The Defender’s Log Podcast

Cybersecurity is no longer just a technology challenge. It's a policy challenge. In this episode of The Defender's Log, David Redekop sits down with Dr. Amit Elazari, Co-Founder and CEO of OpenPolicy, former Head of Global Cybersecurity Policy at Intel, and Co-Founder of Disclose.io. They explore why policy is becoming one of the most important signals for cybersecurity leaders, how AI is changing...

Cybersecurity leaders have spent years building stronger detection and response capabilities. But is that enough? In this episode of The Defender's Log, David Redekop sits down with former CIO, CTO, and cybersecurity executive Phil Johnston to discuss what changes when you've personally led an organization through a major cyber incident. Drawing on decades of experience spanning military communica...

What if the biggest threats on the internet are the ones nobody can fully measure? In this special episode of The Defender’s Log, host David Redekop sits down with John Todd, Andreas Taudte, and Andrew Campling for a deep conversation about the hidden realities shaping cybersecurity today. From Zero Trust DNS and encrypted traffic to malicious domain “dark matter” and the growing complexity of ent...

What happens when a childhood curiosity for computers turns into a mission to protect the next generation online? Tom Newton shares the path from experimenting with modems and BBS systems in the early days of computing to defending schools and students against modern cyber threats. The discussion goes deep into digital safety, BYOD risks, VPN abuse, AI-generated evasion techniques, and why protect...

What started as the “phonebook of the internet” is now one of the most critical layers in cybersecurity. In this episode of The Defender’s Log, David Redekop sits down with Cricket Liu—often called the godfather of DNS—to unpack how DNS evolved from a trusted utility into a frontline security control. From the early days of DNS and BIND to the rise of protective DNS, threat intelligence, and zero...

Most security conversations focus on firewalls, endpoints, and threat detection. Very few start where many attacks begin. That’s why this conversation with Chris Buijs stood out. We unpack why DNS remains one of the most underinvested—and misunderstood—layers in cybersecurity, how automation can strengthen defense (or quietly introduce risk), and why resilient architecture starts with treating fou...

Cybersecurity is technical. But the humans behind it? That's where it gets complicated. Nim Nadarajah—CISO and managing partner from Critical Matrix, and one of the sharpest minds in the industry—sits down with host David Redekop for a conversation that goes far beyond firewalls and frameworks. From the psychology of a breach victim who no longer knows who to trust, to cutting a client's SIEM cost...

The future of cybersecurity isn’t just about tools—it’s about how we think. In this conversation, David Redekop sits down with Mitch Prior to unpack what really matters in modern security: from default-deny strategies and local data control to the growing role of AI in filtering signal from noise. What emerges isn’t just a technical discussion—it’s a philosophy. They explore why certifications don...

Cybersecurity and military defense share the same fundamental principle: you can’t go on offense if you don’t have a secure perimeter. Steven Elliott’s journey—from a farming community in Kansas to the U.S. Army’s 75th Ranger Regiment, and later into finance and cybersecurity leadership—reveals how disciplined thinking, clear communication, and preparation for uncertainty shape strong decision-mak...

Cybersecurity used to be about perimeter defenses and patch cycles. Now it’s about decision speed, trust, and restraint—especially when AI is involved. This conversation with Rafael Ramírez moves through decades of engineering experience, real-world incident response, and the uncomfortable reality that AI is scaling faster than governance, policy, and human intuition. What stands out isn’t hype—it...

Attackers are getting smarter—and the protocol they rely on most isn’t what you think. In this powerful conversation, David Redekop and Johannes Weber break down how modern malware abuses DNS, why attackers prefer DNS tunneling and exfiltration, and the defensive strategies every organization needs in 2026. Johannes brings decades of hands‑on experience as a network security specialist, consultant...

The odds remain badly stacked against the defender. As we hurtle toward a digital ecosystem populated by a trillion AI agents, the Universal Threat Ecosystem (UTE) is expanding at an asymmetric rate. The traditional security stack—obsessed with detection and response—is fundamentally broken because it requires a "Patient Zero." It waits for the compromise to occur before it rings the alarm. In thi...

