Vertali Mainframe Podcast

About Vertali Mainframe Podcast

Welcome to the Vertali Podcast, where we explore the world of cyber security and how businesses can protect their most valuable assets. We’ll dive into cutting-edge technologies, the latest cybersecurity trends, and practical insights on securing your critical infrastructure. Whether you’re an IT professional or business owner, this series will provide you with expert advice and the knowledge needed to stay ahead of evolving cyber threats and build resilient systems. About Vertali Vertali is a leading cyber security company specialising in IBM® mainframe infrastructure. With deep expertise, innovative software, and trusted resources, Vertali supports organisations across the UK and globally, particularly in finance, retail, utilities, and government sectors. 100% focused on mainframe systems, Vertali helps organizations secure and optimize their operations. By combining advanced technology with expert insights, Vertali delivers powerful cybersecurity solutions and consulting services that protect against evolving threats. Driven by a proactive approach, Vertali enables businesses to build resilient systems, safeguard sensitive data, and maintain smooth, uninterrupted operations in the face of cyber risks. https://vertali.com/ (https://vertali.com/) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

Publisher

Vertali

Category

business · business · education

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

14 May 2025

Latest episode

7 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

12 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   7 Oct 2026

   Your Crown Jewels Are at Risk: Mainframe Compliance, Risk, and Audit with James Loftus

   In this episode of The Vertali Podcast, host Ed Nell is joined by James Loftus, Technical Delivery Manager at Vertali, for a deep dive into one of the most overlooked areas of enterprise cybersecurity, mainframe compliance, risk, and audit. James brings more than three decades of experience across mainframe operations, IT security, auditing, and technical delivery. He draws on that experience to explain why the mainframe can no longer be left in the corner to simply get on with things. Key Takeaways The mainframe is no longer a siloed box, and that changes everything. It now connects to Windows machines, Unix systems, web interfaces, and databases around the world. What was once contained is now exposed, and the conversation around compliance and risk must catch up. Regulation is growing faster than most organizations can track. From Sarbanes-Oxley to PCI DSS, HIPAA, and individual US state-level compliance requirements, the number of frameworks is increasing, and they are not all the same. Getting caught out can result in a fine of up to 4% of revenue—not simply a slap on the wrist. Being compliant and being secure are not the same thing. Frameworks provide a baseline and nothing more. If your environment requires stronger controls than the framework specifies, you apply them. Falling below the baseline is worse than not having a framework at all. Most organizations are reactive, not proactive—and it shows. Investment in mainframe security tends to be triggered by an incident, an audit finding, or a near miss. By that point, the question of how long the vulnerability has existed is usually uncomfortable to answer. Key Moments “It’s your crown jewels, for want of a better word. You need to protect that as much as you can.” “Don’t be famous for the wrong reasons.” “Be proactive. Don’t rely on something bad happening.” About The Vertali Podcast The Vertali Podcast explores the world of cybersecurity and how businesses can protect their most valuable assets. From cutting-edge technologies and the latest cybersecurity trends to practical insights on securing critical infrastructure, each episode brings expert knowledge and real-world experience to help organizations stay ahead of evolving threats and build resilient systems. How to Get in Touch To learn more about Vertali or schedule a consultation: Website: https://vertali.com/ (https://vertali.com/) If you found this episode useful, subscribe and share it with anyone responsible for mainframe security in their organization. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

2. 

   3 Sept 2026

   Beyond the Single Point of Failure: Building Long-Term Resilience in Mainframe Operations

