The Cyber Security Matters Podcast

AI is changing how software vulnerabilities are discovered, exploited and fixed. But can cybersecurity teams keep up? In this episode of Cyber Security Matters, hosts Harry Baldwin and Matt Rose speak with Igor Seletskiy, CEO of TuxCare and founder of CloudLinux, about the growing pressure on vulnerability management, the changing balance between attackers and defenders, and the skills that will matter as AI becomes more capable.Drawing on decades of experience in software development, Linux and web hosting, Igor explains why the industry can no longer rely on traditional vulnerability prioritisation alone. He also shares lessons from building technology businesses, leading remote engineering teams and adapting to a world where AI is changing how technical work gets done.In this episode● The changing vulnerability landscape: Why AI is making it easier to discover and exploit vulnerabilities, including by chaining together several lower-severity flaws.● The future of vulnerability management: Why organisations will need to address more vulnerabilities, more quickly, rather than allowing backlogs to grow.● Attackers versus defenders: Why attackers may benefit first from AI, and why Igor believes defenders could gain the advantage over time.● Automation and patching: How AI and automated workflows could change vulnerability discovery, prioritisation and remediation.● Separating AI value from hype: Why AI should solve a genuine problem rather than simply be included in a product for the sake of it.● Building and leading engineering teams: Igor's lessons on hiring excellent people, trusting remote teams and balancing freedom with high expectations.● The changing value of technical skills: Why strong fundamentals remain important, alongside clear thinking, problem-solving and the ability to explain the outcome you want from AI.● Advice for people entering cybersecurity: Why learning how systems work beneath the surface—and digging deeper into the reasoning behind AI-generated answers—can help build lasting understanding.About Igor SeletskiyIgor Seletskiy is a technology entrepreneur and software developer with more than two decades of experience across Linux, web hosting and cybersecurity. He founded CloudLinux in 2009 and leads TuxCare, whose services include Linux security, live patching and extended lifecycle support.This episode of Cyber Security Matters is brought to you by neuco.

In this episode of the Cyber Security Matters podcast, Harry Baldwin and Matt Rose are joined by Steve Meckl, PhD, SVP of the AI Center of Excellence at Cyderes, to explore how AI is reshaping cybersecurity and security operations. Steve shares insights from a career spanning software engineering, the FBI, Symantec, Accenture and Google Cloud, before discussing how AI and automation are changing the way security teams detect, investigate and respond to threats. The conversation explores AI-powered security operations, agentic AI, the importance of context and data, and how AI is changing the speed and scale of cyberattacks. Steve also discusses the skills cybersecurity professionals need as the industry continues to evolve, and why embracing change and becoming a constant learner are essential. In this episode, we discuss: Steve’s journey from software engineering and the FBI into cybersecurity and AI How AI is transforming security operations and incident response Using AI agents to automate repetitive L1 security triage Why context and data are critical to effective AI The opportunities and risks of agentic AI in cybersecurity How AI is changing the speed and scale of cyber attacks The skills cybersecurity professionals need as the industry evolves Why embracing change and continuous learning are essential in cybersecurity About Steve Meckl Steve Meckl, PhD, is SVP of the AI Center of Excellence at Cyderes, where he leads the application of AI to large-scale security operations. He previously spent more than a decade with the FBI, serving as a Unit Chief in the Cyber Division, and has held senior roles at Symantec, Accenture and Google Cloud. This episode is brought to you by neuco.  

In this episode of the Cyber Security Matters podcast, hosts Tom Wilding and Matt Rose are joined by Geoffrey Mattson, CEO, and Mark van Oppen, Chief Revenue Officer at SecureAuth, to explore how the rise of AI agents is changing cybersecurity and why identity is becoming increasingly important in controlling what those agents can do.The conversation looks at the shift from traditional identity and authentication towards real-time authorisation, where organisations need to understand not only who or what is accessing a system, but what they are permitted to do at any given moment.Geoffrey and Mark discuss the challenges created by autonomous and increasingly capable AI agents, including over-privileged access, unpredictable behaviour, shadow AI infrastructure and the growing importance of visibility, policy and behavioural analytics.Key topics:● Why AI agents represent a fundamentally different security challenge● The move from identity verification to real-time action authorisation● How organisations can begin taking inventory of their AI agents, infrastructure and MCP servers● The risks of over-privileged agents and “friendly fire” from AI systems● Why visibility alone isn't enough when securing AI● Applying Zero Trust principles to workforce, customer and agent identities● The importance of connecting technical cybersecurity capabilities to real business outcomes● What cybersecurity organisations should look for when building strong sales and technical teams● Why the rapid emergence of AI is forcing the cybersecurity industry to rethink traditional approachesAbout our guests:Geoffrey Mattson is CEO of SecureAuth and an experienced cybersecurity and technology leader, with previous leadership roles including CEO of Xage Security and co-founder and leader of MistNet.ai. His career has included work with organisations including Juniper Networks, Huawei, Nortel and Bell Labs.Mark van Oppen is Chief Revenue Officer at SecureAuth, leading the company's global sales and marketing efforts. He has held senior commercial and technology roles at companies including IBM, Heptio, VMware and FusionAuth.This episode of Cyber Security Matters is brought to you by neuco.

