Join us for an inspiring conversation with Emily Long, CEO and Co-Founder of Edera, as she shares her unconventional journey from finance and accounting at KPMG to leading a cutting-edge cybersecurity startup.
Emily takes us through her remarkable career path, beating the odds as a female founder (less than 2% of women teams get VC funding), and her mission to revolutionise proactive security in the age of AI.
Topics:
- The mentor who told her "you're only not technical because you believe you're not technical"
- Why female-founded cybersecurity companies face a 98% rejection rate for funding
- Building lasting relationships with the same team across four companies
- Why hiring for grit and aptitude beats hiring for credentials
- The dangerous noise problem plaguing cybersecurity
- How AI security is repeating the mistakes of open source
- Leadership lessons on checking your ego and embracing being wrong
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome
00:56 Emily Long's Journey into Cybersecurity
02:19 Key Influences and Mentors
06:42 Proudest Achievements and Founding Adera
08:53 Building Lasting Professional Relationships
12:12 Talent and Diversity in Cybersecurity
21:42 Challenges and Future of Cybersecurity
28:43 Quick Fire Round and Final Advice
About our guest:
Emily Long is CEO and Co-Founder of Edera, bringing over a decade of experience from KPMG and scaling high-growth tech companies. With a background spanning finance, HR, and now cybersecurity, Emily is passionate about blending technical and human skills. She's now in her fourth company with many of the same people, demonstrating her commitment to building lasting professional relationships and diverse teams.
Website: www.edera.com
The Cybersecurity Matters Podcast is brought to you by neuco, a global recruitment agency that specialises in sourcing brilliant people for groundbreaking companies.
Join us for an eye-opening conversation with Mike Wiacek, Founder and CTO of Stairwell, as he shares his unconventional journey from washing dishes to becoming a cybersecurity pioneer.
Mike takes us through his remarkable career spanning the NSA, Google (including his pivotal role in Operation Aurora), and his current mission to revolutionise threat detection.
Topics:
- The serendipitous "burrito moment" that changed cybersecurity history
- Why traditional cybersecurity approaches are fundamentally broken
- Variant discovery technology and its game-changing potential
- The future of proactive vs reactive security measures
- Essential career advice for cybersecurity professionals
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction to Mentorship
06:23 Early Mentorship in Amateur Radio
06:57 The Summer Job Experience
07:09 The Heat and Humidity Challenge
07:58 Seeking a Tech Job
08:23 First Job in Tech
08:58 Learning from Ed
09:31 Early Cybersecurity Experience
About our guest:
Mike Wiacek is a cybersecurity pioneer with experience at the US Department of Defense, NSA, and over a decade at Google, where he founded the Threat Analysis Group and co-founded Chronicle. Recognised with LaSalle University's IT Leadership Award, he co-founded Stairwell to develop cutting-edge technology for enhancing threat detection processes in enterprise cybersecurity.
Website: www.stairwell.com
The Cybersecurity Matters Podcast is brought to you by neuco, a global recruitment agency that specialises in sourcing brilliant people for groundbreaking companies.
Join hosts Harry Baldwin and Matt Rose as they welcome Tal Herman, Chief Product Officer at Orchid Security and former VP of Product Management at Okta, for an insightful discussion about product leadership in cybersecurity.
With over 20 years of experience in identity and access management, Tal shares her journey from accidentally stumbling into cybersecurity to building Okta's identity governance business from the ground up. In this episode, she discusses her unique mentorship philosophy, the evolution of product management roles, and the critical talent challenges facing the cybersecurity industry.
Key Topics Covered:
- Career journey and early influences in cybersecurity
- Mentorship approach: asking better questions vs giving answers
- Evolution from feature PMs to true product thinkers
- Product market fit in cybersecurity: the boulder analogy
- Orchid Security's approach to identity fabric and binary-level truth
- Advice for aspiring cybersecurity leaders
Chapters:
About Tal Herman: Tal Herman is Chief Product Officer at Orchid Security, bringing extensive experience from her previous role as VP of Product Management at Okta. She built Okta's identity governance business from the ground up and has been instrumental in shaping the future of identity security across organisations serving millions of users.
About Orchid Security: Orchid Security provides the first true identity fabric enabler, offering binary-level visibility and orchestration across existing identity management systems to uncover and secure hidden applications and behaviours.
The Cybersecurity Matters Podcast is brought to you by neuco, a global recruitment agency specialising in sourcing brilliant people for groundbreaking cybersecurity companies.
