Chasing Entropy Episode 008: A Conversation with Thom Langford

7 snips

Jun 17, 2025

In this engaging chat, Thom Langford, EMEA CTO at Rapid7 and a two-time recovering CISO, reflects on his unique journey into cybersecurity. He shares insights on the emotional challenges faced in the field, including burnout and imposter syndrome, lightening the mood with humor and relatable stories. Thom emphasizes the importance of mentorship and community, while advocating for a more user-friendly approach to security that doesn't sacrifice fun. His outlook shows that serious topics can still have a playful twist, making learning enjoyable.

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Books

Transcript

Episode notes

ANECDOTE

Finding His Tribe in Security

Thom Langford quickly found his "tribe" in cybersecurity after drifting through IT jobs.
He aimed to be a CISO early on and achieved this fairly quickly.

ADVICE

Get Perspective to Avoid Burnout

Gain perspective: most security mishaps don't cause the world to end.
Companies should ease undue pressure on security teams to reduce burnout.

INSIGHT

Humor Enhances Learning and Coping

Humor in security education greatly improves information retention and engagement.
Laughter helps tackle serious cybersecurity topics and reduces mental load.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app

In this compelling episode of the Chasing Entropy Podcast, I sit down with none other than Thom Langford, EMEA CTO at Rapid7 and “twice-recovering CISO,” for an honest and often humorous deep-dive into the lived realities of cybersecurity professionals.

Finding Purpose in Security

Thom reflects on his unconventional path into cybersecurity, entering the field two decades into his tech career and quickly realizing he had found his “tribe.” From his early days wrangling VAX/VMS systems to leading security teams, his journey underscores the importance of mentorship, curiosity, and persistence.

Burnout, Mental Health & Imposter Syndrome

This episode doesn’t shy away from the emotional toll of cybersecurity. Both Thom and Dave speak candidly about the mental load that comes with defending digital infrastructure, from career burnout to imposter syndrome. Thom offers relatable stories including hiding in a bathroom stall to avoid public speaking—and shares how vulnerability, perspective, and humour became his coping tools.

Security Isn’t Funny, But It Can Be Fun

Thom’s approach to security education is rooted in humor and storytelling, which he argues improves information retention and builds connection. He shares insights from The Host Unknown Podcast and reminds us that just because security is serious doesn’t mean it has to be dry. Laughter, he says, is often the best way to tackle hard truths.

Reducing Friction, Building Better UX

A recurring theme is the need to reimagine user experience in cybersecurity. Thom advocates for intuitive, low-friction security that doesn’t require justification, just like locking your front door or putting on a seatbelt. When secure behaviours are second nature, we’ve truly succeeded.

Advice for Newcomers

To those entering the field, Thom’s message is clear: you don’t have to be technical to make a difference. Whether managing risk, policy, or compliance, every role matters. He also urges senior professionals to manage their calendars more assertively for sanity’s sake.

Where to Find Thom Langford

“Stay secure, my friends.” — Thom Langford

Catch the full episode to hear two seasoned CISOs pull back the curtain on the cybersecurity industry with wit, wisdom, and just the right amount of entropy.