes beyond traditional budgeting
 [06:10] Introduction of grey swan events and the need for proactive innovation
 [10:10] Aligning compliance and security using LLMs
 [16:56] Reducing cognitive load in cybersecurity decision-making
 [20:00] Budgeting for innovation: Lessons from Trupti’s past security leadership
 [23:00] Difference between cyber economics and cyber risk quantification
 [33:50] The misunderstood strategic role of GRC
 [54:30] How meditation and mindfulness help navigate the security world
 [57:15] Trupti’s final shout-outs to historic and modern tech inspirations

Jiphun Satapathy has built and scaled security organizations at AWS, Snowflake, and now Medallia. In this episode, he joins our host Raj to explore the evolving role of CISOs as strategic business leaders. They discuss the importance of treating security as a service organization, how to handle vendor noise, and why insider risk is often overlooked. You’ll hear practical advice for security and GRC leaders working in AI-first, high-growth environments—and how to maintain trust across engineering, compliance, and executive teams.

Key Takeaways

• Security as a Service Function: Security should empower—not block—the business. Jiphun shares how his team supports product, engineering, and sales.
• Vendor Engagement Matters: CISOs who ignore vendors miss out on innovation. But filtering the noise is key.
• Insider Risk is Real: Not rogue employees, but everyday developer behavior is a top source of risk.
• Modern GRC Requires Technical Fluency: Especially in AI-first companies, GRC teams must understand the tech stack to stay relevant.
• Earn Trust Through Action: Metrics matter, but culture and execution are what build credibility with boards, customers, and engineers.

What You’ll Learn

• How to build a risk-based security roadmap that keeps pace with rapid development
• The role of security in shaping culture across a global org
• How startups can engage CISOs without falling into FUD tactics

This episode is brought to you by ComplianceCow — the smarter way to automate compliance and monitor controls.

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(Approximate) Timestamps:

• [00:01:48] Jiphun challenges CISO aversion to vendor engagement
• [00:03:25] Filtering vendors based on prioritized security needs
• [00:06:24] Empowering teams with bottom-up decision-making
• [00:08:15] Driving culture change and making security a productivity enabler
• [00:11:33] MFA example showing how to improve both security and UX
• [00:15:25] Treating internal stakeholders as customers
• [00:21:02] Measuring risk with frameworks and metrics
• [00:30:22] Using automation to align security cadence with CI/CD pipelines
• [00:32:47] Insider risk and why it belongs on board slides
• [00:42:33] Empowering devs by reducing vulnerability noise
• [00:51:22] Why healthy paranoia is essential in AI adoption
• [00:56:51] Why GRC teams must be technical in AI-first environments
• [01:03:15] Advice to security startups: stop with the FUD
• [01:07:02] Coping strategies for CISO stress and burnout
• [01:09:60] Books and mentors that shaped Jiphun’s leadership journey

How do you make sense of security, governance, and risk in an age of black-box AI? This week, Raj is joined by Preetam Joshi, founder of Aimon Labs and machine learning veteran with experience at DRDO, Yahoo, Netflix, and Thumbtack. Together, they break down the technical evolution behind large language models (LLMs), explore the real challenges of explainability, and discuss why GRC teams must rethink risk in the age of autonomous reasoning systems.

Preetam brings a rare mix of hands-on ML expertise and practical experience deploying LLMs in enterprise environments. If you’ve been wondering how transformers work, what explainability really means, or why AI governance is still a mess — this episode is for you.

 5 Key Takeaways:

-From DRDO to Netflix to Aimon Labs — Preetam’s career journey shows the intersection of machine learning, security, and entrepreneurship.
-How Transformers Work — A simple breakdown of encoder/decoder architecture, embeddings, and attention mechanisms.
-Explainability in AI — What it meant in traditional ML... and why it’s nearly impossible with today’s LLMs.
-Rule-Based Logic Isn’t Dead — In high-stakes environments, deterministic systems still matter.
-Bridging AI & GRC — Practical steps for model security, auditing, and compliance in non-deterministic systems.

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⏱ Timestamps (approx.)

00:00 – Intro
 01:11 – Welcome Preetam to the show
 03:20 – What has been your favorite experience working in AI so far?
 07:08 – What is transformer architecture and how does it work?
 10:23 – How do LLMs solve problems like math or reasoning?
 12:38 – Where do agents fit in the LLM ecosystem?
 16:07 – How does reinforcement learning apply to AI models?
 21:33 – What does explainability mean in ML?
 24:55 – Can you explain the limitations of SHAP and parameter-level reasoning?
 27:33 – What does GRC look like in the LLM age?
 30:58 – What does AIMon Labs actually do?
 35:00 – Why is reliability a challenge with LLMs?
 39:15 – Where does GRC intersect with AI deployment and compliance?
 41:30 – What is fine-tuning and when is it useful?
 44:43 – Is Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) still relevant with longer context windows?
 47:29 – How do we guard against LLM misuse and toxic output?
 49:43 – How can LLMs overexpose sensitive company data?
 53:28 – Advice for those starting a career in AI or ML
 55:34 – What are your favorite models right now?

What if compliance wasn't just about passing audits—but about building trust from the ground up?

In this powerful episode of Security & GRC Decoded, Raj sits down with Ricky Waldron, Director of Security Audit & GRC at Navan, whose GRC experience spans tech giants like Microsoft, Disney, Oracle, and Smartsheet. Ricky shares how GRC is evolving into a strategic business partner, why automation and technical fluency are no longer optional, and what it takes to make compliance an engine of trust, not a blocker.

From FedRAMP horror stories to generative AI workflows, this conversation dives deep into the future of governance, risk, and compliance—and why it's time for GRC teams to start thinking like engineers.

🔑 5 Key Takeaways

• 💥 Compliance = Security (If Done Right): Internal compliance based on risk and business needs often leads to stronger security outcomes than external certifications alone.
• 🤝 Stop Policing, Start Partnering: GRC shouldn’t just point out problems—it should offer solutions and collaborate with teams to reduce risk.
• 📊 Quantify Risk to Speak Leadership’s Language: Turn technical risk into business impact using frameworks like FAIR to get buy-in and budget.
• ⚙️ Automation Is GRC’s Future: From policy drafting with AI to continuous control monitoring, GRC teams must become technical and leverage automation.
• 🧩 GRC as a Sales Enabler: GRC isn't just an internal function—it builds trust with customers, shortens sales cycles, and helps close deals.

✅ Take Action

• Explore risk-first approaches: Lead with R in GRC to align controls with actual business risks.
• Invest in automation: Save engineering hours and scale audits with continuous evidence collection.
• Use GenAI wisely: Leverage it for speed, but ensure strong human review before anything goes to auditors.
  
  

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💼 Connect with Ricky Waldron on LinkedIn.

⏱ Timestamps (approx.)

00:00 – Intro
 01:35 – Hot take on GRC
 04:31 – Why GRC & Security clash
 08:44 – GRC is storytelling
 12:57 – Risk comes before compliance
 16:08 – How to talk risk with execs
 20:41 – Trust as a compliance goal
 24:50 – Keeping your promises
 27:54 – Why GRC struggles with automation
 33:15 – Speaking engineers’ language
 38:50 – GRC as the customer conduit
 45:00 – GRC as sales enablement
 47:15 – How Ricky learned FedRAMP
 50:20 – What is FedRAMP 20X?
 52:27 – Why OSCAL hasn’t taken off
 56:15 – Would you use OSCAL commercially?
 58:36 – GenAI in GRC workflows
 1:02:31 – Using AI with auditors
 1:06:45 – State of GRC tooling
 1:12:30 – Getting budget for automation