The Cyber Security Recruiter Podcast

Thomas Richard

The mission is simple: To enhance your career growth within the Cybersecurity community & bring interesting and knowledgable guests onto the Podcast so that you can benefit from their experience.

Play

Open in

20 episodes
Avg 44 min
English

Episodes 20

Newest Oldest Longest

All20 Unplayed20 In progress0 Played0

September 28 · 46 min
Thomas Richard talks to Beth Wolfe, Senior Director of recruiting, Daxko
Recruiting in a whiplash market: Beth Wolfe on fraud, pay corrections, and building real connections Thomas chats with Beth Wolfe, Senior Director of Recruiting at Daxko, about today’s volatile hiring market, candidate trust issues, and recruiter best practices. Beth shares her 12-year journey at Daxko through global growth and acquisitions, overseeing a recruiting team in the US and India and contributing to roughly 700+ hires as the company grew from about 150 to 850 employees. They discuss the post-2022 swing from candidate-driven to employer-driven conditions, COVID-era overhiring, and a compensation “market correction” after inflated salaries and frequent counter-offers. Beth advises job seekers to personalize outreach, leverage mutual connections, and follow up politely, especially amid rising fraudulent applications enabled by AI. They cover fraud signals such as new email accounts, VPN use, VoIP numbers, camera-off interviews, and even purchased verified LinkedIn profiles, stressing recruiter intuition. Beth attributes her career progression to tenacity, grit, curiosity, and courage, and recommends reading broadly, citing “Good to Great” and “Inspired” (Marty Cagan). 00:00 Welcome and introductions 01:04 Beth Wolfe background 01:59 700 hires at daxko 03:14 Day in the life 06:36 Why the market swings 09:17 Getting noticed by recruiters 12:14 Networking beyond Linkedin 15:21 Covid hangover and pay reset 35:56 Networking reciprocity 36:20 Approaching recruiters right 39:16 Beyond linkedin networks 41:28 Polite persistent followups 42:27 Market correction reality 46:26 Salary context and surveys 22:30 Career growth traits 55:17 Candidates respect feedback 59:22 Fraud signals in remote hiring 01:03:40 Spotting deepfake patterns 01:13:48 Wrap up and thanks
August 24 · 41 min
Thomas Richard talks to Gary Alterson, VP Customers Solutions & Success, Armor Defense
Gary Alterson on agentic SOCs, AI spend control, and building Sovereign AI Thomas chats with Gary Alterson on the Cybersecurity Recruiter Podcast, covering Gary’s 30-year security career and why AI makes the current era especially impactful. Gary describes Armor’s AI-embracing approach, including an agentic SOC that automates roughly 80-90% of triage, while outlining customer challenges with AI adoption: data privacy/security, runaway token spend, and inconsistent output quality. He explains Armor’s Sovereign AI platform (sovai.com), which centralizes API keys, routes tasks across different models (including private models that avoid sending customer data to public models), enforces policies and budgets, improves prompts, provides prebuilt agent swarms and workflows, and shares development plans internally. They discuss hiring for curiosity and self-starting traits, career advice: say yes, prioritize ruthlessly, find mentors and time management. Gary’s recommendation: the Manager Tools and Career Tools podcasts. 00:00 Welcome and banter 00:36 Guest intro and background 01:43 30 years in security 03:24 AI in the SOC today 04:52 AI risks and costs 07:37 Model routing and controls 12:52 Talent still matters 16:22 What is sovereign AI 20:04 Customer success and support 24:48 Career advice for SOC 31:07 Time management tactics 34:08 Standing out to advance 39:29 Books and podcasts 41:07 Wrap up and thanks Nexo - Executive, GTM & Cybersecurity Recruitment https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomaspropen/
August 19 · 38 min
Thomas Richard talks to Jeff Bailey, Director, IT and Information Security, Apptegy
Protecting Student Data, Leading Security Teams, and Keeping Up With AI: Jeff Bailey on Security Leadership Thomas chats with Jeff Bailey on the Cybersecurity Recruiter podcast about his career path from GameStop into security roles at Simmons Bank and now as Director of Security and IT at Apptegy, a K–12 communications platform focused on protecting sensitive student data across all 50 states’ regulations. They discuss how rapidly evolving AI models (including Fable and Opus) are changing security work, vendor risk/GRC reviews as SaaS apps add AI features, and how teams can build small internal tools instead of buying expensive products. Jeff shares leadership lessons on perception and trust: making security approachable (including his bright shirts), encouraging reporting, and