In this episode of Cyber Security Matters, hosts Harry Baldwin and Matt Rose speak with Yuval Itzchakov, Co-Founder and CTO of A Security, about how artificial intelligence is reshaping cyber security. Yuval explains how AI is increasing the speed and scale of cyber attacks, why security teams need to look beyond individual vulnerabilities, and how exploitable attack paths and attacker kill chains are changing the future of cyber defence.Yuval also shares his journey from Unit 8200 and offensive security into commercial cyber security, including his six years at Hunters and the lessons he learnt while building and scaling security teams. The discussion covers what he looks for when hiring engineers, why curiosity, communication and adaptability matter, and how AI is changing the way security professionals and technical teams work.From AI-powered offensive security to automated remediation, the conversation explores how organisations can rethink vulnerability management and respond more effectively as attacks move at machine speed.Key topics covered● Yuval's journey from Unit 8200 into cybersecurity and technology leadership● Moving from highly technical roles into business and company leadership● Lessons from scaling Hunters and building A Security● What Yuval looks for when hiring security professionals● How AI is changing the way engineers and security professionals work● The rise of AI-powered offensive security● Why attackers can use AI to increase the speed and scale of attacks● The difference between individual vulnerabilities and exploitable attack paths● Why attacker kill chains should become a greater focus for security teams● Shortening the time between discovering and remediating exploitable weaknesses● The future of automated remediation and keeping humans in the loopAbout Yuval ItzchakovYuval Itzchakov is Co-Founder and CTO of A Security, an autonomous offensive security and remediation company. Before founding A Security, Yuval spent six years at Hunters, progressing from one of the company’s first engineers to CTO. He began his career in Unit 8200, where he built extensive experience across technology, security and technical leadership.At A Security, Yuval focuses on building technology that tests organisations in the way real attackers do, identifying exploitable attack paths and helping organisations remediate them.This episode of Cyber Security Matters is brought to you by neuco, a global specialist recruitment and executive search business supporting companies across Media & Sports Technology, Satellite, Space & Defence and Cyber Security. You can also follow neuco on LinkedIn for sector insights, hiring updates and podcast content.

In this episode of Cyber Security Matters, hosts Harry Baldwin and Matt Rose are joined by Quincy Castro, Chief Information Security Officer at Chainguard.Quincy shares his unconventional journey into cybersecurity, from studying economics and political science to working at the NSA, leading security at GE Transportation, Wabtec and Redis, and eventually joining Chainguard.The conversation explores how AI and open source software are reshaping cybersecurity, why people and culture are more important than security budgets, and how the rise of citizen developers is introducing new software supply chain risks. Quincy also discusses the evolving relationship between CISOs and boards, why vulnerability patching has become a strategic business concern, and his prediction that the CISO role could look completely different in five years.Key Topics Covered• Quincy's unconventional career journey, from economics and political science to the NSA and cybersecurity leadership• What offensive security experience teaches defenders about understanding attackers• Choosing the right CISO opportunity and building security teams that challenge conventional thinking• Why people, culture and leadership matter more than cybersecurity budgets• The challenges facing cybersecurity startups and the growing cyber poverty gap• How Chainguard is approaching open source security and software supply chain risks• The rise of AI coding tools, citizen developers and new security vulnerabilities• Open source attacks, including the axios compromise and Shai-Hulud worm• How AI can combine low-severity vulnerabilities into more significant security threats• Why vulnerability management and patching are becoming board-level priorities• The future of the CISO role, regulatory liability and the EU Cyber Resilience Act• Career advice for aspiring cybersecurity professionalsAbout Quincy CastroQuincy Castro is Chief Information Security Officer at Chainguard, a company focused on securing open source software and strengthening software supply chains.Before joining Chainguard, Quincy spent four years as CISO at Redis and previously led cybersecurity at Wabtec Corporation and GE Transportation. Earlier in his career, he held roles at the NSA, General Electric and within the US federal government.Alongside his leadership experience, Quincy advises and invests in early-stage startups and has taught cybersecurity and national security at Marquette University. He holds an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, an MA from Marquette University and a BA in Economics from the University of Washington.This episode is brought to you by neuco, a global specialist recruitment and executive search partner supporting organisations across Cyber Security, Satellite & NewSpace, Connectivity, and Media & Sports Technology.

