Let's Talk Cyber

Legal Privilege in Managing Cyber Incidents | Let's Talk Cyber Episode 58 with Rebecca RobertsWhen a cyber incident strikes, organisations are often focused on containing the attack, restoring systems and meeting their reporting obligations. But what about the legal conversations, documents and decisions being created throughout the response?In Episode 58 of Let's Talk Cyber, Tommy McCarthy is joined by Rebecca Roberts, Director and Solicitor at Burness Paull, to explore the role of legal privilege in managing cyber incidents — and why organisations should be thinking about it from the very beginning of an incident, rather than once the dust has settled.Rebecca explains how legal privilege can provide a protected space for organisations and their legal advisers to communicate openly and candidly while responding to a cyber crisis, without every discussion or document potentially becoming evidence in future regulatory action or litigation.They discuss:🔹 Why legal privilege matters during a cyber incident🔹 The difference between legal advice privilege and litigation privilege🔹 Why simply marking a document "legally privileged" isn't enough🔹 When legal advisers should become involved in an incident response🔹 How forensic investigation reports can potentially be protected🔹 Why cyber response communications should be tightly controlled🔹 How organisations can accidentally waive privilege🔹 The importance of involving legal teams in key strategic decisions🔹 Why privilege isn't about hiding information — but creating a protected environment to deal with a crisis properlyAs Rebecca explains, everything produced during the frantic early stages of an incident could potentially become relevant months or even years later. Building legal considerations into your incident response process from the outset can therefore make a significant difference.🎙️ Guest: Rebecca Roberts – Director & Solicitor, Burness Paull🎙️ Host: Tommy McCarthy – Let's Talk Cyber📺 Episode 58If you work in cyber security, data protection, incident response, governance or senior leadership, this episode provides an important perspective on an area of cyber incident management that is often overlooked.Subscribe to Cyber News Global for more conversations with leaders and specialists from across cyber security, data protection, AI and technology.#CyberSecurity #LegalPrivilege #IncidentResponse #CyberIncident #DataProtection #GDPR #CyberRisk #BurnessPaull #LetsTalkCyber #CyberNewsGlobal

Let’s Talk Cyber – Episode 55 | Cyber Attacks: Why You Need Out-Of-Band Communications with James MullinsIn this episode of Let’s Talk Cyber, host Tommy McCarthy is joined by James Mullins, Vice President Sales Asia & EMEA at Mattermost, to explore why communication often becomes one of the first things to fail during a major cyber attack.Following a successful executive workshop at Cyber UK, James explains the importance of out-of-band communications — a secure, independent and pre-configured communication channel that allows organisations to stay connected when their primary systems go down.When attackers strike, they do not just target data. They often go after the systems organisations rely on to coordinate their response, including email, Teams, Slack, Active Directory and internal networks. In many cases, IT teams may also need to shut systems down to contain the breach, leaving leaders without the information they need to make critical decisions.🔑 Highlights from this episode:Why standard communication channels often fail during a cyber attackWhat out-of-band communications means in a crisisHow attackers target collaboration tools and identity systemsWhy executives can struggle with decision-making during degraded communicationsThe risk of relying on WhatsApp or consumer messaging apps during an incidentHow regulatory and compliance obligations continue even when systems are offlineWhy organisations need a secure, auditable and pre-planned communication route before an attack happensAs James explains, cyber resilience is not just about preventing attacks or recovering afterwards. It is also about maintaining control during the incident itself — when pressure is high, information is limited, and every decision matters.📌 Want more conversations like this?Subscribe to Let’s Talk Cyber for expert insight into cyber security, crisis response, operational resilience, regulatory risk and the future of digital communications.#LetsTalkCyber #CyberSecurity #OutOfBandCommunications #CyberResilience #IncidentResponse #CrisisCommunications #Mattermost #CyberAttack #OperationalResilience #CyberRisk

