From Military Intel to CISO: Navigating Security Leadership in the Age of AI – Darren Desmond

In this episode of the Security Repo Podcast, Jeffrey Bell, Principal Security Engineer and founder of CatchingPhish.com, discusses the confusion surrounding the naming conventions of threat actor groups across different security vendors. He explains how companies like CrowdStrike, Palo Alto, and Mandiant label the same adversaries with different names due to marketing and commercialization pressures, creating challenges for threat intelligence. Jeffrey also introduces MITRE ATT&CK Groups as a reliable, centralized resource to demystify these aliases and strengthen defenses based on shared TTPs.https://catchingphish.comhttps://attack.mitre.org/groups/https://github.com/mcdwayne/mitre-gang-lookupJeffrey Bell is a Principal Information Security Engineer and Threat Intelligence Lead at a Pharmaceutical Intelligence company. He graduated from UNC-Charlotte with a B.S. in Computer Science, specializing in Cybersecurity. Jeffrey has over 6 years of experience in Threat Intelligence, Incident Response, and Security Engineering. When not working, he writes for his blog, catchingphish.com, and loves to ski! He currently live near the beach in North Carolina.

In this episode of the Security Repo Podcast, David Cross, CISO at Atlassian and former Microsoft, Google, and Oracle security leader, shares his journey from Navy electronic warfare to global cybersecurity leadership. He offers hard-won insights on breaking into the industry, the evolving demands of the CISO role, and the practical impacts of AI on security operations. David also delivers candid advice for aspiring professionals and emphasizes the value of veterans in the cybersecurity workforce.https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-b-cross-b856657/David started his work in security with his five years’ active-duty service with the aviation electronic warfare community of the United States Navy. David was awarded with numerous honors including a Navy Achievement Medal, Southwest Asia Service Medal, Armed Forces Service Medal and NATO medal for his combat-based tours. David is now the CISO for Atlassian after 6.5 years as the CISO for the Oracle SaaS Cloud Security organization. Previously, David was a Director and built the Google Cloud Security Engineering organization for 3 years with his preceding 18 years spent with Microsoft in numerous security platform, cloud, product and engineering leadership roles. David is also a Venture Partner with Rain Capital VC. David holds a B.S. in CIS as well as an MBA with a MIS concentration along with 30+ issued patents with all in security technology related areas.

In this episode of the Security Repo Podcast, Dwayne McDaniel sits down with Amy Devine, a systems architect who transitioned from embedded wireless systems to cybersecurity. Amy shares the eye-opening story behind her Blue Team Con talk on how misdirected emails exposed sensitive personal data and what that means for digital identity. The conversation dives deep into privacy, data brokers, and what we sacrifice when companies prioritize convenience over security.https://github.com/bitsdanceforme/email_scrubbinghttps://bitsdanceforme.blog/https://www.linkedin.com/in/bitsdanceforme/Amy Devine worked in embedded systems development of wireless protocols before switching over to cybersecurity. She currently works as a Systems Architect for AV while also contributing to her cybersecurity community. Her talks to the local community include securing your email and how to avoid online scams. When she’s not sitting at a keyboard, you can find her working out in her other happy place - her home gym. Or running errands. Or trying to keep up with her kid. Or sleeping. You can find her online at her somewhat out of date website https://bitsdanceforme.blog/She has a bachelors in Computer Engineering from the University of Illinois and a masters in cybersecurity from DePaul University.

In this episode of the Security Repo Podcast, we sit down with Darren Desmond, a seasoned CISO with a background in UK military intelligence, to unpack his unconventional journey from fish and chips to threat intelligence. He shares how his military forensics experience shaped his InfoSec leadership and dives deep into the evolving role of the CISO in a world increasingly driven by AI. Darren also gives candid insights into AI governance, red flags in hiring, and why the basics of cybersecurity still matter most.https://www.linkedin.com/in/desmondo/Darren Desmond is an information security leader and Certified Information Systems Security Professional with diverse experience in security risk management within the UK Defence sector, global online gambling industry, a major UK telecommunications & media company, a ‘Big Four’ managed services company and latterly as the CISO at one of the UK’s most recognizable brands.

In this episode of the Security Repo Podcast, we sit down with Martín Villalba, founder of InfoSecMap, to explore how his platform is transforming the way InfoSec professionals discover global events, communities, and CFPs. We dive into the origin story of InfoSecMap, its recent growth surge, and its strategic partnerships with organizations like OWASP. Martín also shares practical advice on building strong security cultures and the importance of addressing root causes over chasing vulnerabilities.https://infosecmap.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wmvillalba/Twitter:https://twitter.com/act1vand0W. Martín VillalbaFounder & Principal, C13 SecurityFounder & Principal, InfoSecMapMartín is an application and product security consultant with over 15 years of industry experience. He founded C13 Security, where he specializes in Secure SDLC, pentesting, and vulnerability management. He is an active member of the InfoSec community, collaborating with local groups and global organizations such as BSides and OWASP. He also built InfoSecMap, an open-access platform for discovering InfoSec events and communities from all around the world.

