Cyber Security — Podcast

The Threats to American Democracy with Vance Cryer

Finding and fighting against national security threats is a crucial job. In any election cycle, it’s even more necessary as political enemies and disinformation can pose serious threats to our democratic process. As a career veteran and defense specialist, Vance Cryer helps spotlight the threats we may face in the intersection between polarization and national defense and how we can overcome them. Vance describes America’s external threats, what they stand to gain by a weakened America, and how they are using America’s division as a tool to undermine democracy.

Vance Cryer was born in Fort Worth, Texas, in 1968. To help pay his way through school, Vance worked as a journeyman plumber and also helped his grandfather in a business that prewired new houses for telephone service. During his first semester of school, he joined the Air Force ROTC. He then got a job at the local airport filling airplanes with gas and scraping bugs off windshields, using the cash he earned to pay for flying lessons thereby fulfilling his lifelong dream of being a pilot. By the end of that first semester, he contracted with the Marines to compete for one of two slots in north Texas for Officer Candidate School.

Vance's 27-year career with the Marines took him through flight school in Pensacola, Florida; to Top Level School at the National War College in Washington, D.C., where he earned a master's degree in national strategic studies; to four AV-8B squadron tours, including as the commanding officer of Marine Attack Squadron 211. He completed six combat tours in Iraq and served two tours of duty at the Pentagon-Headquarters Marine Corps in the Department of Aviation. In 2013, he was promoted to colonel and commanded the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit at Camp Pendleton. In 2016, he was handpicked by Secretary Ray Mabus as the Marine Military Assistant to the Secretary of the Navy.

In August 2018, Vance retired from active duty in the Marine Corps and is now serving as a Director for Special Programs at Lockheed Martin Missiles & Fire Control (MFC). He serves as the liaison between MFC and Lockheed Martin Aerospace, working on the leading edge of missile and sensor technologies and future capabilities.

Thank you to Starts with Us for their collaboration on this series. Starts with Us is an organization committed to overcoming extreme political and cultural division. Check them out at startswith.us.

Turning Disruption into Opportunity with Dominic Bowen

If you are a leader for long enough, your organization is going to face a crisis. It might be a massive weather event, a war that interrupts your supply chain, a cybersecurity breach, or another type of disruption. How prepared you are and how you respond to that crisis will determine if it’s devastating or an opportunity.

Dominic Bowen has been working in crisis situations for two decades. A former member of Australian special forces, he’s done humanitarian work after earthquakes and tsunamis, and now he helps organizations prepare for the certainty of the next unexpected challenge.

In this conversation, Dominic discusses the big disruptions - like tsunamis, hurricanes, and military conflicts - that can interrupt any high-functioning organization and the small disruptions that are blind spots for most companies. He also shares what leaders should be thinking about in terms of business continuity and how effective crisis management can lead to unplanned opportunities.

Dominic Bowen is an experienced leader and risk professional, the head of the international operations desk at Europe's leading risk management consultancy, and host of The International Risk Podcast. Dominic has established successful operations in some of the world’s most challenging environments, including Ukraine, Yemen, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Indonesia, Iraq, Timor-Leste, Thailand, Tonga, Solomon Islands, Afghanistan, Philippines, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Haiti, Liberia, and Nepal.

Leadership, Privacy & Cybersecurity with Thom Hartmann

In this episode, host Don MacPherson and author and radio host Thom Hartmann discuss how the removal of privacy has been a tool of autocratic governments to control citizens throughout history. In countries around the world, privacy continues to be taken away from people through new technologies. That threatens innovation, liberty, and democracy. An absence of privacy and the failure to protect sensitive data heightens the vulnerability to cyber attacks at the national level and cyber theft at the corporate level. Thom and Don end their discussion with why leaders in corporate and government positions need to be aware of the challenges that an absence of privacy creates and advice for how to respond in order to restore privacy to everyday employees and citizens.

Revisiting Cybersecurity Trends with Max Heinemeyer

It’s been two years since cybersecurity expert Max Heinemeyer first joined the show to discuss trends in cybersecurity. In this update, Don and Max discuss the people and organizations behind the hacks that have recently devastated companies, our infrastructure and governments. They also discuss current cyberthreats and vulnerabilities, and how joint efforts between government and the private sector can help protect citizens all over the world against cybercrime.

The Future of Social Media with Ross Dawson

In this episode, Don MacPherson is joined by Futurist Ross Dawson to discuss the future of social media. They explore the growth of social media over the last two decades, potential forms of regulation, and the role of social media in the coming decades. Ross provides some potential solutions for the negative effects of social media use including nonprofit networks, user ownership of data, and AI technologies for regulating harmful content.

Season Three Wrap Up

Our theme for Season Three was “The Future” and we had a remarkable group of Geniuses to help us make sense of it. The main lesson we took away is that with time and imagination, the list of impossibilities is a lot smaller than we might think. Both 2020 and this most recent season of 12 Geniuses proved that the unimaginable is definitely not impossible.

