Cyber risk management is often framed as a choice between prevention and insurance. In reality, the most resilient organizations combine both.

In this episode of The SafeHouse, Jeff Edwards speaks with Michael Phillips, Global Head of Cyber at Coalition, about how insurers evaluate cyber risk and why mitigation and insurance must work together.

Building on a previous discussion about the elements of risk management, the conversation explores how underwriters think about cyber exposure, what signals insurers look for when assessing organizations, and why operational resilience is becoming central to modern cyber insurance.

The result is a practical discussion about how businesses should approach cyber risk today.

#SafeHousePodcast #CyberRisk #CyberSecurity #CyberResilience #RiskManagement #CyberSecurityPodcast #OperationalResilience

Cyber risk is no longer just a technical issue. It’s a financial one.

In this episode of The SafeHouse Podcast, Jeff Edwards sits down with Davis Hake, leader of Venable’s San Francisco cybersecurity practice, to unpack what risk management actually means in today’s cyber environment.

Davis shares his early exposure to national critical infrastructure risk, the moment he saw one of the first comprehensive cyber breach tracking lists, and how Stuxnet changed the public conversation around digital vulnerability.

From there, the discussion moves into something most organizations still struggle with: measuring cyber risk in financial terms.

You’ll hear:

• The five elements of risk explained in plain language

• Why most cyber programs fail to quantify exposure

• How to think about cyber risk like a CFO

• The growing need for financial risk measurement training

• Practical resources for professionals who want to level up

If you work in cybersecurity, insurance, enterprise risk, or resilience strategy, this conversation will sharpen how you think about exposure, impact, and accountability.

Cyber risk isn’t abstract. It’s measurable. And it’s time we treated it that way.

#CyberRisk #RiskManagement #CyberSecurity

#CyberInsurance #OperationalResilience.#BusinessContinuity

Nearly a year after federal cybersecurity policy shifted responsibility and funding to the states, what does that change actually look like in practice?

In this episode of The SafeHouse Podcast, host Jeff Edwards sits down with James Saunders, Chief Information Security Officer for the State of Maryland, to unpack how cybersecurity leadership, resilience, and public service are evolving at the state level.

James shares his career journey from frontline technical support at Comcast to federal cybersecurity leadership during COVID, and now to safeguarding Maryland’s digital infrastructure. Along the way, he explains Maryland’s IT Master Plan, the state’s five-pillar cybersecurity strategy, and why partnerships, talent development, and resilience matter more than ever.

The conversation goes beyond policy and architecture, touching on leadership, empathy, burnout, and what it really takes to sustain a career in cybersecurity.

If you work in cybersecurity, IT leadership, government, or risk management, this episode offers a rare, candid look inside how states are adapting to a new national reality.

Key topics include:

• The shift of cybersecurity responsibility from federal to state governments
• Maryland’s IT Master Plan and cybersecurity strategy
• Cyber resilience beyond technology alone
• Building and retaining cybersecurity talent
• Information sharing across states
• Leadership lessons from crisis moments like COVID
• One practical thing everyone can do to improve their security posture

#SafeHousePodcast #CyberRisk

#CyberSecurity  #StateCybersecurity

#RiskManagement #CyberSecurityPodcast 

#Resilience #PublicSectorIT

Most people think warranties and insurance are interchangeable.

They’re not

Insurance transfers risk after loss. Warranties enforce behavior before loss.

In this episode of The SafeHouse Podcast, Jeff Edwards speaks with Kirsten Bay, CEO and co-founder of Cysurance, about why warranties are becoming a critical layer in cyber risk management.

We discuss:

• Why traditional cyber insurance struggles with prevention
• How warranties tie security controls to real accountability
• The role of embedded security and measurable outcomes
• How warranties reduce loss severity and support underwriting
• What this shift means for insurers, brokers, CISOs, and boards

This conversation reframes how cyber risk is reduced, not just insured.

If you care about resilience, insurability, and prevention-first models, this episode is for you.

#SafeHousePodcast #CyberRisk#CyberInsurance 

#RiskManagement#CyberSecurityPodcast #Resilience #Cysurance

In this episode of The SafeHouse Podcast, we’re joined by Ryan Ettridge, CEO of CyberCert, an Australian innovator helping SMBs and enterprises turn compliance into measurable cyber resilience.

Titled “Cybersecurity Frameworks Made Practical: From Confusion to Clarity,” this conversation tackles a problem many organizations face: frameworks and standards that look good on paper but feel impossible to implement in the real world.

Ryan breaks down how AI-driven cyber certification can help organizations predict where risk is most likely to emerge, prevent disruption before it becomes a claim, and protect both insureds and carriers by creating clear, defensible signals of cyber maturity.

We also explore how certification data can bridge the long-standing gap between technology teams and the cyber insurance ecosystem — giving brokers, underwriters, and policyholders a shared language for risk, resilience, and insurability.

If you’ve ever wondered how to move from framework fatigue to practical cyber readiness, this episode delivers clarity.

Predict. Prevent. Protect.

#CyberResilience #AI #CyberInsurance #SafeHousePodcast #PredictPreventProtect #CyberCert

When cybercrime hits, most people don’t know where to turn.

In this episode of The SafeHouse Podcast, Jeff Edwards sits down with Charlotte Hooper, Co-Founder and Head of Operations at The Cyber Helpline, a nonprofit providing free, human-led support to victims of cybercrime in the UK, US, and beyond.

