Podcast · Tech & Science

Defense in Depth

by CISO Series · English · Tech & Science

Defense in Depth, hosted by David Spark, Steve Zalewski, Geoff Belknap, and Edward Contreras, promises clear talk on cybersecurity's most controversial and confusing debates. Once a week we choose one controversial and popular cybersecurity debate and use the InfoSec community's insights to lead…

New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 31 min
Latest: 8 Oct 2026
Language: English

Latest episode

8 Oct 2026 · 33 minNew

Can SMBs Get the Same Security as Everyone Else?

All links and images can be found on CISO Series Check out this post for the discussion that is the basis of our conversation for this week's episode co-hosted by me, David Spark , the producer of CISO Series , and Steve Zalewski . Joining us is their sponsored guest, Mark Stockley , cybersecurity evangelist, ThreatDown . In this episode: The ripple effect The economics of ignoring SMB Let the defaults do the work Accountability doesn't get outsourced A huge thanks to our sponsor, ThreatDown ThreatDown MDR is a 24/7/365 security analyst service that explains and resolves suspicious endpoint…

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Earlier episodes 29 most recent

1 Oct 2026 · 34 min

Why Do We Keep Complaining About the Same Issues in Cybersecurity?

All links and images can be found on CISO Series LinkedIn used to have a decent reputation among cybersecurity professionals. But lately, it feels like our feeds are relitigating the same debates every day, just with different faces. Has the situation changed? Check out this post by Allan Alford of NTT Global Data Centers for the discussion that is the basis of our conversation on this week's episode co-hosted by me, David Spark , the producer of CISO Series , and Geoff Belknap . Joining us is Howard Holton , founder, Phronia Counsel . In this episode: The clichés that say nothing A…
24 Sep 2026 · 35 min

Securing AI-Generated Open Source Code

All links and images can be found on CISO Series Check out this post for the discussion that is the basis of our conversation on this week's episode co-hosted by me, David Spark , the producer of CISO Series , and Steve Zalewski . Joining us is our sponsored guest, Abby Kearns , CEO, ActiveState . In this episode: Trust, but nobody verifies The economics of trust just changed Implicit trust doesn't scale anymore Rethinking what "open" even means A huge thanks to our sponsor, ActiveState ActiveState gives security and engineering teams a single governed source for open source software. With…
21 Sep 2026 · 21 min

BONUS EPISODE: Super Cyber Friday Express - Hacking Vendor Selection

All links and images can be found on CISO Series This is a bonus episode of our brand new podcast, Super Cyber Friday Express — a 20-minute highlight version of our live one-hour show we do every available Friday at 1 p.m. Eastern. In this episode, David Spark is joined by Karl Mattson , founder and managing director of Squared Circle Ventures, and Howard Holton , founder and principal analyst at Phronia Counsel LLC, to discuss how your existing environment shapes what you buy next — and whether that's a strategy or just inertia. Watch the full one-hour show at Crowdcast . Subscribe to Super…
17 Sep 2026 · 26 min

How AppSec Needs to Change For the Speed of AI

All links and images can be found on CISO Series Check out this post by Anand Singh, CSO, Symmetry Systems, for the discussion that is the basis of our conversation on this week's episode co-hosted by me, David Spark , the producer of CISO Series , and Steve Zalewski . Joining us is Ryan Barrett , svp, security, Intermedia Cloud Communications . In this episode: Risk by default, not by decision Identity, not just speed Building security into the pipeline, not around it Letting the machine make the fix A huge thanks to our sponsor, ThreatLocker An AI-generated attack may be new, but it still…
10 Sep 2026 · 28 min

Building Resilience for Microsoft 365

All links and images can be found on CISO Series Check out this post for the discussion that is the basis of our conversation on this week's episode co-hosted by me, David Spark , the producer of CISO Series , and Brett Conlon , CISO, American Century Investments . Joining us is our sponsored guest, Simon Hughes , vp of field security at CoreView . In this episode: Ecosystem, not platform Beyond backup, into resilience What survives the restore Toward a digital twin A huge thanks to our sponsor, CoreView Attackers don't break into Microsoft 365. They log in and reconfigure it. When tenant…
3 Sep 2026 · 28 min

Recommendations to Reboot the Security Vendor Pitch

All links and images can be found on CISO Series Check out this post by Val Tsanev of CyberRisk Alliance, for the discussion that is the basis of our conversation on this week's episode co-hosted by David Spark , the producer of CISO Series , and Edward Contreras , senior evp and CISO, Frost Bank . Joining is Jill Rhodes , svp, CISO, Option Care Health . In this episode: The ten-minute test Relevance beats format Price the problem or lose the room Whose meeting is it, really A huge thanks to our sponsor, Teleskope Most DSPMs stop at finding the risk. Teleskope fixes this: it automatically…
27 Aug 2026 · 30 min

