Breaking Through in Cybersecurity Marketing

Episode Summary: Most marketers learn executive communication the hard way. Rob Sobers, CMO at Varonis, joins Gianna and Charles to share what he’s figured out along the way, how to lead with the answer, give data real context, and know when to stop talking. He explains how to tailor communication for CEOs, boards, and peers, and why too much detail can make you sound less senior, not more informed. The conversation also covers the habits that build trust over time: using templates for consistency, setting clear values so teams can move without micromanagement, and preparing for the “most obvious objections” before they’re raised. 👉 Listen to the full episode for practical examples, career lessons, and Rob’s take on the one buzzword he’d retire from cybersecurity marketing for good. About Rob: Rob Sobers is the Chief Marketing Officer at Varonis, a leader in data security. He began his career as a software engineer before moving into marketing, giving him a unique perspective on how technical and business teams communicate. At Varonis, Rob leads global marketing strategy and focuses on helping organizations understand and reduce data risk. He’s also the co-author of Learn Ruby the Hard Way and a longtime advocate for practical, transparent communication inside complex organizations. Follow Rob Sobers on LinkedIn 🔗 Links & Resources: Varonis: varonis.com Dave Kellogg’s Blog (Kellblog): kellblog.com Carilu Dietrich’s Post on Executive Communication: LinkedIn article  Elevate Your Marketing Dashboard: How to Impress the CEO, CRO, and CFO — Carilu Dietrich (Substack) Wes Kao’s “15 Principles for Managing Up”: weskao.com  Subscribe & Review: 👉 Enjoyed this one? Drop us a quick ⭐ rating or review, it helps more cyber marketers find the show. 📩 Questions, feedback, or want to be a guest? Email: podcast@cybersecuritymarketingsociety.com  Meet us at CyberMarketingCon 2025! Want to level up your cybersecurity marketing? Join us Dec 7–10 in Austin, TX, for four days of zero-fluff workshops, real-deal networking, and maybe the best BBQ meetup you’ll ever have. 👉 Snag your ticket now! See you in Austin, where the insights and vibes are hotter. Follow the Hosts: Gianna Whitver on LinkedIn Maria Velasquez on LinkedIn Thank you for tuning in to another episode of Breaking Through in Cybersecurity Marketing. You can join the Cybersecurity Marketing Society on our website, main LinkedIn page, Instagram page, or podcast LinkedIn page.  See you in the next episode!

Episode Summary: What started as two marketers looking for support has grown into a 4,000-member community and CyberMarketingCon, the go-to conference for anyone driving go-to-market in security. In this replay from Chris Hughes’ Resilient Cyber show, Gianna and Maria share what makes the Society different, why the event feels more like a reunion than a conference, and what’s waiting in Austin this December (or online if that’s easier): hands-on workshops, founder + investor sessions, and this year’s theme — the Marketing Time Machine. Make sure you get your ticket today: https://www.cybermarketingconference.com/  About: Chris Hughes is the host of Resilient Cyber and the President and CEO of Aquia, where he helps organizations securely adopt cloud and modern software practices. His show brings practitioners, builders, and leaders together to talk openly about the challenges and opportunities in cybersecurity. Follow Chris on LinkedIn Gianna Whitver is Co-Founder and CEO of the Cybersecurity Marketing Society, and Maria Velasquez is Co-Founder and Chief Growth Officer. They started the Society in 2020 to build a community for cyber marketers, now 4,000+ strong. They also run CyberMarketingCon, the go-to industry conference for anyone working in go-to-market. 🔗 Links & Resources: Chris Hughes’ Resilient Cyber show  Get your ticket for CyberMarketingCon 2025  Cybersecurity Marketing Society Resilient Cyber podcast: resilientcyber.io  Subscribe & Review: 👉 Enjoyed this one? Drop us a quick ⭐ rating or review, it helps more cyber marketers find the show. 📩 Questions, feedback, or want to be a guest? Email: podcast@cybersecuritymarketingsociety.com  Meet us at CyberMarketingCon 2025! Want to level up your cybersecurity marketing? Join us Dec 7–10 in Austin, TX, for four days of zero-fluff workshops, real-deal networking, and maybe the best BBQ meetup you’ll ever have. 👉 Snag your ticket now! See you in Austin, where the insights and vibes are hotter. Follow the Hosts: Gianna Whitver on LinkedIn Maria Velasquez on LinkedIn Thank you for tuning in to another episode of Breaking Through in Cybersecurity Marketing. You can join the Cybersecurity Marketing Society on our website, main LinkedIn page, Instagram page, or podcast LinkedIn page.  See you in the next episode!

