The SafeHouse

In this episode of The SafeHouse Podcast, Jeff Edwards sits down with Mike Hamilton, former Seattle CISO and Chief Technical Officer of PISCES International, a nonprofit organization providing free cybersecurity monitoring and workforce development for underserved communities across the United States. Mike shares his remarkable journey from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and early cybersecurity con...

What would you do if you got hacked today? Not in theory. In real life. In this episode of The SafeHouse, Jeff Edwards sits down with Alan Gin to walk through exactly what happens when a cyber incident hits close to home. Based on Alan’s three-part series on what to do if you get hacked, this conversation breaks down the reality most people aren’t prepared for. They cover: The most common ways peo...

Most small and mid-sized businesses don’t have a standalone cyber insurance policy. Not because they don’t care. Not because they don’t face risk, but because the system around them isn’t built in a way that’s practical to navigate. In this episode, Jeff Edwards sits down with Kurt Suhs, Founder and CEO of Concierge Cyber, to unpack why adoption remains low, what’s changed in the cyber insurance m...

Cyber risk management is often framed as a choice between prevention and insurance. In reality, the most resilient organizations combine both. In this episode of The SafeHouse, Jeff Edwards speaks with Michael Phillips, Global Head of Cyber at Coalition, about how insurers evaluate cyber risk and why mitigation and insurance must work together.   Building on a previous discussion about the element...

Cyber risk is no longer just a technical issue. It’s a financial one. In this episode of The SafeHouse Podcast, Jeff Edwards sits down with Davis Hake, leader of Venable’s San Francisco cybersecurity practice, to unpack what risk management actually means in today’s cyber environment. Davis shares his early exposure to national critical infrastructure risk, the moment he saw one of the first compr...

Nearly a year after federal cybersecurity policy shifted responsibility and funding to the states, what does that change actually look like in practice? In this episode of  The SafeHouse Podcast , host Jeff Edwards sits down with James Saunders, Chief Information Security Officer for the State of Maryland, to unpack how cybersecurity leadership, resilience, and public service are evolving at the s...

Most people think warranties and insurance are interchangeable. They’re not Insurance transfers risk after loss. Warranties enforce behavior before loss. In this episode of  The SafeHouse Podcast , Jeff Edwards speaks with  Kirsten Bay , CEO and co-founder of Cysurance, about why warranties are becoming a critical layer in cyber risk management. We discuss: Why traditional cyber insurance struggle...

In this episode of  The SafeHouse Podcast , we’re joined by  Ryan Ettridge , CEO of  CyberCert , an Australian innovator helping SMBs and enterprises turn compliance into measurable cyber resilience. Titled  “Cybersecurity Frameworks Made Practical: From Confusion to Clarity,”  this conversation tackles a problem many organizations face: frameworks and standards that look good on paper but feel im...

When cybercrime hits, most people don’t know where to turn. In this episode of The SafeHouse Podcast, Jeff Edwards sits down with Charlotte Hooper, Co-Founder and Head of Operations at The Cyber Helpline, a nonprofit providing free, human-led support to victims of cybercrime in the UK, US, and beyond. Charlotte shares how a deeply personal experience with cyberstalking led her from policing into b...

In this episode of the Safe House Initiative podcast, host Jeff Edwards welcomes Keith Gologorsky, Head of Public Sector at Hack the Box, for an in-depth conversation about building a successful career in cybersecurity. Keith shares his personal journey from computer science graduate to government analyst, recounting pivotal moments in military operations, threat analysis, and international collab...

Host  Jeff Edwards  talks with  Sarah Flukes , CTO of  Admeritia , about a simple but powerful idea:  cyber decision diagrams . Born from real-world work in water utilities and industrial sites, these function-oriented maps turn complex OT/ICS environments into clear, shared understanding—for security, operations, incident response, and design. In this episode Why traditional network/asset maps fa...

Host  Jeff Edwards  sitsdown with  Chuck Brooks —adjunct professor at Georgetown andpresident of Brooks Consulting—to cut through the noise on SMB cybersecurity. From AI-supercharged phishing and IoT sprawl to zero trust, CMMC/NIST, and why  MFA isthe #1 first step, Chuck translates complex threats into clear actions anysmall or midsize business can take today.   You’ll learn   Resources:  Free gu...