Market Confusion Is Responsible for the Biggest Gaps in Cybersecurity

All links and images can be found on CISO Series Check out this post from Joe Head of RELEX Solutions for the discussion that is the basis of our conversation on this week's episode co-hosted by David Spark , the producer of CISO Series , and Edward Contreras , senior evp and CISO, Frost Bank . Joining is Mary Rose Martinez , CISO, and vp of digital technology services, Marathon Petroleum Corporation . In this episode: Left behind A hypothetical sale The philosophy problem Stop shifting the problems A huge thanks to our sponsor, ActiveState ActiveState gives security and engineering teams a…
20 Aug 2026 · 35 min

Will AI Replace Detection Roles in Cybersecurity?

All links and images can be found on CISO Series Check out this post from Caleb Sima of Whiterabbit for the discussion that is the basis of our conversation on this week's episode co-hosted David Spark, the producer of CISO Series , and Yaron Levi , CISO, Dolby . Joining is Adrian Ludwig , CSO, Rippling . In this episode: The messy middle The automatable part Where automation stops The influence gap A huge thanks to our sponsor, ThreatLocker ThreatLocker delivers Zero Trust Network Access and Zero Trust Cloud Access that verifies both user and device before granting access to specific…
13 Aug 2026 · 31 min

What Makes a Good AI Security Deployment?

What Makes a Good AI Security Deployment? A ll links and images can be found on CISO Series Check out this post by Chris Matthews of UpGuard for the discussion that is the basis of our conversation on this week's episode co-hosted by me, David Spark , the producer of CISO Series , and Edward Contreras , senior evp and CISO, Frost Bank . Joining us is Peter Liebert , CISO, Salesloft & Clari. In this episode: Non-determinism changes everything The foundation problem Nobody owns the whole problem The authorization gap A huge thanks to our sponsor, CoreView Attackers don't break into Microsoft…
6 Aug 2026 · 29 min

The Office Politics of Remediation

All links and images can be found on CISO Series Check out this post for the discussion that is the basis of our conversation on this week's episode co-hosted by David Spark , the producer of CISO Series , and Dan Walsh , CISO, Datavant. Joining is our sponsored guest, Elizabeth Nammour , founder and CEO, Teleskope . In this episode: Data ownership before automation A shared vocabulary for agent risk Maturing from crawl to run Trust earns automation its place A huge thanks to our sponsor, Teleskope Most DSPMs stop at finding the risk. Teleskope fixes this: it automatically finds sensitive…
30 Jul 2026 · 30 min

Why is Preventative Security So Difficult?

All links and images can be found on CISO Series Prevention in cybersecurity is a lot like flossing: everyone knows they should do it, but few do it enough. What's stopping us? Check out this post by Ross Haleliuk of Venture in Security for the discussion that is the basis of our conversation on this week's episode co-hosted by me, David Spark , the producer of CISO Series , and Edward Contreras , senior evp and CISO, Frost Bank . Joining us is Deneen DeFiore , vice president & chief information security officer, United Airlines . In this episode: The sponsorship gap One strike and you're…
23 Jul 2026 · 30 min

Identity and Access Management (IAM) in an Agentic AI World

All links and images can be found on CISO Series Check out this post by Tomás Maldonado , CISO, NFL, for the discussion that is the basis of our conversation on this week's episode co-hosted by me, David Spark , the producer of CISO Series , and Yaron Levi , CISO, Dolby . Joining is Will Gregorian , vp of information technology & security, Galileo Medical . In this episode: From who to what The manipulation problem Cryptographic accountability The audit gap A huge thanks to our sponsor, ActiveState ActiveState gives security and engineering teams a single governed source for open source…
16 Jul 2026 · 34 min

Protecting AI Agents in O365 and Google Workspace

All links and images can be found on CISO Series Check out this post for the discussion that is the basis of our conversation on this week's episode co-hosted by David Spark , the producer of CISO Series , and Steve Zalewski . Joining is their sponsored guest, Rajan Kapoor , vp, security, Material Security. In this episode: Pre-existing conditions Architecture over rollout Access isn't legitimacy Data has a half-life A huge thanks to our sponsor, Material Security Legacy email security only watches the door. Material protects your entire cloud workspace—email, files, and accounts—as one…
9 Jul 2026 · 36 min

Humans Are Bottleneck in a Machine-Speed World

All links and images can be found on CISO Series We're evolving fast to secure AI. But are we evolving fast enough to secure WITH AI? Check out this post by Rinki Sethi, CSO, Upwind Security, for the discussion that is the basis of our conversation on this week's episode co-hosted by me, David Spark , the producer of CISO Series , and Howard Holton , former CEO, GigaOm. Joining is Adam Glick , CSO, PSG Equity . In this episode: Human-in-the-loop math Should machines decide at all From assistant to autonomous Redefining the security role A huge thanks to our sponsor, Palo Alto Networks Cortex…
2 Jul 2026 · 34 min