Episode Summary: RSAC has officially expanded its research team with 11 new hires, plus another major research release is dropping this October. Guests Ben Waring and Jessica Porter join us to break down what the expansion means for the industry and how RSAC is stepping into year-round thought leadership. They also take us inside the new RSAC digital community, where AI-powered tools, curated news briefs, and private peer groups keep cybersecurity pros connected long after the conference floor closes. On the startup side, it’s the 20th anniversary of Innovation Sandbox with submissions up nearly 40% and a new $5M investment fueling each finalist’s growth. Plus, for anyone eyeing the RSAC 2026 stage, Ben and Jessica share what makes a Call for Speakers submission stand out and what gets it cut. Listen to this episode before your next submission, pitch, or conference plan; you’ll thank yourself later. About guests: Ben Waring is the Director of Global PR and Communications at RSAC. He leads the global public relations strategy for the conference and its year-round community platform, managing media engagement, high-profile speaker press, and live event communications. Follow Ben on LinkedIn. Jessica Porter is Senior Director of Marketing at RSAC, where she has worked since 2017. She drives go-to-market strategy, targeted attendance, and community engagement, building RSAC into a year-round hub for cybersecurity learning. Previously, Jessica held integrated marketing roles at RSA Security. Follow Jessica on LinkedIn . 🔗 Links & Resources: RSAC Membership overview (launch blog) RSAC Membership platform demo (video) RSAC Cybersecurity Atlas (interactive tool)  RSAC Innovation Sandbox (program) Innovation Sandbox — How it Works (submission details) RSAC Launch Pad (program) RSAC Call for Submissions (Closed)  RSAC Research (report landing example) Subscribe & Review: 👉 Enjoyed this one? Drop us a quick ⭐ rating or review, it helps more cyber marketers find the show. 📩 Questions, feedback, or want to be a guest? Email: podcast@cybersecuritymarketingsociety.com  Meet us at CyberMarketingCon 2025! Want to level up your cybersecurity marketing? Join us Dec 7–10 in Austin, TX, for four days of zero-fluff workshops, real-deal networking, and maybe the best BBQ meetup you’ll ever have. 👉 Snag your ticket now! See you in Austin, where the insights and vibes are hotter. Follow the Hosts: Gianna Whitver on LinkedIn Maria Velasquez on LinkedIn Thank you for tuning in to another episode of Breaking Through in Cybersecurity Marketing. You can join the Cybersecurity Marketing Society on our website, main LinkedIn page, Instagram page, or podcast LinkedIn page.  See you in the next episode!