   In this episode of The Vertali Podcast, host Ed Nell is joined once again by Chris Harvey, Technical Delivery Manager at Vertali, this time to explore how managed services help organizations reduce operational risk, protect against single points of failure, and build lasting resilience. From aging workforces and undocumented processes to disaster recovery testing and the challenge of scaling a team up for a major project and back down again, Chris covers the full scope of what a long-term mainframe managed service actually involves—and what organizations should look for in a provider. Key Takeaways A team of four or five people is a single point of failure waiting to happen. When that team has been doing the same job for 20 or 30 years and one or two members retire, a third of the experience and knowledge walks out the door. A managed service partner ensures that knowledge remains, even when individuals leave. Most mainframe shops have almost no documentation—and that is a serious risk. When Vertali asks clients what documentation they have when starting a new service, “next to none” is the most common answer. Building a runbook and capturing institutional knowledge are among the most valuable things a managed service provider can do. Disaster recovery has to be tested, not just planned. Having a second site means nothing if nobody knows how to fail over to it, whether the license keys will work on different hardware, or who to call at two in the morning. The irony is that the more risk-averse an organization is, the more important it is to conduct a real test. Incident management and change management are inseparable. Changes create incidents. That is not a failure—it is the nature of working on live, critical systems. What matters is that escalation paths are clear, the technical team can focus on fixing the problem, and someone else is keeping the client informed. Key Moments “The knowledge stays with Vertali, not a person.” “You hope you never need to use it—but you need to know it’s there and that it works.” “If something goes wrong in that window, it is going to be fixed. That is what they are paying for.” About The Vertali Podcast The Vertali Podcast explores the world of cybersecurity and how businesses can protect their most valuable assets. From cutting-edge technologies and the latest cybersecurity trends to practical insights on securing critical infrastructure, each episode brings expert knowledge and real-world experience to help organizations stay ahead of evolving threats and build resilient systems. How to Get in Touch To learn more about Vertali or schedule a consultation: Website: vertali.com If you found this episode useful, subscribe and share it with anyone responsible for mainframe operations in their organization. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

3. 

   19 Aug 2026

   Five Days to Take Over: What Urgent Mainframe Support Really Looks Like

   Five Days to Take Over: What Urgent Mainframe Support Really Looks Like In this episode of The Vertali Podcast, host Ed Nell is joined by Chris Harvey, Technical Delivery Manager at Vertali, for a candid look at what happens when an organization needs urgent mainframe support and there is very little time to get up to speed. Drawing on more than 15 years in the mainframe space, Chris walks through the realities of stepping in at short notice, building a runbook from scratch, managing the knowledge transfer gap, and keeping critical systems running while everything else is in flux. Key Takeaways “Lights-on mode” is about stability, not inaction. During a transition, both the outgoing supplier and the incoming one want to avoid making major changes. That period of deliberate calm is not a gap in service—it is the foundation on which a reliable long-term relationship is built. A runbook is the bible—and building it is day-one work. Every client gets one. It captures how the environment is structured, what is important to the business, when outages are acceptable, and why certain things are done a certain way. Without it, institutional knowledge walks out the door. The ideal knowledge transfer period is three months—five days is not enough. When a client’s previous supplier invoked an exit clause with five days’ notice, Vertali had to gain access, complete onboarding and screening, and begin providing support all at the same time. Knowing which questions to ask under pressure is what made it possible. A good transition is invisible—and that is exactly the point. If the organization’s C-suite does not know the changeover happened, it went well. Like a good referee, the best service is the one nobody talks about. Key Moments “They often don’t have a good reason to share anything they don’t have to—so you need to know the right questions.” “A sign of a good referee is that you haven’t talked about them.” “You pay for the plumber to know where to hit the hammer—responsibility works the same way.” About The Vertali Podcast The Vertali Podcast explores the world of cybersecurity and how businesses can protect their most valuable assets. From cutting-edge technologies and the latest cybersecurity trends to practical insights on securing critical infrastructure, each episode brings expert knowledge and real-world experience to help organizations stay ahead of evolving threats and build resilient systems. About Vertali Vertali is a leading cyber security company specialising in IBM® mainframe infrastructure. With deep expertise, innovative software, and trusted resources, Vertali supports organisations across the UK and globally, particularly in finance, retail, utilities, and government sectors. 100% focused on mainframe systems, Vertali helps organizations secure and optimize their operations. By combining advanced technology with expert insights, Vertali delivers powerful cybersecurity solutions and consulting services that protect against evolving threats. Driven by a proactive approach, Vertali enables businesses to build resilient systems, safeguard sensitive data, and maintain smooth, uninterrupted operations in the face of cyber risks. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

4. 