Even With All These Security Vendors We Still Have Glaring Gaps

All links and images can be found on CISO Series There are thousands of cybersecurity vendors across categories. If there's a gap in the market, it's likely not for technical reasons. So, how do you actually find vendors that are a good fit rather than one that just meets technical requirements? Check out this post by Joe Head of REFLEX Solutions for the discussion that is the basis of our conversation on this week's episode, co-hosted by me, David Spark , the producer of CISO Series , and Edward Contreras , senior evp and CISO, Frost Bank . Joining us is Ajit Girn , CIO, Employment…
25 Jun 2026 · 28 min

Is the "Attackers Only Need to Be Right Once" a Misnomer?

All links and images can be found on CISO Series Check out this post for the discussion that is the basis of our conversation on this week's episode co-hosted by me, David Spark , the producer of CISO Series , and George Finney, CISO, University of Texas System. Joining is Sean Walls , CISO, Bob's Discount Furniture . In this episode: Asymmetric accounting Sometimes it really is that easy The spirit of the saying The cheapest way in A huge thanks to our sponsor, Native Security Native is the Cloud Security Control Plane. It helps enterprises enforce secure-by-design architecture across…
18 Jun 2026 · 55 min

What It Takes To Be Successful in Cyber Media

What It Takes To Be Successful in Cyber Media All links and images can be found on CISO Series Check out this post for the discussion that is the basis of our conversation on this week's episode co-hosted by me, David Spark , the producer of CISO Series , and Dave Bittner , producer and host, The CyberWire . Joining is Graham Cluley , host of Smashing Security podcast and Leo Laporte , founder of TWiT (This Week in Tech) and host of Security Now podcast. In this episode: Format follows function The decision gap Practitioner fingerprints Beyond the news cycle A huge thanks to our sponsor,…
11 Jun 2026 · 31 min

CISOs Buy For Selfish and Politically Risk-Averse Reasons (Not Because Your Product is the Best)

All links and images can be found on CISO Series Check out this post for the discussion that is the basis of our conversation on this week's episode co-hosted by me, David Spark , the producer of CISO Series , and Howard Holton , CEO, GigaOm . Joining is Tyler King , senior director - threat operations and response, Sinclair . In this episode: Career insurance In the trenches together Who are you actually selling to? Common sense, uncommon in sales A huge thanks to our sponsor, Material Security Legacy email security only watches the door. Material protects your entire cloud workspace—email,…
4 Jun 2026 · 34 min

Has Cybersecurity Become a Cult?

All links and images can be found on CISO Series We think of cybersecurity as a discipline. But when do ideas like best practices and NIST frameworks change into a system of belief? Check out this post for the discussion that is the basis of our conversation on this week's episode co-hosted by David Spark , the producer of CISO Series , and Davi Ottenheimer, principal, Flying Penguin . Joining is Joshua Copeland , director of security, Crescendo . In this episode: Tools, not religion The case for structured discipline The management problem underneath Fix the damn holes A huge thanks to our…
28 May 2026 · 33 min

What Does the Next Generation of Cloud Security Look Like?

All links and images can be found on CISO Series We know human-paced security controls can't be applied to autonomous AI agents. So what needs to change with CNAPP and cloud security? Check out this post for the discussion that is the basis of our conversation on this week's episode co-hosted by David Spark , the producer of CISO Series , and Steve Zalewski . Joining us is our sponsored guest, Dan Benjamin , vp product - data, identity, and AI security, Palo Alto Networks . In this episode: The detection ceiling A category gap, not a feature gap Resilience by design An insider threat with no…
21 May 2026 · 27 min

The Dangers of Picking the Wrong Vendor

All links and images can be found on CISO Series . Check out this post for the discussion that is the basis of our conversation on this week's episode co-hosted by David Spark , the producer of CISO Series , and Steve Zalewski . Joining us is our guest, Paul Guerra. In this episode: Read the contract How vendors win before the evaluation ends The fallout The real cost A huge thanks to our sponsor, Native Security Native makes secure-by-design inherent to how the cloud operates. It's the control plane for built-in cloud security, unifying and governing native controls, so security intent is…
14 May 2026 · 27 min

Why Cyber Startups Need CISO Advisors

All links and images can be found on CISO Series All security startups will tell you they talk to potential customers. The problem is that you limit your development when you only talk to CISOs who might buy. It's not the same guidance you'll get from a CISO who advises. Check out this post by Val Tsanev of the Cyber Risk Alliance for the discussion that is the basis of our conversation. This week's episode is co-hosted by me, David Spark , the producer of CISO Series , and Edward Contreras , senior evp and CISO, Frost Bank . Joining us is Steve Jensen , CISO, University of Maine System . In…
7 May 2026 · 32 min

