Secure Talk Podcast

90% of Twitter users are represented by only 3% of tweets. When you scroll through your feed and form opinions about what "people are saying" about politics, you're not seeing the voices of nine out of ten users. You're seeing the loudest, most extreme 10% who create 97% of all political content on the platform. In this episode of SecureTalk, host Justin Beals explores the "invisible majority problem" with Dr. Claire Robertson, Assistant Professor at Colby College. Together they examine how moderate voices have been algorithmically erased from our public discourse, creating pluralistic ignorance that threatens democracy itself. Dr. Robertson's journey began at Kenyon College during the 2016 election—a blue island in a sea of red where Trump won the county by 40 points but the campus precinct went 90% blue. Surrounded by good people who saw the same election completely differently, she dedicated her career to understanding how we end up living in different realities. Topics covered: * The psychology behind false polarization * How extreme voices get mathematically amplified * Why conflict drives engagement in the attention economy * The abandonment of scientific rigor in AI deployment * Research methods for understanding our digital public square * Resources: Claire E. Robertson, Kareena S. del Rosario, Jay J. Van Bavel, Inside the funhouse mirror factory: How social media distorts perceptions of norms, Current Opinion in Psychology, Volume 60, 2024, 101918, ISSN 2352-250X, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2024.101918. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352250X24001313)

The cybersecurity landscape just shifted permanently, and most organizations aren't ready. While CISOs struggle with alert fatigue from 40+ security tools, a new threat vector is emerging that makes traditional identity management obsolete: AI agents acting autonomously across enterprise systems. Join Secure Talk host Justin Beals for a critical conversation with Rishi Bhargava, the security architect who built Demisto into a $560M category-defining platform and now leads Descope in solving the next impossible challenge. This episode delivers actionable insights for everyone—from Fortune 500 CISOs managing complex threat landscapes to business leaders evaluating AI adoption risks. For Security Professionals, you'll discover: • How AI agent proliferation creates an "identity explosion" that traditional IAM can't handle • Why probabilistic AI systems require fundamentally different access controls than deterministic human users • Advanced WebAuthn and FIDO2 implementation strategies for zero-trust architectures • SOC2 compliance frameworks adapted for AI-human hybrid workflows • Real-world SOAR evolution lessons from the Demisto acquisition For Business Leaders, you'll learn:  • Why passwordless authentication directly impacts customer acquisition and retention  • The hidden costs of password-related support tickets and user drop-offs  • How early AI identity management adoption creates competitive advantages  • Risk assessment frameworks for AI agent deployment in sensitive environments For Everyone:  • Why your current passwords are a ticking time bomb in an AI-first world  • How biometric authentication actually works (and why it's more secure than you think)  • Practical steps to future-proof your digital security today Whether you're architecting enterprise security for thousands of employees or simply trying to understand why your login experience keeps getting more complex, this episode reveals the forces reshaping digital identity. The organizations that master AI agent authentication will lead their industries—those that don't risk catastrophic breaches and customer exodus. #CISO #AIAuthentication #EnterpriseIdentity #ZeroTrust #PasswordlessSecurity #CyberSecurityStrategy #IAM #BiometricAuth #SecurityCompliance #AIAgents

The most dangerous threats don't break down the door - they already have the keys. March 23, 2003, Kuwait: Command Sergeant Major Bart Womack was loading ammunition and watching Tiger Woods play golf at 1 AM when a grenade rolled into his tent. What followed was every leader's worst nightmare - discovering that one of your own had been planning to destroy you all along. This isn't just a military story. It's a threat to security we face everywhere. In today's world of workplace shootings, corporate espionage, and school violence, the statistics are terrifying: • Insider threats cause 60% of all security breaches • From Sandy Hook to Fort Hood - trusted insiders inflict maximum damage • Corporate employees steal billions in trade secrets annually • The average insider threat goes undetected for 85 days What makes this episode essential viewing: Real Combat Experience: CSM Womack survived two Bronze Star combat situations, including a firefight with North Korean forces in the DMZ The Diary Revelations: The attacker's own writings revealed: "Destroying America was my plan as a child" - written YEARS before joining the Army Life-Saving Strategies: The 6 proactive methods that could prevent workplace violence, school shootings, and corporate sabotage Universal Application: These hard-learned lessons apply to offices, schools, places of worship, and anywhere people gather The Shocking Truth: While 5,000 soldiers searched for "insurgents," the real enemy was wearing the same uniform, had taken the same oath, and was sleeping in the tent next door. Why This Matters to YOU: Whether you're a parent worried about school safety, a manager responsible for employee welfare, or simply someone who wants to protect your community - the warning signs are the same. Political polarization, social media radicalization, and workplace tensions create the perfect storm for insider threats. What You'll Learn: ✅ The "Trust No One" philosophy (and what it really means) ✅ How to implement "Observe, Listen, Report" in your environment   ✅ Why your gut instinct is your strongest security tool ✅ The evolution from belief → radicalized → extreme ✅ Real warning signs that leaders consistently miss CSM Bart Womack transformed his traumatic experience into a mission: preventing others from experiencing what he and his soldiers endured. His insights have protected countless workplaces, schools, and communities. The Bottom Line: In an era where conspiracy theories fuel real violence, where workplace tensions explode into tragedy, and where trusted insiders become active threats - these lessons could save your life. 🎖️ 29-year Army veteran, 101st Airborne Division 📖 Author of "Embedded Enemy"  🎤 Professional security consultant and keynote speaker 🔒 Insider threat prevention expert This episode contains discussions of violence and may not be suitable for all audiences. #InsiderThreat #WorkplaceSafety #SchoolSecurity #Cybersecurity #MilitaryStory #SecurityAwareness #ThreatPrevention #CorporateSecurity #NationalSecurity #CrisisManagement #SecurityLeadership #RiskManagement #EmergencyPreparedness #SafetyTraining #SecurityEducation Subscribe for more real-world security insights that could save lives. Your safety depends on what you don't see coming.