   17 Jul 2026

   Women in Mainframe: Two Early Career Journeys into an Inclusive Industry

   In this episode of The Vertali Podcast, host Ed Nell is joined by two technical consultants on Vertali's New to Z training scheme - Nishka and Simran - to talk about how they discovered mainframe, what drew them to it and what the last eleven months at Vertali have looked like. From a university society president to a student who walked into a cybersecurity conference knowing nothing about mainframes and came out passionate about RACF security, both Nishka and Simran have taken unconventional routes into a field that is less male dominated than most people assume. Key Takeaways The mainframe community is what draws people in and keeps them there. Both Nishka and Simran cite the energy at conferences, the willingness of experienced professionals to share knowledge and the genuine sense of welcome as the thing that made mainframe feel like somewhere they wanted to be. Mentorship at the right moment makes all the difference. Simran's decision to reach out to security consultants at her first conference - and being taken seriously by both Niall Ashley and James Loftus - shaped the direction of her entire career within months of discovering mainframes existed. Sharing your journey publicly helps the people who come next. Both Nishka and Simran talk about the importance of documenting their progress - not for their own benefit, but to show students still at university that there is a job at the end of the mainframe path. Proof matters when the destination feels uncertain. Mainframe has a more equal gender history than most of IT. Far from being a male dominated field, mainframe has roots in women's computing going back to the Second World War. Both guests argue the community today reflects that history more than most tech industries do. Key Moments "I didn't know if running a society and doing all this mainframe stuff was actually going to lead me anywhere." "I very rarely get nervous when presenting now - and when I was at school, I had a lot of anxiety." "You have to go out and find the information - because it is not going to find you." About The Vertali Podcast The Vertali Podcast explores the world of cybersecurity and how businesses can protect their most valuable assets. From cutting edge technologies and the latest trends to practical insights on securing critical infrastructure, each episode brings expert knowledge and real experience to help organisations stay ahead of evolving threats and build resilient systems. How to Get in Touch To find out more about Vertali or to schedule a consultation: Website: vertali.com If you found this episode useful, subscribe and share it with anyone considering a career in mainframe. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

5. 

   17 Jul 2026

   People, Process and Technology: How to Keep Complex IT Projects on Track

   In this episode of The Vertali Podcast, host Ed Nell is joined by Richard Goldsby, Programme Manager at Vertali, for a deep dive into the world of project and programme management in complex technology environments. Richard draws on years of experience across IBM and beyond to explain what project management actually involves, why communication sits at the heart of every successful delivery and what happens when the discipline is missing. Key Takeaways A project manager is an enabler, not a doer. The role is about oiling the wheels - getting the right people focused on the right things, removing blockers and making sure everyone knows where they are and what comes next. Communication is the single most important discipline in project management. Richard returns to it throughout the conversation because it underpins everything - stakeholder confidence, priority calls, risk management and the relationship with the customer. People, process and technology are the three pillars of any complex project. If one is missing or poorly handled, the project will come unstuck. Of the three, people is the hardest - particularly when key stakeholders have not been told a project is happening at all. Good governance should be light touch, consistent and targeted. A two page weekly report that the right people actually read is worth far more than a twenty-five page document nobody opens. The goal is no surprises at executive level. Plans always change - what matters is how you manage that change. The plan gives structure and direction, but the skill is in tracking milestones, anticipating dependencies and communicating clearly when dates shift and why. Key Moments "I often joke that I don't do anything - I enable other people to do the right things." "It's not a case of I told you so - it's a case of, right, this has happened. Now how do we fix it?" "The assumptions that aren't shared are the ones that get you." "Identify the key stakeholders up front - and give yourself enough time, because things happen." About Vertali Vertali is a leading cyber security company specialising in IBM® mainframe infrastructure. With deep expertise, innovative software, and trusted resources, Vertali supports organisations across the UK and globally, particularly in finance, retail, utilities, and government sectors. 100% focused on mainframe systems, Vertali helps organizations secure and optimize their operations. By combining advanced technology with expert insights, Vertali delivers powerful cybersecurity solutions and consulting services that protect against evolving threats. Driven by a proactive approach, Vertali enables businesses to build resilient systems, safeguard sensitive data, and maintain smooth, uninterrupted operations in the face of cyber risks. Connect with Vertali: https://vertali.com/ (https://vertali.com/) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

6. 

   8 Apr 2026

   The Importance of Red-Teaming and Cyber Risk Quantification (CRQ) with Kevin Milne