Defending the Internet, One Domain at a Time In this episode of The Defender’s Log, host David Redekop sits down with Peter Lowe, the creator and maintainer of one of the internet’s most widely used blocklists, a resource quietly protecting users for over 27 years. What started as a personal effort to block intrusive ads has evolved into a critical layer of modern cybersecurity infrastructure. Pet...

The internet is a collision of legacy protocols and modern asymmetric threats. In this episode of The Defenders Log, I sit down with the man who built the foundation: Dr. Paul Mockapetris, the inventor of the Domain Name System (DNS). We don't just reminisce about the 1980s; we dissect how the Universal Threat Ecosystem (UTE) has weaponized the very decentralization that made the internet possible...

In this episode of The Defender’s Log, host David Redekop sits down with DNS and DDI expert Andreas Taudte, who brings more than 16 years of experience in network security, DNS architecture, and threat mitigation. Together, they unpack the real challenges organizations face with DNS, from evasion techniques and tunneling threats to the growing complexity of legacy systems and hybrid networks. Andr...

In this powerful episode, host David Redekop sits down with Joshua Domagalski, Chief Information Security Officer and former offensive operator, to explore the real complexities of modern cyber defense. Joshua opens up about his journey from the military to cybersecurity leadership, the shift from attacking systems to protecting them, and why defending is far more challenging than breaking in. Thi...

In this episode of The Defender’s Log, host David Redekop sits down with Tim Adams, DNS threat intelligence expert and founder of ScoutDNS, to uncover the evolving world of DNS security. From his early days running a wireless network integrator to building a resilient DNS resolver service, Tim shares lessons in innovation, resilience, and the art of staying ahead of cyber threats. They discuss eve...

In this gripping episode of The Defender’s Log, host David Redekop sits down with Alexander Rau, Partner in Cybersecurity at KPMG, to explore the intense world of cyber incident response. From ransomware attacks and business email compromises to AI-driven ransom negotiations, Alexander shares firsthand experiences from the cyber frontlines, revealing what really happens when organizations are unde...

In this episode of The Defender’s Log, host David Redekop sits down with Sami Khoury, the Head of the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security, for an inside look at the battle to protect national infrastructure from unseen digital threats. From his beginnings as a research engineer in 1992 to leading one of Canada’s most critical cybersecurity agencies, Sami shares lessons from three decades of defense...

Is your company's most critical blind spot hiding in plain sight? While most security teams focus on firewalls and web traffic, attackers are increasingly using the internet's phonebook—the Domain Name System (DNS)—as a secret backdoor for malware delivery, data theft, and command and control. In this episode of The Defenders Log, host David Redekop sits down with cybersecurity educator Josh Kuo f...

"Am I going to spend my life trying to get the thing that I need, or am I going to spend my life doing the thing that I want?" In this deeply insightful episode of The Defender's Log, host David Redekop sits down with Will Earp, a veteran developer whose career journey began with an Amiga 600 in 1998. They explore the profound philosophy that has guided Will's path from a freelance web developer t...

In this episode of the Defenders Log, we have Aditi Patange from Microsoft alongside our hosts, David Redekop and Francois from Adam Networks, for an in-depth discussion on Zero Trust DNS, a new enterprise security feature within Windows 11. Aditi shares her background in computer engineering and product management and how his work contributes to cybersecurity. The conversation delves into the ori...

In today's episode of the Defender's Log, we welcome special guest Tommy Jensen, an internet technologist with expertise in IPv6, Zero Trust, and standards. The episode covers Jensen's career journey from an AppleCare contractor to a pivotal role in advancing internet technologies. The discussion delves into the importance and challenges of migrating to IPv6, and the need to overcome legacy system...

In this episode of 'The Defender's Log,' host David engages in a comprehensive discussion with John Todd, an influential figure in the defense technology space and a key player at Quad9. The conversation covers John's career journey, starting from the early days of commercial internet services to his current role at Quad9. They delve into the importance of DNS in cybersecurity, Quad9's unique appr...

In the inaugural episode of 'The Defender’s Log,' host David Redekop converses with cybersecurity veteran Chester Wisniewski to explore the dynamic field of cybersecurity. They discuss the differentiation between privacy and security, the evolution of hacking from the 1980s to the present, and pivotal moments that reshaped information security. Chet shares anecdotes from his extensive career, offe...