In this episode of Cyber Security Matters, hosts Harry Baldwin and Matt Rose are joined by Alfredo Hickman, Chief Information Security Officer at Kai. Alfredo discusses his journey from a 1990s fascination with early internet technology, through infantry service in the US Marine Corps, national security roles, and nearly eight years building the security organisation at Obsidian Security, to his current role at Kai. The conversation explores why AI is fundamentally reshaping the balance between attackers and defenders, what needs to happen before organisations can hand more autonomy to AI in security operations, and whether the industry is heading toward a genuinely new security operating model rather than another generation of point solutions. Alfredo also shares his thinking on what separates the best cybersecurity professionals, the mentors who shaped his career, and the achievement he is most proud of. Key Topics Covered Alfredo's path into cybersecurity through 1990s internet and hardware culture Serving as a Marine Corps infantry sergeant in counterterrorism after 9/11 The mentors who shaped his career, including his mother and Dmitri Alperovitch Rising from individual contributor to CISO in one continuous run at Obsidian Security Why he joined Kai to help build autonomous defence for security teams What separates the best cybersecurity professionals from the rest How AI is changing the role and required skill set of security professionals Kai's mission to give defenders an asymmetric advantage through autonomous defence The structural imbalance between AI-augmented attackers and resource-constrained defenders What's needed - governance, guardrails, and a "trust fabric" - before AI can safely take autonomous security actions Emerging AI governance standards, including ISO/IEC 42001 and Cloud Security Alliance guidance Whether the future of security is a new operating model or another generation of point solutions His five-year prediction that at least 60% of manual security work will be automated The career achievement he describes as his proudest moment His advice for people entering cybersecurity: get comfortable being uncomfortable About Alfredo Hickman Alfredo Hickman is Chief Information Security Officer at Kai, an agentic AI cybersecurity platform built to help defenders execute security work at machine speed. Founded by Galina Antova (co-founder of Claroty) and Dr Damiano Bolzoni (co-founder of SecurityMatters), Kai emerged from stealth with $125 million in funding to build autonomous defence capabilities for enterprise security teams. Before joining Kai, Alfredo spent close to eight years at Obsidian Security, rising from an individual contributor to Chief Information Security Officer and building the company's security organisation from its earliest days. Earlier in his career, he led security product engineering at Rackspace Managed Security, and held roles at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and the US Department of Defence. Alfredo's path into technology began in the early-to-mid 1990s, teaching himself to code and reverse-engineer software. That early interest was interrupted, and ultimately redirected, by his decision to enlist in the US Marine Corps as an infantry sergeant following the September 11th attacks, where he was later exposed to cyber operations in a national security and counterterrorism context. His work today sits at the intersection of cybersecurity leadership and AI governance, with a focus on helping organisations safely realise the benefits of autonomous, AI-driven defence. This episode is brought to you by neuco.