Why do only ~4% of small and midsize businesses carry a standalone cyber policy? Host  Jeff Edwards  digs in with returning guest  Eric Cernak  (Hanover Insurance Group) to separate myth from reality and lay out practical next steps for SMBs, brokers, and MSPs. In this episode: “We’re too small to be a target” — how modern threat actors actually operate Bolt-ons vs. standalone: where coverage (and...

And that's a wrap on our Cyber Insurance Summer Series! 🎬 In this must-watch conclusion, series co-host Tawana Johnson joins Jeff Edwards to distill the biggest lessons, surprising insights, and actionable advice from our expert guests. If you're a small to mid-size business owner trying to navigate the complexities of cyber insurance, this episode ties everything together. Tawana walks u...

In this episode of the Safe House Initiative, hosts Jeff Edwards and Tawana Johnson are joined by Ted Brown, a partner at Lavin Rindner Duffield. Ted provides an expert legal perspective on cyber claims, discussing how they are far more complex than traditional insurance claims due to a multitude of moving pieces. He highlights common coverage disputes, such as late reporting and application issue...

In this episode of the Safe House Initiative, host Jeff Edwards and Tawana speak with Jane Warring, a partner at Zel Law, who specializes in handling business interruption (BI) claims. She shares her expertise on the complexities of these claims for small and midsize businesses, emphasizing the importance of documentation and proving causation. Jane also reveals how the cyber insurance market is s...

In this episode of the Safe House Initiative, host Jeff Edwards and Tawana Johnson speak with Chris Wood, a partner at Lewis Brisbois law firm, on the complexities of data breach litigation. He reveals that class action lawsuits have surged sixfold and are now targeting small and midsize businesses, not just large corporations. The litigation process often begins with regulatory breach disclosures...

In this podcast episode, we feature cyber claims examiner Toni Sukhan as she outlines the critical steps businesses must take when facing a cyber incident. Sukhan, with over 20 years of experience, stresses the immediate need to notify an insurance carrier to ensure coverage and proper handling. She details a multi-disciplinary process involving breach counsel, forensic IT experts, and forensic ac...

Brandy Vargas, Senior Manager of Cyber Solutions at Crum & Forster, offers crucial insights for small to midsize businesses (SMBs) on cyber insurance. She emphasizes that these policies are not like traditional insurance and require proactive engagement. Brandy stresses the importance of thoroughly understanding your policy's nuances, like sublimits and exclusions, to avoid being caught of...

In this episode of the Safe House Initiative, we're joined by Heather Mongeau, VP and Director of Cyber Product Solutions at Allied World Insurance Company. Heather takes us deep into the world of cyber underwriting and its critical role. She clarifies that cyber insurance is more than just financial aid post-incident; it's about proactive risk management, including services like penetrati...

In this episode of the Safe House Cyber Insurance Summer Series, we dive deep with Ryan Mercer, VP of Cyber at McGriff brokerage. With over a decade of experience, Ryan pulls back the curtain on the evolving world of cyber insurance. He explains why many small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) still aren't getting cyber coverage, shedding light on challenges like broker education and the incre...

In this episode, Jeff Edwards and Tawana Johnson from the Safe House Initiative podcast are joined by Steven Schwartz, Chief Insurance Officer at Safe Security, to kick off their cyber insurance summer series. Steven emphasizes that cyber risk quantification (CRQ) is essential for making informed decisions about cyber insurance. He explains that CRQ translates technical cybersecurity metrics into...

The Safe House Initiative podcast, hosted by Jeff Edwards and co-hosted by Tawana Johnson, delves into cyber insurance for small to mid-sized businesses. This series builds on previous discussions about incident response flaws, now focusing on the lifecycle of cyber insurance from risk assessment to claims and litigation. Tawana Johnson, a former litigator and current cyber breach coach at Lewis B...

In this episode of the Safe House Initiative, host Jeff Edwards welcomes Craig Bowman, Vice President at Trellix and the visionary co-founder of the Redwood Project. Their conversation dives deep into the urgent need for a federal cyber enterprise that seamlessly integrates public and private sector efforts to fortify national cybersecurity. Craig shares his unique journey, from his early days in...

In this episode of the Safehouse Initiative, host Jeff Edwards sits down with Daron Hartvigsen, a former technical services agent and cyber program manager for the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (OSI). Now a leader in the commercial cybersecurity sector, Darren shares his incredible career journey, offering invaluable insights into the evolving world of cybercrime and defense. From tra...