The Defender's Journal

Welcome to another thought-provoking episode of The Defender's Journal! This week, Matt Rathbun takes the mic. But how does a political science grad become CSO Elect at the OCC? In this episode, we explore how a NIST framework changed the course of his career, why awareness training needs a reset, and what it really means when Matt says, “anything encrypted 18–24 months ago is now plain text...

Welcome to another gripping episode of The Defender's Journal! This week, Nick Arvanitis takes a seat on the sofa. But how does someone go from SysAdmin to one of the most trusted voices in cybersecurity? In this episode, we unpack the mistakes that still weigh heavy, the decisions that cost him sleep, and the one sliding-doors moment in security history he’d change - if he could. + Intereste...

Welcome to another intriguing spin-off episode of The Defender's Journal! This week, Stuart Avery joins us on the sofa... Who do you trust in a fragmented world? Are fear-based tactics slowing the industry down? And can tech alone ever be the solution? Listen now for Stuart's take. + Interested in joining us on the show? Connect with either Jeff Harrod or Cameron Wenham on LinkedIn or vi...

Welcome to another spin-off episode of The Defender's Journal! This week, Jemma Davis joins us with a story you genuinely won’t want to miss... Jemma never planned for cybersecurity - but life had other ideas. From witnessing WannaCry firsthand to tackling AI risks for SMEs, she’s unpacking the twists, turns, and hard-hitting moments of her powerful, unfiltered journey! + Interested in joinin...

Welcome to another fascinating episode of The Defender's Journal! This week, we’re excited to welcome Katelyn Perna to the sofa. Katelyn keeps it real and relatable. This week, we’re diving into the link between RFID chips and decentralised clothing tech. Was becoming a CISO ever her real goal? What web2 problems still hold back web3? And how can aerospace-level scrutiny redefine custody engi...

Welcome to another episode of The Defender's Journal! This week, we’re excited to welcome Eric Freeman to the show. Eric’s journey is anything but ordinary. This week, he’s sharing how he went from a line chef to Head of Security in record time – and the lessons learned along the way. We’ll dive into why buy-in can be a major challenge in cybersecurity and how the “yes, but” approach helps so...

Welcome to another spin-off episode of The Defender's Journal! This week, we’re excited to welcome  Amy Stokes-Waters to the show. Amy tells it like it is. This week, she’s cutting through the noise to reveal what’s working in cybersecurity, what isn’t, and why real change needs fresh thinking and better visibility for overlooked voices. What’s driving her mission at The Cyber Escape Room Co?...

Welcome to another spin-off episode of The Defender's Journal! This week, we’re excited to have Holly Foxcroft  on the sofa. Is the industry facing a true skills gap – or is it simply a communication breakdown? How does neurodivergence influence security posture in ways we don’t always recognise? And what lessons can recruitment teams take from it all? + Interested in joining us on the show?...

Welcome to the first episode of our *fortnightly series in 2025! This week, we’re thrilled to have Yashvier Kosaraju join us on the sofa! How does chasing bounties lead to a career in cybersecurity leadership? What’s the one piece of tech he can’t live without – and was he really that much of a headache for his early managers? Tune in to find out... + Interested in joining us on the show? Connect...

Welcome to another episode in our *fortnightly series. This week, we’re excited to welcome Tom Baxley to the sofa! Ever wonder how a 12-year-old tinkerer with computers grew up to become a CISO at one of the world’s top asset management firms? Listen now… + Interested in joining us on the show? Connect with either Jeff Harrod or Cameron Wenham via LinkedIn or our website .

Welcome to another episode in our *fortnightly series. This week, we’re excited to welcome Abbas Kudrati to the sofa! How did someone who couldn’t read, write, or speak until the age of six go on to shape global cybersecurity strategies and write successful books? Listen now... + Interested in joining us on the show? Connect with either Jeff Harrod or Cameron Wenham via LinkedIn or our website .

Welcome to another episode in our *fortnightly series. This week, we’re excited to welcome Erika Dean to the sofa! How does someone with zero experience land a spot on the InfoSec team at Capital One? Listen now... + Interested in joining us on the show? Connect with either Jeff Harrod or Cameron Wenham via LinkedIn or our website .