   In this episode of the Vertali Podcast, host Ed Nell is joined by Kev Milne, Cyber Threat Manager at NatWest Group who also runs a mainframe pen testing course and is writing a book on Mainframe Hacking. Kev gives us a deep dive into cyber risk quantification, red teaming, and the growing need to include mainframes in modern cyber security testing. Kev draws on more than 30 years of experience in cyber security, from penetration testing and risk management to cyber threat intelligence, to explain why organizations need to move beyond vague risk labels and toward evidence-based, business-focused conversations about cyber threats. Key Takeaways Cyber Risk Quantification Makes Risk More Actionable: Kev explains that cyber risk quantification helps turn cyber security from a vague discussion of “high” or “medium” risk into something more useful by identifying likely threat actors, attack methods, technical outcomes, and potential financial consequences. This makes it easier for leaders to understand what is really at stake. Evidence Matters More Than Assumptions: Rather than relying on gut feel or subjective scoring, Kev emphasizes using penetration test reports, red team findings, audit reports, vulnerability scans, and risk registers to measure actual exposure. That evidence-based approach helps validate whether security controls are truly working. Red Teaming Goes Beyond Traditional Penetration Testing: Kev describes red teaming as broader and more realistic than a standard penetration test. It can include physical security, social engineering, open-source intelligence, phishing, and cross-network movement to simulate how real attackers behave, rather than just testing a narrow technical scope. Mainframes Should Not Be Left Out: One of the episode’s core messages is that mainframes are still often excluded from red teaming and cyber risk quantification because many security teams do not understand them, while mainframe teams may be wary of offensive testing. Kev argues that this creates a dangerous blind spot, especially since attackers are unlikely to ignore systems that hold critical business data and processing power. AI Is Accelerating the Threat Landscape: Kev highlights how AI is making phishing and cyber attacks faster, easier, and more effective. He points to a rise in successful phishing and faster lateral movement within networks as signs that organizations need to improve testing, monitoring, and communication now rather than later. Best Moments “Cyber risk quantification is really about making cyber risk useful.” “When you start to see, here is a risk, here is who could attack it, here’s how they would do it, and this is the outcome technically and the outcome financially, that is where cyber risk quantification becomes really pretty useful.” “Red teaming engagement is more about see what you can do, see if you can get in.” “The mainframe is doing all the processing… the crown jewels.” “If we don’t test, there’s something that we don’t know that they will know.” “Make sure that the techies and the business side talk to each other.” About Vertali Vertali is a leading cyber security company specialising in IBM® mainframe infrastructure. With deep expertise, innovative software, and trusted resources, Vertali supports organisations across the UK and globally, particularly in finance, retail, utilities, and government sectors. 100% focused on mainframe systems, Vertali helps organizations secure and optimize their operations. By combining advanced technology with expert insights, Vertali delivers powerful cybersecurity solutions and consulting services that protect against evolving threats. Driven by a proactive approach, Vertali enables businesses to build resilient systems, safeguard sensitive data, and maintain smooth, uninterrupted operations in the face of cyber risks. Connect with Vertali: https://vertali.com/ (https://vertali.com/) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

7. 

   6 Jan 2026

   MainTegrity: The days of static cybersecurity reporting are over

   In this episode of the Vertali Podcast, Ed Nell talks with MainTegrity’s Al Saurette about why static cyber reporting no longer works for modern mainframe security and what a real-time, human-in-the-loop defense looks like. They dig into ransomware’s business model, why milliseconds matter, how to spot reconnaissance early, and the practical mechanics of “freeze first, verify, then resume” so attacks are contained before damage spreads. Key Takeaways Static reports can’t keep up: Cybersecurity is a real-time problem; waiting for daily violation printouts assumes humans can react fast enough, which they simply can’t. Action has to begin before a person can even read a dashboard. Milliseconds matter: Modern hardware can encrypt huge volumes of data in fractions of a second. Detection and containment must happen in milliseconds, not minutes or hours. Freeze first, then decide: When anomalies appear, pause the activity immediately. If a human later validates it, resume from the exact point without disruption; if not, cancel and remediate. Spot recon early: Look for reconnaissance signatures, unsanctioned file changes, privilege probing, or sudden spikes in data access, especially from “trusted” network partners where an upstream environment may be compromised. AI is a force multiplier, not an autopilot: AI can help analyze rich real-time telemetry and accelerate triage, but final authority and recovery decisions should remain with humans, especially for restore actions. Recovery needs root-cause clarity: Restoring data alone can re-ignite malware. You must identify where malicious changes were introduced, remove them, and restore systems to a trusted state—otherwise you risk a second outage. Best Moments “Cybersecurity these days is a real-time event… the criminals are attached to your system more or less when you start.” “The time frames are milliseconds… who can possibly react in a second?” “Stop the suspicious activity, then let people decide whether to continue or kill it.” “There was a US case where the outage went on for nine days… the estimated cost to recovery is $3 billion.” About Vertali Vertali is a leading cyber security company specialising in IBM® mainframe infrastructure. With deep expertise, innovative software, and trusted resources, Vertali supports organisations across the UK and globally, particularly in finance, retail, utilities, and government sectors. 100% focused on mainframe systems, Vertali helps organizations secure and optimize their operations. By combining advanced technology with expert insights, Vertali delivers powerful cybersecurity solutions and consulting services that protect against evolving threats. Driven by a proactive approach, Vertali enables businesses to build resilient systems, safeguard sensitive data, and maintain smooth, uninterrupted operations in the face of cyber risks. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

8. 

