ClearTech Loop: In the Know, On the Move

Cybersecurity Is a Social System with Fernando

Mon, 02 Mar 2026 02:00:00 -0500

In this episode of the ClearTech Loop podcast, Jo Peterson sits down with Fernando Montenegro to talk about what the CISO role actually looks like right now as generative AI spreads across the enterprise.

This is not a conversation about one more security tool. Fernando frames AI as a forcing function that exposes the social structure of an organization, including incentives, accountability, influence, and how decisions get made. The CISO role has become a bridge role, and the job is more political, more collaborative, and more consultative than it used to be.

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Zach Lewis Buzzsprout https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7346174860760416256/

Key Quotes

“They are the translator of security issues to non security decision makers.”
“One of the ways to bring these silos down is to have empathy for the other side, if you will.”
“You solve all of this at the design stage, at the initiation stage, not down the line when people want to release the production.”

Three Big Ideas from This Episode

AI forces cross functional alignment
AI makes silos expensive. When teams have to work together to make AI work, security cannot stay isolated and expect trust to show up later.
Embed security by showing up early
There is no perfect universal checklist. The workable move is being there at the beginning, removing friction early, and helping the initiative flourish before deadlines turn everything into a showdown.
The CISO is a translator role now
CISOs are playing multiple games at once across the board, the CIO, legal, customers, regulators, and internal teams. Translation is a core operating requirement, not a soft skill.

Episode Notes and Links

Listen: In the Player
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/0H4x1-Hu-44
Subscribe to the Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7346174860760416256/

Additional resources

The Futurum Group, Fernando Montenegro profile
https://futurumgroup.com/fernando-montenegro/
AI and organizational risk management resources, NIST AI Risk Management Framework
https://www.nist.gov/itl/ai-risk-management-framework
2017 Transformers paper: “Attention Is All You Need” (2017) by Ashish Vaswani, Noam Shazeer, Niki Parmar, Jakob Uszkoreit, Llion Jones, Aidan N. Gomez, Łukasz Kaiser, Illia Polosukhin. https://proceedings.neurips.cc/paper_files/paper/2017/file/3f5ee243547dee91fbd053c1c4a845aa-Paper.pdf
ClearTech Research and ClearTech Loop https://cleartechresearch.com/

🎧 Listen: In Buzzsprout Player
▶ Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ClearTechResearch/playlist
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Security Is an Environment with Miri Rodriguez

Thu, 26 Feb 2026 02:00:00 -0500

What CISOs miss when security only lives in features

AI security is still getting framed like a technology problem: new tools, new controls, new dashboards, and new rules. In this episode of ClearTech Loop, Jo Peterson talks with Miri Rodriguez, Cofounder and CEO of Empressa.ai, about why that framing keeps breaking in the real world.

Miri brings a people first lens to AI adoption and security. She argues that security is not just something you install. It is an environment people are willing to enter. When the environment does not feel secure, adoption either slows or goes underground, and then security teams are left trying to govern what they cannot see.

This conversation connects three practical leadership threads: using GenAI upstream to understand real adoption patterns, embedding security and privacy without slowing innovation by designing for humans, and building governance that becomes habit instead of paperwork.

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Key Quotes
“The opportunity is massive when you think about security as an environment, not just a technology or a feature.”
“The features don’t matter. If you can’t tell me why the features are important in my space.”

Three Big Ideas from This Episode

GenAI beyond the tool stack
Generative AI can help security leaders widen the lens on adoption. Before policies and controls, leaders need to understand where people hesitate, where they take shortcuts, and why the secure path gets avoided.
Inclusion is a security control
Speed without inclusion creates blind spots, and blind spots become risk. Security and privacy do not have to slow innovation, but they do have to be designed in a way people can understand and follow.
Governance is behavior
If governance does not translate into day to day habits, it is just documentation. Training format matters as much as content, and security sticks when people see it as personal responsibility, not corporate paperwork.

Additional Resources

AI Foundations for Women (Empressa AI)
https://empressa.ai/ai-foundations-for-women/
Most Tools Weren’t Built with Women in Mind, AI Is Just the Latest
https://empressa.ai/2025/04/03/most-tools-werent-built-with-women-in-mind-ai-is-just-the-latest/
IABC Catalyst, Building Your Brand With Microsoft Senior Storyteller Miri Rodriguez
https://www.iabc.com/Catalyst/Article/building-your-brand-with-microsoft-senior-storyteller-miri-rodriguez

About the Guest
Miri Rodriguez is Cofounder and CEO at Empressa.ai, an AI and storytelling strategist, bestselling author, and Microsoft alum. She focuses on ethical innovation, inclusion, and building trustworthy AI environments where women can connect, learn, and thrive. She is also the author of Brand Storytelling: Put Customers at the Heart of Your Brand Story.

AI, Cost, Control, and Relevance with Margaret Dawson, CMO, SUSE

Tue, 24 Feb 2026 01:00:00 -0500

AI is getting embedded into everything, security workflows, engineering workflows, and customer facing products, often faster than organizations can govern it. The upside is real. The risk is in the assumptions leaders are making while they chase speed.

In this episode of ClearTech Loop, Jo Peterson sits down with Margaret Dawson, Chief Marketing Officer at SUSE, for a slightly different conversation than our usual guest mix. Same three questions, but through a CMO lens shaped by decades of enterprise buying cycles.

Margaret breaks down how security leaders can use generative AI to move beyond tools and tech, what it actually takes to embed security and privacy without slowing innovation, and how CMOs should talk about AI without getting trapped in AI washing. The throughline is practical: productivity gains are real, but cost, control, and credibility are not automatic.

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Key Quotes
“The mistake that we’re making as leaders is we are assuming that the integration of AI is an automatic reduction in cost.” — Margaret Dawson

“Until all of a sudden, the CFO got a million dollar cloud bill.” — Margaret Dawson
“Consumers get smarter, very, very fast, especially BtoB Tech customers, and they start to know what’s real and what’s not.” — Margaret Dawson

“Being very specific on what it is doing for your product, for that customer, tying it back to the business outcome.” — Margaret Dawson
“People trust their peers more than any vendor or anyone else.” — Margaret Dawson

Three Big Ideas from This Episode

AI adoption fails when leaders treat it like automatic margin
The board level narrative is tempting, but dangerous. AI can improve productivity, but assuming it instantly reduces cost is how organizations create governance debt and business continuity risk.
Speed is possible, but only with guardrails
Embedding security and privacy is not what slows innovation. Confusion, rework, and incidents slow innovation. The answer is clear boundaries, clear accountability, and controls that keep pace with adoption.
In marketing, relevance and proof beat hype
Buyers calibrate fast. AI messaging has to be specific, tied to outcomes, and backed by customer evidence. Credibility is built peer to peer, not through louder claims.

Resources Mentioned

The Secret to Digital Transformation is Human Connection by Margaret Dawson: https://devops.com/the-secret-to-digital-transformation-is-human-connection/
INTERVIEW: SUSE CMO Margaret Dawson on AI, Kubernetes & Open Source | KubeCon + CloudNativeCon NA 2025: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUcEl3hfvG8
ClearTech Loop: AI Security Needs Better Execution with Zach Lewis: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2248577

AI Security Needs Better Execution with Zach Lewis (CIO/CISO | Author, Locked Up)

Thu, 12 Feb 2026 02:00:00 -0500

AI security is getting marketed like it requires a brand-new playbook—new frameworks, new job titles, new spend.

In this episode of ClearTech Loop, Jo Peterson sits down with Zach Lewis (CIO/CISO and author of Locked Up) for a practical reset: AI doesn’t erase the fundamentals—it punishes you faster when you ignore them. Zach breaks down where GenAI is already helping security programs today (especially tabletop exercises and prioritization), what it actually takes to embed security and privacy into AI models without slowing innovation (data classification, access controls, segmentation, documentation, least privilege), and why adoption fails when leaders treat AI like a tool rollout instead of a behavior change.

The takeaway is simple and actionable: get the foundations right, use AI to reduce friction where it matters, and build a culture where AI augments people rather than creating fear.

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Key Quotes

“Strong AI security… starts with doing the basics well.” — Zach Lewis

“One of the best use cases I found for it was tabletop exercises.” — Zach Lewis

“You had a billion alerts… and you’re like, which one’s important?” — Jo Peterson

Three Big Ideas from This Episode

1) AI security is data discipline + access discipline

Before you talk tools, talk foundations: classify data before it touches a model, segment critical workloads, gate access by role and sensitivity, document prompts/sources/model versions, and enforce least privilege with ongoing testing and validation.

2) GenAI can make readiness more real (tabletop exercises)

Instead of running the same scripted scenario every year, GenAI can generate realistic incidents, inject curveballs, and help teams identify missed actions—turning tabletops into a real maturity-building loop.

3) Adoption is a leadership problem, not a platform problem

AI initiatives stall when people are afraid or unsupported. Training, shared use cases, and visible wins (time saved, friction removed) create a safe environment where AI augments work rather than threatening it.

📘 Zach’s book: Locked Up: Cybersecurity Threat Mitigation Lessons from a Real-World LockBit Ransomware Response https://www.amazon.com/Locked-Cybersecurity-Mitigation-Real-World-Ransomware/dp/1394357044

Resources Mentioned

ClearTech Loop with Michael Machado AI Risk is Mostly Not New:https://www.buzzsprout.com/2248577/episodes/18535354-ai-risk-is-mostly-not-new-with-michael-machado
Locked Up by Zach Lewis is available: https://www.amazon.com/Locked-Cybersecurity-Mitigation-Real-World-Ransomware/dp/1394357044
NIST AI Risk Management Framework: https://www.nist.gov/itl/ai-risk-management-framework
MITRE ATT&CK Framework: https://attack.mitre.org/

Governance Is a Catalyst in AI Security with Stefano Righi (AMI)

Tue, 10 Feb 2026 01:00:00 -0500

AI is speeding up both attackers and defenders. The goal is not speed alone. The goal is speed with trust.

