CISO Confidential
Go inside the cybersecurity war room with CISO Confidential. Hosted by Saket Modi, top CISOs share real breach stories—crisis calls, shutdowns, and high-stakes decisions. Get an insider’s view of cyberattacks and executive pressure. Subscribe now!
@saketmodi @safesecurity
Inside History's Biggest Cyberattack - SolarWinds | Tim Brown's Untold Story w/ Saket Modi
In this CISO Confidential episode with Saket Modi, Tim Brown - former CISO of SolarWinds, opens up about the SUNBURST attack that compromised 18,000 customers worldwide and reshaped the cybersecurity industry overnight. Tim walks through the first 48 hours of the breach, the anatomy of the nation-state attack that sat undetected in SolarWinds' build system for nearly a year, and the brutal personal toll that followed - including the SEC's unprecedented decision to charge him personally, and the heart attack he suffered in the middle of it all. The conversation goes deep on what every CISO should know about contracts, liability, and risk quantification in a post-SolarWinds world.
12 Feb 2026
The CISO Playbook for High-Speed Decisions w/ Ben Smith | CISO Confidential | Saket Modi
In this CISO Confidential episode with Saket Modi, Ben breaks down the real playbook for high-speed security decisions: building “networks in a box” before supply chains locked up, balancing controls with urgency, and evolving from scrappy crisis-mode fixes to a mature, defensible risk program. The conversation also goes deep on why quantifying risk (and aligning with standards like FAIR and insurer expectations) is becoming essential for communicating with executives and making smarter security investments.
27 Sept 2025
The $20M Coin Flip: Cyber Risk in Real business terms
Saket Modi interviews Tony, a technology risk leader, who reframes cyber risk into financial terms to help executives make proactive decisions about incident response and quantitative cyber risk modeling.
21 Sept 2025
Post-Breach Action Plan: When Systems Go Down for Days w/ Drew Simonis | Saket @ CISO Confidential
Drew Simonis shares his experience with Saket Modi on leading through a week-long cyber incident, revealing the hidden pressures and emphasizing empathy, preparation, and leadership during a crisis in this interview.
31 Aug 2025
You won’t believe What Happens after a Cyber Breach w/ Supro Ghose | CISO Confidential | Saket Modi
Saket Modi interviews Supro Ghose, CISO of Graphene Security, about leading with resilience and navigating the human challenges of cybersecurity leadership.
22 Jun 2025
Behind the Breach: The Pressure on CISO w/ John Sapp | Saket Modi
CISO John Sapp recounts leading Texas Mutual Insurance through a major breach, discussing FBI involvement, restoring confidence, and communication challenges in an interview with Saket Modi.
17 May 2025
CISO Confidential: How a CISO Turned a Misstep into a Playbook for Cyber Resilience
CISO Confidential: Breach Incoming – Leading Through a Live Cyber Incident
What really happens when a breach hits and you're the one responsible?
In this episode of CISO Confidential, SAFE’s CEO Saket Modi sits down with Brandon Pinzon, a veteran CISO in financial services and insurance, to unpack the reality of leading security through a live cyber incident. Brandon shares an unfiltered look at one of the most intense days of his career—when alerts fired, pressure mounted, and decisions had to be made in minutes.
From navigating executive meetings with limited information to making fast, high-stakes calls, Brandon reflects on the lessons only real-world experience can teach.
🔒 About the Guest Brandon Pinzon is an accomplished cybersecurity leader with over 20 years of experience across top-tier financial and insurance firms. He has held senior roles at companies like Argo Group and Charles Schwab, leading security strategy, incident response, and enterprise risk initiatives.
🔥 Key Takeaways for CISOs & Security Leaders
Don’t wait to perfect the plan—act decisively
Set the tone, not just the strategy, in a crisis
Lead people, not just processes
Communicate clearly—even without all the answers
Use every incident as a learning opportunity
Whether you're a CISO, security practitioner, or executive navigating risk at scale, this episode offers practical insights on leadership, resilience, and real-time decision-making when the stakes are highest.
4 May 2025
Building a Smarter Cyber Strategy in Healthcare w/ Anand Singh | CISO Confidential | Saket Modi
CISO Confidential: How a CISO Turned a Misstep into a Playbook for Cyber Resilience
In this episode of CISO Confidential, SAFE’s CEO Saket Modi sits down with Anand Singh, Former Chief Information Security Officer at UnitedHealth (OptumInsight), to uncover what it truly feels like to lead security in one of the world’s largest and most complex organizations. Anand opens up about the emotional weight of missteps, how a $10 million security investment went sideways, and what he’s done since to drive smarter, risk-driven decisions.
Anand Singh is the Former Chief Information Security Officer at UnitedHealth (OptumInsight), where he leads cybersecurity strategy for the company’s data-centric security platform. With a career spanning both large enterprises and high-growth startups, Anand brings deep expertise in building risk-driven security programs, aligning cybersecurity with business goals, and fostering innovation through secure technology adoption. Prior to his current role at Symmetry Systems, he held senior leadership roles at organizations including UnitedHealth Group and Target, where he oversaw large-scale security initiatives and complex technology deployments.