Join hosts Matt Rose and Harry Baldwin as they sit down with Marco Riccardi, founder and CEO of QuoIntelligence, for an enlightening discussion about the evolution of cyber threat intelligence.
Marco shares his fascinating journey from military psychological warfare to becoming a threat intelligence pioneer, explaining how his unique background in philosophy, geopolitics, and technical expertise shaped his approach to cybersecurity.
Key topics covered:
The founding story of QuoIntelligence and lessons for cybersecurity entrepreneurs
Essential skills for threat intelligence analysts in the AI era
Why communication and presentation matter as much as technical expertise
How geopolitical events drive cyber attack patterns
Making threat intelligence actionable for organisations
Career advice for cybersecurity professionals
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome
00:55 Marco's Journey into Cyber Threat Intelligence
06:03 Influences and Inspirations
10:04 Building QuoIntelligence and Entrepreneurial Insights
23:24 The Role of AI in Journalism
24:34 Learning and Adapting to AI
26:52 The Future of Threat Intelligence
42:58 Advice for Aspiring Professionals
Whether you're a cybersecurity leader, threat intelligence analyst, or entrepreneur in the space, this episode offers invaluable insights into building successful careers and companies in the rapidly evolving world of cyber threat intelligence.
About the Guest:
Marco Riccardi is the founder and CEO of QuoIntelligence, a leading threat intelligence company. With a background in military intelligence and extensive experience at major financial institutions, Marco has been at the forefront of the threat intelligence industry since its early days.
About the Podcast:
The Cyber Security Matters Podcast is brought to you by neuco, a global recruitment agency that specialises in sourcing brilliant people for groundbreaking companies. To find out more about our sponsors, neuco and neuco Executive Search, follow the links below. neuco & neuco Executive Search.
Join hosts Tom Wilding and Harry Baldwin as they welcome Wayne Lewandowski, Chief Revenue Officer at Hypori, for an in-depth discussion on sales leadership in the cybersecurity industry.
Wayne shares his journey from traditional IT sales into cybersecurity, revealing what makes great salespeople tick and how to build high-performing teams in the fast-paced world of cyber sales.
Learn about Hypori's revolutionary approach to mobile security through virtualisation technology, solving critical challenges around BYOD policies, executive travel security, and compliance requirements.
Key Topics Covered:
Transition from traditional IT to cybersecurity sales
Building competitive yet collaborative sales teams
The impact of AI on cybersecurity sales processes
Mobile virtualisation and the future of endpoint security
Leadership strategies for hypergrowth startups
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome
00:44 Wayne's Journey into Cybersecurity
01:34 The Appeal of Cybersecurity Sales
08:02 Balancing Sales and Leadership
13:35 Impact of AI on Sales
20:52 Introduction to Hyper's Technology
25:30 Use Cases and Practical Applications
30:07 Joining the Team at Hyper
About the Guest: Wayne Lewandowski is Chief Revenue Officer at Hypori, bringing over 35 years of technology and software sales experience. He specialises in building high-growth sales organisations and has successfully navigated multiple company exits.
About Hypori: Hypori provides mobile virtualisation solutions that enable secure BYOD programmes whilst preserving user privacy and eliminating data residency risks.
The Cyber Security Matters Podcast is brought to you by neuco, a global recruitment agency specialising in cybersecurity talent.
Join hosts Harry Baldwin and Matt Rose as they sit down with Tomas Gustavsson, Chief PKI Officer at Keyfactor, for an in-depth exploration of Public Key Infrastructure's evolution and future.
Tomas, a true pioneer in PKI since 1994, shares his journey from founding the open-source EJBCA project to co-founding PrimeKey and eventually joining Keyfactor.
Discover how PKI has transformed from government-driven implementations in the 1990s to today's internet-scale, industry-focused solutions.
Key Topics Covered:
Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction and Guest Welcome
00:54 - Tomas Gustavsson's Journey into Cybersecurity
02:28 - Influences and Career Highlights
05:51 - Challenges and Achievements in PKI
10:46 - The Evolution of PKI
12:27 - Talent and Emerging Roles in Cybersecurity
20:48 - Public vs. Private PKI
26:40 - Future of PKI and Quantum Threats
About Our Guest:
Tomas Gustavsson is Chief PKI Officer at Keyfactor and co-founder of the EJBCA open-source PKI project. With over 25 years in cybersecurity, he previously co-founded PrimeKey and serves on the board of Open Source Sweden. Tomas combines deep technical expertise with a passion for open-source innovation.
The Cybersecurity Matters Podcast is brought to you by neuco, a specialist global recruitment firm. To find out more visit www.neuco-group.com.