Episode Summary: Joseph Barringhaus didn’t set out to become a part-time app builder. He was tired of doing budgets in Google Sheets and decided to see if one of those new AI coding tools could do it better. It turned out it could, and that one experiment snowballed into a whole new way of working he calls vibe coding. In this conversation, Joseph and Gianna get into what vibe coding looks like in practice: quick tools that make a sales call easier, event games that buyers actually remember, and rough-and-ready prototypes that speed up work with designers. They also talk honestly about the risks (where AI still breaks), the temptation to chase too many shiny tools, and why Joseph swears by his “three bets” rule to keep marketing focused. 👉 Tune in to the full episode to hear Joseph’s stories firsthand from the budgeting app that started it all to the bold bets shaping how he runs marketing today. About Joseph:  Joseph Barringhaus is the Vice President of Marketing at Maze.Before Maze, he was the Vice President of Marketing at Tamnoon, driving demand generation, product–market fit, messaging, and revenue alignment. With nearly a decade in cybersecurity, IT services, and SaaS, he’s helped generate over $900M in pipeline and raised conversion rates across multiple companies.Joseph also held senior marketing roles at Sonrai Security and Progress, and earlier worked in content and digital marketing across industries from sports to IT. He has a BBA in Marketing with a minor in Communication from Wichita State University, and today, he also serves as an advisor at Warmly. Follow Joseph on LinkedIn  🔗 Links & Resources: Learn more about Tamnoon: tamnoon.io  v0 by Vercel Lovable Base 44 Claude Code (referred to as “Cloud Code” in the episode) Subscribe & Review: 👉 Enjoyed this one? Drop us a quick ⭐ rating or review, it helps more cyber marketers find the show. 📩 Questions, feedback, or want to be a guest? Email: podcast@cybersecuritymarketingsociety.com  Meet us at CyberMarketingCon 2025! Want to level up your cybersecurity marketing? Join us Dec 7–10 in Austin, TX, for four days of zero-fluff workshops, real-deal networking, and maybe the best BBQ meetup you’ll ever have. 👉 Snag your ticket now! See you in Austin, where the insights and vibes are hotter. Follow the Hosts: Gianna Whitver on LinkedIn Maria Velasquez on LinkedIn Thank you for tuning in to another episode of Breaking Through in Cybersecurity Marketing. You can join the Cybersecurity Marketing Society on our website, main LinkedIn page, Instagram page, or podcast LinkedIn page.  See you in the next episode!

Episode Summary: Step inside the Torq Universe, a marketing world where the Big Hat isn’t just swag, it’s a storyline; the Sock Goblin explains why your SOC is drowning in false positives; and a falcon named Robert Girdle might swoop into the next conference booth. In this episode, Gianna teams up with Tessa The (Senior Field Marketing Manager at Torq) and Brittney Wittfeldt-Zec (Senior Social Media Manager at Torq) to unpack how Torq turned characters and inside jokes into a real growth engine: from 4K to 29K+ LinkedIn followers, cybersecurity pros cosplaying their merch, and a community that actually asks for more lore. Why does it matter? This isn’t marketing theater; it’s proof that buyers connect faster and deeper when your brand lives in a world they want to join. 👉 Tune in to hear how Torq bridges field and social, measures what sticks, and keeps expanding a universe that cybersecurity folks can’t stop talking about. About guests:  Tessa The is Senior Field Marketing Manager at Torq, where she brings campaigns and characters into the real world through conferences, field programs, and the now-legendary Big Hat. She focuses on creating in-person experiences that tie seamlessly back to Torq’s brand universe. Follow Tessa on LinkedIn Brittney Wittfeldt-Zec is Senior Social Media Manager at Torq, leading the charge on building community and engagement across digital channels. From launching the Sock Goblin to scaling Torq’s LinkedIn following past 29K, she shows how storytelling and social media can fuel measurable growth. Follow Brittney on LinkedIn About Torq: Torq is a security automation platform that helps teams cut noise, streamline response, and focus on what matters most by turning workflows into a connected, automated system. 🔗 Links & Resources: Learn more about Torq The Big Hat Conspiracy video on LinkedIn Subscribe & Review: 👉 Enjoyed this one? Drop us a quick ⭐ rating or review, it helps more cyber marketers find the show. 📩 Questions, feedback, or want to be a guest? Email: podcast@cybersecuritymarketingsociety.com  Meet us at CyberMarketingCon 2025! Want to level up your cybersecurity marketing? Join us Dec 7–10 in Austin, TX, for four days of zero-fluff workshops, real-deal networking, and maybe the best BBQ meetup you’ll ever have. 👉 Snag your ticket now! See you in Austin, where the insights and vibes are hotter. Follow the Hosts: Gianna Whitver on LinkedIn Maria Velasquez on LinkedIn Thank you for tuning in to another episode of Breaking Through in Cybersecurity Marketing. You can join the Cybersecurity Marketing Society on our website, main LinkedIn page, Instagram page, or podcast LinkedIn page.  See you in the next episode!

