Ransomware Rewind

About Ransomware Rewind

Our podcast covers major data breaches, digital privacy issues, and the quirks of internet culture with a mix of humor and insight. Why Subscribe? Stay Informed: Get the latest updates on cybersecurity threats, ransomware attacks, and cyber insurance trends. Engaging Content: We break down complex topics with a lighthearted approach, making them easy to understand. Expert Insights: Learn from industry experts and our own experiences in the cybersecurity field. We dive deep into the latest in cybersecurity, cyber insurance, and ransomware. Mike Dowdy is the former president of two hosting companies and has been in the trenches of cyber security for over ten years. He has tribal knowledge on protecting yourself from threats and what to do if you are a victim. Joe S Erle, MBA, CIC, CRM, TRA knows firsthand the devastating effects of not having a cyber security insurance plan. Despite the dry nature of cyber insurance Joe's advice is entertaining, fun, and educational.

Publisher

Joe Erle

Category

news · technology

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

30 Jul 2024

Latest episode

5 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

26 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   5 Oct 2026

   Your Firewall Won't Save You (And the Math Proves It) | Manoj Tandon, CEO, Dark Rhino Security

   No tech stack can guarantee you won't get breached. Joe Erle sits down with Manoj Tandon, CEO and Co-Founder of Dark Rhiino Security and host of the Security Confidential Podcast, to talk about why people remain both the biggest vulnerability and the strongest defense in any organization. Drawing on more than 200 episodes of his own show, Manoj explains how social engineers go after administrative gatekeepers to pull sensitive data, why attackers would rather exploit human behavior than fight through a firewall, and where AI-driven security tools hit their limits. He also covers third-party supply chain risk and why real defense in depth depends on ongoing training, not just the vendors in your stack. In this episode: - How social engineers manipulate gatekeepers to steal trade secrets - Why "hackers aren't breaking in, they're logging in" through credential abuse and SIM swapping - Why a perfect AI detection engine is mathematically impossible - How nation-state actors use weaker supply chain vendors to reach bigger targets - Real stories of criminal mistakes that led to major busts - Why defenders play by rules that attackers ignore Chapters: 00:00 Gatekeepers Exposed 00:29 Show Intro and Guest 01:35 Pregnancy by Algorithm 02:39 Social Engineering for Talent 05:16 Human Element in Security 06:31 Tech Hype vs Defense in Depth 08:06 Phishing and BEC Basics 12:15 Risk Motivation and Supply Chain 13:46 Fighter Jets and AI Warfare 16:38 F-35 Theft and Espionage 19:11 Protecting IP and Trade Secrets 21:38 Dumb Criminals and Money 24:35 AI Accelerates Attackers 26:26 Blue vs Red Team Limits 28:36 Ethical Testing and Dual Use 30:48 Bug Bounties and Pentesting 32:18 SQL Injection Stories 34:16 Prompt Injection and Jailbreaks 37:36 AI Guardrails and Censorship 39:01 Project Panama Controversy 39:31 Critical Thinking in the AI Age 43:57 Kids, Soundbites, and Decision Making 47:01 Star Trek or Skynet 50:05 Sci-Fi Tech Becomes Real 50:58 Where to Find Manoj 51:21 Revenue Resilience Services 52:30 Cyber Insurance Support 53:37 Closing Thanks and Outro Guest: Manoj Tandon | CEO and Co-Founder, Dark Rhiino Security Website: https://www.darkrhinosecurity.com Security Confidential Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@SecurityConfidential LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/manoj-tandon-drs/ Host: Joe Erle | Cyber Group Practice Leader, C3 Risk & Insurance Services Website: https://www.c3insurance.com/cyber LinkedIn: Joe Erle, MBA, CIC, CRM, TRA, CCIC | LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/joeerle/) X: https://x.com/joe_erle TikTok / Instagram / Facebook: @itscyberjoe Ransomware Rewind is a practical cybersecurity podcast about real-world cyber risk, incident response, and resilience. We talk with the people on the front lines so you can protect your business before the next attack. Follow the show wherever you listen and leave a rating to help more business leaders find it.

2. 

