CyberBytes: The Podcast

AI vs. AI: Ocean's Fight Against Email Attacks

Shay Schwartz, CEO and co-founder of Ocean, joins us fresh off a $28M seed round led by Lightspeed to talk about the email security problem that's gone unsolved for years, and why AI has finally made it possible to crack it. Shay and his co-founder Oran spent years as nation-state operators building the exact attacks that today's tools can't catch. They started Ocean because they knew what a solution would need to look like, and they knew the technology to build it hadn't existed until now.In this episode, Shay breaks down why spear phishing has always gotten through, how AI has turned nation-state-level attacks into a commodity available to anyone, and how Ocean's agentic AI platform investigates every email in real time, eliminating the manual workload that's been burning out security teams for decades. We get into the customer stories, the AI vs. AI dynamic that Shay believes puts Ocean one step ahead of attackers for the first time, and what the next 12 months look like as they come out of stealth. Shay's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/shayshwartz/ Ocean - https://ocean.security/ Nina's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nina-korfias-39981311/ Aspiron Influence - https://www.linkedin.com/company/aspiron-influence/

The Future of Security Operations Is Agentic - Leen

In this episode, we sit down with Kabir Mathur, CEO and Founder of Leen, to explore how AI is fundamentally reshaping the future of cybersecurity operations. Since his last appearance on the show, Leen has evolved from building a security data fabric into creating an agentic AI platform designed to help security teams actually solve problems, not just generate more alerts. Kabir breaks down why security teams are drowning in fragmented tooling, how Leen’s context layer connects data across the entire security stack, and why trust and deterministic guardrails are critical for enterprise AI adoption. We dive into: * Why AI in cybersecurity feels “real” for CISOs in 2026 * The challenge of fragmented security data and operational overload * How Leen is using agentic workflows to automate remediation and security operations * The rise of AI-powered security programs beyond the SOC * Why context is the missing layer in enterprise security AI * Human-in-the-loop security automation and auditable AI decision-making * The future of non-human identities, AI governance, and security operations Kabir also shares insights from RSA, Leen’s rapid early customer traction, and his vision for how AI agents will augment cybersecurity teams over the next 12 months. A must-listen for security leaders, founders, practitioners, and anyone interested in the next wave of AI-native cybersecurity infrastructure. Kabir's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mathurkabir/ Leen - https://www.linkedin.com/company/leen-inc/ Steffen's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/steffenfoley/ Aspiron Search - https://www.linkedin.com/company/aspiron-search/

From 2x Founder to VC: What Actually Makes Startups Win - Runtime Ventures

In this episode, we’re joined by David Endler, 2x founder and now GP & Co-Founder of Runtime Ventures, a pre-seed and seed fund focused on cybersecurity.Recorded live at RSA 2026, Dave shares what he’s hearing directly from CISOs on the ground, from rising concerns around AI and “vibe coding” to how security teams are actually thinking about budget and priorities right now.We dive into his journey from security researcher to founder (with two successful exits), and now to investor, unpacking what’s changed in how he evaluates startups today.We cover:* What CISOs are really spending money on in 2026* How AI is reshaping security teams and creating new risks* What Runtime looks for in early-stage founders* The biggest mistakes first-time founders make* Why go-to-market is still the hardest part of building a cyber startupDave also shares the story that first got him into cybersecurity, and the surprising full-circle moment that happened just days before this recording.If you’re a founder, operator, or investor in cybersecurity, this is a must-listen on what it actually takes to build and back a winning company today.David's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidendler/Runtime Ventures - https://www.runtime.vc/Oliver's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/oliverlegg/Aspiron Search - https://www.linkedin.com/company/aspiron-search/

The Future of Security Training Is Personalised - Herd Security

This one’s been a long time coming.We sat down with Brandon Min, CEO and Co-founder of Herd Security, live at RSA 2026 to talk about why security awareness training needs a complete rethink. We get into: * The problem with compliance-led training * Why most employees disengage from security programmes * How Herd is using AI to personalise training at scale * The role of creativity in security teams * And how to actually drive behaviour change across organisations We also dive into Brandon’s background from Duo Security to building his second company, and the entrepreneurial journey that led him here. A great episode for anyone building, buying, or rethinking security programmes. Brandon's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandon-min-356ab290/ Herd Security - https://www.herdsecurity.io/ Oliver's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/oliverlegg/ Aspiron Search - https://aspironsearch.com/

The 14 Year-Old Dream That Led To An $18M Series A - Escape

In this episode, we sit down with Tristan, CEO and Co-founder of Escape, to explore the journey from a 14-year-old in France inspired by Steve Jobs, to building a fast-growing AI-driven cybersecurity company in the Bay Area. Tristan shares how his early background in machine learning and engineering led him into cybersecurity after witnessing a real-world breach firsthand, and how that moment sparked the idea behind Escape. We dive into the founding story, and the key lesson every technical founder needs to hear: building something impressive is not enough, you have to build something people actually want. We also unpack one of the most pressing shifts in cybersecurity today, the explosion of AI-generated code and the growing gap between developers, attackers, and security teams. Tristan explains how Escape is tackling this problem by embedding automated security directly into the engineering workflow, and why trust, speed, and signal over noise are critical for adoption. From “vibe coding” risks and real-world data leaks, to the future of AI in both building and attacking software, this is a conversation about the arms race shaping modern cybersecurity. If you are building, investing, or hiring in cybersecurity, this episode gives a clear view of where the market is heading next. Tristan’s LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tkalos/ Escape - https://www.linkedin.com/company/escapetech/ Steffen’s LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/steffenfoley/ Aspiron Search - https://www.linkedin.com/company/aspiron-search/