empowering experts to challenge him, while managing workload to prevent burnout by aiming for 80% capacity. They also cover AI’s impact on learning, CTF competitions, and parenting in an AI-saturated world. Book recommendation: “Time Management for Mortals” by Oliver Burkeman; Jeff also recommends Adam Grant’s work. 00:00 Welcome and Catch Up 00:52 Jeff Bailey Career Intro 01:36 ADHD and Security Culture 03:27 Director Role at Apptegy 04:42 Fable vs Opus AI Talk 07:57 Kids Growing Up With AI 09:36 Token Costs and IPO Pricing 11:06 Purpose Protecting Student Data 13:54 Leadership and Approachability 18:32 Empowering Experts on Your Team 20:03 Avoiding Burnout at 80% 21:22 AI Like the Cloud Shift 22:28 New AI Security Reviews 23:06 Vendor Acronyms and Confusion 23:56 Adapt or Get Left Behind 25:50 AI Slop in Customer Touch 28:45 Using AI for Real Gains 31:30 CTFs and AI Cheating 33:07 Learning Still Needs Struggle 35:56 Book Picks and Wrap Up For Executive, GTM, Cybersecurity searches, contact Tom: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomaspropen/
July 31 · 1 hr 2 min
Thomas Richard chats with Michael Greenlaw, Founder & CEO, FedRock
Michael Greenlaw on AI, DevSecOps, and FedRAMP Automation: Speed, Risks, and the Need for Fundamentals Tom and Michael discuss Microsoft’s strategy and licensing shifts pulling organizations toward Windows and Azure, and the frustration of incompatible cloud service naming across AWS/Azure/GCP. Michael describes using Claude to learn and build with LLMs rapidly, calling it “fast Google,” but warns about hallucinations, compounded errors in chained tasks, human limits in reviewing massive AI-generated code, poor handling of branching strategies, and the need for humans to own architecture and fundamentals. They debate layoffs attributed to AI versus post-COVID overhiring and shareholder optics, and note AI’s growing impact on vulnerability discovery and exploitation. Book recommendations: “How to Win Friends and Influence People” (Dale Carnegie), “The Trusted Advisor,” and “Thinking in Bets.” 00:00 Welcome and Intro 00:39 Career Path Update 01:25 Why Windows Again 05:41 Cloud Naming Frustrations 07:27 Keeping Up With Titles 09:12 AI Learning Acceleration 11:36 Curiosity in Hiring 15:39 Market Whiplash Era 19:11 FedRock and AI Experiments 22:19 Automating Workflows With RPA 24:31 AI Saving Lives Story 25:44 AI Pitfalls and Guardrails 31:09 Markets Overhyped AI 33:02 AI Errors And Whiplash 33:50 Why Juniors Still Matter 35:34 Overhiring Blamed On AI 38:11 Metrics Gaming And Talent 40:32 Shareholders And Productivity 42:28 AI Addiction And Frustration 47:08 Learning Boosts And Security Risks 51:58 Using AI With Responsibility 55:16 Scale Problems In Big Orgs 57:06 Books That Changed Everything 01:02:19 Closing Thanks And Wrap Up Nexo - Executive, GTM & Cybersecurity Recruitment https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomaspropen/
July 28 · 40 min
Thomas Richard & Lindsay Kaye, VP of Threat Intelligence, HUMAN Security & Book Author
00:00 Welcome and introductions 00:39 Lindsay career snapshot 01:41 Threat intel at Human 02:37 New book launch 03:33 Malware needs context 04:42 Spotting real people online 08:25 AI as attack amplifier 09:45 Phishing at scale 11:50 Democratized hacking risks 15:18 Path to VP leadership 20:00 AI proof risk communication 21:53 Time boxing MIT MBA grind 23:13 Writing a book discipline 23:49 Small wins and purpose 25:15 Book writing deepens mastery 26:39 Communication skills through practice 29:15 Behind the scenes struggles 32:02 Mentors versus sponsors 34:41 Security community collaboration 35:48 Whats next and book teaser 37:46 Boat go faster mantra 39:49 Final thanks and wrap up
July 24 · 47 min
Thomas Richard talks to Spencer Grant, Lead R&D Recruiter at 7AI
Recruiting in cybersecurity & AI: Relationships, what great candidates do, and fixing broken hiring processes Thomas hosts the Cybersecurity Recruiter podcast with Spencer Grant, lead recruiter at 7AI, discussing recruiting realities, relationship-driven hiring, and how top candidates stand out. Spencer describes his career path largely shaped by following a strong manager and emphasizes providing a “three-star Michelin” candidate experience. They outline traits of great candidates: depth of technical understanding (the “whys”), outcome-focused thinking tied to business ROI and honesty paired with curiosity. Spencer critiques broken application processes and advises proactive outreach after applying, strong interview preparation - company research, coding/system design readiness - and asking substantive questions. They discuss AI’s impact on jobs, valuing human touch over automated screening, and Spencer’s Meta layoff and contracting path back to full-time. Book recommendation: “The Mental Game: Winning the War Within Your Mind.” 00:00 Welcome and wins 00:47 Recruiter reality check 02:21 Spencer career intro 04:06 Relationships over tools 08:29 What makes candidates great 14:06 Curiosity and learning fast 19:03 Hiring process mistakes 23:37 Manual recruiting over AI 26:37 High touch candidate experience 27:43 AI expands security jobs 29:35 Layoffs and market cycles 31:52 Rebounding after Meta layoff 34:16 Contracting as a strategy 35:01 Office osmosis learning 39:04 Culture and knowledge sharing 42:04 Mindset book recommendation 46:54 Final thanks and wrap
