Cyber Smokehouse

Strong cybersecurity programs aren't built through quick fixes, they're built through thoughtful leadership, patient execution, and investing in people.

In this episode of Cyber Smokehouse, Ernie Anderson and Graeme Payne sit down with Ward Balcerzak, Field CISO at Sentra, to discuss what effective security leadership looks like in today's rapidly evolving landscape. Ward shares lessons from building security programs, mentoring fut...

Most security programs are built around understanding what has already happened, but what if organizations could begin anticipating cyber threats before they materialize? In this episode of Cyber Smokehouse, Ernie Anderson and Graeme Payne welcome Tim and Suzanne O'Neil, founders of AigisPoint Predictive Intelligence. Drawing on decades of experience spanning enterprise security architecture, military leadership, entrepreneurship, ...

Cybersecurity leaders today face a challenge that extends far beyond technology: keeping pace with constant change. In this episode of Cyber Smokehouse, Ernie Anderson and Graeme Payne sit down with John Rogers, Chief Information Security Officer and Head of Technology Risk at MSCI. Drawing on experience spanning consulting, financial services, and executive security leadership, John shares his perspective on AI governance, third-p...

Most cybersecurity conversations start with technology. Michael Myint starts with the foundation. In this episode of Cyber Smokehouse, Ernie Anderson and Graeme Payne sit down with Michael Myint, a cybersecurity executive whose thirty year career spans Big Four consulting, global enterprises, and high growth healthcare startups. He has built programs from scratch, led organizations through public incidents, and mentored security le...

Cybersecurity careers are rarely linear, and building effective security leadership requires more than technical expertise alone. In this episode of Cyber Smokehouse, Ernie Anderson and Graeme Payne sit down with Mea Clift, CISO at Cengage, for a conversation about cybersecurity career growth, leadership, curiosity, and risk management.

Mea shares insights on how professionals can find their place within the cybersecurity industry, ...

What happens when organizations scale rapidly through acquisition while simultaneously navigating AI adoption and evolving cyber risk?

In this episode of Cyber Smokehouse, Ernie Anderson and Graeme Payne sit down with Matthew Mudry, CISO at Alera Group, to discuss the operational realities of securing large-scale acquisitions, integrating fragmented environments, and managing cybersecurity risk during periods of aggressive growth.

Ma...

Cybersecurity is evolving faster than ever, and leaders are being forced to rethink how they approach risk, resilience, and modern defense strategies. In this episode of Cyber Smokehouse, Ernie Anderson and Graeme Payne sit down with Mike Salem to discuss today’s rapidly changing cyber landscape and the growing influence of AI on both attackers and defenders.

Throughout the conversation, Mike shares insights on emerging cyber ...

Tired of the buzzword bingo flooding the cybersecurity industry? So is Zlatko Unger. In this episode of Cyber Smokehouse, Ernie Anderson and Graeme Payne welcome Zlatko Unger, CISO Expert at Wiz, for a no-nonsense conversation that cuts straight through the AI noise and gets back to what actually matters in security. With over 18 years of experience spanning security, risk, privacy, and compliance, Zlatko brings the kind of hard-ea...

How is AI changing both the threat landscape and the way security teams operate? Today’s guest is a seasoned cybersecurity leader navigating these changes at scale. Introducing David Cross, CISO at Atlassian. David joins Ernie Anderson and Graeme Payne to share how AI is reshaping cybersecurity, from attacker capabilities to internal defense strategies.

He discusses how AI is lowering the barrier for attackers, why security te...

How do you secure an environment when the technology is evolving faster than teams can keep up? Today’s guest is a cybersecurity leader operating at the intersection of AI, product security, and enterprise scale. Introducing Jason Loomis, CISO at Freshworks. Jason joins Ernie Anderson and Graeme Payne to share why the speed of AI innovation is becoming one of the biggest challenges in cybersecurity today.

He dives into how AI ...

Why do organizations still struggle with cybersecurity despite more tools and innovation than ever before? Today’s guest is a seasoned cybersecurity executive with deep experience across enterprise and public sector environments. Introducing Merlin Namuth, CISO for the City and County of Denver. Merlin joins hosts Ernie Anderson and Graeme Payne to share why foundational security practices continue to be the biggest challenge...

How do you translate cybersecurity from a technical function into a true business priority? Today’s guest is a seasoned cybersecurity leader with deep enterprise experience. Introducing Chris Correia, CEO of CGS CyberDefense. Chris joins hosts Ernie Anderson and Graeme Payne to share how cybersecurity leaders must evolve from technologists into business storytellers who can align security with organizational priorities.

He div...

How do you secure environments that are constantly changing, distributed, and increasingly difficult to see? Today’s guest is a forward-thinking cybersecurity leader focused on tackling modern visibility and infrastructure challenges. Introducing Clete Taylor, Senior Security Architect at Frost. Clete joins hosts Ernie Anderson and Graeme Payne to explore how evolving environments are reshaping the way organizations approach ...

How do organizations stay secure when identity, access, and infrastructure are more distributed than ever before? Today’s guest is a seasoned cybersecurity leader focused on modern identity and cloud security challenges. Introducing Joe Mendygral, Senior Director at TBD Cyber. Joe joins hosts Ernie Anderson and Graeme Payne to explore how identity has become the core battleground in cybersecurity. He also delves into how clou...

How do cybersecurity leaders manage risk, talent, and rapid innovation as AI transforms both threats and defenses? Today’s guest is a seasoned cyber intelligence leader and strategic risk advisor. Introducing Steve Bay, Vice President of Cybersecurity and Chief Information Security Officer at Coretelligent. Steve joins hosts Ernie Anderson and Graeme Payne to share how AI is reshaping the cybersecurity landscape and what lead...

How can cybersecurity leaders translate technical threats into real business decisions without losing executive alignment or strategic clarity? Today’s guest is a thoughtful cybersecurity strategist and business-focused security leader. 

Introducing Jimmy Lummis, Director and Business Information Security Officer at IHG Hotels & Resorts. Jimmy joins hosts Ernie Anderson and Graeme Payne to discuss how modern security ...

In this episode of Cyber Smokehouse, hosts Ernie and Graeme sit down with David Nolan, Principal Advisor at Apex Advisors, to explore how organizations must rethink cybersecurity as digital environments grow more complex and interconnected.

David shares why the traditional concept of a network perimeter is rapidly disappearing as organizations adopt cloud platforms, distributed workforces, and connected technologies. As a result...

Healthcare cybersecurity is no longer just about compliance, it’s about resilience.

In this episode of Cyber Smokehouse, hosts Ernie and Graeme sit down with Hugo Lai, Chief Information Security Officer at Temple Health, to explore how healthcare organizations can protect patient care in an era of AI adoption, ransomware threats, and relentless budget pressure.

Hugo shares practical insights from leading enterprise security pro...

In this episode of Cyber Smokehouse, hosts Ernie and Graeme sit down with Wade Myers to explore the leadership discipline required to navigate modern cyber risk. Wade shares why complexity is the enemy of effective security programs, how executives must think about tradeoffs instead of perfection, and why clarity, not control, is the real advantage in today’s threat landscape.

The conversation dives into decision-making un...