Be Fearless Podcast by SquareX

Stephen Bennett, Global CISO at Domino's Pizza, shares his unconventional journey from getting electrocuted while tinkering with TVs as a kid to protecting one of the world's largest pizza brands across 12 markets and millions of digital transactions. He discusses unique cybersecurity challenges like credential stuffing attacks, managing security across diverse cultures from Japan to Malaysia, and his famous Netflix phishing test that fooled even his own marketing team.0:00 From art dreams to accidental tech career beginnings10:52 Unique attack vectors targeting Domino's and customer data15:38 Managing cybersecurity across 12 global markets and cultures19:26 Stephen's most successful phishing test — Netflix x Domino's29:59 The most important trait in hiring a cybersecurity professional35:13 Importance of understanding the business aspect of cybersecurity🎙️ Listen On:Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/be-fearless-podcast-by-squarex/id1750854064Spotify: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/getsquarex🔔 Follow Stephen and Aleksandra on:https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-bennett-944bb511/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/aleksandra-melnikova-1012/ 🔥 Powered by SquareXDeployed 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

Eric Gray,  BeLux CISO at Kyndryl, shares his unique journey from Royal Bank of Canada to becoming one of only two Canadians living in Luxembourg. In this episode, he also discusses the cybersecurity landscape across highly regulated European environments, the critical importance of supporting women in cybersecurity as a board member of Women Cyber Force, and why AI agents are creating unprecedented security challenges. 0:00 Eric's cybersecurity journey and moving halfway across the globe8:00 Advancing women in cybersecurity as a male advocate15:18 Breaking down barriers in STEM education23:39 War stories in security incident preparedness and browser security29:32 Building security programs that enable business🔔 Follow Eric and Aleksandra on:https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-gray-cybersecurity/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/aleksandra-melnikova-1012/🔥 Powered by SquareXDeployed 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

John Dunne, Head of Security at Grant Thornton UK, shares his remarkable 30-year journey from training as a chef to becoming one of the UK's most experienced cybersecurity leaders. John reveals why recruiting people from hospitality backgrounds makes better security professionals than traditional tech graduates, and explains why the decades-old Nigerian 419 scam is still fooling people today. He breaks down balancing security with business productivity and offers practical advice for breaking into cybersecurity.0:00 From chef to cybersecurity: John's unexpected career pivot7:34 Breaking into cybersecurity without a technical background12:34 Browser security challenges and AI-powered attacks20:15 Managing security incidents and crisis response30:58 The most persistent security mistake after 30 years and career advice🔔 Follow John and Aleksandra on:https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-dunne-a0830611/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/aleksandra-melnikova-1012/🔥 Powered by SquareXDeployed 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

Grace Yu, Director of Cyber Risk and Policy, GRC at Hewlett Packard Enterprise, shares her unconventional journey from handling a live TV crisis in Singapore to becoming a cybersecurity leader in Silicon Valley. Among the topics discussed are how AI agents are creating new security vulnerabilities, the competitive reality of the U.S. job market and why cybersecurity is like a horror movie with a happy ending.0:00 Grace's unexpected entry into cybersecurity and bridging the technical skills gap14:23 AI replacing jobs and losing our ability to write23:03 Browser security and AI agents clicking malicious links31:57 Balancing building trust and zero trust41:30 The family-career conundrum for women50:33 Cybersecurity as a horror movie with a happy ending🔔 Follow Grace and Aleksandra on:https://www.linkedin.com/in/graceyujinjin/https://www.linkedin.com/in/aleksandra-melnikova-1012/🔥 Powered by SquareXDeployed 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

Coleen Coolidge, ex-CISO of Segment and Twilio and startup advisor, didn't start in cybersecurity - she was a new project manager who got thrown into the deep end, but that discomfort launched an 18-year career that would see her build security teams from scratch at companies like Segment and Twilio. Now advising early-stage startups, Coleen shares insights about why security teams fail, how to actually talk to executives about risk, and why most founders are solving the wrong problems.0:00 Coleen’s cybersecurity origin story5:40 Transforming security chaos into a reusable security blueprint19:27 Pull in key business leaders to endorse your plan22:56 Convert your security gaps and desired outcomes into vendor requirements25:54 Where to start if you want a risk-based journey31:49 The dangerous allure of “shiny new things” in security45:36 Why you need to stay open and curious in security🔔 Follow Coleen and Aleksandra on:https://www.linkedin.com/in/ecoleenc/https://www.linkedin.com/in/aleksandra-melnikova-1012/🔥 Powered by SquareXDeployed 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