July 22 · 50 min
Thomas Richard chats to Chad Fullerton, VP of Information Security, ECI
Chad Fullerton on AI, Claude Code, and Staying Valuable in Cybersecurity Tom chats with Chad Fullerton, a former US Navy member and current VP of Information Security at ECI, about his career path, family life, and how AI is reshaping work. Chad emphasizes fundamentals like caring, continuous learning, and maintaining a positive mindset, noting he consumes about 120 audiobooks a year. He describes practical AI use cases such as using Claude to merge multiple pen test reports quickly, warns that deliverables and contracts will be reviewed by AI, and discusses token costs. He argues AI shifts value toward industry expertise, client-facing advisory skills, and automating small time savings at scale, not just coding, and advises professionals to adapt rather than fear disruption. Book recommendations include Uniquely Human (Barry Prizant), Good to Great, and CISSP 11th Hour, plus Brandon Sanderson’s fantasy books. 00:00 Welcome and Setup 00:45 Meet Chad Fullerton 02:01 Day in the Life 03:18 AI Revolution Pace 04:37 Fundamentals and Growth 05:41 Learning Habits That Compound 09:39 AI in Security Workflows 11:55 Claude Code and Automation 18:43 Adapting to Disruption 20:42 Positivity and Hiring Signals 26:10 Layoffs and Reputation 27:41 LinkedIn Is Not Therapy 31:43 Clicks at Scale 34:01 Stop Being Cost Center 36:37 Advisors Beat Hoodies 40:14 Work Backwards Roadmap 42:21 Daily Learning Mindset 43:29 Books That Shaped Chad 47:29 Sales Outreach Done Right 49:08 Social Media Reality Check 49:56 Wrap Up and Next Time Nexo - Executive, GTM & Cybersecurity Recruitment https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomaspropen/
July 8 · 38 min
Thomas Richard talks to Dixon Wright, Managing Director, Riveron
Dixon Wright on career growth, leadership paths, and using AI without losing expertise Thomas chats with Dixon Wright about his career progression and what drives promotions, emphasizing hard work plus being in the right place at the right time. Dixon discusses playing the long game, building subject-matter expertise before leading, and the importance of choosing work you enjoy rather than chasing compensation. He highlights the value of early consulting for transferable skills, professionalism, and in-person learning, and warns remote work and AI can weaken development and enable shortcuts. They explore AI’s ROI, token costs, and how metric-driven cultures can reward low-value ‘activity’, arguing expertise is still essential to evaluate ideas and business impact. Book/podcast recommendations include How I Built This, Radical Candor, The Advantage, Deep Work, Digital Minimalism, Slow Productivity, and Unreasonable Hospitality. 00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro 01:30 Life as a Remote Dad 02:57 Career Growth and Promotions 05:31 Play the Long Game 08:32 Choose Passion Over Pay 12:49 Superstars vs Rock Stars 16:14 Why Consulting Builds Skills 20:09 AI Remote Work and Learning 22:57 AI ROI and Hidden Costs 35:03 Books Habits and Wrap Up
July 7 · 47 min
Thomas Richard talks to Mike Wilkes, Enterprise CISO at Aikido Security
Mythos, Autonomous Pen Testing, and the Future of Self-Securing Software, with Mike Wilkes, Enterprise CISO at Aikido Security. On the Cyber Security Recruiter podcast, Mike Wilkes discusses a busy week of CISO events at Google (Mythos/Glasswing gathering), the Harvard Club, and Meta’s OSAC cybersecurity committee, plus an NYSE TV interview about Aikido Security’s Series B and growth. He explains Mythos Preview’s implications, including rapid vulnerability discovery (citing Firefox fixing 271 issues vs 20–30 historically), Anthropic’s restrictions, and the need for prioritization (EPSS) rather than chasing raw CVE volume. Mike describes autonomous pen testing where a $7,000, two-week API test was replicated for $4 in 80 minutes, arguing the “harness” and orchestration matter most. He emphasizes soft skills, listening, and translating security into business impact for boards, warns about privacy erosion, token-cost waste, supply-chain/model risks, and advocates small local models for privacy and resilience.