In this episode of ClearTech Loop, Jo Peterson sits down with Stefano Righi, Chief Security Architect at American Megatrends, for a hot take conversation on what AI is changing inside security programs. Stefano breaks down how GenAI can move teams beyond reactive, tool centric security into anticipatory defense through predictive threat modeling, dynamic risk assessment, and orchestration. He also explains what secure by design means for AI systems, including privacy, adversarial resiliency, prompt injection, and data poisoning, plus why human oversight still matters. The conversation closes on firmware security below the operating system and why governance aligned to standards becomes an accelerator, not paperwork.

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Key Quotes

“Governance may act as a catalyst, not as a brake to innovation, enabling innovation while ensuring trust.” — Stefano Righi
“From the very start, we need to pursue secure by design for AI model… build privacy and adversarial resiliency into AI life cycles… mitigate risk like prompt injection and data poisoning without slowing innovation.” — Stefano Righi
“Firmware runs under the operating system, and any attack that could happen at such layer could go undetected by any antivirus solution running in the operating system.” — Stefano Righi

Three Big Ideas from This Episode

Governance accelerates trusted AI adoption
Governance is not paperwork. Done right, it enables innovation while ensuring trust, and it must be cross functional rather than owned by security alone.
Secure by design has to include AI systems
Privacy and adversarial resiliency belong in the AI lifecycle from the start, with attention to risks like prompt injection and data poisoning, plus human oversight to ensure compliance and prevent misuse.
Firmware is a visibility blind spot below the OS
Platform layers from microcode to BIOS to BMC to Root of Trust create real complexity, and attacks below the OS can bypass controls that security leaders rely on for visibility.

Episode Notes / Links

🎧 Listen: In player above
▶ Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/wXOf6erkQ6k
📰 Subscribe to the Newsletter:
https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7346174860760416256/

Resources Mentioned

ClearTech Loop: The CSA AI Safety Initiative with George Finney https://cleartechresearch.com/the-csa-ai-safety-initiative-with-george-finney/
NIST AI Standards: https://www.nist.gov/artificial-intelligence/ai-standards
OWASP guidance for AI: https://owasp.org/www-project-ai-security-and-privacy-guide/
CSA: How Generative AI is Reshaping Zero Trust Security https://cloudsecurityalliance.org/blog/2026/01/09/how-generative-ai-is-reshaping-zero-trust-security

From Tool-Driven Cyber to Adaptive AI Defense with Ryan Lutz

Thu, 05 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Cybersecurity has become a tool driven industry. Organizations buy platforms, stack controls, generate alerts, and ask humans to stitch it all together under pressure.

In this episode of ClearTech Loop, Jo Peterson sits down with Ryan Lutz to explore what changes when AI becomes part of the security workflow. Not as another console, but as an adaptive capability that helps teams interpret signals faster, prioritize more intelligently, and respond with more consistency when the volume is too high for humans to manage alone.

The conversation focuses on three real-world themes:
Why the SOC is the best initial use case for AI augmentation, how leaders should think about the inherent exposure that comes with more AI and more code, and why Ryan’s research on AI malware matters for building adaptive defensive responses.

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Key Quotes

“Cyber is a very tool driven industry… with the implementation of AI being generative, I think that we’re going to see AI being used more in a way that’s adaptive.” — Ryan Lutz

“In a setting like a SOC analyst… you have a ton of information coming in… millions of possible attack vectors… it’s very applicable to use AI… to generate a response very quickly and more efficiently.” — Ryan Lutz

“How should the CISO be thinking about AI adoption… from an organizational governance perspective, because you don’t want to be the Department of no.” — Jo Peterson

Three Big Ideas from This Episode

1) Adaptive beats tool-driven
AI helps security teams move beyond tool sprawl by accelerating interpretation, prioritization, and decision-making in high-volume environments.

2) The SOC is the natural first use case
SOC work is overwhelmed by inputs and possible attack paths. Ryan explains why AI can rank what matters, accelerate analysis, and suggest response paths quickly and efficiently.

3) Governance must guide adoption without killing innovation
More AI and more code creates more exposure. The leadership job is balance: govern the use and guide adoption without becoming the “Department of No.”

Episode Notes / Links

🎧 Listen: In player
▶ Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/-2mxfnCexjQ
📰 Subscribe to the Newsletter:
https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7346174860760416256/

Resources Mentioned

MITRE ATT&CK Framework https://attack.mitre.org/
NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) https://www.nist.gov/cyberframework
ClearTech Loop AI Only Works If Your Foundations Do: A Conversation with Dr. Anton Chuvakin https://www.buzzsprout.com/2248577/episodes/18211623-ai-only-works-if-your-foundations-do-a-conversation-with-dr-anton-chuvakin

From Reactive to Predictive in AI Security with Jen Waltz

Tue, 03 Feb 2026 05:00:00 -0500

Cybersecurity has been trapped in a reactive cycle for years: a new threat emerges, a new tool gets purchased, and teams get overwhelmed by alerts.

In this episode of ClearTech Loop, Jo Peterson sits down with Jen Waltz (Chief Information Security Officer at IMAJENATIVE) to unpack how generative AI can fundamentally disrupt that cycle—shifting the focus from managing tools to achieving strategic outcomes.

The conversation goes beyond “faster alerts” and gets practical about what’s changing right now:

Moving beyond alert triage into predictive threat hunting, including simulating adversary behavior and generating TTP playbooks—especially when paired with threat intel and MITRE ATT&CK data.
Upskilling SOC teams by using GenAI to reduce menial work, provide clearer remediation paths, and support more anticipatory defense postures.
Embedding security, privacy, and governance early so “secure-by-design” becomes a business enabler, not a speed bump.

Jen also gives a clear governance warning: as AI adoption accelerates, organizations must guide usage with approved tools and acceptable-use controls—especially to reduce the risk of sensitive data being dropped into consumer AI chat tools like ChatGPT.

If you’re responsible for security operations, AI strategy, or governance, this episode offers a grounded path for how to adopt GenAI without losing control.

👉 Subscribe to ClearTech Loop on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7346174860760416256/

Key Quotes

“Cybersecurity has long been trapped in this reactive cycle… generative AI… can fundamentally disrupt the cycle by shifting the focus from managing tools to achieving strategic outcomes.” — Jen Waltz

“The CISO no longer is this superhero defender of the perimeter. You have to become a business strategist…” — Jen Waltz

Three Big Ideas from This Episode

1. GenAI can break the reactive cycle—if teams target outcomes, not tools
Jen frames GenAI as an opportunity to move beyond buying more technology and instead shift security programs toward strategic outcomes and anticipatory defense.

2. Predictive threat hunting becomes practical with TTP playbooks + MITRE ATT&CK context
Rather than only prioritizing alerts, Jen describes prompting GenAI to simulate adversaries and generate playbooks—then connecting that to threat intel and MITRE ATT&CK data to anticipate attacker evolution earlier.

3. AI governance is a leadership mandate—and the CISO role expands
Jen argues the CISO must operate as a business strategist balancing innovation enablement with risk governance. That includes guiding internal AI use with hardened, approved tools and clear controls—without shutting down creativity.

🎧 Listen: Buzzsprout player above
▶ Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/EEf0eRdCfzg

📰 Subscribe to the ClearTech Loop Newsletter:
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Resources Mentioned

MITRE ATT&CK Framework: https://attack.mitre.org/resources/attack-data-and-tools/
NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF): https://www.nist.gov/cyberframework
ISO/IEC 27001 (ISMS):

AI Security Is Still Software Security with Nicolas Moy

Thu, 29 Jan 2026 05:00:00 -0500

AI is being embedded into enterprise tools faster than most organizations can govern it.

Productivity platforms, security systems, and development workflows now include AI capabilities by default, often without a single approval moment or clear ownership model.

In this episode of ClearTech Loop, Jo Peterson sits down with Nicolas Moy, Founder and CIO of LifeMark Financial and vCISO for Security Engineering at Halyard Labs, to talk about what AI security looks like in practice when it is treated as software, not as a separate discipline.

Nicolas shares how security teams are already using AI today to accelerate policy development, reduce operational noise, and support threat modeling earlier in the design and build process. The conversation also explores why governance is struggling to keep pace with employee behavior, especially as sensitive information enters AI systems without clear visibility into where data goes or how it is reused.

Rather than framing AI security as a future problem, this discussion focuses on what CISOs and CIOs are dealing with right now, and why accountability has to keep pace as AI compresses timelines across security and technology decisions.

If you are navigating AI adoption across security, development, and governance, this episode provides a grounded perspective on how to approach AI without losing control.

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Key Quotes

“For AI, it’s similar, it’s software, but there’s some new evolutions to it.”
— Nicolas Moy, CISSP, CCSK

“If my employee puts this confidential information into an AI chat system, where is that being shipped out to?”
— Nicolas Moy, CISSP, CCSK

Three Big Ideas from This Episode

1. AI security accelerates familiar risks rather than creating new ones

Treating AI as software brings it into existing security and DevSecOps practices earlier, rather than isolating it as a separate problem.