Let’s Talk Cyber - Episode 54 | AI vs OT with Ian GemskiIn this episode of Let’s Talk Cyber, host Tommy McCarthy is joined by Ian Gemski to explore one of the biggest conversations facing operational technology today: what happens when AI meets OT?As critical infrastructure, industrial environments and operational systems become more connected, the role of AI is becoming harder to ignore. From faster threat detection and automated response to the risks of AI-driven attacks, machine-speed decision-making and increased complexity, this conversation looks at both the opportunities and the challenges ahead.🔑 Highlights from this episode:How AI is changing the cyber security conversation in OT environmentsWhy operational technology requires a different approach to traditional IT securityThe risks created by automation, connectivity and machine-speed attacksHow organisations can prepare for AI-driven threats across industrial systemsWhy human oversight remains essential when introducing new technologyWhat leaders should be thinking about as AI becomes part of critical infrastructure securityAs AI continues to evolve, the question is no longer whether it will impact OT — but how organisations can adopt it safely, responsibly and with resilience in mind.📌 Want more conversations like this?Subscribe to Let’s Talk Cyber for expert insight into cyber security, operational technology, critical infrastructure, AI and the future of digital risk.👉 Subscribe here: [Channel link]#LetsTalkCyber #CyberSecurity #OperationalTechnology #OTSecurity #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #CriticalInfrastructure #IndustrialCyberSecurity #CyberRisk #AIinCyber

Let’s Talk Cyber – Episode 53 | When Security Becomes Supervision: The CISO’s 2027 Power Shift with PJ Di GiammarinoIn this episode of Let’s Talk Cyber, host Tommy McCarthy is joined by PJ Di Giammarino to explore the changing role of the CISO as cyber security, regulation, AI governance and business risk become increasingly connected.With financial services acting as an early warning sector, PJ explains why regulators are now looking beyond traditional cyber controls and focusing on resilience, data, compute, AI, sovereignty and evidence. As frameworks such as DORA, the EU AI Act and wider AI governance expectations reshape the landscape, the CISO is being pulled into a broader leadership role — one that moves from security oversight to business supervision.🔑 Highlights from this episode:Why financial services is the early warning sector for CISOsHow regulation is expanding the CISO’s influence across the businessWhy cyber controls now need to evidence wider business risk protectionThe impact of AI governance, data lineage and resilience requirementsHow shadow AI and shadow IT are creating new challenges for organisationsWhy CISOs need stronger collaboration with risk, technology, data and leadership teamsWhat CISOs should be thinking about as they prepare for 2027 budgetsAs PJ explains, the CISO’s role is no longer limited to defending systems. The future will demand a broader control community, where cyber security leaders help shape how organisations evidence trust, resilience and regulatory confidence.📌 Want more conversations like this?Subscribe to Let’s Talk Cyber for expert insight into cyber security, AI governance, regulatory risk, digital resilience and the changing role of the CISO.#LetsTalkCyber #CyberSecurity #CISO #AIGovernance #RegulatoryRisk #FinancialServices #DORA #EUAIAct #DigitalResilience #CyberRisk #TechnologyLeadership

Let’s Talk Cyber – Episode 52 | Is AI Taking Over the World? with Dr. Ana Rojo-EcheburúaIn this episode of Let’s Talk Cyber, host Tommy McCarthy is joined by Dr. Ana Rojo-Echeburúa, Head of AI at DataVita, to ask one of the biggest questions in technology today: is AI taking over the world?With a background in mathematics, theoretical physics, data science and AI engineering, Ana brings a clear and practical perspective to the conversation. She explains why AI is not as new as many people think, how large language models have changed the way we interact with technology, and why organisations need to think carefully about the infrastructure and governance behind AI adoption.🔑 Highlights from this episode:Is AI really taking over the world — or are we simply applying it to everything?Why AI has been around for decades, despite the recent hypeThe risks of misusing AI without governance, security or clear understandingWhy organisations need to match the right AI solution to the right problemThe importance of AI governance as the foundation of any AI strategyWhy “own your AI” and sovereign AI are becoming strategic prioritiesAs businesses race to adopt AI, Ana highlights a simple but powerful message: AI itself is not the danger — the real risk comes from using it without proper governance, understanding and accountability.📌 Want more conversations like this?Subscribe to Let’s Talk Cyber for expert insights into cyber security, AI governance, digital risk and the future of technology.#LetsTalkCyber #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #AIGovernance #CyberSecurity #SovereignAI #DataVita #DigitalRisk #TechnologyLeadership

