Security Stories

In this podcast episode, Taz and Raj explore the strategies and tactics that successful businesses can use to drive innovation from within. With real-world examples of companies that have successfully implemented innovative solutions and examine the challenges that these companies faced in the process.

We’ll delve into current tech trends and predictions for 2024, including but not limited to the rise of artificial intelligence, the growing complexity of security in a multi-cloud world, and the increasing convergence of networking and security. We’ll discuss how these trends shape the world of innovation and examine the implications for businesses looking to drive innovation from within.

On today's episode, Hazel is back to chat to Jeremy Maxwell, CISO of Veradigm. Veradigm is a healthcare IT company providing electronic health record systems and other solutions to a variety of medical organizations. These organizations range from small physician practices all the way up to some of the world’s largest insurance and pharmaceutical companies. 

Serving roughly 10,000 customers in a highly regulated industry, security is critical for Veradigm’s success. Much is at stake when it comes to the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of patient information.  

In this chat, Jeremy talks about his personal journey into cybersecurity and his various roles leading up to his current position as CISO. He talks in detail about incident readiness, and how his team is structured to deal with security incidents. Jeremy has been partnered with Cisco Talos Incident Response for over 6 years now, and we’ve helped the organization put various response plans and scenarios together (and test them rigorously).  

Jeremy also describes a specific attack attempt that occurred at Veradigm, in which an attacker tried to gain access using spear phishing. This is a fascinating insight into the mentality of dealing with a high stakes, high pressure situation, and how the team came together to oust the attacker before anything was taken.

Cybersecurity attacks continue to rise and become more pervasive and sophisticated. Depending on the size of an organization, there may be millions or even billions of data points and signals that need to be analyzed. AI has emerged as the top defense against threats because it can "keep up with the bad guys", combing through data and providing organizations with predictive analytics to pinpoint malicious activities, calculate risk, and surface threats before they can be exploited. These solutions need the right architecture and engineering to ensure human needs are translated into understandable and trustworthy information. Hear from Shaila Shankar, SVP of SBG Engineering talk about how AI is shaping Cybersecurity and how we are engineering for the future. 

Listen to Taz dig into Cisco's Social Responsibility initiatives with Brian Tippens, Chief Social Impact Officer. In this episode, we explore the downstream impact of technology and the role that Cisco plays in creating a better world. We discuss the importance of social impact for Cisco and the responsibility they have to prioritize it in their operations and innovations. Taz and Brian delve into the challenges and opportunities for Cisco to create a positive impact, and the ways in which they can work towards a better future.

Aside from being entertained by friendly banter between the two, listen to  Chief Information Security Officer of the NFL, Tomas Maldanado and Taz take on the most common myths about cybersecurity and unpack the realities behind these bloated assumptions.

Taz  explores the importance of using simple language in the cybersecurity space and the critical role that departments outside of cybersecurity and engineering with Tom Gillis.  Everyday we are shown that communications and marketing  play in shaping messaging that reaches the market. 

They discuss the essential role of translators in the cybersecurity industry and how they serve as a bridge between technical experts and non-technical stakeholders. Listen in to  learn how simplifying cybersecurity language, collaborating across departments, and utilizing translators can improve your organization's cybersecurity efforts and keep you and your data safe. 

Technology has transformed our world in ways we couldn't have imagined just a few decades ago. But as we continue to rely on technology to connect, learn, and innovate, we must also consider the impact it has on our society. Taz and guest TK Keanini explore the intersection of digital sociology, responsible tech, ethics, and cybersecurity and how they shape the way we live, work, and interact with one another. From examining the social and ethical implications of new technological developments to discussing how we can create a more equitable, just, and sustainable digital future, this podcast will inspire you to think critically about the role technology plays in our lives and how we can use it to create a better world.

As Artificial Intelligence (AI) continues to advance and become more prevalent in various industries, the importance of ensuring responsible AI practices has become increasingly apparent. One crucial aspect of responsible AI is cybersecurity.

Article mentioned at 23:26: https://futurism.com/delphi-ai-ethics-racist

Background topics/articles and notes: 

1. "Google's New AI Language Model Achieves Record-Breaking Performance on Language Tasks" - In this article, it's reported that Google has developed a new AI language model called Switch Transformer that has achieved record-breaking performance on a range of language tasks. The model is said to be more efficient and require less compute power than previous models, making it more accessible to researchers and developers. Some key takeaways from this news include:

·       AI language models are becoming more advanced and efficient.

