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SANS Cyber
Leaders Podcast

The go-to podcast for cyber enthusiasts.

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Inside the Minds of Cybersecurity’s Best and Brightest

Join us for an unfiltered journey into the minds of the leaders shaping the future of cybersecurity. In each episode, we embark on a curiosity-driven exploration to uncover hidden truths, share unlearned lessons, and offer critical insights to help you enhance your knowledge, sharpen your strategies, and lead the way in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

Meet Your Hosts

Ciaran Martin

Professor Ciaran Martin CB

Director of CISO Network, SANS Institute

If there’s been a big cyber incident and you’re the type of person who tunes into the morning, you’re likely to hear Ciaran explain what’s happened. The Director of our CISO Network for the past two years, Ciaran is the founder and former head of the UK’s National Cyber Security Agency (NCSC), and served on the board of its parent agency, GCHQ, for seven years. In government Ciaran believed less in talking about sharing and collaboration and more about getting out and fixing things. He brings the same approach to leading the CISO network, and to this podcast.

James Lyne

James Lyne

Office of the CEO, SANS Institute

James has spent the last 20 years of his life chasing cybercriminals. As a self-professed “massive geek”, he has been involved in most cyber security disciplines from offensive security hacking tanks and planes; red teaming high-security organisations; digging into forensics; or defensive work safeguarding nation-states. A certified SANS instructor, James has taught countless students skills they need to protect their organisations and, ultimately, our wider society. He has also been in the middle of innumerable major data breaches helping to “stop the bleeding”. James has been featured on many TV programmes, delivered multiple TED talks and numerous major conference keynotes.

Meet Our Guests

New Podcast Episodes Every Friday

Guest from episode 1

Episode 1: Understanding the Geopolitical Landscape of Cyber Security with Shashank Joshi

In this episode, Ciaran and James are joined by Shashank Joshi, Defence Editor at The Economist, to discuss the geopolitics of cyber security. Shashank offers his expert analysis on critical cyber security events, strategies, and their global implications.

EP 1 Shashank Joshi - Release Dec 13 (Friday) 6AM GMT
Guest from episode 2

Episode 2: Leading Global Cybersecurity with Christine Bejerasco

In this episode, Ciaran and James are joined by Christine Bejerasco, the CISO of WithSecure, for an insightful conversation about navigating the complexities of cybersecurity in today's global landscape. Christine shares her experiences; from the wild early days of network worms and mobile malware, to the evolving role of the modern CISO and what it takes to lead cybersecurity experts towards a safer digital world.

EP 2 Bejerasco - Release Dec 13 (Friday) 6AM GMT
Guest from episode 3

Episode 3: Countering Ransomware with Jen Ellis

In this episode, Ciaran and James meet Jen Ellis, founder of NextJenSecurity, to discuss the pervasive threat of ransomware, the power of cyber security advocacy and importance of security best practices. Jen shares her expertise on humanising security and working with governments to build robust defenses against cyber attacks.

EP 3 Jen Ellis - Release Dec 20 (Friday) 6AM GMT
Guest from episode 4

Episode 4: Bridging the Gap with Frank Kim

In this episode, Ciaran and James welcome their first guest from the SANS Institute, Frank Kim, to share insights on bridging the gap between cybersecurity and business leadership. Frank unpacks why cybersecurity is often overlooked by business leaders and discusses effective strategies to elevate its importance in boardrooms and beyond.

EP 4 Frank Kim - Release Dec 27 (Friday) 6AM GMT
Guest from episode 5

Episode 5: Breaking Barriers with Helen Rabe

In this episode, Ciaran and James sit down with Helen Rabe, CISO for the BBC, to discover the challenges of breaking into the industry and her experiences leading security for one of the world’s largest broadcasters. Helen shares her expertise as a certified industry leader, discussing the rising tide of personal liability for CISOs and the intense media scrutiny that comes with managing incident responses in the public eye.

EP 5 Helen Rabe - Release Jan 3 (Friday) 6AM GMT
Guest from episode 6

Episode 6: The Booming Business of Cyber Crime with Geoff White

In this episode, Ciaran and James sit down with investigative journalist and author, Geoff White, to explore the booming business of cyber crime. Geoff sheds light on this murky criminal underworld, its far-reaching consequences, and how cybersecurity has evolved in the public eye.

EP 6 Geoff White - Release Jan 10 (Friday) 6AM GMT
Guest from episode 7

Episode 7: FUD Special

In this special bonus episode, Ciaran and James tackle one of their favorite cybersecurity acronyms: FUD – Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt. Here our hosts break down what exactly FUD means for cybersecurity, why it matters, and the real-world risks it presents.

EP 7 FUD Special (Ciaran & James) - Release Jan 17 (Friday) 6AM GMT

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