   24 Nov 2025

   Broadcom: Bracing For The Quantum Shift

   In this episode of the Vertali Podcast, Broadcom’s Michael Jordan (Distinguished Engineer, Cybersecurity & Compliance) and Jessica Daugherty (Senior Product Manager, Security & Compliance) about “Y2Q”, the day quantum computers can break today’s cryptography, and what enterprises must do now to prepare. They unpack how RSA falls to Shor’s algorithm, why “harvest now, decrypt later” makes quantum risk urgent today, where NIST’s post-quantum standards stand, and practical first steps like building a cryptographic inventory and a migration plan. They also touch on IBM Z16/Z17 “quantum-safe” capabilities and lessons from Y2K for a whole-of-industry response. Key Takeaways What “Y2Q” really means: It’s the point at which a cryptographically relevant quantum computer can break widely used public-key algorithms; the core reason is mathematical (e.g., factoring the RSA modulus reveals the private key). Shor’s algorithm changes the game: Classical computers make factoring infeasible at today’s key sizes; quantum computers running Shor’s algorithm reduce the problem to hours, undermining RSA and elliptic-curve schemes. Standards are arriving: NIST has selected and published post-quantum algorithms (FIPS 203/204/205), with IETF TLS updates in draft and expected to finalize on a near-term horizon. Global roadmaps differ: The US/UK are working toward broad migration by 2035, while Germany and Australia are targeting around 2030, all aiming to pre-empt sudden quantum breakthroughs. Mainframe head start: IBM Z16 introduced quantum-safe system validation and access to NIST-backed algorithms via Crypto Express HSMs (also on Z17), positioning mainframe shops to adopt earlier. Best Moments “Imagine the day when all the crypto that we rely on stops working… That day is coming, and it’s called Y2Q.” “If you could factor out those two large prime numbers… you could compute the private key and thus you’ve broken RSA.” “Our mainframes are already considered quantum safe… Z16 was introduced as the world’s first quantum-safe system.” “The first task… is to discover all of the cryptographic usages within their system and build a cryptographic inventory.” About Vertali Vertali is a leading cyber security company specialising in IBM® mainframe infrastructure. With deep expertise, innovative software, and trusted resources, Vertali supports organisations across the UK and globally, particularly in finance, retail, utilities, and government sectors. 100% focused on mainframe systems, Vertali helps organizations secure and optimize their operations. By combining advanced technology with expert insights, Vertali delivers powerful cybersecurity solutions and consulting services that protect against evolving threats. Driven by a proactive approach, Vertali enables businesses to build resilient systems, safeguard sensitive data, and maintain smooth, uninterrupted operations in the face of cyber risks. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

9. 

   2 Oct 2025

   The rise of AI in mainframe software development

   Host Ed Nell interviews senior software developer Nathan Carroll about AI's transformative impact on mainframe software development, offering insights into its use as a learning accelerator and a junior team member.

10. 

    11 Jul 2025

    Security Assessment vs Pen Test: What’s the Difference?

    Host Ed Nell interviews Leanne Wilson, Senior Technical Delivery Manager and Security Consultant at Vertali, clarifying the crucial differences between mainframe security assessments and penetration tests.

11. 

    23 Jun 2025

    Mainframe Cyber Resilience & DORA Demands

    Leanne Wilson, Senior Technical Delivery Manager and Security Consultant at Vertali, discusses the Digital Operational Resilience Act and its impact on the financial sector, emphasizing the importance of building a culture of resilience, in an interview with Ed Nell.

12. 

    14 May 2025

    Generative AI and Cyber Security with Mark Wilson

    Vertali's Ed Nell interviews Mark Wilson, Technical Director at Vertali, about the advantages and risks of generative AI in cybersecurity, including fraud detection and emerging threats, in this insightful episode.

Who has been a guest on Vertali Mainframe Podcast

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• Nathan Carroll
• Leanne Wilson
• Mark Wilson

Podcast Authority Score: 12 / 100

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