Episode Summary: Ask Sarah Acker about her team at HUMAN Security, and you won’t just hear “brand” or “demand gen.” You’ll hear humans, cyborgs, and bots. That playful framing comes straight from how she describes the groups on her team, showing her mix of structure and creativity in cybersecurity marketing. In this conversation, Sarah walks us through HUMAN Security’s transformation from White Ops into a cybersecurity company, the realities of merging with PerimeterX, and why she believes the best marketing is equal parts “pretty” and “gritty.” Along the way, we cover FBI investigations, a Halloween parade float, and the persistence of old logos that still turn up on invoices years after a rebrand. If you’ve faced the challenges of rebrands, mergers, or balancing creativity with effectiveness in cybersecurity marketing, Sarah’s stories offer a clear look at what it takes to make it work.  About Sarah: Sarah Acker is the SVP, Global Head of Marketing at HUMAN Security. She joined the company when it was still known as White Ops and has been part of its evolution into cybersecurity, including the acquisition and integration of PerimeterX. Before HUMAN Security, Sarah was Head of Brand Experience and Partnerships at iCrossing, a Hearst-owned digital agency, and Director of Marketing at ALTZ Investment Strategies LLC. Earlier in her career, she worked across industries, including health and wellness, beauty, fashion, fintech, real estate, and media, before moving into cybersecurity. Follow Sarah on LinkedIn 🔗 Links & Resources: Check out HUMAN Security’s website HUMAN Security: 3ve: The Long Game The Hunt for 3ve (White Paper)  Dark Reading Coverage: Google, White Ops, and Industry Players Dismantle 3ve HUMAN Security Press Release: BADBOX 2.0 Scheme Exposed  HUMAN Security Blog: BADBOX 2.0 Disruption Report  SecurityWeek: BadBox Botnet Powered by 1 Million Android Devices Disrupted Subscribe & Review: 👉 Enjoyed this one? Drop us a quick ⭐ rating or review, it helps more cyber marketers find the show. 📩 Questions, feedback, or want to be a guest? Email: podcast@cybersecuritymarketingsociety.com  Meet us at CyberMarketingCon 2025! Want to level up your cybersecurity marketing? Join us Dec 7–10 in Austin, TX, for four days of zero-fluff workshops, real-deal networking, and maybe the best BBQ meetup you’ll ever have. 👉 Snag your ticket now! See you in Austin, where the insights and vibes are hotter. Follow the Hosts: Gianna Whitver on LinkedIn Maria Velasquez on LinkedIn Thank you for tuning in to another episode of Breaking Through in Cybersecurity Marketing. You can join the Cybersecurity Marketing Society on our website, main LinkedIn page, Instagram page, or podcast LinkedIn page.  See you in the next episode!

Episode Summary: Antu Buck didn’t plan to end up in customer marketing. She started in sales, carrying a bag as a BDR and enterprise rep, before realizing the part she loved most was building customer relationships. That path led her to McAfee, Intel Security, and now Gigamon, where she’s the Senior Director of Customer Marketing & Community. In this episode, Antu explains customer marketing, how it grew from “reference calls” into a core pillar of modern marketing, and why advocacy, community, and lifecycle programs all matter. We also discuss the common mistakes companies make when they treat community as a checkbox, how to prove ROI in a low-disclosure industry, and what it takes to turn a happy customer into a true superfan. Listen in as Antu previews her 30/60/90-day playbook for building a customer marketing program and catch the full plan live at CyberMarketingCon. About Antu:  Antu Buck is the Senior Director of Customer Marketing & Community at Gigamon, where she leads customer advocacy, engagement programs, and lifecycle marketing initiatives. Before Gigamon, she built and ran customer marketing programs at McAfee and Intel Security, including customer reference programs, executive briefings, and advocacy initiatives. Her career began in sales as a BDR and enterprise rep, which gave her a customer-first perspective that still shapes her approach today. Connect with Antu on LinkedIn 🔗 Links & Resources: Learn more about Gigamon Subscribe & Review: 👉 Enjoyed this one? Drop us a quick ⭐ rating or review, it helps more cyber marketers find the show. 📩 Questions, feedback, or want to be a guest? Email: podcast@cybersecuritymarketingsociety.com  Meet us at CyberMarketingCon 2025! Want to level up your cybersecurity marketing? Join us Dec 7–10 in Austin, TX, for four days of zero-fluff workshops, real-deal networking, and maybe the best BBQ meetup you’ll ever have. 👉 Snag your ticket now! See you in Austin, where the insights and vibes are hotter. Follow the Hosts: Gianna Whitver on LinkedIn Maria Velasquez on LinkedIn Thank you for tuning in to another episode of Breaking Through in Cybersecurity Marketing. You can join the Cybersecurity Marketing Society on our website, main LinkedIn page, Instagram page, or podcast LinkedIn page.  See you in the next episode!