Welcome to a new conversational spin-off of the Defender's Journal podcast series! In these bite-sized episodes, we'll highlight broader perspectives in the technology world - offering market insights, success tips, and unique viewpoints to help you think differently and progress. Like our 'main' episodes we delve into individual expertise to shape successful journeys in cybers...

Welcome to another episode in our *fortnightly series. This week, we’re excited to have Olivia Rose join us on the sofa! Why did Olivia quit her CISO role just a day after promoting it on an RSA panel? Listen now... + Interested in joining us on the show? Connect with either Jeff Harrod or Cameron Wenham via LinkedIn or our website .

Welcome to a new conversational spin-off of the Defender's Journal podcast series! In these bite-sized episodes, we'll highlight broader perspectives in the technology world - offering market insights, success tips, and unique viewpoints to help you think differently and progress. Like our main podcast, we delve into individual expertise to shape successful journeys in cybersecurity too!...

Welcome to another episode in our *fortnightly series. This week, we’re excited to have Chelsea Jarvie join us on the sofa! Curious about how she achieved a senior position in cybersecurity with only 18 months of industry experience? Listen now... + Interested in joining us on the show? Connect with either Jeff Harrod or Cameron Wenham via LinkedIn or our website .

Welcome to another episode in our series! Here at The Defender's Journal, we delve into the lives and minds of leading professionals in the cybersecurity space, revealing their stories, motivations, and tips for long-term success. This week, our guest is none other than industry stalwart Phil Venables . Here is his journey... *Interested in joining us on the show in Summer 2024? Please connec...

Welcome to another episode in our series! We'll be digging deeper into the lives and minds of leading professionals in the cyber security space. We're also pulling the curtain back on some of their stories, motivations and tips to ensure long-term success. This week our prestigious guest is Lakshmi Hanspal , and here is her journey... *Interested in joining us on the show in the Summer o...

Welcome to the ELEVENTH episode in our series! We'll be digging deeper into the lives and minds of leading professionals in the cyber security space. We're also pulling the curtain back on some of their stories, motivations and tips to ensure long-term success. This week our incredible guest is Hilary Walton , and here is her journey... + a link to Hilary's podcast (on YouTube): htt...

Welcome to the TENTH episode in our "new" series! We'll be digging deeper into the lives and minds of leading professionals in the cyber security space. We're also pulling the curtain back on some of their stories, motivations and tips to ensure long-term success. This week our incredible guest is Hazel McPherson , and here is her journey... - Fancy joining us on the show in Q2...

Welcome to a new conversational spin-off of the Defender's Journal podcast series! In these bite-sized episodes, we'll highlight perspectives and services to help you upskill and advance your career. We'll also provide tangible steps you can take to improve your chances of succeeding in the cyber security space, no matter what your goal is! Just like our main podcast, we're all...

Welcome to a new conversational spin-off of the Defender's Journal podcast series! In these bite-sized episodes, we'll highlight perspectives and services to help you upskill and advance your career. This week our guest is the incredible Amit Arora . Here's what he had to say... - Want to join us in Q2 or Q3? Reach out to Jeff Harrod or Cameron Wenham on LinkedIn to get the conversa...

Welcome to the ninth episode in our new series! We'll be digging deeper into the lives and minds of leading professionals in the cyber security space. We're also pulling the curtain back on some of their stories, motivations and tips to ensure long-term success. This week our incredible guest is Jacob DePriest , and here is his journey... - Fancy joining us on the show in Q2 of 2024? Ple...

Welcome to the eighth episode in our new series! We'll be digging deeper into the lives and minds of leading professionals in the cyber security space. We're also pulling the curtain back on some of their stories, motivations and tips to ensure long-term success. This week our incredible guest is Dr Rebecca Wynn , and here is her journey... - Fancy joining us on the show in 2024? Please...

Welcome to the seventh episode in our new series! We'll be digging deeper into the lives and minds of leading professionals in the cyber security space. We're also pulling the curtain back on some of their stories, motivations and tips to ensure long-term success. This week our incredible guest is Shaun Blackburn , and here is his journey... - Fancy joining us on the show? Please reach o...