·       Switch Transformer could help make AI language processing more accessible to researchers and developers.

·       Improved language models could lead to more accurate and efficient natural language processing in a variety of applications.

1. "Microsoft acquires AI company Cognitivescale to bolster Azure cloud offering" - This news article reports that Microsoft has acquired AI company Cognitivescale to help improve its Azure cloud offering. Cognitivescale specializes in developing AI-powered solutions for enterprise customers, which could help Microsoft expand its reach in this market. Some key takeaways from this news include:

·       Tech giants like Microsoft are investing heavily in AI to improve their products and services.

·       AI is increasingly being used to develop enterprise solutions that can help businesses become more efficient and effective.

·       The acquisition of Cognitivescale could help Microsoft compete with other cloud providers like Amazon and Google.

1. "AI System Detects Heart Failure from One Breath with 100% Accuracy" - In this news article, it's reported that researchers have developed an AI system that can detect heart failure from a single breath with 100% accuracy. The system uses a technique called gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to analyze the chemicals in a person's breath and identify biomarkers that are associated with heart failure. Some key takeaways from this news include:

·       AI is being used to develop more accurate and efficient diagnostic tools for medical conditions.

·       The use of AI in healthcare could help improve patient outcomes and reduce costs.

·       This new AI system could provide a non-invasive and accurate way to detect heart failure.

In this episode, Taz interviews Alex Wolf. Alex  is a business & tech thought-leader, investor and author; recognized as Fast Company’s Top 100 Most Creative People In Business. Alex’s effort to make big companies think critically about technology has been recognized by Apple, Snapchat, Stanford University, Fordham University, NYU and more. Her thought-leadership has been profiled in Forbes, Inc. Entrepreneur and in AfroTech as “The Woman Silicon Valley Is Too Afraid To Call A Genius”. She sold a multi-million dollar internet company she built from scratch before the age of 25. Wolf now speaks and writes to an audience of over 34,000+ entrepreneurs & investors who trust her opinion on the future of business & acquisitions.

In this episode, Taz and Alex chat about Alex's path into the M&A space, what it's like to be an investor and how security plays a valuable role in her work and industry. Enjoy!

Links from discussion:

• How to reach Alex: https://www.alexwolf.co/
• Alex's book, Resonate : https://www.amazon.com/Resonate-Anyone-Wants-Build-Audience/dp/198090443X
• Jason Button episode on SS podcast: https://www.buzzsprout.com/926089/11802795
• Security Outcomes Report: https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/security/security-outcomes-report.html
  • Get the report to learn:
    • Ways to set your cybersecurity strategy up for success by striking the right balance between risk and resilience  
    • What CISOs and other experts are considering when building up their own security resilience 
    • How the most resilient organizations prepare for inevitable disruption and recover quickly to emerge stronger

Trigger warning - {child abuse} content filtration is a sensitive topic that covers some of the harsh realities of our world that folks on trust and security teams have to deal with on a daily basis.

In this episode, Taz speaks with Yasmin Abdi, CEO and Founder of NoHack and Security engineering manager at Snap. They cover a wide range of topics from Yasmin's career trajectory, her experience on a content filtration team and her transition into entrepreneurship as a new founder.

Yasmin Abdi is an experienced technical advisor on security, privacy, and data protection. She has over 5 years of experience as a software engineer and has built and managed in-house software and security solutions at Snap, Meta, and Google. Yasmin was also a founding member of Meemo, an AI-powered social finance app, which was recently acquired by Coinbase. The technologies she has built are currently being used by 100+ million daily active users worldwide.

Ms. Abdi has several years of experience leading organizations, providing thought leadership, and assisting private sector clients in the areas of software engineering, security infrastructure and best practices, IT solutions, and corporate strategy consulting. Given her unrelenting entrepreneurial spirit and keen interest for information security, Yasmin founded noHack, a government contracting company focused on cyber security services and solutions. As the CEO of noHack, Ms. Abdi takes a hands-on approach to delivering high-impact solutions. Her goal is to protect her clients by providing an extra layer of all-around protection. 

Outside of tech, Ms. Abdi’s passion is to help bridge the gap between minority students and tech companies. Yasmin has mentored and helped over 50 students land jobs within tech.

Ms. Abdi also holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science with a focus in cyber security engineering from the University of Maryland.

 Here’s Yasmin, hope you enjoy.

Links:

• https://www.nohackllc.com/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/yasminyabdi/