Episode Summary: CISOs get all the cold emails, but they’re not always the ones who decide if your product lives or dies. In this episode, Rob Solomon (CrowdStrike) and Jennifer Reed (Amazon Web Services, AWS) join hosts Gianna and Maria to explain why the real buying power often sits with solution architects and security engineers. They take us inside the AWS-CrowdStrike-NVIDIA Cyber Accelerator Program (Gianna is a mentor for the program), share how joint launches like Falcon for AWS Security Incident Response come together, and spell out what startups get wrong when pitching technical buyers. You will hear how to move past fear-based messaging, make adoption seamless, and why internal marketing matters as much as the external splash. About the Guests Rob Solomon is a Senior Cloud Solutions Architect – Alliances at CrowdStrike, where he designs and advises on secure, scalable cloud architectures and helps partners integrate CrowdStrike technologies into joint solutions. Follow on LinkedIn Jenn Reed is a Principal Security Partner Solutions Architect at Amazon Web Services (AWS) and a former Chief Information Security Officer. She works with AWS partners and customers on cloud-native security, compliance, and technical strategy, bringing firsthand experience of what resonates (and fails) when pitching security leaders. Follow on LinkedIn 🔗 Links & Resources: CrowdStrike Press Release | Falcon for AWS Security Incident Response  Forbes | CrowdStrike and AWS Simplify Security Incident Response  AWS re Inforce 2025 | Best practices to securing AI with AWS and CrowdStrike (DAP203) AWS Workshop | Hybrid Environments with IAM Roles Anywhere CrowdStrike AWS  Subscribe & Review: Enjoyed this episode? Leave us a ⭐ rating or review, it helps more marketers find the show. 📩 Questions, feedback, or want to be a guest? Email: podcast@cybersecuritymarketingsociety.com  Meet us at CyberMarketingCon 2025! Want the insider secrets cybersecurity marketers use? Join us December 7–10 in Austin, TX, for four days of zero-fluff workshops, real-deal networking, and maybe the best BBQ meetup you’ll ever have. 👉 Snag your ticket now! See you in Austin, where the insights and vibes are hotter. Follow the Hosts: Gianna Whitver on LinkedIn Maria Velasquez on LinkedIn Thank you for tuning in to another episode of Breaking Through in Cybersecurity Marketing. You can join the Cybersecurity Marketing Society on our website, main LinkedIn page, Instagram page, or podcast LinkedIn page.  See you in the next episode!