July 1 · 49 min
The Cybersecurity Recruiter talks to Manal Iskander, Founder, PCtronics Managed IT, Security and Automation
AI-Native Cybersecurity, MSP Automation, and What Education Must Change Next - with Manal Iskander On the Cybersecurity Recruiter podcast, the host speaks with Manal Iskander, founder of PCtronics , co-owner of Green Shack Marketplace, and Marketing Lead at Fugazi about how AI and cybersecurity are now inseparable and how she’s using an AI-native, agentic software stack (including SuperOps, NinjaOne, SentinelOne, Huntress, and SharePoint-based automation) to speed onboarding, triage tickets, and generate monthly security and operations reporting that drives recurring revenue plus project work. She describes using a human-centered “double diamond” approach (discover, define, design, deliver) with governance and accountability to decide what to automate vs. keep human-in-the-loop, giving examples like overriding blocked logins for a traveling CEO. She discusses private equity buying MSPs based on MRR, her goal to build toward a much larger exit, and her July 30 keynote in Sacramento for California higher-education CTOs on standardized AI adoption, governance, curriculum shifts toward critical thinking, and risks like Anthropic’s “Mythos” zero-day tool. Book recommendations mentioned: “Abundance,” “The Human Fork Encoded,” and “The 80-Year Theory.” 00:00 Welcome and Introductions 00:28 Keynote and AI Security 01:51 Manel Background Story 03:25 Restaurants and Balance 04:47 Building an AI Native MSP 07:25 PBS Show Origin Story 09:47 Tech as Human Extension 13:54 Human in the Loop Security 15:19 Double Diamond Workflow 19:58 Automated Reporting Engine 23:20 Private Equity and Exit Plans 24:41 Leaving Reporting Teams 25:30 AI Tools For Operations 25:52 AI Boom For Business 26:57 Education Adapts To AI 30:18 Governance For Universities 31:30 Mythos Zero Day Fears 32:48 AI Geopolitics And Money 37:06 Human Fork And Cycles 40:22 Future Work And UBI 42:23 Keeping Up With Pace 43:42 July Keynote Preview 46:46 Adoption Divide And Wrap
June 26 · 48 min
The Cybersecurity Recruiter talks to Gary Piper, Marketing Director, Black Talon Security
Marketing, personal branding, and networking for cybersecurity careers with Gary Piper Tom introduces a delayed Cybersecurity Recruiter Podcast episode with Gary Piper, Marketing Director at Black Talon Security, and outlines Gary's career from graphic design and creative leadership into cybersecurity marketing. Gary discusses the growing need for clear cybersecurity marketing, emphasising the importance of understanding a company's story, purpose and differentiators, while learning technologies well enough to communicate them effectively. He also shares lessons from a layoff in 2018, including the importance of keeping your CV and portfolio updated, staying aware of market opportunities, and continually building relationships with recruiters and your network. For personal branding, Gary recommends understanding what motivates you, highlighting what makes you different, and being willing to experiment with new platforms and approaches. He also discusses the importance of emotional intelligence, mentorship, communication skills and face-to-face networking. Reading/learning recommendations from Gary: Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, and Al Switzler which is a program focused on handling difficult conversations, conflict resolution, and communication. Situational Leadership by Ken Blanchard, a leadership course about adapting leadership styles to different people and situations. Co-Active coaching training developed by Henry Kimsey-House, Karen Kimsey-House, Phillip Sandahl, and Laura Whitworth focused on active listening and professional coaching skills 00:00 Late release intro 00:49 Meet Gary Piper 02:14 From design to cyber marketing 03:36 Explaining cyber to buyers 06:03 Breaking into security 07:12 Networking that pays off 09:20 Staying job market ready 12:42 Personal branding basics 17:39 Brand building takes time 25:10 Healthy conflict at work 26:54 Communication over tech 27:42 Scaling team leadership 29:25 Should you lead? 31:00 Managing personalities 33:10 Remote work reality 36:37 Active listening coaching 38:06 Finding great mentors 40:12 Industry community vibes 41:50 Events and cyber risk 45:19 Recruiting meets marketing 47:01 Security marketing pitfalls 48:19 Final wrap up