In this episode of Cyber Security Matters, hosts Harry Baldwin and Matt Rose are joined by Gal Ordo, Co-founder and Chief Product Officer at Native. Gal shares his journey from studying mathematics and developing early expertise in cybersecurity to leading product at AWS Security Hub and later founding Native.  The conversation explores why cloud security needs to move beyond simply detecting risk and towards secure-by-design environments. Gal explains how Native approaches cloud security across multiple cloud providers, and why AI is changing both the threat landscape and the role of security engineers. He also shares his views on product management, building early-stage teams, leadership, and the professional achievement he is most proud of. Key Topics Covered Cloud security moving from detection to prevention The shift towards secure-by-design cloud environments Why multi-cloud consistency matters across AWS, Azure, Google Cloud and Oracle Cloud Native’s approach to cloud security controls The challenge of turning security outcomes into practical cloud controls How AI is changing the cloud threat landscape Securing AI agents through deterministic controls Why AI can support security engineering without replacing human expertise The changing relationship between product management and engineering Building lean product teams at an early-stage start-up Hiring and developing strong security engineering talent Gal’s “disagree and commit” approach to leadership His transition from AWS to founding Native The professional achievement he describes as his proudest moment His advice for people entering cybersecurity: treat security as a puzzle to solve About Gal Ordo Gal Ordo is Co-founder and Chief Product Officer at Native, a cloud security company focused on helping organisations build secure-by-design cloud environments. Native describes itself as a cloud security control plane that turns security outcomes into enforceable controls across AWS, Azure, Google Cloud and OCI.  Before founding Native, Gal was a product leader for AWS Security Hub, where he worked closely with large enterprise customers and gained first-hand insight into the challenges organisations face when securing increasingly complex cloud environments. This experience helped shape the founding idea behind Native: that organisations need to move beyond identifying cloud risks after the fact and instead embed security outcomes directly into their cloud architecture.  Gal began his career in cybersecurity before pursuing an MBA in the US. His work today sits at the intersection of cloud security and product development, with a focus on helping organisations translate security objectives into practical, enforceable controls within their cloud environments.  This episode is brought to you by neuco.  

In this episode of Cyber Security Matters, hosts Harry Baldwin and Matt Rose are joined by Liz Drysdale, Chief Marketing Officer at Outpost24, to explore what makes cybersecurity marketing different, why trust sits at the centre of the buying journey, and how marketing teams can stand out in an increasingly crowded security market.Liz shares lessons from more than 25 years of international marketing experience and her work across cybersecurity companies including CyberArk, BeyondTrust and SentinelOne. She discusses building brands across different cultures, the balance between global consistency and local relevance, and how she approached refreshing the Specops brand after joining Outpost24.Key Topics Covered:• Cybersecurity marketing is a journey of trust - Why trust is central to cybersecurity buying decisions.• Building strong marketing teams - Liz's three key qualities: resilience, coachability and resourcefulness.• Global vs local marketing - How to scale marketing while adapting to different cultures and markets.• Standing out in a crowded cybersecurity market - Why the right message and channel matter more than simply being louder.• AI and the future of marketing - Where AI adds value and where human expertise remains essential.• The importance of curiosity - Liz's advice for anyone entering cybersecurity marketing.About Liz Drysdale:Liz Drysdale is Chief Marketing Officer at Outpost24, where she leads global brand strategy, market expansion and customer engagement across the company's exposure management and identity security portfolio. She has more than 25 years of international marketing experience, including extensive experience in cybersecurity, and previously held senior marketing leadership roles at CyberArk, BeyondTrust and SentinelOne.Outpost24 describes itself as a global cybersecurity provider focused on exposure management and identity and access management, helping more than 3,000 organisations identify, manage and reduce cyber risk across digital and human attack surfaces.This episode is brought to you by neuco.