   31 Aug 2026

   Cybersecurity Burnout Is Real: Rick Mischka, PhD on Fixing It

   Cybersecurity workers without proper support burn out in under 3 years. With the right training and organizational backing, that number stretches to 12-16 years. Rick Mischka, PhD, breaks down why, and what actually works. Rick's PhD thesis in cyberpsychology focused on rank-and-file practitioners facing constant incident stress, not executives or attackers. He explains why burnout prevention depends on organizational support, time off, role rotation, strong leadership, and individual resilience training, and how to make mindfulness practical enough to resonate with logical, skeptical IT workers. This episode covers cybersecurity burnout, mindfulness for IT teams, CISO career advice, API security risks, and cyber insurance trends. What is Layer 8 in cybersecurity? It's the human layer, the people using the systems, and most breaches trace back to it rather than the technology itself. What is a fractional CISO? A part-time CISO who advises multiple companies instead of working full-time at one, often a good fit for mid-market companies not yet ready for a full-time hire. In this episode you'll learn: Why cybersecurity teams burn out faster than almost any other IT role The two things leadership must provide to prevent burnout How to introduce mindfulness to teams that dismiss it as "foo foo" Why API integrations are the most underrated security risk today What CISOs should ask before accepting a new role Why fractional CISO work makes sense for mid-market companies 00:54 Introduction 00:55 Meet Rick Mischka 01:57 Why Cyberpsychology 03:32 Burnout Prevention Tactics 05:35 Forced Vacations Culture 06:37 MSPs Reduce Burnout 07:36 Leadership Support Examples 09:54 Mindfulness For IT 14:06 Perfectionism And AI Stress 16:19 Layer Eight Humans 18:19 Better Awareness Training 22:01 Underrated API Integrations 23:49 AI Access And APIs 26:03 Hidden API Attack Surface 26:43 Securing APIs With Policy 28:09 CISO Seat At Table 30:08 Interview Red Flags 31:25 Fractional CISO Reality 33:03 AI Hype And Energy 35:09 Conspiracies China Data 39:35 Credit Freeze And Scores 43:26 Debt Stress And Burnout 44:15 Cyber Burnout Findings 45:56 Mindset And Recovery 48:56 Wrap Up And Where To Find Guest: Rick Mischka, Ph.D. | AVANT Communications LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-mischka YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@rickmischka Host: Joe Erle | Cyber Group Practice Leader, C3 Risk & Insurance Services www.c3insurance.com/cyber LinkedIn: / joeerle X: https://x.com/joe_erle TikTok / Instagram / Facebook: @itscyberjoe Ransomware Rewind is a practical cybersecurity podcast focused on real-world cyber risk, incident response, and resilience. We talk to the people on the front lines so you can protect your business before the next attack. Please like and subscribe if you found this podcast valuable. #Cybersecurity #CISO #Burnout #cyberpsychology

3. 

   10 Aug 2026

   Why Companies Still Pay Ransoms (And How AI Makes It Worse) w/ Joshua Nicholson, CEO of DarkStack7

   Joe Erle sits down with Joshua Nicholson, Founder & CEO of DarkStack7 and Host of Cybersecurity America Podcast, to break down the critical incident response mistakes that leave companies with no choice but to pay ransoms. Joshua exposes the most common breach vulnerabilities still being exploited in 2026 including unpatched firewalls, missing MFA, excessive local admin rights, and AI tools like Microsoft Copilot leaking confidential HR data. He explains why identity has become the new security perimeter, how removing local admin rights stops lateral movement, and why every organization needs pre-provisioned break-glass access before a crisis hits. You'll also learn: How to fix dangerous logging and licensing blind spots Practical ways to patch systems without causing panic Lessons from real disaster recovery failures How DDoS attacks are used to increase ransom pressure A simple tabletop exercise playbook that actually works How strong cyber hygiene helps satisfy cyber insurance underwriters What Happens when AI Hacks Collide Timestamps: 00:35 – Intro Teaser 02:38 – MFA and Security Hygiene 06:04 – Identity Perimeter Shift 06:55 – Local Admin and LAPS 08:25 – Least Privilege Culture 12:00 – Patching Without Panic 15:59 – Disaster Recovery Lessons 18:59 – DDoS and Ransom Pressure 22:00 – Tabletop Exercise Playbook 25:27 – Logging and Licensing Gaps 27:37 – Finding Joshua and Services 28:42 – AI Breaches and Microsoft Copilot 30:46 – AI Risks and Market Crash 33:40 – Wrap Up and Thanks Guest: Joshua Nicholson | Founder & CEO, DarkStack7 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuarnicholson Cybersecurity America Podcast https://www.youtube.com/@cybersecurityamerica_show Hosts: Joe Erle | Cyber Group Practice Leader, C3 Risk & Insurance Services LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joeerle X: https://x.com/joe_erle TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@itscyberjoe) / Instagram / Facebook: (https://www.facebook.com/joeerle/) @itscyberjoe Ransomware Rewind is a practical cybersecurity podcast focused on real-world cyber risk, incident response, and resilience. We talk to the people on the front lines so you can protect your business before the next attack. Like, subscribe, and hit the bell for more insights on ransomware, cyber insurance, and building a stronger security posture. You can also listen on Spotify or Apple podcasts! I appreciate your support! Thx! #Ransomware #CyberSecurity #IncidentResponse #MFA #IdentitySecurity #LeastPrivilege #CyberInsurance #AISecurity #MicrosoftCopilot #DarkStack7 #RansomwareRewind

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.6 / 5

10 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

8 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 56 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

80

Social presence

94

YouTube

0

Engagement

32

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Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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