June 23 · 40 min
The Cybersecurity Recruiter talks to Craig Adams, Chief Product Officer, Rapid7
Craig Adams on Building Security Products: Why Me/Why Now, AI-Driven Remediation, and Extreme Ownership Tom chats with Craig Adams, Chief Product Officer at Rapid7 and Board Member at Peak Metrics. Adams describes himself as a builder, focused on driving revenue growth through technology by avoiding innovation that isn’t leveraged and by anchoring product strategy in “why me, why now,” plus strong execution. They discuss how AI has improved risk identification and verdicting (e.g., faster pen-test-like assessments) but has worsened alert volume, shifting cybersecurity’s center of gravity to remediation and response, including granular, agentic actions beyond traditional SOAR rules. Craig discusses how rapid industry change shortens roadmap planning to roughly nine-month increments, and he shares hiring priorities: attitude, work ethic (intensity), and intelligence defined as curiosity. They cover mission-driven teams, repetition in culture, EQ over IQ in leadership, and Craig recommends the book “Extreme Ownership,” emphasizing ownership paired with action and learning. 00:00 Welcome and Friday Vibes 01:06 Craig Adams Background 01:51 Builder Mindset and Growth 03:05 Why Me Why Now 05:39 AI Finds Risk Faster 07:19 From Detection to Remediation 09:53 Completing the Workflow 13:36 Roadmaps in Rapid Change 15:52 Hiring for Curiosity 20:24 Humans Still Do Analysis 22:56 Disruption and Services Future 25:41 Mission Driven Teams 30:32 Repetition and Culture 33:19 EQ Over IQ Leadership
June 18 · 43 min
The Cybersecurity Recruiter talks to Dave Cronin, Founder & Managing Partner, Mission Security
AI’s Impact on Cybersecurity: SOC Automation, GRC Limits, and the Rise of Boutique Advisory Tom welcomes cybersecurity veteran Dave Cronin, founder of Mission Security and vCISO/Head of Cyber Services with CyberTrust Massachusetts, who recounts his path from technical roles and teaching ethical hacking to senior leadership and nuclear compliance work across U.S. power plants. They discuss AI as a pivot point in cybersecurity, accelerating both defense and attacks, including uncovering long-standing vulnerabilities. Dave argues AI is rapidly replacing repetitive SOC/MDR Level 1 triage tasks, contributing to consolidation, while human judgment remains critical for response actions and for gray-area domains like GRC where politics and control tradeoffs matter. They cover market pressures from private equity, ROI scrutiny, workforce cuts, and CISO role changes, alongside increased demand for go-to-market, customer success, and relationship-driven services. Dave advises embracing AI, learning prompting, specializing skills, and he describes helping small organizations and municipalities with compliance needs such as CMMC. 00:37 Dave Cronin Background 02:10 Nuclear Compliance Stories 04:51 Ethical Hacking Roots 06:10 AI Finds Old Flaws 06:31 SOC Automation Impact 11:12 Human Relationships Matter 13:23 GRC and AI Limits 14:59 AI ROI and Cost Cuts 17:37 CISO Role Shifts 20:56 Future of MDR Vendors 22:37 Anthropic and Legal Disruption 23:28 AI for Legal Tasks 24:51 Who AI Disrupts Next 25:08 Future Proof Security Roles 26:21 Go To Market Surge 26:49 Human Service Comeback 28:24 Career Advice Embrace AI 29:36 Prompting and Learning Tools 31:27 AI Clones and Trust 33:54 Day Job Mission Security 35:04 CMMC Compliance Reality 38:42 Small Teams with AI 40:15 Layoffs and AI Washing 42:09 CISO Pay Compression Risks 43:02 Closing Thoughts
June 15 · 36 min
The Cybersecurity Recruiter talks to Dale Hoak, Chief Information Security Officer, RegScale
