CyberBytes: The Podcast

In this episode, Joseph sits down with Rod Schultz, CEO of Bolster AI, to unpack how cybersecurity has evolved from its earliest days to the AI-powered battlefield we’re seeing today.Rod shares his journey from joining Cisco in the late 90s, where security was still an unproven concept, through to working on cryptography at Apple, digital rights management during the rise of iTunes, and leading product security at Zoom during its explosive growth in the pandemic.But the real focus of the conversation is what’s happening now.Rod explains why: • Cyber and fraud are now converging into one problem • Attackers are targeting humans, not infrastructure • AI is accelerating both the volume and precision of attacks • And why CISOs are being forced to rethink their role entirelyOne of the biggest shifts? Security teams are no longer just protecting the network. They’re now responsible for protecting customers, brand trust, and a rapidly expanding “human attack surface.”If you’re a cybersecurity leader, founder, or operator trying to understand where the industry is heading, this is a must-listen.Rod's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/rodschultz/Bolster AI - https://www.linkedin.com/company/bolster-ai/Joseph's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/cybercoops/Aspiron Search - https://aspironsearch.com/

In this episode, Joseph sits down with Jonathan Kreiner, CTO and Co-Founder of Orion Security, fresh off the back of a $32m Series A and his Forbes 30 Under 30 recognition.In this conversation, we cover: • Why traditional DLP fails, from unscalable policies to 80–97% false positives • Why false positives are a symptom, not the root cause • How Orion is building an AI-native DLP with no policies or regex, using AI agents to judge intent in real time • The analogy between antivirus vs EDR and what it means for data security • AI agents as the next insider threat • Real-world deepfake hiring incidents and layered security in Fortune 500 environmentsJonathan's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-kreiner/Orion Security - https://www.linkedin.com/company/orionsec/Joseph's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/cybercoops/Aspiron Search - https://www.linkedin.com/company/aspiron-search/

In this episode, we sit down with Brian Carbaugh, CEO and Co-Founder of Andesite, to unpack one of the most unconventional founder journeys in cybersecurity.Brian spent 25 years at the CIA, serving in special operations, covert action, and ultimately leading the agency’s Special Activities Center. Today, he’s building a well-funded AI-for-SOC company in one of the most crowded and competitive markets in tech.We dig into:• How a career in intelligence shaped Brian’s approach to leadership, risk, and company-building• Why Andesite is taking a contrarian stance on AI in the SOC by putting analysts, not automation, at the centre• What’s broken about today’s “replace the analyst” narrative in cybersecurity• How the AI SOC market has exploded and what actually differentiates vendors beyond hype• Why Andesite chose a company-builder and foundry model over traditional venture funding• The strategic decision to prioritise compliance and trust from day one• The realities of transitioning from national security to startup chaosThis conversation goes deep on human-first AI, trust in cybersecurity, and what it really takes to build an enterprise-grade company in a noisy market.Brian's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-carbaugh-38b339243/Andesite - https://www.linkedin.com/company/andesiteai/Oliver's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/oliverlegg/Aspiron Search - https://www.linkedin.com/company/aspiron-search/

Security teams are drowning in vulnerabilities.Millions of alerts. Tiny teams. Attackers moving faster every year.In this episode, we sit down with Harry, Co-founder and CEO of Maze, to unpack why vulnerability management is fundamentally broken and how AI agents are starting to change the game.Harry shares his journey from leading product at Tessian to building Maze, the moments that convinced him this problem had to be solved, and why most AI security products are more marketing than substance.We cover:Why having a million “critical” vulnerabilities is uselessHow AI agents can identify the handful that actually matterWhat most security vendors get wrong about risk scoringHiring for potential in early-stage startupsWhy UK cyber startups must think US-first from day oneIf you care about AI in security, building high-impact teams, or staying ahead of attackers in a rapidly changing threat landscape, this one’s for you.Harry's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/harrywetherald/Maze - https://www.linkedin.com/company/mazehq/Steffen's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/steffenfoley/Aspiron Search - https://www.linkedin.com/in/steffenfoley/

In this episode of CyberBytes, we sit down with Alex, co-founder and CEO of Arcade.dev, to unpack the real story behind MCP (Model Context Protocol) and why it has become one of the fastest-adopted standards in AI.Alex explains how the industry is moving past “wow” chatbots toward action-taking agents that can actually send the email, update the CRM, and automate real workflows. He also shares the unexpected pivot that led Arcade to its core product. What started as a site reliability agent turned into a breakthrough “tool execution layer” that separates an agent’s brain from its hands, making AI actions deterministic, secure, and production-ready.We dig into why most enterprise agent projects stall before production, the three bottlenecks killing ROI (accuracy, token cost, and security), and how MCP done right is not just “APIs wrapped for LLMs” but intention-based tooling built around what users want to achieve. Plus, Alex drops hard-earned lessons from his previous startup exit to Okta, including why early founders should sell fake demos first and why the best infrastructure products feel like black magic.If you are building agents, investing in the space, or trying to understand what the next 6 to 12 months of AI adoption looks like, this one is for you.Alex's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexsalazar/Arcade.dev - https://www.arcade.dev/Steffen's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/steffenfoley/Aspiron Search - https://www.linkedin.com/company/aspiron-search/

