Cybersecurity Needs Hackers, Not Test Takers | Gautam Sharma, Executive Director, AccessCyber

In this episode of the Be Fearless Podcast, Gautam "Gotham" Sharma, Executive Director, Cybersecurity Education and Training at AccessCyber, sits down with SquareX Field CISO John Carse to discuss why cybersecurity education and hiring are broken. The conversation explores nontraditional cyber career paths, why certifications alone don’t get candidates hired, and how hands-on projects prepare people for real-world security roles. Gautam breaks down browser security, SaaS sprawl, zero trust, and why defending the browser is essential for modern enterprises. He debunks viral AI ransomware statistics and explains why the industry needs better skepticism and even satire. 

00:00 Founding of AccessCyber, what you learn in school vs. what enterprises are doing
9:35 Finding the right fit in cybersecurity
16:55 Hacking vs academia
32:26 How comedy helps Gautam be better in cybersecurity
40:00 CISO insights and browser security
51:39 Fighting misinformation in tech

🔔 Follow Gautam and John on:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/gothamjsharma/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/johncarse/

🔥 Powered by SquareX
Deployed as a lightweight extension, SquareX turns any browser, on any device, into a secure enterprise browser. Find out more about SquareX at https://hubs.la/Q03rPcbf0