In this Cybersecurity Recruiter podcast episode, Thomas chats with Dale Hoak, a former US Navy veteran who transitioned to the commercial sector and progressed from to senior director and now Chief Security Officer/CISO at RegScale. Dale explains that leaving the military is difficult because individuals must take ownership of healthcare, career planning, compensation negotiation, and resume-building, recommending an exit strategy starting two years before separation and seeking early help (including AI tools) while understanding one’s individual value. He credits his advancement to strong networks and mentors, hard work, and learning to understand business value and communicate cyber risk in non-technical terms to leaders and boards, using approaches like threat modeling and risk scoring. He discusses AI as a helpful but fallible tool requiring fact-checking, emphasizes continuous learning. Dale recommends as a starting point "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" and then progressing on to 2 series of books by Gary Hayslip. He listens to lots of podcasts including New CISO and CISO Tradecraft. 00:00 Welcome and Introductions 00:36 Dale’s Career Snapshot 02:08 Life as a CSO 03:06 Leaving the Military 05:00 Certs Resumes and Value 07:31 First Civilian Break 08:51 Networking as a Superpower 10:05 How Promotions Happen 13:20 Building Business Awareness 17:03 Speaking Board Level Risk 17:40 Books and Daily Routines 18:26 AI Needs Human Communication 19:51 Phone Calls and Real Talk 21:18 Using AI Responsibly 22:15 AI Resumes and Hiring Reality 23:29 Culture Fit and Honesty 25:06 Never Stop Learning 27:11 Learning Resources and Creativity 30:26 AI Accelerates Skill Gaps 32:22 Leadership Lessons and Quotes 33:21 Books Podcasts and Wrap Up
June 9 · 48 min
The Cybersecurity Recruiter talks to Chris Tjotjos, Co-Founder, Simvay & Promithia
Chris Tjotjos on building businesses through crashes, advisory boards, and compounding growth Thomas chats with Chris Tjotjos on the Cybersecurity Recruiter podcast about his career from sales to leading Logos Communications and later co-founding Promithia and Simvay Systems Chris describes early entrepreneurial “full throttle” focus, reinvesting profits for years, and the power of compounding, including examples using pennies and leveraged real estate and recurring revenue. He recounts major disruptions - post-1999 internet implosion after buying out his partner and the 2008 crisis, and how transparency, profit-sharing via an EBIT plan, and shifting customer concentration helped stabilize and grow. A key turning point was meeting entrepreneur Jack Kale, starting an advisory board, and using book-based learning to reshape culture. Chris explains being approached to sell Logos to Black Box, scaling the division, and critiques lack of synergy in acquisitions. Book recommendations mentioned include "Financial Freedom" Mark Harrelson, "The Vital Difference," and "Leading From The Heart," by Jack Kale, "Rockefeller: The Titan," and "The 38 Letters Rockefeller Wrote to His Son." 00:00 Welcome and Setup 00:39 Meet Chris Tjotjos 01:58 Focus Then Scale 03:04 Early Entrepreneur Grind 04:34 Compounding Mindset 06:55 Leverage and OPM 09:27 Life After the Exit 13:22 Dotcom Crash Lessons 15:29 Open Books EBIT Plan 17:39 Jack Kale Book Club 22:26 Partnership Synergy 23:33 Faith Prayer Meditation 25:31 Perspective and Mortality 26:12 Greek Roots and Big Questions 27:20 Faith Over Wealth 27:50 Servant Leadership in Business 28:12 Why Logos Was Founded 32:26 Selling After the 2008 Storm 36:55 Acquisition Lessons and Synergy 38:54 Starting Again With Promethea 40:18 Advisory Boards That Scale 43:51 Building the Board and Jack Story 47:53 Closing Reflections and Thanks 48:27 AI as a Virtual Board 49:42 When to Form a Board
June 2 · 41 min
The Cybersecurity Recruiter talks to Shante Perrin, Director, Global Security Operations