In episode 79 of Cyber Security Matters, hosts Harry Baldwin and Matt Rose are joined by Aimée Roerink, Chief Marketing Officer at Detectify, for a wide-ranging discussion on cybersecurity, marketing, AI and the growing complexity facing modern security teams. Aimée offers a different perspective on the industry focused on customer value, clarity, commercial outcomes and the importance of translating complex technology into something people can actually understand and use.This fascinating conversation explores why businesses can end up with “scaling confusion” when they add more people, processes, channels and technology without first establishing clarity. Aimée discusses the dangers of buying cybersecurity tools because of fear of missing out, why AI should be treated as a means to solve a real problem rather than a reason to buy another platform, and what the rise of shadow AI can reveal about the environments employees are working in.Key Topics Covered• Clarity over complexity: Why Aimée says clarity matters more than skill, and how organisations can scale confusion without clear problems, priorities or value propositions.• Alignment beats local optimisation: How strong individual teams can still slow the wider business when they optimise towards different priorities, channels or value propositions.• Building teams that can thrive: The value of curiosity, drive, ownership, commercial judgement and low ego, plus a willingness to challenge without becoming territorial.• The changing role of marketing: Why marketing now reaches beyond lead generation into positioning, market selection, sales effectiveness, retention, pricing and revenue.• The human advantage in an AI world: Why judgement, customer insight, creativity, credibility and trust become more valuable as AI handles routine execution.• What Detectify does: How Detectify helps organisations understand their attack surface and find exploitable vulnerabilities through payload-based testing, security research, ethical hackers and AI.• Cybersecurity FOMO and tool sprawl: Why organisations buy fashionable tools without accounting for integrations, training, governance, maintenance and ownership.• Buy less, simplify more: Why a new security tool should replace, simplify or meaningfully improve something, not just add another layer.• Marketing AI without the hype: Why AI messaging should start with the customer problem, not the technology, and focus on what Alfred AI enables.• Shadow AI as a symptom: How unauthorised AI use can point to slow processes, unclear policies and inefficient workflows, not just poor employee behaviour.• Creating practical security cultures: Why secure behaviour should be built into everyday workflows so the safe option is also the clear and practical one.• Making it safe to admit mistakes: Why blame makes people hide errors, and why teams need a culture where issues can be reported quickly.• Advice for entering cybersecurity: Challenge what you see, understand what companies really do, and choose work that aligns with your values.About Aimée RoerinkAimée Roerink is the Chief Marketing Officer at Detectify, where she leads the company's marketing and commercial positioning. Aimée came into cybersecurity from a commercial leadership background rather than as a security practitioner. Across her career, she has focused on understanding complex markets, identifying where businesses can create customer value and building teams and commercial systems that turn strong products into sustainable growth. In the episode, she explains that what attracted her to cybersecurity was the combination of an urgent customer problem, sophisticated technology and an industry where trust is particularly important.Episode created by neuconeuco is a global specialist recruitment and executive search firm supporting companies across cyber security, satellite, space and defence, and media and sports technology with hiring and talent solutions.

In episode 78 of Cyber Security Matters, hosts Matt Rose and Harry Baldwin are joined by Lee Sult, Chief Investigator at Binalyze, for a fascinating discussion on the realities of modern incident response and the evolving role of cybersecurity investigators. Drawing on a career that spans law enforcement, digital forensics, incident response, entrepreneurship and product development, Lee explains why understanding attackers is just as important as understanding technology, and why incident response must evolve as cyber threats become faster, more sophisticated and increasingly AI-assisted.The conversation explores Lee's journey from investigating cybercrime within law enforcement to leading investigations into some of the world's most complex cyber incidents, before diving into how Binalyze is helping democratize digital forensics for security teams worldwide. Along the way, Lee shares practical frameworks for incident response, explains why evidence collection remains one of cybersecurity's hardest problems, and offers candid advice for aspiring investigators looking to build successful careers in the industry.Key Topics Covered● From law enforcement to cybersecurity: How Lee's early experience as a police dispatcher and digital forensic investigator shaped his perspective on incident response and crisis management.● Thinking like an investigator: Why curiosity, authenticity and understanding attacker behaviour are the most valuable qualities for anyone pursuing a career in incident response.● Democratizing digital forensics: How Binalyze is making enterprise-grade investigations accessible beyond elite incident response teams by simplifying evidence collection and forensic analysis.● The four questions every investigation must answer: Lee's practical framework for determining whether attackers remain in an environment, identifying affected systems, understanding initial compromise and assessing data exposure.● AI as a force multiplier for attackers: Why artificial intelligence isn't necessarily creating more sophisticated attacks, but dramatically lowering the barrier to entry for less experienced threat actors.● Using AI responsibly in cyber defense: Where AI genuinely accelerates investigations, where human expertise remains essential, and why accountability can never be delegated to machines.● Why organisations over-invest in prevention: How the industry's focus on detection and prevention has left many organisations underprepared for responding effectively when attacks inevitably succeed.● Building high-performing security teams: The importance of diversity of thought, mentoring future leaders and creating environments where curiosity drives innovation.● Breaking into cybersecurity in 2026: Lee's practical advice on building a home lab, showcasing technical ability and demonstrating genuine passion to stand out during the hiring process.About Lee SultLee Sult is the Chief Investigator at Binalyze, where he helps organisations improve their incident response capabilities through scalable digital forensics and investigative technology. His career began in law enforcement, where he worked in digital forensics before moving into incident response, ultimately spending more than a decade investigating some of the world's most complex cyber incidents. Along the way, Lee has held roles spanning consulting, product development and entrepreneurship, including serving as a founding Forward Deployed Security Engineer at Palantir and co-founding Huirangi. Today, his focus is on helping organisations investigate cyber incidents faster, empowering security teams with better forensic capabilities, and making advanced incident response accessible beyond specialist experts.This episode is brought to you by neuco.