Machines Running Amok: We've Created More Than We Can Secure Twenty years ago, you could count the servers in your data center. Today, we've unleashed an army of digital entities that's spiraling beyond our control. For every human employee, there are 50-100 machine identities operating in your environment—containers, serverless functions, and automated processes that spawn and disappear by the minute. We've created more computing power than we have the ability to secure, and the machines are running amok. In this episode of SecureTalk, we dive deep into the invisible crisis affecting 91% of organizations: machine identity breaches. Join host Justin Beals and cybersecurity expert Oded Hareven, CEO of Akeyless, as they explore why password rotation is dead, how ephemeral computing is breaking traditional security models, and what revolutionary approaches like distributed fragment cryptography mean for the future of cybersecurity. What You'll Learn: • Why 85% of identity breaches now come from compromised machines, not humans • The fundamental mismatch between static security and dynamic infrastructure • How military-grade cybersecurity innovations are transforming commercial applications • Why the AI-quantum computing convergence is forcing us to rethink encryption • Practical steps toward "SSO for machines" and ephemeral security models Key Topics: * Machine identity management at scale * Zero-knowledge cryptography * Quantum-resistant security architectures * The evolution from static → rotation → ephemeral security * Building security that matches cloud-native infrastructure Guest: Oded Hareven, Co-founder & CEO of Akeyless. Timestamps:  00:00 Introduction to Cybersecurity and Machine Identities 04:37 The Evolution of Security Paradigms 09:30 Akeyless and Machine Identity Management 13:53 Zero Trust and Ephemeral Security 18:36 The Impact of AI and Quantum Computing on Security 23:19 Future Trends in Cybersecurity and Akeyless's Vision Resources: * Akeyless: https://akeyless.io * SecureTalk Podcast: www.securetalkpodcast.com #Cybersecurity #CloudSecurity #MachineLearning #QuantumComputing #DevSecOps #IdentityManagement #ZeroTrust

Open Source vs Commercial: How "Winning Culture" Has Made Us More Vulnerable | Greg Epstein Silicon Valley's shift from collaborative open-source principles to winner-take-all commercial dominance hasn't just changed business models—it's made us fundamentally more vulnerable. When companies prioritize winning everything over building secure, collaborative ecosystems, we all pay the price. But there's a profound irony: the more desperately these leaders chase absolute victory, the more they reveal themselves as losers of the most important game—building meaningful human communities. In this episode, Harvard and MIT Humanist Chaplain Greg Epstein explores how tech's false prophets have led us astray and, more importantly, how we might find our way back to building human-centered security that actually works. The strongest security has never come from building higher walls—it comes from creating ecosystems where everyone's success strengthens the whole. When we understand how to work together better, we all create better security. What You'll Learn:  • How winner-take-all thinking creates systemic vulnerabilities  • Why collaborative open-source principles build more resilient systems  • The hidden security costs of commercial dominance  • Practical strategies for building multi-stakeholder security  • How to shift from competition to collaboration in your organization Watch this episode to discover how changing your approach to teamwork and partnerships can dramatically improve your security posture. About Greg M. Epstein: Greg serves as Humanist Chaplain at Harvard University and MIT, and spent 18 months at TechCrunch exploring the ethics of companies shifting our definition of humanity. He's the author of "Tech Agnostic: How Technology Became the World's Most Powerful Religion, and Why it Desperately Needs a Reformation." Timestamps:  Chapters 00:00 The Corruption of Winning Culture 02:39 The Role of Community in Security 05:44 Navigating the Media Landscape 08:20 The Algorithmic Influence on Information 11:01 The Cult of Personality in Tech 13:44 The Messianic Figures in Technology 16:24 The Fall of Tech Prophets 19:15 The Importance of Losing 21:44 The Future of Technology and Humanity 24:29 The Need for Ethical Technology 26:56 The Role of Men in Modern Society 29:39 The Impact of AI on Society 32:15 The Cult-like Nature of Tech Culture 34:54 The Importance of Human Connection 37:43 The Future of Humanism in Tech 40:11 The Path Forward for Technology and Humanity #TechEthics #CommunityBuilding #DigitalSecurity #TechCulture #HumanistChaplain #SiliconValley #TechReformation