Shante Perrin on SOC Leadership, Communicating Risk, and Curiosity-Driven Career Growth Thomas chats with cybersecurity leader Shante Perrin, who progressed from web developer and help desk roles to SOC leadership and Director of Global Security Operations. Shante describes SOC and MSSP work focused on preventing repeat incidents through policies, procedures, customer advisement, and deploying new services and tools that improve analyst efficiency and investigation quality. They discuss the challenge of convincing customers to prioritize security before a breach, emphasizing tailored communication, active listening, documenting risk, and framing guidance around business impact and reputation. Shante highlights interview and hiring themes such as curiosity, understanding why tools are used (not just clicking), teamwork, and cultural fit, plus using brown-bag sessions to share investigative thinking. Career advice centers on taking leaps into unfamiliar work, seeking support, and accountability. Shante recommends David Goggins’ book "Can’t Hurt Me" and mentions journaling and self-care for sustainable performance. 00:00 Welcome and Introductions 01:09 Shante's Security Ops Role 02:58 Convincing Customers to Act 04:50 Communication in the SOC 07:04 Incident Calls and Risk 09:39 Security as Business Partner 14:24 Career Growth Through Curiosity 20:01 Interviewing Beyond Tools 21:51 Curiosity Stands Out 22:45 Hiring For Likability 24:56 Humor Under Pressure 25:49 Help Desk Foundations 28:54 Learning Styles That Stick 29:56 Audio Diet And Mindset 31:38 Confidence And Speaking Up 34:16 Setbacks And Self Care 36:30 Book Pick David Goggins 38:28 Journaling And Control 39:38 Sustainable Work Rhythms 41:20 Final Thanks And Wrap
May 28 · 48 min
The Cybersecurity Recruiter talks to Thomas Donnelly, CTO & President, Co-Founder, Amplifier Security
From Security Executive to Startup Founder: Sales, Focus, and Raising a Pre-Seed Round On the Cybersecurity Recruiter podcast, Tom chats with Tommy Donnelly, CTO, President, and co-founder of Amplifier Security. Tommy describes founder life as high-ambiguity work requiring constant energy, disciplined routines, and learning new skills - especially sales - framing it as “finding” the right customers with urgency and budget rather than persuading everyone. He explains the value of narrowing product scope, defining an ICP, and iterating cheaply to reach product-market fit before scaling. Donnelly shares hiring traits he prioritizes (ambiguity tolerance, vision alignment, data-driven iteration), discusses leadership progression from technical roles to cross-functional and external influence, outlines how Amplifer raised a $3.3M pre-seed using design partners, networked VC outreach, and standardized SAFE notes (e.g., via Clerky), recommends TK Kader founder training, and cites Patrick Lencioni’s book “The Five Dysfunctions of a Team.” 00:00 Welcome and Banter 01:06 Entrepreneurship Reality Check 01:56 Energy and Founder Routines 03:20 Tommy’s Career Intro 04:02 Founder Life and Learning Sales 05:18 Listening and Networking Wins 09:21 Executive Communication Shift 12:33 Finding the Right Customers 17:46 Hiring for Ambiguity 21:44 From Startup to Scale Lessons 24:04 Structure vs Chaos 24:23 Climbing to VP Reality 25:54 Leaving Bullhorn for BetterCloud 27:14 Going All In as Founder 28:30 Staying Focused and Niche 30:50 How the Pre Seed Happened 36:28 Money Is a Commodity 40:44 Founder Sales Qualification 44:28 Best Founder Training Resource 45:49 Teamwork and Hard Conversations 48:16 Wrap Up and Thanks
May 26 · 27 min
The Cybersecurity Recruiter talks to Casey Murphy, Director of Revenue Marketing, Phosphorus Cybersecurity
Casey Murphy on Boundaries, Deep Work, and Learning Fast in Startup Revenue Marketing Had a great chat with Casey Murphy, who shares his career path from the US Navy submarine/nuclear program to Accenture, an MBA internship at Secure AI Labs, Microsoft, and his current role at Phosphorus Cybersecurity as Director of Revenue Marketing. Casey describes his identity as a Christian and frames his “Forrest Gump” career as a series of making the next right decision rather than following a grand plan, viewing successes and failures through faith and resilience. They discuss prioritizing family, creating boundaries to avoid burnout, and the importance of deep work, especially in remote settings, using examples like an Admiral’s early-morning focus block and a CFO’s handwritten index card of top priorities. They also discuss using AI as a learning aid while still doing painful, hands-on practice, and how printing, handwriting, and journaling improve thinking and retention. 00:00 Welcome and Catch Up 01:15 Casey Career Intro 01:52 Identity and Navy Lessons 05:35 Resilience and Priorities 07:49 Work Boundaries and Burnout 10:34 Remote Work Deep Focus 15:18 Simple To Do Systems 18:06 Learning and Upskilling 19:25 Using AI Wisely 23:38 Analog Thinking and Strategy 27:05 Wrap Up and Next Time
