Expert Insights Podcast

<p>Over the past week, our Reporter, Mirren McDade has been in Nashville attending OpenText World. Over the week she attended a series of keynotes, interviewed leading minds, and connected with cybersecurity innovators from across the world.</p><p>In this episode, we’ve included two of the interviews that Mirren conducted during the week. The first is from Scott Richards, SVP, AI & Discovery, and Cybersecurity, and the other from Muhi Majzoub, EVP of Cybersecurity Engineering at OpenText. The guests discuss the evolving nature of cybersecurity regulation, AI advances, and the steps that organizations need to take to protect themselves.</p> <br/><br/>This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href="https://podcasts.expertinsights.com?utm_medium=podcast&#38;utm_campaign=CTA_1">podcasts.expertinsights.com</a>

<p>Many founders build a single company, take their exit, and step back. Mike Walters has done it twice.</p><p>First with Netwrix, and now with Action1, Walters has a track record of building highly successful cybersecurity companies, laser focused on a specific niche.</p><p>What set Walters on this path?</p><p>It began with writing software. An early appreciation of scale and the realization that writing code alone couldn’t deliver impact fast enough pushed him and business partner Alex Vovk toward executing their own product vision.</p><p>From here, the pair launched Netwrix and Action1 into profitable, founder led businesses with no outside capital or investor pressure. Today, Netwrix is a multibillion-dollar organization with thousands of employees.</p><p>With Action1, Walters and Vovk are doing it again—but with even bigger ambition. They reinvested $20 million of their own capital to build a cloud-native platform engineered for the remote-work era. The bet has paid off. Action1 is now the fastest-growing private software company in America.</p><p>In this episode, Expert Insights’ Head of Content, Joel Witts, sits down with Mike Walters to explore his career and how patching is an often overlooked area of cybersecurity - as well as the parallels between building a company and surfing.</p><p></p> <br/><br/>This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href="https://podcasts.expertinsights.com?utm_medium=podcast&#38;utm_campaign=CTA_1">podcasts.expertinsights.com</a>

<p></p><p>What if <em>vibe coding</em> — the wave of developers using AI assistants to generate code — could actually lead to <strong>better security outcomes</strong>?</p><p>Today, host Joel Witts is joined by <strong>Manoj Nair, Chief Innovation Officer at Snyk</strong>, to explore how AI is transforming the way we build and secure software.</p><p>From his early work pioneering data leakage prevention at RSA, through to leading cloud startups, and now driving innovation at Snyk, Manoj has had a front-row seat to cybersecurity’s biggest shifts.</p><p>We’ll dive into why traditional approaches to AppSec are no longer enough, how “shift left” is evolving in the AI era, and why — with the right guardrails — AI-generated code could actually be more secure than code written by humans.</p><p><strong>Takeaways</strong></p><p>* Vibe coding <em>could</em> lead to better security outcomes with the right guardrails.</p><p>* Shift left is evolving in the age of AI, moving security earlier in the development process.</p><p>* Almost every company is now a software company, making custom software the crown jewels.</p><p>* Security teams need to enable developers rather than act as gatekeepers.</p><p>* AI is being used in offensive ways, creating new vulnerabilities.</p><p>* The awareness of security risks is increasing among leading companies.</p><p>* AI-generated code can be more insecure than human-generated code.</p><p>* Proactive security measures are essential in the AI era.</p><p>* Secure code generation should be integrated into the development pipeline.</p><p>* Understanding and visibility of AI components in code is crucial for security.</p><p><strong>Chapters</strong></p><p>00:00 The Evolution of Application Security in the AI Era</p><p>10:01 Vibe Coding: Risks and Opportunities</p><p>19:55 The Future of AI in Cybersecurity</p><p><strong>About Expert Insights</strong></p><p>Expert Insights saves you time and hassle by rigorously analyzing cybersecurity solutions and cutting through the hype to deliver clear, actionable shortlists. We specialize in cybersecurity. So, our focus is sharper, our knowledge is deeper, and our insights are better. What’s more, our advice is completely impartial.</p><p>In a world saturated with information, we exist to arm experts with the insights they need to protect their organization. That is why over 1 million businesses have used us to inform their cybersecurity research.</p> <br/><br/>This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href="https://podcasts.expertinsights.com?utm_medium=podcast&#38;utm_campaign=CTA_1">podcasts.expertinsights.com</a>

