The Cyber Security Recruiter Podcast

por Thomas Richard

The Cybersecurity Recruiter talks to Barak Engel, Founder and Chief Geek, Eammune

Barak Engel on Fractional CISO Life, Resilience, and Relationship-Driven Security Consulting Thomas chats with Barak Engel, founder/CEO of EAmmune and an advisor/board member across several security organizations, about his 23-year consulting journey, including creating the virtual/fractional CISO concept in 2003 and the realities of “feast or famine” work. Barak discusses rapid context switching (and hitting his limit while serving six CISOs at once), resilience through setbacks such as the 2008 crash and Chapter 7 bankruptcy, and how reputation and long-term relationships drive EAmmune’s referral-only growth through “concentric circles” as clients change jobs. He emphasizes transparency, accountability, avoiding short-term exploitation, delegating to strengths (including hiring a people manager), and focusing on minimizing damage rather than preventing all mistakes. Book recommendations include Anthony de Mello’s "Awareness," Malcolm Gladwell’s "Blink," and "The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy," plus Barak’s book "The Crack in the Crystal" 00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro 01:31 Origin of EAmmune Name 02:39 Resilience and Career Overview 04:51 Fractional CISO and Context Switching 06:38 Jessica Burnout Story 08:39 Lightning Angel Name Meaning 09:10 Relationships Over Everything 11:58 Bankruptcy and Customer Lifeline 15:15 Bootstrapping and Early Hustle 17:38 Strengths Focus and Delegation 19:33 Leaving Corporate and Forced Independence 22:34 Referral Growth Philosophy 23:58 Radical Transparency 24:59 Accidental Career Path 25:56 Reputation Compounds 28:12 Resilience Over Perfection 30:53 Trust Beats Skill 32:43 Owning Mistakes 34:39 Pretty Little Princess 36:04 Practice Context Switching 39:11 Humility and Humanity 43:00 Books and Farewell

11 may 2026

45:16

The Cybersecurity Recruiter talks to Alise Barron, Senior Customer Success Manager, ReversingLabs

From Bartending to COO: Hospitality Skills, Remote Work, and Critical Thinking in Cybersecurity The host welcomes Alise Barron to the Cybersecurity Recruiter podcast and introduces her career path from hospitality and internet marketing into recruiting leadership roles at Experis Finance, Cylance, and Blackberry, and then multiple promotions at Cyvatar to COO. Elise describes a typical remote-work day balancing family routines, early email catch-up due to time zones, constant meetings, and handling unexpected escalations in cybersecurity operations. They discuss why hospitality backgrounds can drive rapid advancement: strong work ethic, quick critical thinking, customer and stakeholder management, resilience, and learning to set boundaries without adopting a victim mindset. Elise connects these skills to project management, noting she later recognized she had been applying PMP-style practices. They also discuss productivity tradeoffs between remote and office work, the value of networking, and how incident response requires structure, patience, and calm communication. 00:00 Welcome and Catch Up 00:42 Small World in Security 01:47 Elise Career Intro 02:59 COO Daily Routine 04:58 Remote Work Realities 08:44 From Bartender to COO 13:39 Hospitality Skills in Corporate 18:02 Boundaries and Ownership 19:24 Project Management Mindset 25:12 Hiring Through Networking 26:59 AI and Recruiting Filters 29:20 Closing Thoughts and Wrap

28 abr 2026

30:06

The Cybersecurity Recruiter talks to Ray DeMeo, Managing Director, Pulse Drive Group

Ray DeMeo on Cybersecurity Investing, AI Risk, and Building Resilient Teams Thomas chats with Ray, managing director at Pulse Drive Group with a background in senior roles across tech and venture advising, about current cybersecurity market dynamics and investing. Ray notes recent acquisitions focused on cyber AI and protecting AI applications and data, highlighting the need to reduce risk and address SOC alert overload. They discuss the Gartner Hype Cycle moving faster, hiring shifts toward broader, architecture-aware talent, and the possibility that top security individual contributors will become highly compensated as AI increases productivity. Ray contrasts slow government procurement with urgent geopolitical pressures, citing Ukraine’s drone-driven innovation. He shares career lessons from early customer-facing work, startup discipline, mentorship in large companies, and the responsibility of layoffs. Ray argues most security spending is post-deployment, urging stronger pre-deployment secure coding. Book recommendations include Nicole Perlroth’s “This Is How the World Ends,” plus “Team of Teams,” and Steve Martin’s “Born Standing Up.” 00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro 01:52 Ray’s Mission in Cybersecurity 04:03 Market Pulse and Investor Sentiment 04:25 AI Security and M&A Trends 07:09 Hype Cycle and Skills Shift 10:16 Government Pace and Ukraine Lessons 12:34 Career Lessons and Early Hustle 14:16 Startup Discipline and Customer Focus 16:56 Founder High and Building Momentum 18:23 Why Startups Hook You 19:41 Client Facing Skills 20:39 Caddying Lessons 21:47 Building People Skills 23:10 Big Company Mentors 25:48 Hard Leadership Calls 27:33 Secure Code Gap 32:36 AI and Code Quality 34:24 Books and Mindset 36:28 Advisory Work Network 37:51 Closing Thanks