Guy Segal, Head of Corporate Development at Sygnia, takes us through his journey from military intelligence to building cybersecurity teams across Asia. Guy reveals why ransomware thrives despite decades of security knowledge, shares war stories from actual negotiations and breaks down why AI is making language barriers irrelevant for cybercriminals targeting global markets.0:00 Military to corporate sector and cultural differences of cyber attacks across Asia13:24 Why ransomware persists despite decades of security knowledge26:44 Inside actual ransomware negotiations and psychological warfare40:23 Browser security — "a completely different nightmare" — and the death of network perimeters49:53 The human factor behind every cyber attack🔔 Follow Guy and John on:https://www.linkedin.com/in/guymsegal/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/johncarse/🔥 Powered by SquareXDeployed 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

Tal Arad, former CTO at Carlsberg Group, accidentally fell into cybersecurity after telling his military commander he knew computers from working at a shop. In this episode, Tal shares hard lessons about building trust with existing teams, why blocking AI always fails, and stories about Carlsberg's famous beer perks that fill the office every Tuesday.0:00 From computer shop worker to accidental military security officer8:46 Overcoming security hurdles in a traditional company18:31 “User experience is as important as security controls”25:55 New macro trends in security32:30 Dropping security gatekeeping and the importance of diverse teams38:50 What's next: taking time off and staying up to date with changing technologies🔔 Follow Tal and Aleksandra on:https://www.linkedin.com/in/talarad/?originalSubdomain=nl https://www.linkedin.com/in/aleksandra-melnikova-1012/ 🔥 Powered by SquareXDeployed 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

Rathi Murthy, CTO at Varo Bank and former CTO of Expedia, Gap, & Verizon, shares her journey from software engineer to C-level executive across Fortune 500 companies. She reveals how curiosity drives career growth, why browser security is now critical for all organizations, and how AI is democratizing intelligence. Rathi also discusses finding an authentic leadership voice, Art of Living breathing techniques and offers practical advice for women entering technology leadership.0:00 From software engineer to CTO: the journey of solving complex problems7:14 Adapting leadership skills across startup and enterprise environments17:22 AI adoption strategies and the security implications26:42 Art of living practices for stress management in cybersecurity37:12 Breaking barriers as a woman in technology leadership42:33 The authenticity vs authority lesson that changed everything🔔 Follow Rathi and Aleksandra on:https://www.linkedin.com/in/rathi-murthy/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/aleksandra-melnikova-1012/ 🔥 Powered by SquareXDeployed 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

Konrads Klints, CISO at Rajah and Tann Asia, shares his journey from hacker to leading cybersecurity for one of Asia's most prestigious law firms. In this episode of the Be Fearless Podcast, Konrads reveals why law firms top ransomware target lists, how business email compromise attacks plague the legal industry, and cultural cybersecurity challenges across the Baltics, London, and Singapore. 0:00 Cybersecurity culture shock moving from Europe to Singapore10:13 Why law firms struggle with cybersecurity leadership decisions28:05 Browser security and the new authentication gateway reality38:00 Building cybersecurity teams in Asia's competitive market47:02 Getting law firm partners to understand business risk🔔 Follow Konrads and John on:https://www.linkedin.com/in/konrads/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/johncarse/🔥 Powered by SquareXDeployed 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

Alfredzo Nash, Co-Founder/CEO of the Cyber Coffee Hour podcast and Principal Information Security Analyst at the American Red Cross, explains how his "Say Hello, Coffee Makers" podcast bridges professionals and enthusiasts with expert-level cyber defense.In this episode, Alfredzo opens up about sleepless nights from incident response, his military-inspired threat hunting approach, and why nature's ecosystem holds keys to better cybersecurity strategies. 0:00 The evolution from data centers to global cloud security15:16 Why antiquated systems are cybersecurity's biggest challenge22:17 Balancing incident response stress with mental health32:50 How the military mindset shapes cyber defense strategies38:31 Browser threats that every security professional misses50:54 Information sharing is key for the defenders🔔 Follow Alfredzo and John on:https://www.linkedin.com/in/alfredzonash/https://www.linkedin.com/in/johncarse/🔥 Powered by SquareXDeployed 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