<p></p><p>This year, we have seen the two biggest cybersecurity acquisitions ever made: Google Cloud’s acquisition of Wiz, for $32bn USD, and Palo Alto Networks’ $25bn deal to acquire CyberArk. And it’s only August!</p><p>Cybersecurity investment continues to grow at a staggering pace. According to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.returnonsecurity.com/p/security-funded-205"><em>Return On Security</em></a><em>, </em>cybersecurity funding is up 202% in Q2/3 2025 compared to the same period last year, with M&A deals up 92%.</p><p>What’s driving these trends? What are the hottest areas to invest in cybersecurity today? Who are the hottest companies to watch, and who could be next in line for a $20bn USD+ acquisition?</p><p>At Black Hat USA 2025, we spoke with Deepak Jeevankumar, Managing Director at Dell Technologies Capital, to cover these questions, and much more. </p><p><strong>Chapters</strong></p><p>00:00 Cybersecurity Investment Surge</p><p>02:35 Trends in Cybersecurity: Evergreen vs. Cyclical</p><p>05:43 The Importance of Identity in Cybersecurity</p><p>08:42 AI's Impact on Cybersecurity</p><p>11:37 Navigating the Evolving AI Security Landscape</p><p>14:21 Challenges and Opportunities for Startups</p><p>17:20 Future Predictions in Cybersecurity Acquisitions</p><p><strong>About Expert Insights</strong></p><p>Expert Insights saves you time and hassle by rigorously analyzing cybersecurity solutions and cutting through the hype to deliver clear, actionable shortlists. We specialize in cybersecurity. So, our focus is sharper, our knowledge is deeper, and our insights are better. What’s more, our advice is completely impartial.</p><p>In a world saturated with information, we exist to arm experts with the insights they need to protect their organization. That is why over 1 million businesses have used us to inform their cybersecurity research.</p> <br/><br/>This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href="https://podcasts.expertinsights.com?utm_medium=podcast&#38;utm_campaign=CTA_1">podcasts.expertinsights.com</a>

<p><strong>What happens when criminals on keyboards thousands of miles away can hold a hospital hostage, or take down the critical systems a nation relies on?</strong></p><p>In this conversation, <strong>Cynthia Kaiser</strong>, a former FBI Deputy Assistant Director and now SVP Ransomware Research Center at Halcyon, shares her journey into the cybersecurity field, detailing her experiences in both government and industry. </p><p>She discusses the evolution of ransomware threats, the challenges faced by law enforcement, and the initiatives at Halcyon to combat ransomware. </p><p>Cynthia emphasizes the importance of collaboration between public and private sectors and offers insights into future trends in ransomware, as well as practical advice for businesses to enhance their cyber resilience.</p><p><strong>Chapters</strong></p><p><strong>00:00 </strong>Introduction to Cybersecurity Journey</p><p><strong>02:53 </strong>The Evolution of Ransomware Threats</p><p><strong>05:29 </strong>Challenges in Law Enforcement and Ransomware</p><p><strong>08:02 </strong>Halcyon's Ransomware Research Initiatives</p><p><strong>10:55 </strong>Future Trends in Ransomware</p><p><strong>13:31 </strong>Advice for Businesses on Cyber Resilience</p><p></p> <br/><br/>This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href="https://podcasts.expertinsights.com?utm_medium=podcast&#38;utm_campaign=CTA_1">podcasts.expertinsights.com</a>