Security Matters

While generative AI offers powerful tools for cyber defenders, it's also enabled cyber attackers to innovate and up the ante when it comes to threats such as malware, vulnerability exploitation and deep fake phishing. All this and we’re still just in the early days of the technology. In this episode, CyberArk Labs’ Vice President of Cyber Research Lavi Lazarovitz, discusses with host David Puner the seismic shift generative AI is starting to bring to the threat landscape – diving deep into offensive AI attack scenarios and the implications for cyber defenders. 

Diana Kelley, Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) at Protect AI joins host David Puner for a dive into the world of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), exploring the importance of privacy and security controls amid the AI Gold Rush. As the world seeks to capitalize on generative AI’s potential, risks are escalating. From protecting data from nefarious actors to addressing privacy implications and cyber threats, Kelley highlights the need for responsible AI development and usage. The conversation explores the principle of least privilege (PoLP) in AI, the privacy implications of using AI and ML platforms and the need for proper protection and controls in the development and deployment of AI and ML systems.

Scattered across the internet are jigsaw puzzle pieces containing your personal information. If reassembled by an attacker, these puzzle pieces could easily compromise your identity. Our returning guest today is Len Noe, CyberArk’s resident transhuman (a.k.a. cyborg), whose official titles these days are Technical Evangelist, White Hat Hacker and Biohacker. Noe joins host David Puner to shed light on the concept of synthetic identity, which involves gathering publicly available, unprotected data and then using AI chatbots and platforms like ChatGPT along with predictive analytics to correlate the data and generate deep digital portraits of individuals. Then, thinking like an attacker, Noe dives into how this new digital clairvoyance has the potential to up threat actors’ games and what organizations and individuals should be doing to combat it. Noe also shares his POV on the implications for cybersecurity and his concerns about sharing personal and proprietary information with AI chatbots and platforms. 

In this episode of the Trust Issues podcast, host David Puner interviews Brad Jones, CISO and VP of Information Security at Seagate Technology. They delve into cloud security challenges, including protecting data in a constantly shifting technological landscape. Jones discusses the importance of establishing trust as a data company and implementing rigorous controls to safeguard sensitive information. Then, they take a deep dive into the evolving external threat landscape, the role of AI in security and Seagate's cloud migration journey. Tune in to learn how to bridge security gaps, set your organization up for cloud security success and stay ahead of threat actors in the digital age.

In today’s Trust Issues episode, Dusty Anderson, a managing director of Global Digital Identity at the consulting firm Protiviti, digs into all things DevSecOps and cautions against a one-size-fits-all approach. In conversation with host David Puner, Anderson emphasizes the significance of strategic planning and well-defined goals – demonstrating how bite-sized steps can add up to major security wins and bottom-line benefits over time. And she sheds light on how the intricate web of identities – both human and non-human – shape the modern development pipeline to underscore the importance of visibility, governance and Zero Trust-based thinking. Tune in for insights to help fortify your cybersecurity practices and unlock the full potential of effective DevSecOps strategies.

Andy Thompson, Offensive Security Research Evangelist at CyberArk Labs, returns to Trust Issues for a dive with host David Puner into the latest developments in the world of ransomware. With ransomware events on the rise, Thompson sheds light on the alarming trend of data exfiltration and double extortion. But what's causing this surge? Thompson connects the dots between the rise of digital identities and the increasing frequency of ransomware attacks. As more organizations adopt cloud and DevOps technologies, the number of digital identities has skyrocketed, providing attackers with more accounts to exploit. However, Thompson emphasizes that staying vigilant about properly configured identities and analyzing their behavior can go a long way in mitigating the risk of ransomware attacks. Tune in to stay ahead of the curve in the ever-evolving landscape of cybersecurity threats.

We all accept a certain degree of risk in our lives. So, to varying degrees, we’re all operating – to use cybersecurity parlance – with an assume breach mindset. Meaning, we accept that attacks are inevitable and, as such, we focus time and effort on protecting the assets that matter most.  In short, we buckle up for safety.  And risk is something that today’s guest Larry Lidz, who’s Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) for Cisco CX Cloud, thinks about a lot. On today’s episode, host David Puner talks with Lidz about cyber risk, the shifting tolerance levels for it and how it influences security decision-making. 

Quantum computing is coming and it has the potential to be both exciting and terrifying... On today's episode of Trust Issues, host David Puner speaks with cryptographer Dr. Erez Waisbard, CyberArk’s Technology and Research Lead, about quantum computing innovation and its cybersecurity implications – from data encryption to surveillance and privacy. Dr. Waisbard breaks down how encryption works, why it’s so important for safeguarding our data, and how quantum computers will break the methods used today. This may sound ominous, but designs for quantum-resistant encryption algorithms are already well underway. Check out the episode to learn more about them and how your organization can start preparing now. And, if you like this episode, be sure to check out Erez Waisbard’s blog post, "Quantum Computing Is Coming… Here are 4 Ways to Get Ready," on the CyberArk Blog. 

Today's guest is Den Jones, who's Chief Security Officer (CSO) at Banyan Security, a startup Zero Trust network access solution (and a CyberArk technology partner). Jones spent almost 19 years at Adobe, followed by a stop at Cisco, before landing at Banyan in 2021. As his Twitter bio tells it, he's a “Large Scale Zero Trust Deliverer,” which is part of his multifaceted CSO charge. In this episode, host David Puner talks with Jones about his singular cybersecurity career path – beginning with a formative stint as a Royal Mail postman in Scotland – and how he worked his way up the ladder to become a Zero Trust-delivering CSO. Jones explains how his role at Banyan encompasses all aspects of security, including product (putting the security around the security, as it were), enterprise and physical security. He also discusses the challenges he faces in his current role, including evangelizing the company's security strategy. 

Today's episode is part two of our conversation with former White House CIO, bestselling author and founder and CEO of Fortalice Solutions, Theresa Payton. If you missed part one, you can start here and go back to that episode. Or, you can start there and come back to this one – but you're already here, so maybe just stick around?  In this episode, host David Puner and Payton continue their discussion, diving into the implications of AI and tools like ChatGPT for the cyber threat landscape – and the potential threats posed by deep fakes backed by synthetic identities. Also, could AI tech make it easier for bad actors to spread disinformation on a large scale?