Leading cybersecurity, AI, and institutional resilience in higher education

Claremont McKenna College President Hiram E. Chodosh joins Steven Bowcut to unpack what cybersecurity leadership looks like in higher education—where openness, collaboration, and constant user turnover create a risk profile unlike most enterprises. They discuss how a college president defines cybersecurity at the governance level, how institutions balance academic freedom with necessary security controls, and how AI is reshaping both the threat landscape and the classroom. The episode also explores how CMC is integrating responsible AI, IT resilience, and cybersecurity thinking into scientific and computational fluency for students—and what security leaders should understand when communicating cyber risk to academic leadership.

In today’s threat environment, attackers don’t just target systems. They target people—and artificial intelligence is accelerating that reality. Generative AI enables social engineering at a scale and level of personalization that many organizations are not prepared to meet. Especially with yesterday’s security awareness models.Today’s guest is Matt Lindley, the Chief Innovation & Information Security Officer at NINJIO, a cybersecurity awareness training and human risk management platform. Matt is known for his work in emerging cyber threats, social engineering, compliance, AI strategy and transformation, and security risk management—especially where the human element is the critical variable.This conversation explores what modern human risk management looks like when the adversary can quickly and cheaply produce convincing messages, voices, and narratives. We’ll also touch on two practical supporting themes: How to measure human risk with meaningful metrics, and how to drive culture change without creating security fatigue.

Private credit is growing fast—and in many cases it still runs on “trust” across fragmented systems, creating openings for fraud, double-pledging, and costly verification gaps. In this episode, Steven Bowcut talks with Cole Snell, founder of Real Private Credit, about why lending is a trust-and-controls problem, how bad actors exploit UCC filing fragmentation, and how continuous monitoring, explainable scoring, and tokenization can shift the market from “trust” toward “truth.”

In this episode, Steven Bowcut talks with Linda Calvin, Dean of the School of Technology at Western Governors University, about how cybersecurity education must evolve to meet today’s rapidly shifting threat landscape. Linda shares insights on competency-based learning, integrating AI into cyber curricula, building hands-on experience through virtual labs and internships, and creating more inclusive pathways into tech. She also discusses the importance of employer partnerships, industry certifications, and the role education plays in unlocking economic mobility.

In this episode of the Brilliance Security Magazine Podcast, host Steven Bowcut talks with Dan Benveniste, Founder and CEO of SkillWaze, about how technology is transforming the way organizations identify, develop, and hire cybersecurity talent.Dan shares how SkillWaze’s AI-powered “Learn and Earn” platform connects employers with skilled, job-ready candidates through virtual apprenticeships and innovation challenges. The conversation explores the growing cybersecurity skills gap, how Gen Z and Gen A can prepare for the innovation economy, and how employers can build their own “farm teams” of talent.Listeners will gain insights into:Why traditional education and hiring models are failing to keep pace with industry needsHow AI and human collaboration can verify real skills—not just resumesThe future of workforce development across cybersecurity, manufacturing, and healthcareA must-listen for anyone interested in the intersection of AI, education, and cybersecurity workforce development.

In this episode of the Brilliance Security Magazine Podcast, host Steven Bowcut speaks with Dr. Masoud Nafey, Founder of Ment, an AI-driven relationship intelligence platform built on a foundation of privacy and authenticity. Together, they explore how artificial intelligence can help professionals build and nurture meaningful relationships without compromising personal data.Dr. Nafey discusses Ment’s “privacy by design” approach, which protects user data through encryption and transparency, and explains how AI-generated contextual insights can strengthen both personal and professional connections. The conversation delves into topics like data ethics, authenticity in digital interactions, regulatory compliance, and the future of human-centered AI.Listeners will gain a hopeful and practical perspective on how technology can make relationships more human—not less.

The browser has quietly become the most critical—and most overlooked—attack surface in cybersecurity. In this episode of the Brilliance Security Magazine Podcast, host Steven Bowcut talks with John Carse, Field CISO at SquareX, about the company’s groundbreaking Browser Detection and Response (BDR) technology and why legacy tools like EDR and Secure Web Gateways can’t see today’s browser-native threats.John draws on his two decades of global cybersecurity experience—spanning the U.S. Navy, JPMorgan, Expedia, and Dyson—to explain emerging risks like Syncjacking, Polymorphic Extensions, and the coming wave of AI-powered browser agents. He also shares practical steps for CISOs to reduce risk from Shadow SaaS and unmanaged devices.If you think your browser is safe, this episode will make you think again.

In this episode of the Brilliance Security Magazine Podcast, Andrew Warren, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Exclusive Networks North America, joins us to discuss why security-focused distribution matters in today’s cyber landscape. Andrew shares insights from his nearly two decades in the channel, explores how distribution has evolved beyond logistics, and explains how Exclusive Networks helps partners cut through vendor noise, address the cybersecurity skills gap, and adapt to the shift toward services and subscription models.

In this episode of the Brilliance Security Magazine Podcast, host Steven Bowcut talks with Mark Stadtmueller, CTO at SUPERWISE, about the realities of AI governance in today’s enterprises. Mark explains why fear, confusion, and the use of “shadow AI” are fueling an AI governance crisis, and how organizations can move beyond experimentation to trusted, enterprise-grade adoption. The conversation covers regulatory patchworks, runtime safety, smaller language models, and practical safeguards that keep AI both innovative and secure. Mark also shares forward-looking advice for business leaders eager to embrace AI responsibly while maintaining trust, compliance, and visibility.

In this episode of the Brilliance Security Magazine Podcast, host Steven Bowcut speaks with Julian Hamood, Founder and Chief Visionary Officer of TrustedTech. Julian shares his journey from simplifying Microsoft licensing to leading a full-service technology partner recognized as a Microsoft Managed Partner—an achievement reserved for less than 1% of providers worldwide. The conversation explores how enterprises can modernize securely, integrate AI responsibly, navigate IT complexity, and prepare for emerging Microsoft-related risks.