22 abr 2026

38:28

The Cybersecurity Recruiter talks to Joe Scholefield, Director of Compliance, DEFCERT

CMMC Readiness, Compliance Consulting, and Career Lessons with Joe Schofield In this episode of the Cybersecurity Recruiter Podcast, Tom speaks with Joe Scholefield, a former sysadmin/network engineer and ex-Dell cybersecurity manager, now serving as Director of Compliance at Deafcert, about helping defense contractors meet CMMC (based on NIST requirements) and preparing for DoD third-party assessments. Joe explains CMMC readiness commonly takes 12–18 months, with faster progress driven by aligned stakeholders, minimal internal resistance, and strong cross-department project management. They discuss CMMC as both a cost and revenue differentiator, increasing supply-chain pressure from primes like Lockheed and RTX, and a looming assessor bottleneck given the number of companies needing certification versus C3PAOs. Joe shares career advice on knowing when to move roles, the impact of earning a bachelor’s degree over 17 years to avoid HR filtering, the importance of soft skills in consulting, and recommends the “CUI Center of Excellence” Discord community. 00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro 01:03 What Joe Does Now 02:52 Helping Clients Succeed 03:36 Racing Through CMMC 05:24 CMMC as Revenue Driver 06:36 Supply Chain Pressure 07:46 Bottleneck and Assessors 08:50 Rollout Timeline Debate 11:39 Why CMMC Exists 13:08 Career Growth Lessons 16:27 Hiring and Soft Skills 19:19 Restaurant Skills for Consulting 20:29 Career Growth and Timing Moves 20:43 Finishing a Degree Late 22:37 Degrees and HR Filters 23:51 Certs and Hiring Signals 24:34 Job Search Fatigue Tips 26:31 Small Teams Hiring Stakes 27:17 Finding Community Resources 29:01 Mentors and Giving Back 31:26 Making Time for Growth 32:31 Work Life Balance Advice 33:08 Golf and Disconnecting 33:55 Wrap Up and Thanks

13 abr 2026

34:08

The Cybersecurity Recruiter talks to Jim Miller, VP of People & Talent, Ashby

Jim Miller on Talent Acquisition: Career Growth, Remote Hiring, and Today’s Employer Market On the Cyber Security Recruiter podcast, Thomas chats with Jim Miller, a talent acquisition leader with 25 years’ experience, including early recruitment at Allegis, a decade at Google (rising to global head of inbound talent), VP of Talent Acquisition at FullStory, and now VP of People and Talent at Ashby, where the company is fully remote across 27 countries. Jim shares career lessons: teach and share expertise, explicitly ask for roles you want, and prioritize quality over quantity. They discuss today’s market dynamics: layoffs, heavy competition for remote roles, niche hard-to-fill roles, and intentional application “friction”,plus concerns about overusing AI in applications. Jim advises tailoring CVs to show what you did, how, and the impact and magnitude of your actions, and recommends Ashby’s “Offer Accepted” podcast. 00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro 01:51 Life and Remote Work 03:04 Team Retreats and Remote Culture 04:07 Career Growth Lessons 08:13 Quality Over Quantity 10:06 Intentional Applications 12:19 Hiring Market Imbalance 16:47 AI Use and Integrity 19:33 Resume Impact and Magnitude 22:40 Resume Bullet Formula 22:53 ATS Myths And Evidence 24:05 AI Criteria Matching 25:26 Speed And Transparency 25:41 High Volume Review Hacks 26:37 Accent Banter Break 27:08 Handling Setbacks Adaptably 29:23 Inbound Versus Sourcing 32:33 Early Google Scaling Story 34:41 Choosing Product Market Fit 36:28 Building Google's ATS 39:50 Offer Accepted Podcast 41:03 Learning From Coworkers 43:03 Closing Thoughts