🔥 Game Changing Advice for CISOs
✔️ Don’t let compliance drive your technology roadmap
✔️ Adopt a risk-driven, not regulation-first, mindset
✔️ Leverage agile vendors to accelerate innovation
✔️ Prioritize feedback from your practitioners, not just your peers
✔️ Translate technical success into measurable business impact
Hosted by Saket Modi, CEO of SAFE, CISO Confidential pulls back the curtain on real-life breach stories from top security leaders. If you’ve ever wondered what really happens during a cyber crisis, or what a day in the life of a CISO is like, this podcast is your front-row seat to the action.
13 Apr 2025
What Keeps a Healthcare CISO Awake at Night w/ Erik Decker | CISO Confidential | Saket Modi
Saket sat down with Erik Decker, Chief Information Security Officer at Intermountain Health, taking us deep into the real frontline of cyber defense in hospitals. From ransomware attacks that lock critical systems to the unseen war on patient data, this episode uncovers the threats you don’t hear about — and why healthcare might be the next battleground.
If you’re in cybersecurity, risk, or tech leadership, you need to hear this.
Erik Decker is the Chief Information Security Officer for Intermountain Health, a multi-state integrated delivery network based in Salt Lake City, Utah. Erik has 24 years of experience within Information Technology, with 17 years focused on Information Security. He serves as the Chairman for the Healthcare Sector Coordinating Council’s Joint Cybersecurity Working Group, which is a critical infrastructure public-private partnership organization covering more than 450 organizations and over 1,000 members. He co-leads the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) 405(d) task group focused on implementing the Cybersecurity Act of 2015, 405D legislation within the Healthcare sector. The publication was released in December 2018, titled “Health Industry Cybersecurity Practices: Managing Threats and Protecting Patients” (HICP).
🔥 Game Changing Advice for CISOs
✔️ The hidden vulnerabilities in modern hospitals ✔️ The pressure of 24/7 incident response ✔️ The Harsh Reality of the CISO Role ✔️ Building a security culture in a life-or-death industry ✔️ What CISOs must learn from healthcare playbook
Hosted by Saket Modi, CEO of SAFE, CISO Confidential pulls back the curtain on real-life breach stories from top security leaders. If you’ve ever wondered what really happens during a cyber crisis, or what a day in the life of a CISO is like, this podcast is your front-row seat to the action.
21 Mar 2025
The Untold Truth: How to Survive as a CISO w/ Elias Oxendine | CISO Confidential | Saket Modi
In this episode of CISO Confidential, Elias Oxendine, now the CISO of Tractor Supply shares a raw and candid account of his nerve-wracking first board meeting as a CISO prior to his current role, where technical metrics failed to engage the room and silence signaled a disconnect. Through trial, mentorship, and a strategic shift to risk-based financial narratives, he turned the experience around—gaining board trust, driving engagement, and securing buy-in. Tune in for invaluable lessons on how CISOs can better communicate cyber risk, avoid common pitfalls, and ensure their voice is heard at the highest level.
Elias Oxendine IV is the Vice President of Information Security and Privacy at Tractor Supply Company. Prior to this role, he served as the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) at Yum! Brands, where he was responsible for protecting the company’s systems and information. Before joining Yum! Brands, Oxendine held IT and security leadership positions at Brown-Forman and GE Appliances. He also served as a U.S. Navy officer for six years, securing classified information as an IT intelligence officer.
📌 Can’t Miss Insights for CISOs! ✔️ Why Most CISOs Struggle in the Boardroom ✔️ The Harsh Reality of the CISO Role ✔️ What NOT to Do in a Boardroom ✔️ How to Fix Boardroom Communication ✔️ A Game-Change for Future of Board Meetings ✔️ The Power of Cyber Risk Quantification
Hosted by Saket Modi, CEO of SAFE, CISO Confidential pulls back the curtain on real-life breach stories from top security leaders. If you’ve ever wondered what really happens during a cyber crisis, or what a day in the life of a CISO is like, this podcast is your front-row seat to the action.
14 Mar 2025
Inside a Cyberattack: A CISO’s Worst Nightmare with Randy Herold | CISO Confidential | Saket Modi
In this episode of CISO Confidential, Randy Herold, CISO of Manpower Group, shares an intense real-world cybersecurity breach. From discovering the attack to shutting down email and handling executive pressure, this episode is a must-watch for cybersecurity professionals and business leaders.
Randy Herold, the Chief Information Security and Privacy Officer at ManpowerGroup. With over 25 years of experience in information security, privacy, data protection, risk management, and compliance, Randy has held leadership roles at organizations such as PHH, Chubb/ACE Group, Coca-Cola Enterprises, Nielsen/Arbitron, and multiple government defense contractors. The episode delves into the complexities of leading a team during a crisis, managing internal and external communications, and the balance between transparency and operational security. Randy shares insights on controlling panic, ensuring accurate information flow, and making tough decisions under pressure.
🔥 Game Changing Advice for CISOs
✔️ How to validate a cyber threat without causing panic ✔️ The tough decision to shut down email in an enterprise ✔️ FBI collaboration during a cyber incident ✔️ How leadership manages crisis communications ✔️ The surprising organizational response to a breach
Hosted by Saket Modi, CEO of SAFE, CISO Confidential pulls back the curtain on real-life breach stories from top security leaders. If you’ve ever wondered what really happens during a cyber crisis, or what a day in the life of a CISO is like, this podcast is your front-row seat to the action.
Who has been a guest on CISO Confidential
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Tony
Drew Simonis
Supro Ghose
John Sapp
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Podcast Authority Score: 21 / 100
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