Be Fearless Podcast by SquareX

Host John Carse, Field CISO at SquareX, sits down with Patrick Gorman, Founder of InfosecPat. In this episode of The Be Fearless podcast, they discuss Patrick's incredible journey from a rough upbringing in Queens and working in construction to becoming a renowned cybersecurity educator with over 100,000 YouTube subscribers. Patrick gets real about the misconceptions of the industry, specifically regarding entry-level salaries and the "get rich quick" mentality. He also shares deep insights on the importance of mastering IT fundamentals before attempting to hack, and why building a personal brand is crucial for career longevity.00:00 Pivoting to cybersecurity after getting phished19:07 On starting your own business43:06 Bridging the missing link in cyber education53:43 Don't expect a $100k salary after a 6-month program1:04:25 Browsers and cookies are the most attractive targets for hackers1:13:16 Operational differences between Red Teaming and Penetration Testing🔔 Follow Patrick and John on:https://www.linkedin.com/in/infosecpat/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

Frost & Sullivan’s Swetha Krishnamoorthi joins Audrey Adeline from SquareX Founder's Office to unpack emerging browser-based threats, including AI-driven phishing, encrypted last-mile exploits, malicious digital assets, and the rise of autonomous AI agents. She explains how Zero Trust browsers evolve beyond isolation, what organizations overlook today, and the security capabilities that will soon be table-stakes. She also shares how she moved to cybersecurity after multiple pivots, including her beginning as a Biotechnology engineer. 00:00 The industry's different approaches to browser security7:19 The "legacy infrastructure gap" and budget constraints12:19 The evolution of endpoint security16:34 The most common and underestimated browser threats22:17 AI and the need for better employee training29:17 Rogue AI agents and browsers35:23 What makes a browser security company stand out51:27 Applying the zero trust mindset for hybrid work🔔 Follow Swetha and Audrey on:https://www.linkedin.com/in/rkswetha/https://www.linkedin.com/in/audrey-adeline/🔥 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

In this episode of Be Fearless, Aleksandra Melnikova from the SquareX founder’s office speaks with Jim Rutt, CIO and CISO of the Dana Foundation. Jim traces his 25-year journey from marketing to data analytics to leading technology strategy in a major nonprofit, sharing how cybersecurity has shifted from HIPAA compliance to tackling AI-driven threats, why the decision to go all-in on cloud migration became a turning point for resilience, and what leaders should consider when balancing outsourcing with in-house security. He also breaks down essential insights on data protection, risk management, and AI ethics, concluding with his predictions for AI’s impact on human-centric security and the future of nonprofit technology.00:00 Pivoting into the nonprofit sector8:15 Betting on cloud for resiliency16:58 How to manage security on a tight budget25:30 The disaster preparedness mindset in cybersecurity34:58 Thoughts on human-centric security in 2030 and beyond🔔 Follow Jim and Aleksandra on:https://www.linkedin.com/in/jrutt17/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

Host Aleksandra Melnikova of Founder's Office at SquareX sits down with John Rojas, Vice President, IT, of Air Lease. In this episode of The Fearless Podcast, they discuss John's fascinating transition from Marine Corps communications to managing cybersecurity for one of the world's largest aircraft leasing companies. John shares insights on protecting billions in assets, the unique challenges of securing global business travelers, and his pragmatic approach to managing AI risks within the enterprise. He also emphasizes on the need to build a culture of security by putting people first and the necessity of training employees to be the first line of defense.00:00 Building security culture at Air Lease8:37 Cyber challenges in aviation12:41 Keeping security simple, especially for employees who travel17:15 Approach to browser security and malicious extensions24:30 John's people-first leadership approach29:12 Why employees remain the biggest security risk35:53 How AI will mature in the next 5 years🔔 Follow John and Aleksandra on:https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-r-59408a4/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

In this episode of the Be Fearless podcast, SquareX Field CISO John Carse sits down with Girard Kavelines and discusses how starting out on the help desk gave him fresh perspectives and practical insights that later shaped his work as a Network/Security Engineer. Girard also elaborates on other topics, schaas  how blogging and content creation at TechHouse570 helped him build an engaged audience, how excited he is about the potential of SquareX and its ability to fill critical gaps left by traditional EDR/XDR, address browser security blind spots, and tackle rising Shadow SaaS risks. In the end, he also shares tips for breaking into and elevating a cybersecurity career in today’s crowded job market.0:00 Reasons behind launching TechHouse5708:36 Escaping help desk burnout17:38 Browser security: the "missing piece" in cyber28:34 AI threats in the browser30:04 Levelling up in a crowded job market🔔 Follow Girard and John on:https://www.linkedin.com/in/girard-kavelines-b022a5100/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