7 abr 2026

43:13

The Cybersecurity Recruiter talks to Andrew Wildrix, VP of Business Development, Intrusion

Andrew Wildrix on Transitioning from the Army, Building Networks, and Standing Out in Cybersecurity Hiring On the Cybersecurity Recruiter podcast, Tom interviews Andrew Wildrix, a former US Army major and current VP of Business Development at Intrusion, about his career path from military service into cybersecurity and sales/technical leadership. Andrew describes his day-to-day work spanning emails and sales calls, product and engineering feedback loops, budgeting for a public company, and raising Intrusion’s profile as it expands from long-term US government work into commercial markets. He contrasts government vs MSP messaging, emphasizes planning before leaving the military, and advises building networks through local professional groups and optimizing LinkedIn while avoiding divisive topics. They discuss ATS-driven hiring challenges, the value of soft skills and translating technical concepts without condescension, creative job-search tactics to “not be a number,” and interview red flags like victim mentality. Andrew recommends reading The Phoenix Project and a Star Wars “Book of the Sith” on power and leadership. 00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro 01:11 Day in the Life at Intrusion 02:38 Branding vs Cold Outreach 03:20 Customer Feedback to Product 04:06 Army Background and Influence Ops 04:48 Transitioning Out of Military 06:28 ATS and Hiring Reality Check 08:14 Building a Network and LinkedIn 11:19 Staying Professional Online 13:51 Sales and Technical Career Loop 14:56 Communication and Culture Lessons 21:06 Toxicity and SMB Team Fit 22:09 Standing Out in Job Hunting 26:17 Resilience and Victim Mindset 30:58 Books That Shaped Andrew 32:57 Wrap Up and Thanks

3 abr 2026

33:13

The Cybersecurity Recruiter talks to Dave Anderson, Founder and Managing Partner, TSC Security

Navigating a Cybersecurity Career and Business Leadership with Dave Anderson In this episode of the Cybersecurity Recruiter Podcast, our host converses with Dave Anderson about his fascinating career journey in cybersecurity. They discuss Dave's consistent online presence, bolstered by a specialist assisting him with LinkedIn content, which is pivotal for staying visible in the cybersecurity field. Dave shares insightful details about his traditional career progression, from tech support to high-level security roles at prominent companies like Greenhouse, and his eventual transition to founding TSC Security. Dave takes us through the unique steps of moving from being an employee to an employer, including an intriguing personal story of moving to a boat in New Jersey and eventually to Florida, while developing his consultancy business. The conversation covers the challenges of scaling a business, hiring dynamic and flexible personnel, and the importance of certifications and continual learning in the cybersecurity field. Dave also emphasizes the value of referrals,and shares his thoughts on the impactful book 'The Phoenix Project' for understanding effective project management in a business context. 00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome 00:30 Dave's Content Strategy and Consistency 01:56 Career Journey and Achievements 02:43 Starting TSC Security 04:30 Life on a Boat and Transition to Entrepreneurship 06:28 Growth and Challenges of Running a Business 09:56 Importance of Referrals and Networking 13:36 Lessons from Startup Experience 18:33 Building a Strong Network 19:04 Scaling Challenges and Company Growth 21:44 Hiring the Right People 25:14 The Impact of AI on Business 29:29 The Value of Certifications 32:25 Recommended Resources for Success 35:37 Final Thoughts and Reflection

1 abr 2026

35:56

The Cybersecurity Recruiter talks to April Jenkins, Senior Director, Managed Services and Service Desk, EliteOps