Charlotte shares how a deeply personal experience with cyberstalking led her from policing into building one of the most practical cyber victim support models in operation today. We unpack how The Cyber Helpline handles more than 600 cases a month across 50+ categories of cybercrime using a mix of self-help tools, machine learning, and a global volunteer network.

What we cover:

• What actually happens after someone realizes they’ve been hacked, scammed, or stalked

• Why most victims fall through the cracks of law enforcement and insurers

• How a volunteer-driven model can scale without losing empathy or accuracy

• Where AI and chatbots help and where they absolutely don’t

• The fastest-growing cyber threats targeting individuals and small organizations

• What “cyber victim support done right” should look like in the next five years

This is a grounded, honest conversation about cybercrime at the human level and what it really takes to help people recover when prevention fails.

If you work in cybersecurity, insurance, IT, incident response, or simply want to understand the reality victims face, this episode is worth your time.

🔔 Subscribe for more conversations on cyber resilience, incident response, and building a world without downtime.

#TheSafeHousePodcast #CyberHelpline #CyberCrime #CyberVictims

#IncidentResponse #CyberResilience #CyberSecurityAwareness

#DigitalSafety #OnlineScams #CyberStalking #NonprofitTech #HumanCenteredSecurity

#AIandCyber #CyberInsurance #BusinessContinuity

In this episode of the Safe House Initiative podcast, host Jeff Edwards welcomes Keith Gologorsky, Head of Public Sector at Hack the Box, for an in-depth conversation about building a successful career in cybersecurity. Keith shares his personal journey from computer science graduate to government analyst, recounting pivotal moments in military operations, threat analysis, and international collaboration. The discussion explores the limitations of traditional certifications, the importance of hands-on training, and the need for regularly updated, gamified learning experiences. Keith also addresses the cybersecurity skills gap, the evolving role of AI, and offers actionable advice for organizations of all sizes: prioritize cross-training and real-world practice to build resilient teams. Tune in for practical insights and strategies to future-proof your cybersecurity workforce.

#CyberSecuirty #InfoSec #CyberSkillsGap

#ContinuousLearning #HTB #HackTheBox #SafeHousePodcast

Host Jeff Edwards talks with Sarah Flukes, CTO of Admeritia, about a simple but powerful idea: cyber decision diagrams. Born from real-world work in water utilities and industrial sites, these function-oriented maps turn complex OT/ICS environments into clear, shared understanding—for security, operations, incident response, and design.

In this episode

• Why traditional network/asset maps fail engineers—and what “function-first” fixes
• Using diagrams for OT/ICS risk, IR restart plans, and security-by-design
• Cognitive effectiveness: diagrams people actually understand and use
• Free, no-login tool and why data stays local (no tracking)
• How SMBs and critical infrastructure can start today

Resources: Free tools & guides at SafeHouseInitiative.org (no tracking, no fees)

Guest: Sarah Flukes • Host: Jeff Edwards

🎬 Production Team:

Alan Gin – Executive Producer

Jen Carpenter – Editor & Post Production Supervisor

Keith Fukuhara – Production Manager & Technical Director

Dorian Naveh – Marketing & Social Media Manager

#️⃣ Hashtags:

#CyberSecurity #OTSecurity #ICS #CriticalInfrastructure #IndustrialSecurity #RiskManagement #IncidentResponse #SecurityByDesign #WaterUtilities #SMB #Admeritia #CyberDecisionDiagrams #SafeHousePodcast

Host Jeff Edwards sitsdown with Chuck Brooks—adjunct professor at Georgetown andpresident of Brooks Consulting—to cut through the noise on SMB cybersecurity.From AI-supercharged phishing and IoT sprawl to zero trust, CMMC/NIST, and why MFAisthe #1 first step, Chuck translates complex threats into clear actions anysmall or midsize business can take today.

You’ll learn

Resources: Free guides at SafeHouseInitiative.org (notracking, no fees)

Guest: Chuck Brooks • Host: JeffEdwards

🎬 Production Team:

Alan Gin – Executive Producer

Jen Carpenter – Editor & Post ProductionSupervisor

Keith Fukuhara – Production Manager &Technical Director

Dorian Naveh – Marketing & Social MediaManager

#️⃣ Hashtags:

#CyberSecurity #SMB #SmallBusiness #AI#Phishing #MFA #ZeroTrust #CMMC #NIST #IoT #OTSecurity #RiskManagement#BusinessContinuity #IncidentResponse #SafeHousePodcast

Why do only ~4% of small and midsize businesses carry a standalone cyber policy? Host Jeff Edwards digs in with returning guest Eric Cernak (Hanover Insurance Group) to separate myth from reality and lay out practical next steps for SMBs, brokers, and MSPs.

In this episode:

• “We’re too small to be a target” — how modern threat actors actually operate
• Bolt-ons vs. standalone: where coverage (and limits) really differ
• Budget tradeoffs in a hard insurance market
• Why early incident reporting helps outcomes (and renewals)
• Warranties, MSPs, and where to get trustworthy guidance
• One thing you can do today: start asking better questions

Who should listen: SMB owners, CISOs at resource-constrained orgs, MSPs, brokers/agents, and anyone shaping cyber risk decisions.

Resources: Free guides & checklists at SafeHouseInitiative.org (no logins, tracking, or fees)

Hosts & Guest: Jeff Edwards • with Eric Cernak

#️⃣ Hashtags:

#CyberInsurance #SMB #SmallBusinessSecurity #BusinessContinuity #Ransomware #RiskManagement #InsuranceBrokers #MSP #SupplyChainRisk #GenerativeAI #DataBreach #SafeHousePodcast