2. Governance is lagging behind real employee behavior

AI tools are being used inside normal workflows faster than policies and controls were designed to handle.

3. CISOs and CIOs must engage together earlier

AI security sits between architecture, data governance, and risk ownership, requiring shared accountability across roles.

🎧 Listen on player above.

▶ Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/MBVbyAE33e0
📰 Subscribe to the ClearTech Loop Newsletter:
https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7346174860760416256/

Resources Mentioned

OWASP Top 10 for Large Language Model Applications
https://owasp.org/www-project-top-10-for-large-language-model-applications/
OWASP AI Project
https://owasp.org/www-project-ai/
ClearTech Loop Episode: AI as a Digital Co Worker with Timothy Youngblood
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2248577/episodes/18509846-ai-as-a-digital-co-worker-with-the-experience-of-an-intern-with-timothy-youngblood L
Learn more about Nicolas NicolasMo

The CISO’s Job in AI Is Not to Stop the Wave, But to Shape It with Travis Farral, CISO at Archaea Energy

Tue, 27 Jan 2026 05:00:00 -0500

AI did not arrive through a single decision. It crept into enterprises through productivity tools, cloud platforms, security products, and SaaS applications that teams were already using.

Most organizations did not choose to adopt AI. They woke up and realized it was already there.

In this episode of ClearTech Loop, Jo Peterson sits down with Travis Farral, Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer at Archaea Energy, to talk about what that reality means for security leaders who are being asked to govern AI systems that are still evolving in real time.

Travis explains why AI cannot be stopped, only shaped, and why the real risk is not the technology itself but the lack of clarity around what is actually being deployed.

“This is not something that we’re going to be able to stop,” he said. “Even if we wanted to. It’s like standing in front of a tidal wave.”

The conversation covers:

Why “AI” has become a dangerously vague label
How the AI threat model is shifting toward training data, prompts, and model behavior
Why frameworks from NIST, OWASP, and MITRE already exist
Why fluency, not guidance, is the real gap
How CISOs can define guardrails without becoming the Department of No

If you are responsible for cybersecurity, data governance, or enterprise risk, this episode offers a grounded way to think about AI adoption without losing control of your environment.

🎧 Listen to the episode
▶ Watch on YouTube https://youtu.be/JyQ2mgg_hYw

📬 Subscribe to the ClearTech Loop Newsletter
https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7346174860760416256/

Key Quote

“This is not something that we’re going to be able to stop. Even if we wanted to. It’s like standing in front of a tidal wave.”
Travis Farral, CISO, Archaea Energy

Additional Resources

NIST AI Risk Management Framework Travis specifically called out NIST as one of the primary sources for understanding the risks and controls around generative and agentic AI: https://www.nist.gov/itl/ai-risk-management-framework
OWASP Top 10 for Large Language Model Applications When Travis talked about protecting prompts, inputs, and model interfaces, he was pointing directly at the kinds of risks OWASP is mapping for LLMs. https://owasp.org/www-project-top-10-for-large-language-model-applications/
MITRE ATLAS MITRE’s Adversarial Threat Landscape for AI is one of the frameworks Travis referenced when he talked about how attacks against models are different from traditional exploits. https://atlas.mitre.org/
ClearTech Loop with Dutch Schwartz Travis’s comments about guardrails, controls, and not being the Department of No connect directly to Dutch’s episode on pragmatic AI safety. https://cleartechresearch.com/bumpers-not-brakes/

AI Risk Is Mostly Not New with Michael Machado

Tue, 20 Jan 2026 05:00:00 -0500

AI has technically been around for years. What changed is not the math, it is the front door. Suddenly anyone in the organization can touch it, feed it data, and make decisions with it and that shift in accessibility is rewriting business risk.

In this episode of ClearTech Loop, Jo Peterson sits down with Michael Machado, CISO and Chief Data Officer at Hyland, to break down a calm, practical truth CISOs need right now. Most of the AI risk conversation is not new. The disciplines are familiar. Visibility. Data movement. Accountability. Audit trails. Resilience. What is different is the speed and the number of people who can now participate in risk without realizing it.

The conversation focuses on leadership realities, not hype:

Why there is risk in doing things and risk in not doing things
How AI accessibility changes governance pressure inside enterprises
Why governance should start with business goals, not tools
What it means to build an AI governance model that is multi department by design
Why CISOs should measure adoption and value signals, not only exposure

👉 Subscribe to ClearTech Loop on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7346174860760416256/

Key Quotes
“Waves of technology come. Cloud, SaaS, mobile, AI. The muscles we flex are things we have seen before.”
Michael Machado

“There’s a risk of doing things and a risk of not doing things, and it’s important to strike a balance when we’re having that conversation.”
Michael Machado

Three Big Ideas from This Episode

AI risk is not new, accessibility is
The models are not the headline. The fact that anyone can use them is. That changes how quickly data moves and how quickly decisions get made.
Governance starts with the business problem
Tool first governance creates policies that look responsible and work poorly. Start with the objective, map the data movement, then apply controls that support the mission.
Measure value analytics alongside risk analytics
It is not enough to track what could go wrong. CISOs also need visibility into whether tools are being used and whether adoption is producing meaningful value.

Episode Notes / Links
🎧 Listen in player
▶ Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/D-1-Ny4hlF0
📰 Subscribe to the ClearTech Loop Newsletter:
https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7346174860760416256/

Resources Mentioned
An Evolution of Defensive Security Operations: From Simple Detection to Modern SOC Automation https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/evolution-defensive-security-operations-from-simple-modern-machado-unctc/
NIST AI Risk Management Framework https://www.nist.gov/itl/ai-risk-management-framework
ClearTech Research Insights https://cleartechresearch.com

AI as a Digital Co-Worker With the Experience of an Intern with Timothy Youngblood

Thu, 15 Jan 2026 05:00:00 -0500

As AI becomes embedded across security operations and business workflows, organizations are confronting a new reality. AI is no longer just a tool. It is behaving like a digital co-worker acting on data, surfacing decisions, and influencing outcomes.

In this episode of ClearTech Loop, Jo Peterson sits down with Timothy Youngblood, a four-time Fortune 500 CSO and CISO, board member, angel investor, and adjunct professor, to explore what it really means to manage AI responsibly at scale.

Tim introduces a powerful and practical analogy: AI as a digital co-worker with the experience of an intern. Capable, fast, and eager, but not ready to operate without oversight, guardrails, and accountability.

The conversation looks beyond hype and focuses on leadership realities:

• Why AI capability is advancing faster than accountability models
• How AI agents quietly expand risk through data aggregation
• Why governance must be operational, not policy driven
• How oversight enables innovation instead of slowing it down
• What CISOs and executives must own as AI becomes embedded across the enterprise

If you are responsible for cybersecurity, risk, or enterprise technology strategy, this episode offers a grounded way to think about AI adoption without losing control.

👉 Subscribe to ClearTech Loop on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7346174860760416256/

Key Quotes

“That digital worker right now has the experience of a slightly experienced intern. And you wouldn’t let a slightly experienced intern go off on their own and start doing things without some oversight.”
— Timothy Youngblood

“I’ve been in this industry 30 years, and I try to make sure people can learn from all the mistakes I’ve made. And I’ve made many.”
— Timothy Youngblood

Three Big Ideas from This Episode

1. AI should be treated like a junior employee, not an autonomous system

AI can move fast, analyze data, and surface insights, but it lacks judgment and accountability. Treating AI as a digital co-worker reframes governance around supervision and responsibility.

2. Guardrails must exist before AI is deployed, not after

AI agents aggregate data and create new risk simply by combining systems. Governance applied after deployment documents exposure instead of preventing it.

3. Oversight is the control that enables sustainable innovation

Human review, scoped access, and accountability are not blockers. They are what allow organizations to experiment with AI without creating consequences they cannot unwind.

Episode Notes / Links

🎧 Listen: In player above
▶ Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/796uzmuBQE4
📰 Subscribe to the ClearTech Loop Newsletter:
https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7346174860760416256/

Resources Mentioned

AI’s Newest Employee: Who Bears the Burden of Your Digital Co-Workers
https://tdan.com/ais-newest-employee-who-bears-the-burden-of-your-digital-co-workers/

To Fix AI Governance, Stop Building It Backwards
https://www.reworked.co/digital-workplace/to-fix-ai-governance-stop-building-it-backwar

The CISO’s Role in AI Is to Lead the Risk Conversation with Mustapha Kebbeh, Chief Security Officer at UKG

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 05:00:00 -0500

AI adoption is accelerating across the enterprise, often faster than governance and risk models were designed to support. Boards want innovation. Business leaders want speed. Security teams are expected to manage risk in environments where the technology itself is still evolving.

In this episode of ClearTech Loop, Jo Peterson speaks with Mustapha Kebbeh, Chief Security Officer at UKG, about why the CISO’s role in AI is not to block innovation or own governance outright, but to lead the enterprise risk conversation that enables informed decision making.

Mustapha shares how CISOs can help organizations understand what is being protected, why it matters, and what level of risk the organization is intentionally accepting as AI adoption accelerates. He also explains why effective AI governance depends on early involvement, clear guardrails, and shared ownership across the enterprise.

👉 Subscribe to ClearTech Loop on LinkedIn:
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In This Episode, We Cover

Why AI does not create new risk, but accelerates existing risk
How the CISO role is evolving from control owner to risk leader
Why AI governance fails when security is brought in too late
The importance of early involvement and shared ownership
How governance enables informed decisions rather than documenting failure

Key Quotes

“Every cyber program is going to have risk.”

“But the most important piece in my mind is what is it that you are protecting.”

“The reason that’s really important is everything that touches data creates a risk management program.”

“Am I investing in the right risk.”

About the Guest

Mustapha Kebbeh is Chief Security Officer at UKG, where he leads global cybersecurity strategy, enterprise risk management, and architecture supporting more than 75,000 employees worldwide.

He has held senior security leadership roles at Brink’s, IBM, Vodafone, and CompuCom, and is known for building large-scale security programs that balance governance, resilience, and business growth. He also serves as a CISO Executive Governing Body Member and Co Chair with Evanta, a Gartner company.

🎧 Listen above
▶ Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/XxA0Uw3xll0
📰 Subscribe to the ClearTech Loop Newsletter:
https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7346174860760416256/

Resources Mentioned

Gartner: CISO FAQs on AI Governance and Cybersecurity Strategy
https://www.gartner.com/en/cybersecurity/cybersecurity-faqs

Webinar Replay: Building Trust Through Enhanced Security Measures (UKG)
https://www.ukg.com/learn/resources/webinar-replay/building-trust-through-enhanced-security-measures

ClearTech Loop: Simplifying Complexity in Modern Infrastructure with Dan DeBacker
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2248577/episodes/18455780

When the Market Converges with Dan DeBacker

Tue, 06 Jan 2026 05:00:00 -0500

The market is converging.

Networking, security, and cloud operations are no longer separate conversations. They are colliding at the operational layer, driven by hybrid environments, AI driven operations, and growing pressure to reduce complexity without losing control.

In this episode of ClearTech Loop Market Perspective, Jo Peterson sits down with Dan DeBacker, Chief Product Officer at Extreme Networks, to explore what this convergence looks like in practice and why simplicity, unified policy, and cloud design are increasingly inseparable decisions.

Dan shares how enterprises are grappling with operational friction created by multiple control planes and fragmented policy engines, and why the market is responding by collapsing domains into platforms. The conversation examines convergence not as a trend, but as a response to real operational pressure.

Through the lens of AI Enhanced Cloud Operations, the discussion focuses on how AI is tightening feedback loops, exposing hidden complexity, and forcing organizations to rethink how visibility, policy, and control operate across cloud and on premises environments.

If you’re navigating hybrid operations, policy sprawl, or the growing pressure to simplify without sacrificing sovereignty, this episode brings clarity to where the market is headed.

👉 Subscribe to ClearTech Loop on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7346174860760416256/

Key Quotes

“If you have to integrate and manage multiple UI experiences, multiple policies, multiple ways of doing things… that’s complexity. Our goal is to reduce friction by bringing those together.”
— Dan DeBacker

“When you talk about NAC policy, VPN policy, Zero Trust policy ideally they should not live in silos. The next evolution is a unified policy engine.”
— Dan DeBacker

“AI doesn’t tolerate fragmentation. The more intelligence we embed into operations, the more exposed complexity becomes.”
— Jo Peterson

Three Big Ideas from This Episode

1. Convergence is an operational reality, not a future state

The collision of networking, security, and cloud operations is happening because fragmented environments cannot keep up with AI driven decision cycles.

2. Policy is becoming shared operational infrastructure

Unified policy models are emerging as the connective tissue across access, security, and network operations, replacing siloed controls that slow response and increase risk.

3. Cloud and on premises now function as a continuum

Organizations are designing for flexibility and sovereignty by treating cloud as an experience rather than a location, applying consistent control across environments.

Episode Notes

🎧 Listen in player
▶ Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/75DciQR03DY
📰 Subscribe to the ClearTech Loop Newsletter:
https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7346174860760416256/

Resources Mentioned

Extreme Platform ONE Security: Accelerating Zero Trust and Simplifying Operations for Network Leaders
https://www.extremenetworks.com/resources/blogs/extreme-platform-one-security-accelerating-zero-trust-and-simplifying-operations-for-

From Reaction to Prediction in AI Security with Evan Kirstel

Wed, 17 Dec 2025 05:00:00 -0500

Security teams have spent years operating in reaction mode. Alerts fire, analysts scramble, and incident response often moves at human speed while adversaries move faster.

In this episode of ClearTech Loop, Jo Peterson sits down with Evan Kirstel to talk about how generative AI is changing that reality. Evan shares practical examples of how AI powered triage is shrinking incident response timelines from hours to minutes and why speed, when paired with better analysis and guidance, can fundamentally change outcomes.

The conversation goes beyond faster detection and digs into what this shift really means for security teams and CISOs:

AI is enabling analysts to move from reacting after the fact to predicting threats as they emerge.

Entry level SOC teams are being up leveled with remediation paths and decision support, not just alerts.

Security and privacy controls can be embedded into AI development early without slowing innovation, and in many cases, actually accelerating it.

And CISOs are being pushed into a broader governance role as AI becomes both a critical capability and a growing threat surface.

If you’re trying to understand how AI is reshaping security operations today and what leaders need to be thinking about next, this episode brings clarity to the conversation.

👉 Subscribe to ClearTech Loop on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7346174860760416256/

Key Quotes

“They can cut incident response times from hours to minutes. Just like an emergency room, minutes matter.” — Evan Kirstel

“I think this gives us a chance to really up level our more entry level SOC folks, and it gives them remediation paths. It doesn’t just find things, it gives solutions to the problem.” — Jo Peterson

Three Big Ideas from This Episode

1. AI powered triage changes the math of incident response

AI is compressing detection, analysis, and decision cycles. When response moves from hours to minutes, outcomes change and teams gain back control during critical moments.

2. Proactive security starts with better guidance, not just faster alerts

AI is helping teams predict and prepare, not just react. By offering remediation paths and context, it allows SOC analysts to make smarter decisions under pressure.

3. Governance becomes a core CISO responsibility in an AI driven world

As AI adoption accelerates, CISOs must balance speed with guardrails. Embedded security, privacy by design, and clear governance frameworks are now essential to maintaining trust and reducing risk.

Episode Notes / Links for Suzie to Fill Out

🎧 Listen: in the player above
▶ Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/BFkpNCOQfnw
📰 Subscribe to the ClearTech Loop Newsletter:
https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7346174860760416256/

Resources Mentioned

NIST AI Risk Management Framework https://www.nist.gov/itl/ai-risk-management-framework
The Evan Kirstel Show https://www.youtube.com/@EvanKirstel
ClearTech Research Insights https://cleartechresearch.com

Air Traffic Control for AI Security with Deputy CISO Aby Rao

Thu, 11 Dec 2025 05:00:00 -0500

AI has erased the perimeter. Security teams are no longer guarding walls — they’re managing airspace.

In this episode of ClearTech Loop, Jo Peterson sits down with Deputy CISO Aby Rao to unpack what AI security really looks like when threats move through models, APIs, agents, and identity flows instead of firewalls and fences.

Aby explains why security teams are at an inflection point:

No code and low code tools now let cyber teams build automation and identity workflows without relying on vendors.
AI development is outpacing AI literacy, creating a widening gap between capability and understanding.
And CISOs can no longer operate as castle guards — they must become bridges between high-velocity development and the governance functions responsible for responsible AI.

If you want to understand how CISOs should adapt to a boundaryless threat landscape — and what “air traffic control” for AI security actually means — this episode gives you the clarity you’re looking for.

👉 Subscribe to ClearTech Loop on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7346174860760416256/

Key Quotes

“We have to break out of this castle guard mindset and think of us as air traffic controllers.” — Aby Rao

“The pace at which AI development is taking place, it has outgrown AI literacy and AI education.” — Aby Rao

“If you’re not actively involving your CISO, you really need to. You’re short-changing yourself.” — Jo Peterson

Three Big Ideas from This Episode

1. AI gives cyber teams new power — and new ownership.
With no code and low code tools, teams can now build custom workflows and agentic processes on their own data. That freedom comes with long-term responsibility.

2. Security by design only works if AI literacy exists first.
You can’t embed privacy, fairness, transparency, or explainability if the team doesn’t understand AI fundamentals.

3. CISOs must become the bridge.
They now sit between fast-moving developers and governance leaders in legal, audit, privacy, fairness, and ethics — translating risk and keeping the entire airspace safe.

Episode Notes / Links for Suzie to Fill Out

🎧 Listen: on player above
▶ Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/7OSuAiLZCgo
📰 Subscribe to the ClearTech Loop Newsletter:
https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7346174860760416256/

Resources Mentioned:

NIST AI Risk Management Framework: https://www.nist.gov/itl/ai-risk-management-framework
CSA Trusted AI Course Materials: https://cloudsecurityalliance.org/education
“Pack a Room Full of Governors” https://www.linkedin.com/posts/abyrao_pack-a-room-full-of-governors-standing-activity-7401658932416528384-PFxH/
Previous Episode: AI Safety with Dutch Schwartz: https://cleartechresearch.com/bumpers-not-brakes/

AI Only Works If Your Foundations Do: A Conversation with Dr. Anton Chuvakin

Wed, 19 Nov 2025 05:00:00 -0500

AI is not a fix for a broken SOC. It exposes weaknesses you already have. In this ClearTech Loop episode, Jo Peterson talks with Dr. Anton Chuvakin — Senior Security Staff in Google Cloud’s Office of the CISO and one of the most respected voices in SOC modernization — about what “AI readiness” really means and why most teams are nowhere near it.

You’ll hear about:

• Why AI accelerates process debt instead of compensating for it
• The two forms of shadow AI already inside every enterprise
• The five foundations of an AI ready SOC: data quality, ownership, interoperability, probabilistic thinking, and metrics
• Why governance has to move at the speed of experimentation, not quarterly reviews
• How to evaluate AI tools through use cases instead of marketing promises

Anton has spent decades shaping security operations — from coining the term EDR to defining detection and response strategies as a Gartner Distinguished Analyst. Today, he helps global enterprises build the structural maturity required before AI can add any value at all.

Subscribe to the ClearTech Loop Newsletter on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7346174860760416256/

Episode Description (Short):

Jo Peterson and Dr. Anton Chuvakin break down what AI readiness really requires and why most SOCs are not prepared for what AI will expose.

Timestamps

00:00 Intro and Anton’s background
01:15 Why AI exposes foundational weaknesses
03:45 Process debt and SOC workflow failures
05:20 Two forms of shadow AI inside enterprises
07:10 Data quality, ownership, and workflows
09:22 Five foundations of an AI-ready SOC
11:18 Why interoperability matters
12:40 Leaders and probabilistic thinking
14:05 Governance at the speed of AI
17:10 How to evaluate AI tools
19:25 Closing thoughts

About the Guest

Dr. Anton Chuvakin is Senior Security Staff in the Office of the CISO at Google Cloud. Previously a Research Vice President and Distinguished Analyst at Gartner, he has authored multiple books on security monitoring and log management and co hosts the Cloud Security Podcast.

Resources

Anton’s YouTube playlist
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iX5SvgMpS0s&list=PLkdSRxA6DyHtxH623M1WYuAYGpEXdvEqp

Google Cloud security best practices
https://cloud.google.com/security/best-practices

CSA AI Safety Initiative
https://cloudsecurityalliance.org/ai-safety-initiative

ClearTech Loop: George Finney on the CSA AI Initiative
https://cleartechresearch.com/the-csa-ai-safety-initiative-with-george-finney/

AI with Financial Intelligence: Turning Hype Into Measurable Value (with Ajay Patel, GM Apptio/IBM)

Sat, 08 Nov 2025 17:00:00 -0500

A practical framework for AI ROI: visibility, accountability, and value

Episode description / show notes

Last week, you probably caught my chat with Ajay Patel, GM of Apptio and IBM IT Automation. If you missed it, this episode breaks down how a layer of financial intelligence turns AI from experiments into measurable business value.

We walk through a simple framework that leaders can actually run with. First, visibility across every AI initiative and its real costs, including people, data preparation, governance, and change management. Second, accountability that ties projects to business objectives, not activity. Third, value that tracks both hard returns and soft returns so the story holds up with finance and the board.

Adoption and trust matter just as much. AI programs don’t stall for lack of models. They stall when people can’t trust the data or see the wins. Start with accurate, contextual data and repeatable outcomes. Build confidence with useful insights that remove busywork. Then let automation follow.

Listen in for what CIOs and CFOs need to align on the same page and move faster with less risk.

What you’ll learn

How to inventory AI initiatives and total cost drivers
How to link projects to measurable outcomes that matter
How to measure hard and soft ROI without hand-waving
How to build trust so automation becomes a natural next step

Key quotes
“AI starts with the productivity tool. It starts providing me rich insight and making smarter decisions. It starts taking away some of that mundane work, and you kind of walk into building that trust… till you get to a point where the user says, ‘I trust it — can you automate that action for me?’”

“What if you could have a series of financial experts available at your fingertips? That’s what enterprise financial intelligence is all about — building those experts from your own data so every decision gets smarter.”

Links
LinkedIn clip of the conversation: [add link]
ClearTech Research episode page: [add link]
Apptio and IBM IT Automation: https://www.ibm.com/apptio
Apptio FinOps Framework: https://www.apptio.com/solutions/finops/
Subscribe to ClearTech Loop: https://form.typeform.com/to/EESYYt4a

About the guest
Ajay Patel is the General Manager of Apptio and IBM IT Automation, leading Apptio, Turbonomic, Instana, and AIOps across hybrid environments. His leadership spans VMware, Oracle, BEA Systems, and Apigee. He focuses on using financial and operational intelligence to optimize technology investments and outcomes.

Chapter markers

00:00 Intro and why financial intelligence matters
00:23 Guest welcome
01:47 From AI hype to ROI
02:53 Financial intelligence vision inside the enterprise
04:58 The framework: visibility, accountability, value
06:39 Adoption, governance, and responsible AI
07:29 Data quality, trust, and building confidence
10:35 Fourteen years of customer data and lessons learned
11:04 Benchmarking, unit economics, and practical guidance
12:43 Closing and conference note

Hybrid Integration in the Era of AI: Real Enterprise Use Cases

Thu, 06 Nov 2025 05:00:00 -0500

Enterprises are not trying to modernize in a vacuum. They are running mission-critical workloads on mainframes and ERPs, while also deploying cloud apps, SaaS platforms, and mobile services at scale. Now leaders are expected to layer in AI without disrupting operations.

Hybrid integration is how they do it.

In this ClearTech Loop special edition sponsored by IBM webMethods, Jo Peterson breaks down real-world integration patterns and what IT leaders need to enable AI-ready operations across legacy, cloud, and SaaS environments.

Topics include:

Modernizing legacy systems without disruption
Wrapping core systems with APIs for real-time access
Connecting cloud platforms and on-prem applications
Managing event-driven automation and data unification
Treating APIs as digital products with governance and scale
Why a hybrid control plane matters for AI outcomes

Hybrid integration is not a temporary bridge. It is the operating model for the AI era.

Links & Resources

Learn more about webMethods Hybrid Integration: https://ibm.biz/Bde6n2
Start a free 30-day trial: https://ibm.biz/Bde6nf

Subscribe to the ClearTech Loop newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7346174860760416256/
Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/3_2ZTq-jdmM

Guest

Jo Peterson
Chief Analyst, ClearTech Research
VP of Cloud and Security Services, Clarify360

Sponsored by

IBM webMethods Hybrid Integration

Short Preview Copy
Hybrid integration is how enterprises modernize without disruption. Jo Peterson explains real-world use cases and why webMethods is becoming core to AI-ready architecture.

Guardrails for Growth: AI in Regulated Industries

Tue, 04 Nov 2025 05:00:00 -0500

How do you enable AI inside one of the most highly regulated industries on the planet — without slowing the business or attracting regulatory heat?

In this episode, veteran financial-services CISO Parrish Gunnels joins Jo Peterson to break down the real playbook for operationalizing AI in banking environments.

This isn’t theory. It’s where risk appetite, regulation, and revenue meet reality.

We cover:

Why “turn off AI” was a knee-jerk — and why it can’t last
Moving from prohibition to auditable enablement
How financial-services CISOs model AI-risk in dollars
Why human-in-the-loop is still non-negotiable
Designing paved roads that stop Shadow AI
The 90-day maturity model for regulated AI adoption
Culture, training, and trust as the real control surface

“There isn’t a great model for ROI in security… I think of it as downtime, reputational risk, lost revenue, and the cost of fines per record.” — Parrish Gunnels

If you’re in a regulated space — banking, healthcare, insurance, public sector — and trying to balance innovation with compliance, this one’s your blueprint.

🎧 Subscribe to stay in The Loop
🔗 Connect with Parrish on LinkedIn
🔗 Follow Jo for more executive AI + cyber insights

See you in the Loop.

Talk Dollars, Not FUD: The CISO’s New Mandate

Tue, 28 Oct 2025 05:00:00 -0400

Episode Description:
In this episode of ClearTech Loop, Jo Peterson sits down with John Carse, Field CISO at SquareX and former CISO at Dyson and Rakuten, to talk about why modern CISOs must move beyond fear, uncertainty, and doubt — and start quantifying risk in business terms.

Carse explains how two levers — risk appetite and budget alignment — determine every security decision, and why the browser has become the new edge of enterprise risk. From AI prompt attacks to malicious extensions, Carse offers a practical blueprint for translating security posture into measurable business impact.

🎧 Listen to the full episode: ADD LINK
📬 Stay in the Loop: Subscribe for new episodes and resources — ADD LINK

Key Topics Covered:

Why “talking dollars, not FUD” earns board trust
The connection between risk appetite and budget allocation
The browser as the modern enterprise perimeter
How the Field CISO role bridges business and technology
Practical ways CISOs can quantify risk and value

About the Guest:
John Carse is a three-time CISO and currently serves as Field CISO at SquareX, helping enterprises defend against browser-based threats and translate security strategy into business impact. His previous roles include CISO positions at Dyson and Rakuten and security leadership at Expedia and JPMorgan Chase.

Additional Resources

The Integration Imperative: Why AI Starts (and Succeeds) With webMethods Hybrid Integration | ClearTech Loop x IBM

Thu, 23 Oct 2025 00:00:00 -0400

AI doesn’t fail because of bad models — it fails because of broken connections. Jo Peterson and David Linthicum unpack how IBM’s webMethods Hybrid Integration unites data, applications, and automation for AI that actually delivers.

Episode Description:

When it comes to AI success, it’s not just about the model — it’s about the movement of data.

In this episode of ClearTech Loop, Jo Peterson sits down with David Linthicum, Chief Analyst at Linthicum Research, to discuss why AI can’t scale without a strong integration backbone — and how IBM’s webMethods Hybrid Integration is changing that conversation.

They explore:

The five major challenges facing enterprise architects today
Why AI fails without connected systems
How webMethods Hybrid Integration bridges on-prem and cloud environments
The shift from integration as “plumbing” to integration as “infrastructure”
Real-world examples of companies modernizing safely and quickly

David breaks down the patterns and pitfalls of enterprise integration — and why solving them is the foundation for secure, sustainable AI growth.

Guest:

David Linthicum
Chief Analyst, Linthicum Research

Host:

Jo Peterson
Chief Analyst, ClearTech Research

Subscribe to ClearTech Loop Newsletter: https://form.typeform.com/to/EESYYt4a

Bumpers, Not Brakes: Pragmatic AI Safety with Dutch Schwartz

Tue, 21 Oct 2025 05:00:00 -0400

AI safety isn’t about slowing innovation — it’s about steering smarter. In this episode of ClearTech Loop, Jo Peterson sits down with Dutch Schwartz, Vice President of Cloud Services and fractional CISO at SideChannel, to talk about how CISOs can keep delivery velocity while adding the guardrails that actually reduce risk.

Dutch shares real-world lessons from the Cloud Security Alliance’s AI Safety Initiative — where both he and Jo serve as members — and explains how pre-approved AI patterns and identity governance are key to responsible innovation.

“It’s not about slamming on the brakes; it’s about putting up bumpers so you can move fast without ending up in the gutter.”
— Dutch Schwartz

If you’re leading AI adoption inside your organization, this episode breaks down how to build controls that accelerate outcomes, not bureaucracy.

Timestamps

00:00 – Intro: What ClearTech Loop is and who Dutch Schwartz is
01:27 – Dutch’s background and role at SideChannel
03:13 – The “chaos manager” mindset in cybersecurity
04:13 – What makes the CSA AI Safety Initiative different
05:57 – How early AI adoption mirrors cultural waves
06:37 – The “bumpers, not brakes” analogy explained
08:15 – Why non-human identities will define the next phase of AI governance
10:02 – Translating CSA frameworks into practical, recoverable steps
12:15 – The quick hits CISOs need today
13:18 – Jo’s closing reflections and invitation to continue the conversation

Resources & Links

CSA AI Safety Initiative: https://cloudsecurityalliance.org/ai-safety-initiative
CSA White Paper: AI Matrix Controls
Previous Episode: The CSA AI Safety Initiative with George Finney
Related Read by Dutch: Securing generative AI: Applying relevant security controls

Guest: Dutch Schwartz — VP of Cloud Services and fractional CISO at SideChannel

Host: Jo Peterson — Chief Analyst, ClearTech Research

CTA Footer: ClearTech Loop is where AI, cloud, and security intersect — hosted by Jo Peterson.

New episodes drop weekly.
See you in the Loop.

The CSA AI Safety Initiative with George Finney

Tue, 14 Oct 2025 05:00:00 -0400

AI is moving fast — and the frameworks to secure it are racing to keep up.

In this episode of ClearTech Loop, Jo Peterson sits down with George Finney, Chief Security Officer for the University of Texas System and Co-Chair of the Cloud Security Alliance (CSA) AI Safety Council), to unpack the CSA AI Safety Initiative — a global effort to build practical guardrails for AI adoption.

They cover:

Why the CSA is leading the charge on AI safety
How the AI Controls Matrix and “AI firewalls” help organizations evaluate tools responsibly
What third-party AI risk looks like in the enterprise stack
Why CISOs must have a voice in shaping AI governance

If you’re a CISO, IT leader, or practitioner navigating the AI wave, this conversation connects the dots between security frameworks and real-world implementation.

Listen now — and find out how the same group that defined cloud security standards is laying the foundation for AI.

Resources Mentioned

Project Zero Trust — George Finney
Rise of the Machines: A Project Zero Trust Story — George Finney
Also available as an audiobook on Amazon and Audible, narrated by Daniel Thomas May — best known for his role in The Walking Dead.
Cloud Security Alliance – AI Safety Initiative
CSA AI Controls Matrix

About ClearTech Loop

ClearTech Loop brings together the voices shaping what’s next in cloud, AI, and cybersecurity. Hosted by Jo Peterson, Chief Analyst at ClearTech Research, each episode delivers real conversations with practitioners who are redefining the technology landscape.

Follow The ClearTech Loop on LinkedIn for new episodes, industry analysis, and insights from ClearTech Research: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7346174860760416256/

Stay in the Loop

Want more than a thirty-minute listen? Join the ClearTech Loop subscriber community.

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Your data stays private. We analyze AI — not you.

Hybrid Integration: The Foundation of Full-Stack Automation | Jo Peterson | ClearTechLoop

Wed, 08 Oct 2025 08:00:00 -0400

Jo Peterson explores why hybrid integration is now the foundation of full-stack automation — and how a unified platform helps IT leaders manage complexity, connect data across environments, and scale AI initiatives securely. Featuring insights on IBM webMethods Hybrid Integration.

Episode Description

Today’s enterprise runs everywhere — cloud, on-prem, SaaS, and edge. The real challenge isn’t connecting systems; it’s keeping control, visibility, and governance while doing it.

In this special edition of ClearTech Loop, Jo Peterson unpacks:

What hybrid integration really means in practice
Why a unified integration platform is essential for automation at scale
How AI depends on hybrid integration for real-time, trusted data
Where IBM webMethods Hybrid Integration fits into the modern enterprise tech stack

Want to learn more about how hybrid integration supports resilient, AI-driven automation?

Learn more → https://ibm.biz/Bde6n2
Start your free 30-day trial → https://ibm.biz/Bde6nf

🎥 Watch on YouTube → https://youtu.be/EhB6jn2-_sM
📩 Subscribe to ClearTech Loop on LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7346174860760416256/

Episode Notes (extended)

Hybrid integration isn’t just a technical upgrade — it’s a strategic necessity for full-stack automation.

It unifies APIs, data pipelines, and event streams into a single governance framework.
It ensures consistent policy enforcement and observability across hybrid and multi-cloud deployments.
It’s the backbone that lets AI systems access data securely, reliably, and at scale.

IBM’s webMethods Hybrid Integration offers a hybrid control plane purpose-built for this challenge — connecting innovation with infrastructure and giving organizations the flexibility to modernize without losing control.

The CISO’s Financial Reality Check: Building Security That Pays for Itself

Tue, 07 Oct 2025 05:00:00 -0400

In this episode of ClearTech Loop, Jo Peterson sits down with Bil Harmer, Founder & CEO of Killswitch Advisory, to explore a topic every security leader wrestles with — how to make cybersecurity pay for itself.

Harmer brings more than two decades of experience leading programs for startups, governments, and global financial institutions. He’s blunt, practical, and focused on one truth: cybersecurity isn’t a cost center — it’s a financial model.

Jo and Bil break down what that means for CISOs under pressure to do more with less:

Why security is a cost of survival, not safety
How to redefine cyber risk as financial risk
Why governance now starts with procurement
What “acceptable loss” really looks like in practice
How to spot hidden AI clauses in your SaaS contracts before your data trains someone else’s model

This episode cuts past the theory and gets into the business side of cybersecurity — where financial fluency is now just as important as technical skill.

🎧 Listen to the full episode here.
💌 Subscribe to the ClearTech Loop newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7346174860760416256/

The CISO’s AI Dilemma: Shadow AI, Survival Moves, and Governance with Josh Copeland

Tue, 30 Sep 2025 05:00:00 -0400

CISOs are being asked to do two things at once: deploy AI faster and guarantee it won’t backfire. In this ClearTech Loop episode, Jo Peterson talks with Josh Copeland — cybersecurity executive, professor, and author of Unpopular Opinion — about how to balance speed and safety in AI adoption.

You’ll hear about:

Four AI “survival moves” CISOs can use now: hypothesis testing, knowledge synthesis, contextualized decision-making, and creativity catalysts.
Why Josh rates shadow AI an “eight out of ten” risk — and what CISOs can do to govern it instead of chasing it underground.
How to embed explainability, human oversight, and resilience into AI systems from the start.
Why every enterprise needs an AI Incident Response playbook before scaling.

Josh brings 25+ years of experience spanning federal, state, and commercial sectors. He’s also the author of Unpopular Opinion: Burning Down the Bullsh*t to Rebuild Cybersecurity.

Subscribe to the ClearTech Loop Newsletter on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7346174860760416256/

Episode Description (Short):
Jo Peterson and Josh Copeland break down the CISO’s AI dilemma: how to move fast on AI adoption without breaking trust.

The Evolution of Full Stack Automation in the AI Era | Jo Peterson | ClearTech Loop

Wed, 24 Sep 2025 05:00:00 -0400

Summary

Jo Peterson explores how a full stack approach to automation — powered by a hybrid control plane and AI — helps IT leaders cut through fragmentation and build an AI-ready foundation. Featuring insights on IBM webMethods Hybrid Integration.

Episode Description

Enterprise IT is more fragmented than ever — siloed apps, processes, and clouds that don’t talk to each other. The result? manual workarounds and architectures that can’t keep pace with business demand.

In this ClearTech Loop special edition, Jo Peterson explores:

What a full stack approach to automation looks like in practice
Why a hybrid control plane is critical for IT leaders
How agentic AI is changing the automation playbook
Where IBM webMethods Hybrid Integration fits into this strategy

Want to learn more about this evolution and what challenges webMethods Hybrid Integration can solve for you and your team today?

Learn more here: https://ibm.biz/Bde6n2 and sign up for your FREE 30- day trial today: https://ibm.biz/Bde6nf

🎥 Watch on YouTube → https://youtu.be/mfSCSPukOds
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Episode Notes

Automation isn’t just about speeding up processes — it’s about creating a cohesive, AI-ready foundation that can scale.
Hybrid and multicloud deployments are creating complexity that requires centralized governance.
Agentic AI is pushing enterprises beyond reactive prompts to autonomous systems that take on complex workloads.
IBM’s webMethods Hybrid Integration offers a hybrid control plane designed to unify governance across environments and support this next wave of automation.

The CISO Role in the Age of Generative AI with Rob May

Tue, 23 Sep 2025 05:00:00 -0400

AI isn’t just another shiny tool — it’s a catalyst to rethink how we secure and govern our organizations.

In this ClearTech Loop episode, Jo Peterson sits down with Rob May — Executive Chairman of ramsac, UK Cybersecurity Ambassador, and author of Harnessing AI and The Human Firewall.

Rob shares a practical playbook for CISOs navigating AI adoption:

Reframe the Role of AI: Treat it as assistive intelligence — a thought partner that changes the questions you ask, not just a productivity add-on.

Red Team Smarter: Use generative AI to simulate likely attack paths in your environment so you can adjust defenses before alerts ever fire.

Build Security In: Stop bolting security on at the end. Embed privacy checklists, automated testing, and audit trails directly into the AI development lifecycle.

Govern with Confidence: CISOs must own the narrative around visibility, accountability, data use, and explainability. AI is both a defense multiplier and a governance responsibility.

If you’ve been wondering how to balance AI innovation with trust, or how to expand your CISO mandate without slowing your teams down, this episode is for you.

Watch the full conversation + subscribe to our LinkedIn newsletter here: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7346174860760416256/

Key Quotes

“Don’t think of it as artificial intelligence. Think of it as assistive intelligence.” — Rob May

“When security and AI teams work side by side, you don’t slow down innovation — you accelerate trust in the outcomes.” — Rob May

“AI can be both a force multiplier and a new category of risk. The CISO’s role is to maximize the former and govern the latter.” — Rob May

Episode Notes

Listen: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2248577/episodes/17885925
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Tzf6dwfUh50
Subscribe to ClearTech Loop Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7346174860760416256/
Rob May’s books: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Rob-May/author/B078GYKHZJ

Resources mentioned:

Harnessing AI: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1915074252
The Human Firewall: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1915074236

Proactive AI Security for CISOs with David Linthicum

Tue, 16 Sep 2025 05:00:00 -0400

AI isn’t just a productivity tool — it’s a brand-new attack surface.

In this ClearTech Loop episode, Jo Peterson sits down with David Linthicum — cloud pioneer, five-time best-selling author, and leading voice on cloud and AI strategy.

David shares a practical roadmap for CISOs facing the reality of AI adoption:

Weaponize AI for Good: Use generative AI to simulate attacks on your own systems. Find the gaps before adversaries do.

Shift Security Left: Bake privacy and security into the first 20% of your AI/ML pipeline, not the last.

Rethink Incident Response: Static PDFs don’t cut it. Build AI-driven playbooks that adapt to your live environment.

Close the Governance Gap: Break down silos between DevOps and security. Shared responsibility doesn’t mean shared blame.

If you’ve been wondering how to hack yourself before the hackers do, govern AI adoption without slowing innovation, or stop incident response chaos before it starts, this is your episode.

👉 Watch the full conversation + subscribe to our LinkedIn newsletter here: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7346174860760416256/

The CISO Field Guide: Becoming Operator, Strategist, Storyteller with Mark Lynd

Tue, 09 Sep 2025 15:00:00 -0400

CISOs wear three hats in 2025: Operator, Strategist, Storyteller.

In this ClearTech Loop episode, Jo Peterson sits down with Mark Lynd — Head of Executive Advisory & Strategy at Netsync, globally ranked AI & Security Thought Leader, and author of Cyber War One Scenario.

Mark shares a practical field guide for CISOs navigating the complexity of AI adoption:

Operator: Shift SOCs from alert-chasing to question-asking. Measure time-to-decision, not tool count.
Strategist: Stop reinventing governance. Use paved roads with guardrails (NIST, ISO, vendor frameworks).
Storyteller: Boards don’t want tool inventories — they want proof you can protect the business. Translate cyber chaos into ROI and resilience.

If you’ve been wondering how to brief the board, govern shadow AI, or actually augment your SOC with AI (without burning out your team), this is your episode.

👉 Watch the full conversation + subscribe to our LinkedIn newsletter here: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7346174860760416256/

Episode Notes

🎧 Listen: [Buzzsprout embed auto-fills]

📺 Watch on YouTube: [insert link]

📰 Subscribe to ClearTech Loop Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7346174860760416256/

📘 Mark Lynd’s book Cyber War One Scenario: https://www.amazon.com/Cyber-War-Scenario-Mark-Lynd/dp/B0FH41GRHS

🔗 Resources mentioned:

AI Security Isn’t a Regex Problem — Lori MacVittie on Governing the New Threat Surface

Tue, 02 Sep 2025 11:00:00 -0400

Rules don’t scale. Architecture does. F5’s Lori MacVittie makes the case for putting security policy in the infrastructure—not the app—and for treating AI as its own threat surface. If your program is still chasing strings with rules, you’re already behind.

If your “AI security” strategy is a pile of brittle rules, you’re governing yesterday’s system. In this no-fluff conversation, Lori MacVittie argues for a structural fix: move policy and enforcement into the architecture where they can evolve without redeploys—then govern AI as a distinct threat surface (prompts, context, responses, completions, agents), not just another API.

She also shows how to use LLMs for what humans are bad at: fast pattern discovery. Her real-world example? A packet capture fed to an LLM surfaced a noisy IoT device in minutes—compressing mean-time-to-repair by skipping the rule-writing slog.

Reality check: AI adoption is outrunning AI security. If you’re still reactive, you’re late.

Quick explainer for non-practitioners: Regex (regular expressions) = rule-based string pattern matching; useful for forms, brittle against attackers who mutate text. Lori’s point: shift to semantic signals (meaning/behavior), not just string matches.

In This Episode

From rules to semantics: why regex won’t save you—and how AI helps detect semantic patterns of abuse.
Put controls in the architecture: keep secure coding by default, but move policy/enforcement/governance out of the app to avoid security debt and dev drag.
Govern the AI loop: prompts, context windows, responses, completions, agents—the surface is broader than APIs or the network stack.
Adoption vs. security: the Road Runner problem—AI is sprinting ahead of the controls.
Practical win: use LLMs to accelerate discovery in telemetry (e.g., packet captures) and cut MTTR.

Guest Bio

Lori MacVittie is a Distinguished Engineer & Chief Evangelist in F5’s Office of the CTO. She writes and speaks extensively on modern app delivery, AI-driven operations, and security governance.

Cybersecurity is a Business Risk, So Why are We Still Talking Tech?

Tue, 26 Aug 2025 15:00:00 -0400

Think your security strategy is airtight? Think again.

In this episode, Brad Moldenhauer — VP and CISO-in-Residence at Zscaler — lays out the brutal truth: most companies are underestimating the financial and existential risks lurking in their systems.

He’s not pulling punches.

From AI that predicts attacks before they happen to material risks that could bankrupt you overnight, Brad explains how the old-school view of cyber is blinding businesses to what really matters — and how to fix it before it's too late.

In This Episode:

Why your “cyber strategy” could trigger an extinction-level event
The business risk mistake even seasoned CISOs still make
How to stop spending $100 to fix a $5 problem
Why ignoring AI governance might be your last mistake
The one shift that turns CISOs into true executives

Why You Should Listen:
If you’re a CISO still talking controls instead of customers — you’re already behind.
This isn’t just another tech talk. It’s a wake-up call from one of the most strategic minds in cybersecurity.

Fake AI Won’t Innovate — It’ll Infect You

Tue, 19 Aug 2025 14:00:00 -0400

ClearTech Loop Ep. 8 with Rob Bair, CISO-in-Residence at Zscaler

Episode Summary
Cybercriminals are running fake AI startups — and users are downloading ransomware straight from what looks like “innovation.” In this episode, Rob Bair (Zscaler) breaks down how ransomware has gone corporate: polished websites, SEO poisoning, even English-speaking help desks guiding victims through payments.

This isn’t a hoodie-in-the-basement threat anymore. It’s a professionalized extortion business — and it’s moving at machine speed. Rob explains why defenders can’t win at human speed, why AI must be in the loop, and what CISOs should expect in the next 12–18 months.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

How ransomware crews are turning fake AI startups into bait
Why ransomware is now a professionalized industry with customer support
Why manual patching is dead — and what CISOs must do about it
The 12–18 month horizon for AI-driven cyber threats

About the Guest
Rob Bair is CISO-in-Residence at Zscaler, advising on emerging threats and resilience strategies. He also serves as an investor and advisor at Autonomous Cyber, a board member at Rebel Space Technologies, and advisory board member at ISARA Corporation and BOSS Controls.

Stop! AI Could Be Your Next Breach — Here’s Why

Wed, 13 Aug 2025 09:00:00 -0400

You think AI is protecting you.
It might actually be helping hackers.

V-CISO Danny Pastrana has seen it first-hand — AI tools deployed without guardrails can turn into a compliance nightmare, a data leak machine, and your fastest path to a breach.

In this episode, Danny rips the lid off AI hype and shows you where the real danger lives — and how to keep it from wrecking your business.

In This Episode:

The cyber insurance trap that could cost you millions
How hackers use AI to scale phishing and deepfakes
Why “human-in-the-loop” isn’t optional
The one mistake that turns AI from asset to liability

Why You Should Listen:

If your board is pushing for more AI without asking the right questions, this could be the most important 10 minutes you hear all year.

Because AI won’t just make you faster — it’ll make your mistakes faster too.

Translating Cyber Risk into Business Strategy | Robert Uno | ClearTech Loop Ep. 6

Tue, 05 Aug 2025 05:00:00 -0400

In this sixth episode of ClearTech Loop, Jo Peterson is joined by Robert Uno, Global CISO and Founder of Triden Group, to unpack what modern cybersecurity leadership really looks like—from AI governance to financial risk quantification.

This 10-minute episode continues The CISO Slant—a 10-part series that explores how today’s security leaders are navigating AI disruption, boardroom expectations, and digital transformation.

What we cover in this episode:

Why CISOs must evolve into business risk managers
The real business value of quantifying cyber risk
How governance, not just tooling, drives safe AI adoption

Guest: Robert Uno, Global Chief Information Security Officer, Triden Group
Host: Jo Peterson, Chief Analyst, ClearTech Research

Full episode page with transcript and takeaways: https://cleartechresearch.com/project/episode-6-the-ciso-slant-robert-uno-global-ciso-at-triden-group/

Subscribe to the newsletter:
https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7346174860760416256/

Topics:
cybersecurity, risk quantification, AI governance, business strategy, CISO, ClearTech Loop, Jo Peterson, Robert Uno

Tags/Keywords:
CISO, cybersecurity, AI risk, business leadership, cyber strategy, Robert Uno, ClearTech Loop, Jo Peterson, Triden Group

Episode Type:
Full Episode

Season & Episode Number:
Season 1, Episode 6

Custom Episode Webpage:
https://cleartechresearch.com/Cleartech-loop-podcast/episode-6-robert-uno

Architecting Resilient Cybersecurity at Scale | Stan Lowe | ClearTech Loop Ep. 5

Tue, 29 Jul 2025 17:00:00 -0400

In this fifth episode of ClearTech Loop, Jo Peterson sits down with Stan Lowe, CISO at the U.S. Department of the Interior, to explore how federal-scale cybersecurity transformation offers a blueprint for all modern enterprises.

This 10-minute conversation continues The CISO Slant—a 10-episode series on how security leaders are navigating AI risk, operational complexity, and leadership in the digital era.

What we cover in this episode:

Deploying Zero Trust architecture at scale
Why centralized security operations matter more than ever
How to rethink security in the age of AI and cloud complexity

Guest: Stanley Lowe, Chief Information Security Officer, U.S. Department of the Interior
Host: Jo Peterson, Chief Analyst, ClearTech Research

Full episode page with transcript and takeaways:
https://cleartechresearch.com/project/cleartech-loop-episode-5-stan-lowe/Subscribe to the newsletter:
https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7346174860760416256/

Topics:
cybersecurity, zero trust, AI security, federal cybersecurity, digital transformation, ClearTech Loop, Jo Peterson, Stan Lowe

Tags/Keywords
CISO, cybersecurity, zero trust, AI, federal IT, risk strategy, Jo Peterson, ClearTech Loop, Stan Lowe, U.S. Department of the Interior

Episode Type
Full Episode

Season & Episode Number
Season 1, Episode 5

Custom Episode Webpage
https://cleartechresearch.com/project/cleartech-loop-episode-5-stan-lowe/

Securing AI at Scale: Privacy, Trust & Growth | Mike Britton | ClearTech Loop Ep. 4

Tue, 22 Jul 2025 15:00:00 -0400

Episode Description / Show Notes
In this fourth episode of ClearTech Loop, Jo Peterson sits down with Mike Britton, CIO at Abnormal Security, to unpack the real-world challenges of governing AI, protecting cloud-native platforms, and building trust in fast-growth environments.

This 10-minute conversation continues The CISO Slant—a 10-episode series exploring how today’s security leaders balance innovation and risk.

What we cover in this episode:

How to implement secure, compliant AI programs
What CIOs must prioritize in high-growth cybersecurity teams
Why trust and privacy are central to platform security

Guest: Mike Britton, Chief Information Officer, Abnormal Security
Host: Jo Peterson, Chief Analyst, ClearTech Research

Full episode page with transcript and takeaways:
https://cleartechresearch.com/project/cleartech-loop-podcast-episode-4-mike-britton/

Subscribe to the newsletter:
https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7346174860760416256/

Topics:
cybersecurity, AI strategy, privacy, enterprise security, scale, ClearTech Loop, Jo Peterson, Mike Britton

Tags/Keywords
CISO, CIO, AI security, cloud security, privacy, risk, digital growth, Jo Peterson, ClearTech Loop, Mike Britton, Abnormal Security

Episode Type
Full Episode

Season & Episode Number
Season 1, Episode 4

Custom Episode Webpage
https://cleartechresearch.com/Cleartech-loop-podcast/episode-4-mike-britton

Risk Culture in Manufacturing: Aligning Security with Process | Thomas LaBonte | ClearTech Loop Ep. 3

Tue, 15 Jul 2025 16:00:00 -0400

In this third episode of ClearTech Loop, Jo Peterson speaks with Thomas LaBonte, CISO at Saint-Gobain North America, about the practical side of aligning cybersecurity with industrial operations.

This 10-minute conversation continues The CISO Slant—a 10-episode series on how security leaders are navigating AI risk, cultural change, and operational complexity.

What we cover in this episode:

How to embed security into industrial and operational technology (OT) environments
The cultural mindset shift needed to drive security ownership
Where risk, process, and communication intersect in complex organizations

Guest: Thomas LaBonte, Chief Information Security Officer, Saint-Gobain North America
Host: Jo Peterson, Chief Analyst, ClearTech Research

Full episode page with transcript and takeaways:
https://cleartechresearch.com/Cleartech-loop-podcast/episode-3-thomas-labonte

Subscribe to the newsletter:
https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7346174860760416256/

Topics:
cybersecurity, OT security, manufacturing, risk culture, process security, ClearTech Loop, Jo Peterson, Thomas LaBonte

Tags/Keywords
CISO, cybersecurity, manufacturing security, risk management, OT, business alignment, Jo Peterson, ClearTech Loop, Thomas LaBonte, Saint-Gobain North America

Episode Type
Full Episode

Season & Episode Number
Season 1, Episode 3

Custom Episode Webpage
https://cleartechresearch.com/Cleartech-loop-podcast/episode-3-thomas-labonte

Security as an Enabler: Board Communication & Cloud Risk | Scott Howitt | ClearTech Loop Ep. 2

Tue, 08 Jul 2025 06:00:00 -0400

In this second episode of ClearTech Loop, Jo Peterson sits down with Scott Howitt, Founder, SVH Cyber, to discuss how CISOs can help drive secure innovation rather than slow it down.

This 10-minute conversation continues The CISO Slant—a 10-episode series on how security leaders are navigating risk, cloud strategy, and board engagement in today’s enterprise environment.

What we cover in this episode:

How to position security as an innovation partner, not a roadblock
How to communicate cybersecurity priorities to the board using business language
How cloud transformation demands new governance and operating models

Guest: Scott Howitt, Founder, SVH Cyber
Host: Jo Peterson, Chief Analyst, ClearTech Research

Full episode page with transcript and takeaways:
https://cleartechresearch.com/project/cleartech-loop-podcast-episode-2-scott-howitt/

Subscribe to the newsletter:
https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7346174860760416256/

Topics:
cybersecurity, cloud strategy, board communication, digital risk, governance, ClearTech Loop, Jo Peterson, Scott Howitt

Tags/Keywords
CISO, cybersecurity, digital transformation, board engagement, cloud governance, business risk, Jo Peterson, ClearTech Loop, Scott Howitt, UL Solutions, enterprise security

Episode Type
Full Episode

Season & Episode Number
Season 1, Episode 2

Custom Episode Webpage

https://cleartechresearch.com/project/cleartech-loop-podcast-episode-2-scott-howitt/

CISO Playbook: Quantifying Cyber Risk & Governing AI | Stephenie Southard | ClearTech Loop Ep. 1

Tue, 01 Jul 2025 11:00:00 -0400

In this premiere episode of ClearTech Loop, Jo Peterson speaks with Stephenie Southard, Chief Security Officer at Baxter Credit Union, to explore what it really takes to lead cybersecurity in 2025.

This 10-minute conversation kicks off The CISO Slant—a 10-episode series exploring how modern CISOs are rethinking risk, AI, and leadership in a rapidly shifting landscape.

What we cover in this episode:

How to frame cyber risk in financial terms that resonate with executive leadership
How cybersecurity should be integrated into the broader enterprise risk model
How CISOs can govern AI—both internally and across third-party vendors

Guest: Stephenie Southard, SVP & Chief Security Officer, Baxter Credit Union Host: Jo Peterson, Chief Analyst, ClearTech Research

Full episode page with transcript and takeaways: https://cleartechresearch.com/project/cleartech-loop-podcast-episode-1-stephenie-southard/

Subscribe to the newsletter:

Topics: cybersecurity, AI governance, cyber risk, executive strategy, CISO leadership, ClearTech Loop, Jo Peterson, Stephenie Southard

Tags/Keywords

CISO, cybersecurity, cyber risk, AI governance, business strategy, enterprise risk, Jo Peterson, ClearTech Loop, Stephenie Southard, Baxter Credit Union, technology leadership

Episode Type

Full Episode

Season & Episode Number

Season 1, Episode 1

Custom Episode Webpage

https://cleartechresearch.com/project/cleartech-loop-podcast-episode-1-stephenie-southard/