What does it take to protect financial institutions when they're the number one global target for DDoS attacks? In this episode of The Business of Cybersecurity, Neil C. Hughes welcomes Richard Meeus, Director of Security Technology and Strategy EMEA at Akamai Technologies, to explore insights from Akamai's latest State of the Internet (SOTI) report focusing on cybersecurity trends in the financial services sector.

Richard shares a decade's worth of threat intelligence backed by trillions of daily DNS requests and billions of cyberattack observations, offering a data-rich perspective on why financial organizations are squarely in the crosshairs. From a 24-hour DDoS attack on Israel peaking at 800 Gbps to the rise of politically motivated hacktivism, Richard outlines why the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region has become a hotspot for these digital assaults—and what financial firms can do about it.

The conversation also covers the emerging risk of shadow APIs—forgotten, unmanaged, or defunct APIs that can unintentionally expose sensitive personal or financial data. Richard explains how many businesses still underestimate their API footprint and shares practical steps for regaining visibility and control.

Zero Trust is another central theme. Instead of positioning it as an overwhelming overhaul, Richard suggests organizations reframe it as a modern VPN replacement, focusing first on core business systems and micro-segmentation to restrict lateral movement. With a strategic approach, implementing Zero Trust becomes feasible and a key step in limiting breach impact.

Richard also offers a candid look at balancing proactive and reactive DDoS defense, emphasizing the importance of both automatic mitigation and human-led response to more sophisticated, multi-vector attacks. He highlights how Akamai supports both fronts, including working with global authorities to help take down threat actors like Anonymous Sudan.

Finally, the conversation turns to the future. With EU regulations like the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) on the horizon, financial institutions must invest in real-time visibility, intuitive data access, and actionable threat insights to stay compliant and resilient.

Whether you're in the C-suite, on the frontlines of your SOC, or guiding your enterprise's security roadmap, this episode delivers an honest and data-driven view of what it takes to defend the financial sector in a time of growing complexity and geopolitical tension.

What happens when the digital systems powering our national energy, water, and healthcare services become the next frontline in cybersecurity? As smart grids, connected utilities, and cloud-first operations rapidly reshape critical infrastructure, the threats facing these systems are evolving just as quickly. In this episode, Tony Burton, Managing Director of Cyber Security & Trust at Thales UK, joins the podcast to unpack the findings from the Thales Data Threat Report and explore what it really takes to secure the backbone of modern society.

With over two decades in national security and resilience, Tony brings sharp insight into the pressing risks that critical infrastructure faces—from rising ransomware attacks and insider threats to human error and the expanded digital attack surface introduced by cloud adoption and smart technologies. He explains why over 42% of critical infrastructure organizations have already reported data breaches and why 93% are seeing an uptick in cyberattacks. The conversation doesn’t stop at the threats—it goes deep into the real-world consequences, such as cascading failures across sectors, widespread outages, and compromised public safety.

We also explore how organizations can take action now. Tony outlines the importance of adopting zero trust architecture, designing systems with human behavior in mind, and implementing detection and response capabilities that reflect the physical realities of operational technology. He also shares powerful insights from Thales’ Cyber Resilience Lab in Ebbw Vale, a cutting-edge environment where real smart grid systems are tested under simulated attacks to strengthen resilience.

From preparing for quantum computing to managing complex hybrid cloud environments, Tony offers a playbook for leaders who are serious about protecting national infrastructure in a high-stakes environment. Whether you’re a CISO, infrastructure leader, or tech strategist, this episode will provide a roadmap for mitigating risk, increasing awareness, and planning ahead.

What role should technology—and leadership—play in protecting the systems that power society? Join the conversation and share your thoughts on building resilience in a connected world.

What does it really mean to trust nothing and verify everything? In this first episode of The Business of Cybersecurity, Neil is joined by John Kindervag—the creator of the Zero Trust cybersecurity model for a conversation that redefines how we think about protecting digital systems.

John shares the untold story behind the creation of Zero Trust, from challenging traditional perimeter-based models to watching the concept grow into a global movement now embedded in national cybersecurity mandates. Far from being a buzzword, Zero Trust is presented here as a strategic framework that begins with a single protect surface and scales without disruption.

Together, Neil and John explore how Zero Trust is misunderstood, often mistaken for a product, and too often reduced to identity management. They break down the core five-step process for implementation, the importance of context over blind trust, and how cloud environments and AI are reshaping cybersecurity expectations.

But this conversation also carries a personal weight, as both Neil and John reflect on deeply moving experiences with childhood cancer—and how those journeys informed a new way to think about managing risk, or as John reframes it, managing danger.

This isn’t just a technical talk. It’s a story about questioning the status quo, staying adaptable in a rapidly evolving threat environment, and using strategy not assumptions to secure the systems businesses depend on.

Is your organization still relying on outdated models of trust? And what would it look like to build something truly resilient?