In this episode of Be Fearless podcast, Adcubum AG Group CISO Michael Ruppe sits down with Aleksandra Melnikova from SquareX Founder's Office and shares how he moved from law and business into cybersecurity and became a CISO in his twenties. He breaks down how industry certifications (of which he has 30) helped him bridge theory and practice, stand out to recruiters, and accelerate into leadership roles. Michael explains what it means to secure a core health insurance software platform, manage supply chain risk, and structure an effective security team. He also dives into browser and AI security, data loss prevention, the AI hype cycle and hallucinations, reporting cyber risk to the board, the power of bug bounty programs, and the importance of communication and community for future CISOs.00:00 Certifications and path to CISO9:48 Michael's role and daily routine13:41 The intersection of Browser Security and AI17:38 Tackling cyber risk in the health industry19:13 Hallucinations in AI tools and their risks24:41 Michael's security leadership style: security support business35:29 Working with Bug Bounty Switzerland43:35 Advice on getting started in cyber and building consensus🔔 Follow Michael and Aleksandra on:https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruppemichael/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

Knowing your incidence response playbook is one thing, but is it ingrained deeply enough in your team for execution when disaster strikes?Tiffiny Bryant, Co-Host of the Stats on Stats Podcast and Information Security Analyst at Shipt, shares her powerful journey from the military into cybersecurity, and how she now raises awareness about the field through her podcast. In this episode, Tiffiny shares her experience being inside the Pentagon at 9/11 and how it  shaped her approach to incident response; the importance of understanding user motivations in security; and how, despite all obstacles, one must keep showing up.0:00 Translating technical risk into executive language19:02 Tiffiny's experience during 9/11 and lessons learnt31:34 Why user empathy is important in security40:49 Cyber risk arising from browser extensions and AI browsers48:14 Scaling cyber awareness through the Stats on Stats Podcast🔔 Follow Tiffiny and John on:https://www.linkedin.com/in/-tbryant/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

Vriti Magee, Founder and Principal of Mawa:ga Consulting, sits down with John Carse to explore the collision between AI innovation and enterprise security. In this episode, Vriti and John discuss the journey toward autonomous SOCs, the real risks of new browser AI agents like OpenAI's Atlas,  and how innovation and governance mature each other instead of being at odds.0:00 How Vriti uses the Zachman Framework in enterprise architecture18:17 On automation replacing traditional security roles22:42 Vriti's research on autonomous SOCs31:02 AI browser attack vectors and sidebar spoofing37:17 Scaling tech innovation without compromising governance🔔 Follow Vriti and John on:https://www.linkedin.com/in/vriti/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

Tim Anderson shares two decades of cybersecurity expertise — starting with business continuity work to his current role protecting millions of digital identities as Deputy CISO of ID.me. In this episode, he breaks down why identity has become the new perimeter in security architecture, why browser security remains mission-critical for enterprise environments, and how decomposing problems—not just solutions—accelerates your career.0:00 Building security programs and technical governance14:53 Integrating security controls into UX workflows19:38 Evaluating AI browser security and vulnerabilities24:09 Working with a mission-driven mindset30:41 The importance of deep expertise🔔 Follow Tim and Aleksandra on:https://www.linkedin.com/in/anderson-tim-contact/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

Mohana Balakrishnan, Chief Technology Officer at Schools Insurance Authority, shares his remarkable journey as a geophysicist discovering chromite deposits in Canada to leading technology and security for California schools. In this conversation, Mo opens up about why he transitioned from CISO to CTO, shares his philosophy on AI adoption and discusses why security leaders should be peers to CTOs, not subordinates.0:00 Breaking into a new field field, even without qualification17:00 Working together with the CISO, as a CTO22:00 Balancing enterprise AI adoption with data control and oversight36:33 On building a successful cyber career🔔 Follow Mohana and Aleksandra on:https://www.linkedin.com/in/mohana-b-24012016/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