Supply Chain Warfare: CI/CD Threats and Open Source Security with François ProulxIn this episode of the Security Repo Podcast, François Proulx, VP of Security Research at Boost Security, discusses the evolving threats in software supply chain security, particularly focusing on attacks targeting CI/CD pipelines. He explains how open source tools like "Poutine" are being used both defensively and offensively in the ongoing battle to secure build systems. François also shares his journey into security, lessons from working at Intel, and practical advice on dependency pinning, short-lived credentials, and password best practices.https://www.linkedin.com/in/francoisp/https://boostsecurity.io/blog/unveiling-poutine-an-open-source-build-pipelines-security-scanner[https://nsec.io /](https://nsec.io/)François is VP of Security Research at BoostSecurity, where he leads the Supply Chain research team. With over 10 years of experience in building AppSec programs for large corporations (such as Intel) and small startups he has been in the heat of the action as the DevSecOps movement took shape. François is one of founders of NorthSec and was a challenge designer for the NorthSec CTF.

In this episode of the Security Repo Podcast, we welcome Srajan Gupta, a security engineer exploring the evolving security implications of Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers. Shrojan breaks down how MCPs act as AI connectors to external systems and the alarming rise in attack surfaces, including tool squatting and indirect prompt injections. The conversation dives into emerging threats, authorization challenges, and how securing MCPs mirrors early API and cloud security lessons.Srajan Gupta is a security engineer and builder focused on uncovering how systems fail — not just through vulnerabilities, but through the architecture itself. With a background in application security, platform engineering, and threat modeling, Srajan works at the intersection of usability and risk, helping teams identify and address design-level security flaws before they become incidents.Srajan is passionate about building practical security tools, automating guardrails, and making threat modeling an everyday engineering skill.Blog - https://srajangupta.substack.com/BSides LV talk - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wld0VVRMN4c&t=21977shttps://www.linkedin.com/in/srajan-gupta/Their research often explores trust boundaries, secure defaults, and the hidden assumptions baked into the applications and infrastructure. They are especially interested in how attackers exploit the gray areas between platforms, automation, and access controls — and how defenders can close those gaps without slowing down delivery.

In this episode of the Security Repo Podcast, we sit down with Matt Torbin to explore his inspiring journey from jazz musician to cybersecurity advocate and leader. We dive deep into the origins and impact of Day of Shecurity, a one-day conference aimed at increasing representation and mentorship for women and non-binary individuals in infosec. Matt also shares innovative ideas around fixing the broken technical interview process, mentorship, and his passion for building inclusive, opportunity-rich communities in cybersecurity.Day of Shecurity:https://securediversity.org/dos/Matt's talk from BSidesLV: “Your Interview Game is Weak: Gamifying Technical Interviews through Role-Playing” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ih-ul9qe3E&t=14985sLearn more about Fabric: https://github.com/danielmiessler/fabricMatt Torbin has been a driving force in secure software development for over 20 years, influencing all aspects of the software development lifecycle. He began his career as a full-stack engineer with a focus on UI/UX, creating user experiences for renowned brands including the Philadelphia Inquirer, Anthropologie, and VEVO, engaging millions of users.In the last several years, Matt has shifted his focus to information security. In his current role as the Manager of Application Security at Quanata, he collaborates closely with product and engineering teams to advance product security best practices and deliver comprehensive security training. His industry contributions span public speaking, authorship, and community involvement. He has presented at conferences such as DEF CON, BSidesLV, and Day of Shecurity (DoS), authored privacy articles for 2600 Magazine: The Hacker Quarterly, and held key volunteer roles in initiatives including the Packet Hacking Village, Day of Shecurity, and BSidesSF. Among his achievements, he co-founded the DoS conference, realizing his vision for a more inclusive event.Outside of work, Matt mentors emerging professionals in the DoS community. A passionate skateboarder and longboarder, he often spends time with his son at skate parks throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.

In this episode of the Security Repo Podcast, we chat with Alyssa Miles, a product marketing leader at CyberArk, about building authentic developer communities in the security space. She shares her journey from agency marketing to driving developer engagement, along with insights from Hacker Summer Camp and strategies for enabling community-driven identity tooling. Alyssa also discusses how to shift from traditional marketing to true enablement and why "thinking like a hacker" is key to building impactful security communities.https://lp.cyberark.com/20251110-cyberark-workload-identity-day-zero-atlanta-registration.htmlhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/alyssanoellemiles/https://infocondb.org/con/def-con/def-con-33/thinking-like-a-hacker-in-the-age-of-aiAlyssa is a product marketing leader passionate about making security easy for developers. At CyberArk, she drives developer experience initiatives that help platform engineers, DevOps teams, and cloud security pros adopt identity tools that fit naturally into their workflows. She also leads efforts to grow and engage CyberArk’s developer community. When she's not working, she's probably driving her ten-year-old daughter to ballet or hanging out at a brewery.

In this episode of the Security Repo Podcast, Aria Langer returns to share deep insights from her work in privileged access management and the challenges of implementing security controls without alienating coworkers. She and Dwayne dive into the often-overlooked importance of empathy in cybersecurity, exploring how human connection can make security efforts more effective. The conversation touches on the cultural shifts needed in security teams, how storytelling can foster understanding, and the risks of relying too heavily on tools like AI without understanding their underlying mechanics.What you need to know about AriaDear is that she’s a Security Engineer by day, DuckBurg resident by night!Been working in SecOps for almost 5 years, specializing in Privilege Access ManagementHave spoken at BlueTeamCon, ChibrrCon and the Defcon Furs village on that topic.