For Season Four, we will continue exploring the future and the seemingly impossible. In our first four episodes, we'll look at the future of healthcare education, climate change, and artificial intelligence. Episode One of Season Four will be available on January 12th.

The Future of Counterterrorism with Harry Samit

On the morning of September 11th, 2001, the United States experienced a terrorist attack that changed everything. While travel, immigration, and international relations were all significantly altered, one change that many of us don’t know about is the way law enforcement monitors, apprehends, and prosecutes terrorist activity.

In this interview, Don MacPherson is joined by Harry Samit. Harry is a former FBI agent who served on the Joint Terrorism Task Force in Minneapolis. He was an integral member of the team of agents who tried to stop the 9/11 attacks. They discuss the events leading up to 9/11, including the arrest and investigation of al-Qaeda operative Zacarias Moussaoui. They also explore how terrorism is still expressed around the world today and the threats the U.S. faces from foreign and domestic terrorists. Harry shares his perspective on how counterterrorism will evolve and the ways in which agencies will change in order to monitor suspicious behavior in the United States.

Harry Samit is a former United States Navy Naval Intelligence Officer. After his Naval career, Harry spent 21 years in the FBI and was a founding member of the Minneapolis Joint Terrorism Task Force. In the months and years following the attacks on 9/11, Harry was also a key figure in analyzing ways to prevent future terrorist attacks.

The Future of War with MGySgt Scott H. Stalker

In this episode, Don MacPherson is joined by MGySgt Scott H. Stalker, the Command Senior Enlisted Leader of United States Space Command. They discuss the future of war, including new technology, how we fight, and the importance of protecting equal access to space. They also discuss new and developing threats against American democracy, the dangers of misinformation and manipulation, and the ways in which the United States military is preparing to protect its citizens from new technologies.

MGySgt Scott H. Stalker is the Command Senior Enlisted Leader of the United States Space Command. MGySgt Stalker has dedicated his career to serving in the United States military. Prior to accepting his current position, MGySgt Stalker served as the Command Senior Enlisted Leader for the National Security Agency, the Defense Intelligence Agency, and United States Cyber Command.

The Future of Privacy with Dr. Carissa Véliz

In this interview, Don MacPherson is joined by Dr. Carissa Véliz, an expert in digital ethics with an emphasis on privacy and AI ethics. They discuss the state of privacy today, the countless ways in which organizations track, store, and analyze our data, and the importance of maintaining our privacy both online and in the real world. Carissa offers advice on how to protect yourself online, and insights on how you can stand up and demand better data protection from organizations and the government.

Dr. Carissa Véliz, an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Philosophy and the Institute for Ethics in AI at the University of Oxford, is an expert in digital ethics. Dr. Véliz specializes in privacy and AI ethics along with political philosophy and public policy. Dr. Véliz is the author of Privacy is Power and the editor of the Oxford Handbook of Digital Ethics.

Innovations in Cybersecurity with Threat Hunter Max Heinemeyer

An expert in cybersecurity, Max Heinemeyer explains how we can prevent attacks from malicious hackers both in our personal and professional lives. Vulnerability on the Internet has increased exponentially as new “smart” devices and appliances are tied into our networks every day. In a world where we have learned to protect ourselves from physical threats, we must learn how to protect ourselves and our companies from cyber threats as well.

In this interview, Max defines the threats we face each day on the Internet, how malicious hackers have evolved, and the increasing complexity of cybersecurity. Max also provides tips and solutions for safeguarding your personal and business information.

Max is Director of Threat Hunting for Darktrace and works in their Cambridge, United Kingdom office. He works with companies to help them investigate and respond to threats, while additionally overseeing the 30+ member cybersecurity analyst team. Max also has extensive experience as a white hat hacker.

Season One Review - Ryan Estis Interviews 12 Geniuses CEO Don MacPherson

That’s a wrap! 12 Geniuses Season One is now complete. Looking back at the growth of the podcast over the first season, it’s clear we learned quite a bit! In this special episode of 12 Geniuses, Ryan Estis and Don MacPherson sit down together to talk about what went well, what challenges arose, and some highlights from the first season. The two friends also chat about what is coming up next for 12 Geniuses in Season Two! Don shares some episode topics, exciting guests to look forward to, and ways you can get more 12 Geniuses content in the meantime.

Second Quarter Review - Laurie Ruettimann Interviews 12 Geniuses CEO Don MacPherson

How did your second quarter of 2019 end? Did you accomplish all that you wanted to get done? Did you meet the people you’d hoped you would? Did you go where you wanted to go? It’s helpful to do an inventory of what we have been paying attention to, where we went, what we learned, who we met, and what’s up next. That’s exactly what two friends do in this special episode of 12 Geniuses. Laurie Ruettimann, the host of the Let’s Fix Work podcast, spends some time talking with Don MacPherson about how Q2 of 2019 went for 12 Geniuses. They cover a wide range of topics from technology trends, travel, parenthood, and what the 12 Geniuses audience can expect on the podcast over the rest of 2019.

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