Breaking the Reactive Cycle of Cybersecurity

All links and images can be found on CISO Series. Check out this post for the discussion that is the basis of our conversation on this week's episode co-hosted by David Spark , the producer of CISO Series , and Steve Zalewski . Joining us is our sponsored guest, Rob Allen. In this episode: The vulnerable stack Changing the structural economics Change the terrain The cost-benefit equation A huge thanks to our sponsor, ThreatLocker ThreatLocker makes Zero Trust practical. With Default Deny, Ringfencing, and Elevation Control, CISOs get real control that's easy to manage and built to scale.…
30 Apr 2026 · 38 min

How Do You Know If Your Backups Will Survive a Ransomware Attack?

All links and images can be found on CISO Series Check out this post for the discussion that is the basis of our conversation on this week's episode co-hosted by David Spark , the producer of CISO Series , and Steve Zalewski . Joining us is our sponsored guest, Heath Renfrow , co-founder, Fenix24 . In this episode: Knowing which systems to save first Recovery is a business conversation, not an IT ticket Not all systems are created equal Recovery knowledge as a governed asset A huge thanks to our sponsor, Fenix24 Fenix24 is the world's leading breach recovery firm, providing rapid ransomware…
23 Apr 2026 · 27 min

What Makes a Successful Security Vendor Demo?

What Makes a Successful Security Vendor Demo? All links and images can be found on CISO Series . Check out this post from Adam Palmer for the discussion that is the basis of our conversation on this week's episode co-hosted by David Spark , the producer of CISO Series , and Geoff Belknap . Joining is Ken Beasley , BISO, Kaiser Permanente . In this episode: Show me the problem, not the product Walking in blind Discovery is the demo Define the use case, set the clock A huge thanks to our sponsor, Fenix24 Fenix24 is the world's leading breach recovery firm, providing rapid ransomware…
16 Apr 2026 · 28 min

Should You Use Native or 3rd Party Cloud Management Tools?

Should You Use Native or 3rd Party Cloud Management Tools? All links and images can be found on CISO Series . Check out this post from Steve Zalewski for the discussion that is the basis of our conversation on this week's episode co-hosted by David Spark , the producer of CISO Series , and Edward Contreras , senior evp and CISO, Frost Bank . Joining us is their sponsored guest, Gal Ordo , co-founder and CPO, Native . In this episode: More tools, more problems A gap in design Catching what slips through Competence over complexity A huge thanks to our sponsor, Native Security Native makes…
9 Apr 2026 · 29 min

How Should We Measure the Performance of a CISO?

How Should We Measure the Performance of a CISO? All links and images can be found on CISO Series . Check out this post from the cybersecurity subreddit for the discussion that is the basis of our conversation on this week's episode co-hosted by me, David Spark , the producer of CISO Series , and Edward Contreras , senior evp and CISO, Frost Bank . Joining them is Jason Richards , vp, information security, CHG Healthcare . In this episode: Likability as a career strategy The storytelling gap How the math actually gets done The unofficial scorecard A huge thanks to our sponsor, ThreatLocker…
2 Apr 2026 · 26 min

How to Be Less Busy and More Effective in Cyber

All links and images can be found on CISO Series . Check out this post for the discussion that is the basis of our conversation on this week's episode co-hosted by David Spark , the producer of CISO Series , and Ross Young , co-host, CISO Tradecraft . Joining them is Dan Walsh , CISO, Datavant . Be sure to check out Ross's book Cybersecurity's Dirty Secret: Why Most Budgets Go to Waste. In this episode: Patterns hiding in plain sight Activity vs. advancement The human cost Frameworks about frameworks A huge thanks to our sponsor, Fenix24 Fenix24 is the world's leading breach recovery firm,…
26 Mar 2026 · 32 min

How to Engage With a CISO When They Express Interest

All links and images can be found on CISO Series . Check out this post for the discussion that is the basis of our conversation on this week's episode, co-hosted by David Spark , the producer of CISO Series , and Steve Zalewski . Joining them is Adam Palmer , CISO, First Hawaiian Bank . Be sure to check out David's book, Three Feet from Seven Figures: One-on-One Engagement Techniques to Qualify More Leads at Trade Shows. In this episode: Lead with insight, not persuasion Recognize the opportunity when it arrives Strategy over features Keep it efficient A huge thanks to our sponsor, Endor…

About Defense in Depth

Defense in Depth is a English tech & science podcast from CISO Series. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.

Publisher: CISO Series
Language: English
Category: Tech & Science
New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 31 min
Latest episode: 8 Oct 2026
Feed: RSS — paste into any podcast app
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1450197741
Website: cisoseries.com
Rights: 2018-2024 Spark Media Solutions, LLC

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