May 22 · 48 min
The Cybersecurity Recruiter talks to Andrew Kirch, Director of Technical Operations, Stoic Cybersecurity
Andrew Kirch on Hacker Mindset, Insider Threats, and AI’s Impact on Cybersecurity In this Cybersecurity Recruiter podcast episode, Thomas chats with Andrew Kirch, Director of Technical Operations at Stoic Cybersecurity, who describes his wide-ranging background across IT, red and blue team work, tabletop exercises, and early experience running a major DNS blacklist that helped him understand how attackers think. Andrew argues hacker mindset is learnable through experience, stresses reputational and insider threats, and explains prioritizing vulnerabilities based on real exploitability. He shares stories involving Anonymous, Occupy Wall Street amplification, and law-enforcement work culminating in Operation Cyber Slam. The discussion covers increasing criminal organization, AI-driven risks (voice cloning, fake candidates, faster exploit development, and corporate secrets leaking via public AI), the need for continuous learning, and sources he follows such as YouTube, Ground News, CISA updates, and The Register. 00:00 Podcast Welcome 00:55 Andrew’s Background 04:55 Hacker Mindset Tips 06:51 Prioritizing Real Threats 08:56 Anonymous Storytime 12:00 Operation Cyber Slam 15:24 Cybercrime As Business 17:25 How To Level Up 21:01 AI And IP Risks 24:04 Generalist Security Skills 24:41 AI Voice Fraud Threat 26:17 Fake Candidates Remote Hiring 27:39 AI Widens Attack Surface 29:28 Breach Costs and Insurance 31:01 Writing Reports With AI 34:10 Tone and Social Engineering 36:10 Cyber News Sources 39:22 Geopolitics and Ransomware 41:18 Utilities and SCADA Risks 42:53 Zero Trust and Passkeys 45:32 AI for SOC Defense 47:25 Wrap Up and Farewell
May 18 · 38 min
The Cybersecurity Recruiter talks to Wylie Bayes, Director of Defensive Cyber, Dark Wolf
Wiley Bayes on Red Teaming, Networking Fundamentals, and Breaking into Cybersecurity Thomas hosts Wiley Bayes on the Cybersecurity Recruiter Podcast to discuss Wiley’s career path from early Linux curiosity and the US Navy into networking, systems/cloud engineering, penetration testing, and his current role as Senior Principal Red Team Operator at Dark Wolf Solutions. Wiley explains day-to-day red teaming on DoD contracts, emphasizing long preparation cycles, payload testing against major security tools, patience, and tailoring phishing to the audience. He advises career changers to keep learning, focus on fundamentals (especially networking), troubleshooting, and scripting/programming, and to break into IT first rather than fixating on a dream cybersecurity role unless you’re exceptionally advanced. They discuss Dark Wolf’s custom CTF-based hiring, communication skills gained from executive briefings, concerns about shortcuts and AI, and Wiley recommends OpenBSD and Peter N.M. Hansteen’s book “The Book of PF,” plus home lab tinkering. 00:00 Welcome and Golf Talk 01:27 Career Journey Intro 02:26 Early Curiosity and Navy Roots 03:17 Why Networking Matters 04:04 Red Team Day to Day 06:35 Phishing and Security Hygiene 08:09 Transitioning to Civilian Life 09:50 Hiring with Custom CTFs 11:31 Breaking In Is Harder Now 14:45 Finding Your Path in Security 17:55 Staying Relevant and Next Steps 20:39 Pentest To Architect Shift 21:25 Communication Under Pressure 23:17 Fundamentals And Hiring Quality 25:43 Stop Chasing Dream Roles 27:57 Learning Resources And Practice 28:57 Troubleshooting War Story 32:31 AI Shortcuts Vs Real Skills 34:36 Code And Scripting Matters 36:04 Books And Home Labbing 38:37 Wrap Up And Thanks

Showing 1–20 of 20 episodes