Join hosts Harry Baldwin and Daisy Steel as they delve into the world of identity security with Ashish Shah, Co-founder and Chief Product Officer at Andromeda Security, who reveals how the cybersecurity landscape is evolving to address the growing challenges of human and non-human identity management.
Throughout the episode, Ashish shares his journey from software development to product management and entrepreneurship, highlighting his principle of three years for career development and his passion for solving complex problems. He discusses how identity has become the new perimeter in cloud environments and explains why 95% of all identities being overprivileged represents a critical security concern for modern enterprises.
Listen along as Ashish offers valuable insights on the talent landscape in cybersecurity, the importance of foundational security education, and why solving human and non-human identity challenges together is essential for effective security. He also shares his perspective on AI's role in security automation, the unique challenges posed by emerging AI agents, and why a data-centric approach to identity security represents the future of the industry.
Chapters
00:00:25 - Introduction and welcome
00:01:30 - Ashish's journey into cybersecurity
00:04:01 - Career influences and mentorship
00:05:54 - Proudest achievements
00:07:50 - Life as a startup founder
00:11:20 - Skills for cybersecurity entrepreneurs
00:15:10 - The people-oriented security industry
00:18:45 - Addressing the talent shortage
00:21:40 - Founding Andromeda Security
00:26:20 - Identity security challenges
00:31:20 - Human vs. non-human identities
00:37:10 - The rise of non-human identities
00:39:45 - Quick fire round
00:42:00 - Advice for industry newcomers
About our guest
Ashish Shah is the Co-founder and Chief Product Officer of Andromeda Security, bringing over 20 years of experience in product management, customer engagement, and business operations. Prior to founding Andromeda, he led product management at Avi Networks (acquired by VMware). Ashish holds a Master's in Electrical Engineering from Stanford and an MBA from UC Berkeley School of Business, and is driven by a passion for solving complex identity security challenges in cloud environments.
The Cybersecurity Matters Podcast is brought to you by neuco, a specialist global recruitment firm. To find out more visit www.neuco-group.com.
Join us and Oliver Pinson-Roxburgh, the CEO of Defense.com, as we unpack the challenges facing SMEs regarding cyber security. We touch on everything from cyber insurance to critical thinking and how to use both to defend organisations.
Oliver explained why education is so important, especially with the rise of phishing attacks and the increased financial strain on SMEs in the current economy.
Tune in to find out more about how to protect SMEs from cyber attacks now.
The Cyber Security Matters Podcast was created by neuco, a global talent acquisition company that specialises in the space and technology sectors. To learn more about our sponsors, neuco and neuco Executive Search, follow these links:
Discover the connection between martial arts and the cyber security sector in this insightful episode with Yumi Nishiyama, the Director of Strategic Alliances at Anvilogic.
Yumi shared her perspectives on everything from AI to partnerships within the industry.
Listen now to find out how women can come together to create powerful networks and enact change in the cyber security world.
The Cyber Security Matters Podcast was created by neuco, a global talent acquisition company that specialises in the space and technology sectors. To learn more about our sponsors, neuco and neuco Executive Search, follow these links:
How can the cyber security sector tackle social engineering prevention? In this episode, we were joined by David DellaPelle, the Co-Founder & CEO of Dune Security, to find out.
David also shared his path into the cyber security industry, as well as his experience as an entrepreneur and advice for other early-stage leaders.
Tune in to find out how you can protect your organisation and employees from deep fakes and the risks of human-computer interactions.
The Cyber Security Matters Podcast was created by neuco, a global talent acquisition company that specialises in the space and technology sectors. To learn more about our sponsors, neuco and neuco Executive Search, follow these links:
Discover the challenges of API security with Tristan Kalos, the Co-Founder and CEO of Escape.
Tristan joined us to share Escape’s founding story, including his experience of being hacked, which led to him creating a cyber security solution. He also touched on the developing realm of API security and the solutions that Escape offers.
Tune in to find out more about the API sector.
The Cyber Security Matters Podcast was created by neuco, a global talent acquisition company that specialises in the space and technology sectors. To learn more about our sponsors, neuco and neuco Executive Search, follow these links:
Welcome to a special roundtable edition of The Cyber Security Matters Podcast, which features four special guests:
Deborah Caldwell, the Global Channel Account Director at Illumio
Sara Verri, the Global Head of Field & Partner Marketing at Nozomi Networks
Christine Camp, the Fractional Chief Partner Officer at Conatus Advisors
Surja Chatterjea, the Senior Director of Channels and Alliances at Cobalt
They joined us to talk about the benefits of teamwork, collaboration and connection in the industry, particularly for women who are hoping to grow their careers in the industry.