Episode Summary: The Cyber Guild is built on community, helping people use technology to their advantage and ensuring that no one is left behind in the digital age. In this episode, Executive Director Debbie Sallis joins Gianna to share how that mission comes to life: through three targeted events helping people professionally develop in the cyber world. They host Uniting Women in Cyber, a flagship event that feels more like an experience than a conference; Cyber Connect, which pivoted in response to federal layoffs to support professionals in transition; and RISE, a mentorship program connecting seasoned leaders with those just starting their cybersecurity careers. With only four staff and a dedicated group of volunteers, Debbie shows how impact isn’t about scale or budget, it’s about showing up, creating space, and meeting the moment together. This episode is about how community, not scale, drives change in cybersecurity and how you can be part of it. About Debbie Debbie Sallis is the executive director of The Cyber Guild, a nonprofit community advancing sustainable cybersecurity and inclusive leadership. Since 2021, she has led the Guild’s flagship programs — Uniting Women in Cyber, Cyber Connect, and RISE — building initiatives that give professionals at every stage of their careers a place to connect, grow, and lead. In addition to her role at The Cyber Guild, Debbie contributes her expertise as an Advisory Board Member with the Technology Advancement Center (TAC), which supports open-source innovation for U.S. national security and the intelligence community, and with Evans & Chambers Technology, a D.C.-based firm that delivers secure, agile software solutions for defense and intelligence missions. Follow Debbie on LinkedIn.  🔗 Links & Resources: The Cyber Guild – Learn more about the nonprofit, its mission, and programs. Uniting Women in Cyber – October 9, 2024 (Amazon HQ, Crystal City, Arlington) – Event details and registration. Sponsorship Opportunities – Ways to support and get involved. Subscribe & Review:Enjoyed this episode? Leave us a ⭐ rating or review, it helps more marketers find the show. 📩 Questions, feedback, or want to be a guest? Email: podcast@cybersecuritymarketingsociety.com  Meet us at CyberMarketingCon 2025! Want the insider secrets cybersecurity marketers use? Join us December 7–10 in Austin, TX, for four days of zero-fluff workshops, real-deal networking, and maybe the best BBQ meetup you’ll ever have. 👉 Snag your ticket now! See you in Austin, where the insights and vibes are hotter. Follow the Hosts: Gianna Whitver on LinkedIn Maria Velasquez on LinkedIn Thank you for tuning in to another episode of Breaking Through in Cybersecurity Marketing. You can join the Cybersecurity Marketing Society on our website, main LinkedIn page, Instagram page, or podcast LinkedIn page.  See you next Wednesday with a new episode!

Episode Summary: For Brandon Min, building Herd Security has meant tackling two challenges at once: helping companies create a culture of security while also figuring out how to market a startup on a scrappy budget. In this episode, he shares how Herd rethinks security awareness with micro-training that employees finish, why 90% of cyberattacks start with users, and what it takes to build “herd immunity” inside organizations. On the marketing side, Brandon walks us through testing ideas before building, finding overlooked SEO wins, and how, in his experience, a $50 guerrilla stunt brought in more leads than a trade show booth that cost 500x more. It’s a rare look at the crossroads of security culture and startup marketing, and it offers plenty of lessons for anyone trying to build attention and trust in cybersecurity. About Brandon:  Brandon Min is the Founder & CEO of Herd Security, a Los Angeles-based startup helping organizations build “herd immunity” against social‑engineering and AI‑driven threats through micro-training, workflow automation, and targeted simulations that engage employees. Herd Security’s platform also addresses emerging deepfake risk with tools, including voice deepfake detection. This is part of its broader training and awareness suite and aims at a modern, user‑centric security culture. Before launching, Brandon worked at Duo Security, supporting secure‑access deployments and bringing a hands‑on technical perspective that informs his product and go‑to‑market decisions.  Connect with Brandon on LinkedIn.  🔗 Links & Resources: Learn more about Herd Security WePay’s Ice Block Stunt at PayPal’s Conference -  guerrilla marketing done right! Subscribe & Review: Enjoyed this episode? Leave us a ⭐ rating or review, it helps more marketers find the show. 📩 Questions, feedback, or want to be a guest? Email: podcast@cybersecuritymarketingsociety.com  Meet us at CyberMarketingCon 2025! Want the insider secrets cybersecurity marketers use? Join us December 7–10 in Austin, TX, for four days of zero-fluff workshops, real-deal networking, and maybe the best BBQ meetup you’ll ever have. 👉 Snag your ticket now! See you in Austin, where the insights and vibes are hotter. Follow the Hosts: Gianna Whitver on LinkedIn Maria Velasquez on LinkedIn Thank you for tuning in to another episode of Breaking Through in Cybersecurity Marketing. You can join the Cybersecurity Marketing Society on our website, main LinkedIn page, Instagram page, or podcast LinkedIn page.  See you in the next episode!