January 24, 2022

The Dynamic Dozen: Our Favorite Episodes of To The Point Cybersecurity Podcast in 2021

Lionel Menchaca

In 2021, Rachael and Eric were joined by a stellar array of guests on To The Point. On Episode 165, A Look Back: To The Point in 2021, they recapped some of our favorite episodes and previewed the year ahead. Check out some of the highlights from that episode and more below:

Here Come the Cyber Cartels with Tom Kellerman

Plenty of people are talking about cyberattacks, but fewer are talking about cyber cartels. For this episode, we sat down with Tom Kellerman, the Head of Cybersecurity Strategy at VMware, and discussed how and why aggression from cyber cartels is growing rapidly and how the U.S. government should respond.

 

Optimism For The Cyber Path Ahead?! with Evan Wolff

It’s not all doom and gloom, though. Hacker-turned-lawyer Evan Wolff is optimistic for the cyber path ahead, despite a career in which he has helped handle countless breaches. In this episode, Wolff, a partner in Crowell & Moring’s D.C. office and Co-Chair of the firm’s Privacy and Cybersecurity Group, dove into collective defense, how to handle re-victimization, the criticality of incident response plans, and more.

 

Insights From The Cyber Front Line with CTA’s Michael Daniel

The Cyber Threat Alliance (CTA) works to impose costs on cyber criminals. Michael Daniel, who leads the CTA team, joined us to explain how that shakes out on the front lines. He brings over two decades of experience in federal government to the table, having worked as the Obama's administration cyber czar and as a cyber coordinator on the National Security Council.

 

Someone Needs to Do Something, But Who? with Nicole Perlroth

Nicole Perlroth has been on the frontlines of cybersecurity in a different way: as a journalist. The bestselling author, who chronicled the cyber-weapons arms race in This Is How They Tell Me the World Ends, joined us to talk through the many daunting discoveries she unearthed in her reporting. She’s covered everything from ransomware to critical infrastructure attacks, on top of explaining why it’s so important to make cybersecurity information accessible to everyone—not just policymakers.

 

Who’s Got the Stick for the Cyber Moonshot? with Lisa Donnan

Solving the urgent challenges around cybersecurity is about more than just awareness, though. Lisa Donnan, a Partner at Option3 Ventures, came on the podcast to discuss the importance of disruptive technology and why the U.S. needs a cyber moonshot to tackle those challenges. We also discussed the Cyberspace Solarium Commission and why the SMB market is a $50 billion opportunity for cyber. Don’t miss it!

 

The Prescience Challenge in Cybersecurity with Jill Aitoro

SC Media Editor-in-Chief Jill Aitoro knows all the hot cybersecurity news drivers. In this packed two-part series, we cover everything from supply chain attacks to security ratings systems to the role of superadmins. You can find part two here.

 

One Night in Bangkok with Greg Crabb

Greg Crabb, founder of TenEight Cyber and former CISO for the United States Postal Service, spent more than 25 years in law enforcement focused on cyber criminals. In this episode, we were able to pick his brain for answers to some of our most pressing questions: How did he grow his cyber team from 40 people to 600 in just a few years? How did he help secure the 2020 election? How do postal inspectors keep us safe? Why will DevSecOps be crucial for cybersecurity moving forward? Why is cybersecurity a social engineering problem as opposed to a technology one? Hear the answers to these questions and more in this fantastic episode.

 

He Who Defends Everything Equally Defends None with Greg Touhill

The CERT Division is the birthplace of cyber and we had the amazing opportunity to chat with, Greg Touhill, director of the CERT Division. In this two-part series, he offers a lot of interesting insights on what kind of talent the cybersecurity industry needs, the importance of the development of a Software Bill of Materials (SBOM), and how the federal government can make progress with regard to cybersecurity. Check out part two here.

 

“Queue for the Loo” and Other Cyber Truths with Sue Daley

Our next guest was not only notable for her contributions to cybersecurity, but also for the fact that she swam the English Channel! What does it take to swim for nearly an entire day straight? Sue Daley, Director of Technology and Innovation at techUK, described the mental focus it required. On top of that, she added an interesting perspective on the importance of collaboration between the U.S. and U.K., in addition to how and why we need to regulate artificial intelligence. She also said it will be good to finally have a “queue for the loo.” Tune in to find out what she meant.

 

Roided-out Sitting Duck with Juan Andrés Guerrero-Saade

Our next guest was once a featured hologram at the International Spy Museum in Washington, D.C. Cool, huh? Juan Andrés Guerrero-Saade is the principal researcher at SentinelOne and an Adjunct Professor of Strategic Studies at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). His episode of the podcast contains everything you could ever want to know about Moonlight Maze, one of the first widely known cyber espionage campaigns in world history. In addition to sharing his research, Guerrero-Saade also weighed in on a recent attack on an Iranian railway. You can find part two here.

 

F**k It, Ship It! with Sheera Frenkel

New York Times technology reporter Sheera Frenkel, who covers cybersecurity from San Francisco, was another of our favorite guests on To The Point last year. Frenkel and fellow Times reporter Cecilia Kang co-authored An Ugly Truth: Inside Facebook’s Battle for Domination, which offers a behind-the-scenes look at Facebook and its many missteps: from privacy breaches and the mishandling of data to the rise of fake news and hate speech. In this episode, Frenkel also dove into the real-world consequences of newly found access to the Internet, the difference between freedom of speech and freedom of reach, and the problem with Big Tech’s mentality of “move fast and break things.”

 

The Incredible Power of Stubborn Optimism with Sudhakar Ramakrishna

Finally, we spoke to SolarWinds CEO Sudhakar Ramakrishna, who joined the company just after the Sunburst attack came to light. He explains the rocky beginning to his tenure at SolarWinds and how he was able to successfully steer the company through the storm. Despite the attack and many years working in cybersecurity, Ramakrishna still has optimism for the path ahead. Tune in to hear why.

 

Listen to these and other great episodes here on Forcepoint.com or wherever you download  your favorite podcasts.

Lionel Menchaca

As the Senior Digital Communications & Content Manager, Lionel leads Forcepoint's social media and blogging efforts. He's responsible for the company's global editorial strategy and is part of a core team responsible for content strategy and execution on behalf of the company.

 ...

Read more articles by Lionel Menchaca

About Forcepoint

Forcepoint is the leading user and data protection cybersecurity company, entrusted to safeguard organizations while driving digital transformation and growth. Our solutions adapt in real-time to how people interact with data, providing secure access while enabling employees to create value.