October 03, 2025

The Hidden Cost of Too Many Cybersecurity Tools (Most CISOs Get This Wrong) | A Conversation with Pieter VanIperen | Redefining CyberSecurity with Sean Martin

52 minutes

⬥GUEST⬥

Pieter VanIperen, CISO and CIO of AlphaSense | On Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pietervaniperen/

⬥HOST⬥

Host: Sean Martin, Co-Founder at ITSPmagazine and Host of Redefining CyberSecurity Podcast | On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/imsmartin/ | Website: https://www.seanmartin.com

⬥EPISODE NOTES⬥

Real-World Principles for Real-World Security: A Conversation with Pieter VanIperen

Pieter VanIperen, the Chief Information Security and Technology Officer at AlphaSense, joins Sean Martin for a no-nonsense conversation that strips away the noise around cybersecurity leadership. With experience spanning media, fintech, healthcare, and SaaS—including roles at Salesforce, Disney, Fox, and Clear—Pieter brings a rare clarity to what actually works in building and running a security program that serves the business.

He shares why being “comfortable being uncomfortable” is an essential trait for today’s security leaders—not just reacting to incidents, but thriving in ambiguity. That distinction matters, especially when every new technology trend, vendor pitch, or policy update introduces more complexity than clarity. Pieter encourages CISOs to lead by knowing when to go deep and when to zoom out, especially in areas like compliance, AI, and IT operations where leadership must translate risks into outcomes the business cares about.

One of the strongest points he makes is around threat intelligence: it must be contextual. “Generic threat intel is an oxymoron,” he argues, pointing out how the volume of tools and alerts often distracts from actual risks. Instead, Pieter advocates for simplifying based on principles like ownership, real impact, and operational context. If a tool hasn’t been turned on for two months and no one noticed, he says, “do you even need it?”

The episode also offers frank insight into vendor relationships. Pieter calls out the harm in trying to “tell a CISO what problems they have” rather than listening. He explains why true partnerships are based on trust, humility, and a long-term commitment—not transactional sales quotas. “If you disappear when I need you most, you’re not part of the solution,” he says.

For CISOs and vendors alike, this episode is packed with perspective you can’t Google. Tune in to challenge your assumptions—and maybe your entire security stack.

⬥SPONSORS⬥

ThreatLocker: https://itspm.ag/threatlocker-r974

⬥RESOURCES⬥

⬥ADDITIONAL INFORMATION⬥

✨ More Redefining CyberSecurity Podcast:

🎧 https://www.seanmartin.com/redefining-cybersecurity-podcast

Redefining CyberSecurity Podcast on YouTube:

📺 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnYu0psdcllS9aVGdiakVss9u7xgYDKYq

📝 The Future of Cybersecurity Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7108625890296614912/

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⬥KEYWORDS⬥

ciso, appsec, threatintel, trust, ai, vendors, bloat, leadership, tools, risk, redefining cybersecurity, cybersecurity podcast, redefining cybersecurity podcast

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By Sean Martin, ITSPmagazine

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