Leading Managed Security Services: Growth, Hiring Advice, and Playing to Your Strengths with April Jenkins Thomas chats with April Jenkins, Senior Director of Managed Services/Service Desk at Elite Ops, about her career path, and how she prioritizes both customer outcomes and team growth, balance, and psychological safety. April explains her organization’s expansion from 9 to 42 people through new hiring and team consolidation, and discusses current market conditions: high candidate volume, employer decisions about remote vs. office, and the importance of responsiveness, accurately matching job requirements, and adding short notes with resumes. She shares career guidance on focusing on strengths, staying authentic, reading the room, building relationships through problem-solving, and sustaining momentum via small daily wins and protected thinking time. Recommendation: a strengths-focused book (described as “maximizing your strengths”) and the “do unto others” golden rule from a Dr Pepper Museum exhibit. 00:00 Welcome and Introductions 00:26 April’s Career Origins 02:45 Life Running 24/7 Support 05:03 Team Culture and Mindset 06:31 Scaling from 9 to 42 07:13 Hiring in a Tough Market 11:10 Standing Out as a Candidate 14:39 Internships and Career Switchers 15:12 Advice for Career Growth 17:19 Strengths and Relationship Building 20:15 Finding Your Niche in Security 21:29 Find Your Strengths 22:20 Define Your Core 24:12 Write It Down Daily 25:24 Protect Thinking Time 26:29 Start Small Habits 28:40 Momentum From Small Wins 29:51 Ignore Social Media Timelines 32:15 Relationships As Deposits 34:33 Authenticity And Feedback 37:36 Golden Rule Leadership 40:00 Wrap Up And Thanks

26 mar 2026

40:24

The Cybersecurity Recruiter talks to Barb Adrian, Chief People Officer, Procellis Technology Inc

Recruiter Insights for a Tough Market: Resumes, Interviews, Follow-Ups, and Professionalism On the Cybersecurity Recruiter podcast, Tom chats with Barb Adrian, Chief People Officer at Procellis Technology. about how candidates can stand out in a competitive, layoff-impacted market. Barb stresses a well-constructed, proof-read resume (errors like misspellings or mismatched dates are deal-breakers), showcasing community involvement, and limiting work history to relevant recent years. For interviews, she advises researching the company, being prepared for recruiter calls, asking thoughtful questions (including culture and what the interviewer loves about the job), practicing communication, and being comfortable with silence rather than babbling. She welcomes proactive outreach via LinkedIn or email and emphasizes follow-up and professionalism on virtual interviews (clean space, appropriate attire, minimal oversharing). Barb notes AI filtering can miss great candidates, so she manually reviewed 430 applicants, and she finds referrals especially effective. 00:56 Meet Barb Career Journey 02:01 Resume Must Haves 03:21 Interview Prep and Flow 05:57 Smart Questions to Ask 07:05 Relaxed Communication Tips 09:41 Reaching Out and Standing Out 10:30 AI Screening and Follow Up 14:35 Worst Phone Interview Story 16:30 Virtual Interview Professionalism 17:21 Oversharing Red Flags 18:06 Stay Professional until Offer 18:51 Dress For Success 19:36 Market Shift Reality Check 20:24 Community Interview Support 23:51 AI Screening Pitfalls 25:07 Referrals Beat Algorithms 25:46 LinkedIn Noise And Etiquette 28:07 Hiring Needs And Candidate Energy 30:52 Human Touch And Mental Health 33:04 Learning Through Your Network 34:23 Episode Wrap Up

26 mar 2026

34:52

The Cybersecurity Recruiter talks to Jake Everett, VP, Offensive Security | Senior Engineer, Rule4

Navigating Cybersecurity Careers and Communication with Jake Everett In this episode of the Cybersecurity Recruiter Podcast, Thomas welcomes Jake Everett, VP of Offensive Security at Rule4. They discuss technical challenges, the impact of AI, and Jake's career journey from the Marine Corps to the commercial world. Jake shares his daily responsibilities, the importance of communication and responsiveness, and educational resources that have been pivotal for his career. They also explore the role of honesty and detailed problem-solving in successful cybersecurity careers. Jake recommends the book 'Sandworm' and highlights valuable online resources like Hack the Box, Try Hack Me, and YouTube videos for continued learning. 00:00 Introduction and Technical Glitches 00:20 AI in Podcasting and Everyday Life 01:03 Jake Everett's Career Journey 02:02 A Day in the Life of a VP of Offensive Security 02:38 The Four-Day Work Week 04:31 Preparing for OSCP and Continuous Learning 08:25 Physical Pen Testing and Lock Picking 09:35 Transitioning from the Marine Corps to Tech 10:27 The Importance of Practical Application in Learning 12:37 Communication Skills in Cybersecurity 14:37 Honesty and Integrity in Job Applications 16:36 Building Trust in Cybersecurity 17:45 The Power of Word of Mouth 18:31 Effective Communication Tips 22:23 Career Progression to VP Level 24:27 The Role of AI in Recruitment 28:01 The Value of Continuous Learning 29:03 The Impact of Cyber Warfare 32:08 The Importance of a Positive Algorithm Diet 33:11 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

20 feb 2026

33:27

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