Tune in for an insightful episode, packed with plenty of fresh perspectives!
The Cyber Security Matters Podcast was created by neuco, a global talent acquisition company that specialises in the space and technology sectors. To learn more about our sponsors, neuco and neuco Executive Search, follow these links:
Explore the benefits of combining AI and Cloud security with Raf Chiodo and Shai Alon, the Chief Revenue Officer and Director of AI Innovation at Orca Security.
The pair joined us to shed light on the innovation happening at Orca Security around making security solutions accessible through the integration of AI language models and holistic security approaches.
Listen in to find out how you can solidify your cloud security process.
The Cyber Security Matters Podcast was created by neuco, a global talent acquisition company that specialises in the space and technology sectors. To learn more about our sponsors, neuco and neuco Executive Search, follow these links:
Meet Amanda Berlin, the Director of Incident Detection Engineering at Blumira, Author of The Defensive Security Handbook, Co-Host of the Breaking Down Security Podcast, and CEO of Mental Health Hackers.
She joined us to talk about everything from SMBs’ cyber security challenges to the importance of creating awareness for roles in the sector, and plenty inbetween.
Tune in for a fascinating episode!
The Cyber Security Matters Podcast was created by neuco, a global talent acquisition company that specialises in the space and technology sectors. To learn more about our sponsors, neuco and neuco Executive Search, follow these links:
Explore the realms of machine-first approach to identity and security in this double-feature episode, with special guests Jake Bernardes, the Field CISO at anecdotes, and Ido Shlomo, the Co-founder & CTO of Token Security.
They touched on the importance of regulatory compliance in the age of technical transformation, as our security landscape shifts with each emerging technology.
The Cyber Security Matters Podcast was created by neuco, a global talent acquisition company that specialises in the space and technology sectors. To learn more about our sponsors, neuco and neuco Executive Search, follow these links:
Get to grips with AI certification and governance with this episode’s guest, Patrick Sullivan, the VP of Strategy and Innovation at A-Lign. Patrick joined us to shed some light on the growing security concerns around AI adoption across the Cyber Security industry.
He also discussed the changing talent trends as companies adapt their teams to meet these challenges.
The Cyber Security Matters Podcast was created by neuco, a global talent acquisition company that specialises in the space and technology sectors. To learn more about our sponsors, neuco and neuco Executive Search, follow these links:
Take a look inside the revolution of cloud security with Matthew Chiodi, the Chief Trust Officer at Cerby, in this episode of The Cyber Security Matters Podcast. He shared his wealth of knowledge on everything from cloud threat reports to non-standard applications.
We also discussed the importance of understanding the universal basics of cyber security before developing a niche skillset.
The Cyber Security Matters Podcast was created by neuco, a global talent acquisition company that specialises in the space and technology sectors. To learn more about our sponsors, neuco and neuco Executive Search, follow these links:
Join us as we delve into the challenging world of cyber security startups with Julia Doronina, the Co-founder and CMO at G-71 Security. In this episode, we take a look at the factors that make a startup successful in our sector, from competitor analysis to mindset.
We also talked about the importance of continuous learning and personal development throughout a startup team.
The Cyber Security Matters Podcast was created by neuco, a global talent acquisition company that specialises in the space and technology sectors. To learn more about our sponsors, neuco and neuco Executive Search, follow these links:
Entrepreneurs are a valuable part of the cyber security industry. We were joined by Alexandre Sieira, the Co-Founder and CTO of Tenchi Security, to discuss his experiences creating a startup in the sector.
We also touched on Alexandre’s views on training and its impact on today’s talent issues.
The Cyber Security Matters Podcast was created by neuco, a global talent acquisition company that specialises in the space and technology sectors. To learn more about our sponsors, neuco and neuco Executive Search, follow these links:
Gender diversity and equality have been growing issues across most industries in recent years. In this episode of The Cyber Security Matters Podcast, Julia Weimer, the Director of Professional Services, EMEA at Lacework, joined us to discuss the state of gender diversity in the cyber security sector.
We touched on the importance of allies, mentoring and sponsorship, as well as addressing the needs of working mothers and women in general as they navigate joining and succeeding in cyber security.
The Cyber Security Matters Podcast was created by neuco, a global talent acquisition company that specialises in the space and technology sectors. To learn more about our sponsors, neuco and neuco Executive Search, follow these links: