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On the latest episode of Security Visionaries, we have all three co-hosts, Max Havey, Emily Wearmouth, and Bailey Popp, together to reintroduce themselves and talk about 2026. Together, they dig into the topics they gravitate toward, tips they’ve learned from past episodes, and some topics they’re hoping to cover in the year to come. Plus, stick around for a rousing game of Two Truths and a Lie to cap things off and get to know the hosts a little bit better.

 On the latest Security Visionaries podcast, host Emily Wearmouth invites Steve Riley back to demystify another key acronym in the AI world: MCP, or model context protocol.  They break down what MCP actually is, how it functions, and why it is critical to understanding AI interactions. From there, they pivot into a discussion about the critical security implications of MCP, covering the risks of unauthenticated servers and the necessity of building both an authorization layer and an external policy layer to ensure granular access, data security, and compliance as AI agents proliferate. As always, this conversation with Steve offers illuminating context and perspective on one of the key security terms going into 2026. You won’t want to miss it.

In this episode, host Emily Wearmouth welcomes back Steve Riley, VP and Field CTO at Netskope, to demystify CSMA: Cybersecurity Mesh Architecture. They dive into what CSMA is, how it's being evangelized by analysts, and its vital role in moving beyond a simple zero trust model to achieve continuous adaptive trust. Steve explains the industry friction holding back standardization and issues a call to action for technology buyers to demand CSMA-ready products from their vendors, prioritizing interoperability to improve security posture and reduce risk.

Host Max Havey digs into the world of agentic AI-enabled threats and cyber espionage with guests Neil Thacker, Global Privacy and Data Protection Officer at Netskope, and Ray Canzanese, Head of Netskope Threat Labs. Together they discuss a recent report from Anthropic about the first-ever reported agentic AI-orchestrated cyber espionage campaign, exploring why this report lacked key technical evidence and the potential motivations behind them. They also dissect the notion that AI is making existing attack techniques—like phishing and social engineering—more accessible and faster, and debate the likelihood of another agentic AI-driven data breach in 2026.

Host Emily Wearmouth is joined by Netskope's Chief Digital and Information Officer, Mike Anderson, and Chief Information Security Officer, James Robinson, to discuss the evolving, and often conflicting, mandates of CIOs and CISOs concerning AI adoption. They dive into how to identify high-impact AI projects, the security challenge of shadow AI, and the need for new security models, like Model Context Protocol (MCP), to manage agent-to-agent communication. Additionally, learn about the internal initiatives Mike and James help to drive, such as the "Promptathon" and "AI Ambassador" program, designed to bridge the gap between innovation and security, and get their top tips for both disrupting and defending your organization in the age of generative AI.

In this episode host Max Havey dives deep into the world of unified security with guests Sinead O’Donovan, VP of Product Management, Identity and Network Access at Microsoft, and Eliot Sun, VP of Product Management at Netskope. Eliot and Sinead offer their perspectives on how an ideal unified strategy brings together data, network access, and identity. Additionally, they dig into the topline benefits, key metrics, and how organizations need to evolve to make a unified strategy a reality. 

In this episode of Security Visionaries, host Emily Wearmouth and guest Samantha Swift delve into the world of BSides and CSides events. Samantha, who has experience as an organizer at BSides Lancashire, BSides Leeds, and BSides Newcastle, shares the origins of BSides, its community-driven ethos, and the unique aspects of these cybersecurity conferences. They also discuss the newer CSIDES initiative, which aims to bring cybersecurity knowledge to coastal towns, and the importance of fostering a welcoming environment for newcomers to the industry. If you’re interested in the way the broader cyber community brings in industry veterans and the “cyber curious” together, this episode is for you!

The 1995 film Hackers celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2025. To mark the occasion, host Max Havey sat down for a chat with guests Neil Thacker, Netskope's Global Privacy and Data Protection Officer, and Abby Olcese, Film Editor at The Pitch, to talk about the film and their relationship to it over the intervening three decades. Together they discuss why Hackers remains a cult classic, how Hollywood's depiction of cybercrime, cybersecurity, and cyberspace has evolved, and what modern depictions tell us about the world we live in.

In this episode of the Security Visionaries podcast, host Bailey Harmon speaks with Danyel Bischof-Forsyth, Chief Technology & Information Officer at 7 Brew Coffee. Danyel shares insights on managing aging infrastructure and modernizing systems without large budgets, drawing on her extensive experience at companies like Hallmark Cards and Tyson Foods. She discusses 7 Brew's rapid growth, the importance of a strong IT foundation, strategies for platform consolidation, and how the company ensures secure and seamless experiences for its dispersed franchisees. The conversation also touches on the cautious integration of AI and automation to maintain 7 Brew's unique culture and customer experience. You won’t want to miss this one!

Join host Emily Wearmouth for the very special episode of Security Visionaries recorded live at Infosecurity Europe. She's joined by Holly Foxcroft, Ian Golding, and Rich Davis to discuss the crucial conversations CISOs need to have with their CEOs this year. The episode dives into four key areas: cost, risk, innovation, and AI, offering insights and exploring the differing perspectives between tech leaders and CEOs.

On the latest episode of Security Visionaries, host Max Havey interviews Marcus Thompson, Director of Cyber Compass and former head of Information Warfare for the Australian Defence Force. They discuss the intersection of military and cyber defense, exploring how cybersecurity roles differ between military and civilian sectors, and the transfer of techniques and concepts. Marcus shares insights from his 34-year career in the Australian army, including lessons learned from cyber exercises and the importance of "cyber hygiene." The conversation also touches on international information sharing, the rising threat of cyber attacks, the role of AI in defense, and the responsibilities of both governments and private organizations in maintaining cybersecurity.

In this episode of the Security Visionaries podcast, host Emily Wearmouth chats with Netskope's Chief Scientist, Mark Day. They delve into the topic of AI, particularly large language models (LLMs), and why Mark believes they are "bullshitters." Despite this assertion, they discuss how these models can still be valuable and where AI truly shines within Netskope's systems. They also explore the difference between generative AI and agentic AI and touch on the future of AI and art. Expect a thought-provoking and slightly sweary conversation that challenges conventional views on artificial intelligence.

In this episode of the Security Visionaries podcast, host Bailey Harmon interviews Dan Whittingham, Enterprise Security Architect for Cyber Tooling at Rolls-Royce. Dan shares his extensive experience navigating the complex landscape of global compliance standards in the defense and aerospace industry. They discuss key regulations like Cyber Essentials Plus, NIST 2, ERSA, and CMMC, the challenges of balancing compliance with business needs, and Dan's advice for other security leaders. Tune in to hear insights on managing regulations, communicating with leadership, and the future of security in the age of AI.

In this special bonus episode, hosts Emily Wearmouth and Max Havey welcome new co-host, Bailey Harmon, to the Security Visionaries team. Listen in and get to know Bailey with this fun chat ahead of her upcoming first episode.

In this episode of Security Visionaries, host Max Havey and guest Savannah Westbrock, VP of Innovation at Coegi, discuss how to approach more security-focused roles when coming from a non-technical background. Specifically, they dive into the particulars of Savannah’s role and how security has become a big part of her role in enabling innovation in an increasingly AI-enabled world. Max and Savannah also dig into their shared journalism background and how that helps them to ask the right questions to best communicate and contextualize extremely technical topics. You won’t want to miss this lively and entertaining chat!