Let's Talk Cyber Ep19: Paradigm Shifts in Cyber Security
Host: Thomas McCarthy, CEO Cyber News Global
Guest: Jeremy Samide, Co-founder & CEO Blackwired PTE Ltd

Join host Tommy and guest Jeremy Samide, as they discuss the evolution of threat actors, the need for change in cyber defence, and the advantage of effective threat intelligence.

Contact ceo@cybernewsglobal.com if you have any questions about this podcast or others in the Lets Talk Cyber Series!

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In Episode 49 of Let’s Talk Cyber, Tommy is joined by James Mullins to discuss why organisations must move beyond traditional recovery thinking and embrace the growing importance of out-of-band resilience.
As ransomware, identity compromise, and destructive attacks continue to evolve, resilience can no longer depend on the same production channels that may already be compromised.
James shares strategic insights into how organisations can strengthen recovery through isolated communication paths, independent backup environments, offline validation processes, and secure recovery orchestration.
This episode explores why separation, trust boundaries, and recovery independence are becoming essential pillars of modern cyber resilience. These principles map directly to today’s leading resilience lifecycles, where detect → withstand → recover → adapt is now the standard operating model.
🎯 Key Talking Points
👉 Out-of-band resilience reduces single points of failure
👉 Recovery channels must remain independent from compromised systems
👉 Immutable backups and isolated recovery environments are critical
👉 Identity compromise can break traditional response workflows
👉 Secure communication paths are essential during crisis recovery
👉 Recovery validation must happen outside production trust zones

In Episode 48 of Let’s Talk Cyber, Tommy is joined by Malak Trabelsi Loeb for a powerful conversation on why organisations must fundamentally rethink cyber security beyond tools, controls, and compliance.
As digital ecosystems become more interconnected, cyber risk is no longer just a technical issue — it is a matter of trust, governance, resilience, and future-readiness.
Malak shares strategic insights on how leaders should approach cyber security in the age of AI, blockchain, smart systems, and quantum disruption, where trust must be designed into every layer of technology and decision-making. Her recent work consistently emphasizes proactive architecture, accountability, and quantum resilience as the next frontier.
This episode is ideal for CISOs, digital transformation leaders, policy advisors, and board executives shaping the future of trusted innovation.
🎯 Key Talking Points
👉Cyber security must be rethought as a trust framework
👉Governance is essential for emerging technologies
👉AI, blockchain, and quantum risks demand new strategies
👉Trust architecture should be built by design
👉Future resilience depends on leadership foresight
👉Quantum-readiness must start now

n Episode 47 of Let’s Talk Cyber, Tommy is joined by Vijay Velayutham to explore why AI governance has become mission-critical for enterprise organisations.
As AI moves from isolated pilots into business-critical workflows, organisations must rethink how they manage risk, accountability, human oversight, and decision transparency.
Vijay shares practical insights on how enterprise leaders can create governance structures that accelerate innovation without compromising trust, compliance, or resilience.
This episode is ideal for CISOs, CIOs, CTOs, risk leaders, and board executives navigating enterprise AI adoption.
🎯 Key Talking Points
👉AI governance is now a board-level responsibility
👉Enterprise AI needs clear ownership and accountability
👉Human oversight must remain central to critical decisions
👉Trust, explainability, and auditability drive adoption
👉AI risk frameworks should align with business outcomes
👉Governance enables scale, not bureaucracy

Leading Through Uncertainty: Cyber Resilience Starts at the Top
In Episode 46 of Let’s Talk Cyber, Tommy is joined by Richard for a powerful leadership conversation on why cyber resilience is no longer just an IT responsibility — it is a boardroom priority.
As organisations face increasing digital threats, regulatory pressure, and operational uncertainty, Richard shares why the strongest defence starts with leadership accountability, strategic decision-making, and a culture of resilience.
This episode explores how business leaders can move beyond reactive security and build a proactive cyber strategy that protects operations, reputation, and trust.
🎯 Key Talking Points
👉 Cyber resilience must be driven from the top
👉 Leadership decisions directly influence risk exposure
👉 Uncertainty requires faster, smarter governance
👉 Business continuity depends on cyber readiness
👉 Culture and accountability are key to resilience
👉 Trust is built through preparedness, not promises

Let's Talk Cyber – Episode 45
It’s Only Data… Until It Isn’t.
In this engaging episode of Let’s Talk Cyber, Tommy speaks with Irene about why organisations must rethink how they approach data protection. It’s not just about compliance or ticking GDPR boxes — it’s about trust, leadership, and protecting the people behind the data.

In this episode, Irene shares powerful insights on how organisations can strengthen their cyber posture and build resilience in an increasingly digital world.
👉 Key Points:
👉 Data protection is about trust, not just compliance
👉 Leadership plays a critical role in cyber resilience
👉 Many breaches occur due to human error, not sophisticated attacks
👉 Organisations must understand what data they hold and where it lives
👉 Building a strong cyber-aware culture is essential

Let’s Talk Cyber – Episode 44
Women in Cybersecurity, Leadership & AI Governance with Heide Young

In this insightful episode of Let’s Talk Cyber, Tommy McCarthy sits down with Heide Young, Co-Founder of Women in Cybersecurity Middle East (WiCSME), to explore her journey from Australia to the UAE, the founding story and growth of WiCSME, and the realities of being a woman and working mother in the cybersecurity industry. Heide shares honest perspectives on unconscious bias, invisible workplace pressures, and the importance of confidence, cognitive diversity, and speaking up in male-dominated environments — while highlighting how cybersecurity must be positioned as a true business enabler.

The discussion also explores how the Cyber She initiative is helping bridge the cybersecurity skills gap by combining technical expertise with essential workplace skills — preparing the next generation of women to immediately contribute to the workforce.

As the episode progresses, Tommy and Heide examine the rapid evolution of AI, shadow AI risks, governance gaps, and the ethical responsibilities organisations must embrace to ensure secure and accountable AI adoption.

👉 Key Points:
👉 The founding story and growth of Women in Cybersecurity Middle East (WiCSME)
👉 The realities of being a working mother in cybersecurity
👉 Invisible pressures and unconscious bias in the workplace
👉 Why cognitive diversity strengthens cyber resilience
👉 The Cyber She program and closing the cybersecurity skills gap
👉 The rise of AI, shadow AI, and new cybersecurity risks
👉 Ethical AI governance and organisational accountability
👉 Positioning cybersecurity as a true business enabler

Let’s Talk Cyber – Episode 43
The AI Governance World Cup with Michael Charles Borrelli

In this engaging episode of Let’s Talk Cyber, Tommy McCarthy sits down with Michael Charles Borrelli, Director at AI Partners, to explore the concept of the AI Governance World Cup and the global race to regulate artificial intelligence. Michael shares insights into how different countries are approaching AI governance, why regulation doesn’t have to be dry or disconnected, and how gamifying compliance through a World Cup-style format can increase awareness, engagement, and understanding across businesses and policymakers.

👉 Key Points:
👉 The concept behind the AI Governance World Cup
👉 Why AI regulation needs engagement and awareness
👉 Comparing global AI frameworks and regulatory approaches
👉 EU AI Act vs NIST vs OECD principles
👉 Risk-based AI governance and cross-border business impact
👉 Gamifying compliance to increase participation
👉 “Know Your AI” (KYAI) as a governance mindset
👉 Why the best framework wins in the real world