Let’s Talk Cyber – Episode 51 | From Human to Hybrid: Rethinking Insider Threats with Findlay WhitelawIn this episode of Let’s Talk Cyber, host Tommy McCarthy is joined by Findlay Whitelaw, Field CISO at Exabeam, to explore how insider threats are evolving in an AI-driven world.Traditionally, insider threats were seen as malicious employees, contractors or trusted third parties. But as Findlay explains, the landscape is changing. AI agents, non-human identities, autonomous systems and machine-driven decision-making are now operating inside trusted environments — forcing organisations to rethink what an “insider” really means.🔑 Highlights from this episode:Why insider threats are no longer just about malicious employeesHow AI is amplifying human insider risk through phishing, deepfakes, reconnaissance and code generationWhy AI agents are beginning to look more like “digital employees”The importance of human accountability when deploying AI systemsWhy organisations need visibility, governance, access control and behavioural monitoringHow AI policies and staff training can help reduce risk across the businessAs organisations adopt AI at speed, the challenge is no longer just about who has access — it is about how trusted identities, whether human or machine, behave once they are inside your environment.📌 Want more conversations like this?Subscribe to Let’s Talk Cyber for expert insight into cyber security, AI governance, insider threats and the evolving risk landscape.#LetsTalkCyber #CyberSecurity #InsiderThreats #AIGovernance #AI #Exabeam #CyberRisk #DigitalIdentity #BehaviouralAnalytics

Let’s Talk Cyber – Episode 50 | How Has Technology Evolved in Supporting Operational Excellence & Security Outcomes? with Biju ChudasamaIn this episode of Let’s Talk Cyber, host Tommy McCarthy is joined by Biju Chudasama, CTO at Wilson James, to explore how technology is transforming operational excellence, security outcomes and decision-making across high-pressure environments.Operating at the intersection of security, technology and critical national infrastructure, Biju shares his perspective on how organisations can use technology to improve performance, protect clients and support people working in demanding roles.The conversation looks at the opportunities and risks of AI, the importance of governance, and why technology should be used to accelerate insight — not replace human judgement.🔑 Highlights from this episode:How technology is evolving across security, infrastructure and operational environmentsWhy AI should be embraced, not ignoredThe role of governance in safely adopting AI and emerging technologiesHow data can help teams make faster, better-informed decisionsWhy people remain central to security and operational resilienceThe importance of mental health, wellbeing and support in high-pressure rolesWhy leaders should create time, check in with teams and build a culture of careAs technology continues to advance, Biju highlights a clear message for leaders: use innovation to support people, strengthen decision-making and improve outcomes — but do it with the right governance, awareness and human responsibility.📌 Want more conversations like this?Subscribe to Let’s Talk Cyber for expert insight into cyber security, operational resilience, AI, leadership and the future of technology.#LetsTalkCyber #CyberSecurity #OperationalExcellence #SecurityOutcomes #AI #AIGovernance #CriticalNationalInfrastructure #WilsonJames #TechnologyLeadership #OperationalResilience

In Episode 49 of Let’s Talk Cyber, Tommy is joined by James Mullins to discuss why organisations must move beyond traditional recovery thinking and embrace the growing importance of out-of-band resilience.As ransomware, identity compromise, and destructive attacks continue to evolve, resilience can no longer depend on the same production channels that may already be compromised.James shares strategic insights into how organisations can strengthen recovery through isolated communication paths, independent backup environments, offline validation processes, and secure recovery orchestration.This episode explores why separation, trust boundaries, and recovery independence are becoming essential pillars of modern cyber resilience. These principles map directly to today’s leading resilience lifecycles, where detect → withstand → recover → adapt is now the standard operating model.🎯 Key Talking Points👉 Out-of-band resilience reduces single points of failure👉 Recovery channels must remain independent from compromised systems👉 Immutable backups and isolated recovery environments are critical👉 Identity compromise can break traditional response workflows👉 Secure communication paths are essential during crisis recovery👉 Recovery validation must happen outside production trust zones