In this episode, Joseph sits down with David DellaPelle, CEO and Co-founder of Dune Security, to unpack one of the biggest and fastest evolving challenges in cybersecurity today: human risk.David shares his unexpected path into the industry, from early work to rapid growth at Perimeter 81, before a chance meeting on a delayed flight sparked the beginnings of Dune Security. He breaks down why traditional security awareness is a legacy, ineffective solution, and how Dune Security is rebuilding the category with user adaptive risk management, real behavioural insight and continuous red teaming across every channel.From identifying malicious insiders, to tackling AI driven spear phishing at scale, to giving low risk employees time back, David explains how Dune Security is changing the way modern enterprises understand and manage human risk. He also talks about the growth of the company, the influence of its deep bench of enterprise CISO advisors and what the next wave of human and non-human identity risk looks like.David's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/daviddellapelle/Dune Security - https://www.linkedin.com/company/dune-security/Joseph's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/cybercoops/Aspiron Search - https://www.linkedin.com/company/aspiron-search/

In this episode, we sit down with Amir Khayat, CEO and Co-Founder of Vorlon, to unpack one of the fastest-growing frontiers in cybersecurity - SaaS and AI ecosystem security.From his early career to where he is now, Amir shares how his unique go-to-market background gives Vorlon a serious edge. He reveals why CISOs are finally waking up to the real risks in their SaaS supply chains, why misconfigurations are a losing battle, and how Vorlon’s behavioural data movement approach is reshaping how enterprises defend their environments.Vorlon secures the converged SaaS and AI ecosystem, giving enterprises visibility and control over the data, identities, and integrations that power modern business. Built on patent-pending DataMatrix™ technology, Vorlon’s unified SaaS and AI security platform creates a live model of every app, agent, and connected service, along with their interdependent data flows, non-human identities, and users. It delivers continuous, agentless visibility without disrupting operations.Organizations can see data in motion, uncover risky integrations and unsanctioned AI tools, detect unusual behaviour, and automate remediation in real time. Backed by Accel and trusted by Fortune 500 leaders and fast-moving innovators, Vorlon helps security teams safeguard sensitive data and innovate with confidence in the era of AI-driven transformation.Learn more at vorlon.io.If you’re tracking the intersection of SaaS, AI, and data protection, or just love hearing from founders changing the game, this one’s for you.Amir's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/amir-khayat/Vorlon's - https://www.linkedin.com/company/vorlon/Oliver's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/oliverlegg/Aspiron Search - https://www.linkedin.com/company/aspiron-search/

In this episode, we sit down with Tal, the unstoppable founder and CEO of Remedio, for a conversation about building one of cybersecurity’s fastest-growing companies - from scratch.Tal’s story is anything but ordinary: from teenage “hacker” days and a five-year military career in Israel, to building a profitable, bootstrapped cybersecurity startup that’s now attracting major global attention, including Forbes recognition as a “Next Billion-Dollar Startup.”Tal's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tal-kollender-remedio/Remedio - https://www.linkedin.com/company/remediosecurity/Steffen's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/steffenfoley/Aspiron Search - https://www.linkedin.com/company/aspiron-search/

What happens when a finance grad with zero coding experience ends up leading some of the most innovative cybersecurity companies in the world?In this episode, Jason Kaplan, CEO of SixMap, Inc, joins us to talk about leadership, resilience, and why understanding who you are might just be the missing link in cyber defence.Jason shares how he went from building early internet companies like Akamai, founding a smart running startup later acquired by Zwift, and now leading SixMap’s mission to map the world’s digital attack surface.Jason's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jdkaplan/details/experience/SixMap, Inc - https://www.linkedin.com/company/sixmap-inc/Joseph's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/cybercoops/Aspiron Search - https://www.linkedin.com/company/aspiron-search/

What happens when a finance grad with zero coding experience ends up leading some of the most innovative cybersecurity companies in the world?In this episode, Jason Kaplan, CEO of SixMap, Inc, joins us to talk about leadership, resilience, and why understanding who you are might just be the missing link in cyber defence.Jason shares how he went from building early internet companies like Akamai, founding a smart running startup later acquired by Zwift, and now leading SixMap’s mission to map the world’s digital attack surface.Jason's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jdkaplan/details/experience/SixMap, Inc - https://www.linkedin.com/company/sixmap-inc/Joseph's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/cybercoops/Aspiron Search - https://www.linkedin.com/company/aspiron-search/