Welcome to the "Zero Breach Zone," where we delve into the vital mission of fortifying K-12 schools against breaches and phishing threats. Hosts Andy Lombardo and Phil Hintz lead insightful conversations with top experts in cybersecurity, education, and technology, uncovering strategies to protect our schools. From breaking down the latest digital threats to sharing actionable security measures, this podcast empowers educators, administrators, and parents with the tools they need to safeguard students and staff in today’s connected world.
Surviving a School District Cyberattack with Sandra Paul (Re-Air)
Welcome to Season 2 Episode 4 of the Zero Breach Zone, where hosts Phil Hintz and Andy Lombardo sit down with the people on the front lines of K-12 cybersecurity. This week they're joined by Sandra Paul, a seasoned K-12 technology leader who takes us inside a real cyberattack on her school district. What happened, how her team responded, and what she'd do differently. Sandra brings hard-won, practical experience to a conversation every school IT leader needs to hear.
She walks through the full arc of a live incident, from the moment the breach was discovered to the critical role of cyber insurance, legal counsel, and vendor relationships in getting through it. Her core message is one the whole field keeps coming back to — it's not a matter of if, but when. Schools that survive are the ones who prepared before the crisis hit.
Key Takeaways:
Have an incident response plan and test it regularly with tabletop exercises
Get to know your cyber insurance provider and legal team before you ever need them
Strong vendor and partner relationships are a critical part of your defense
Communication during a crisis is just as important as the technical response
Parting Tool:
Canva for presentations
Notebook LM for writing assistance
Resources Mentioned:
NIST Cybersecurity Framework
CoSN (Consortium for School Networking)
Sophos Security Solutions
NJ Edge
7 Jul 2026
Building a Culture Around Cybersecurity with Andrew Marcinek (Re-Air)
Welcome to Season 2 Episode 3 of the Zero Breach Zone, where hosts Phil Hintz and Andy Lombardo sit down with leaders shaping the future of technology and security in K-12 education.
This week they're joined by Andrew Marcinek: father, author, education veteran and CTO, to dig into why building a culture around cybersecurity is the most important thing schools can do right now. Andrew shares his journey from classroom teacher to technology leader and makes a powerful case that digital safety isn't an IT issue — it's a people issue.
The conversation tackles the ongoing debate around cell phone policy and screen time, with Andrew arguing that banning devices misses the point. Students need to learn to navigate technology the same way they learn to drive — with proper education and guardrails, not just restrictions. That thinking underpins his work in digital health and wellness and his widely praised book, *Teaching Digital Kindness*, which has become a go-to resource for educators looking to build empathy and accountability in digital spaces.
They also explore how AI is transforming school communications and operations, and close out with a look at vibe coding — where students use AI tools to build and publish real websites with little to no traditional coding experience.
Key Takeaways:
Cybersecurity in schools requires a culture, not just a tool
Students need digital literacy the way they need driver's ed — preparation, not prohibition
Digital health and wellness belongs in the classroom conversation
'Teaching Digital Kindness' is essential reading for any educator navigating today's tech landscape along with Andrew's upcoming book (working title) 'Untangled'
AI is streamlining how schools communicate and operate
Vibe coding is opening up real creative and technical opportunities for students
Parting Tool: Try vibe coding with Claude Code or Lovable — two AI-powered tools that let students (and educators) build real websites and apps with minimal coding experience.
Resources Mentioned:
Teaching Digital Kindness by Andrew Marcinek (https://www.amazon.com/Teaching-Digital-Kindness-Andrew-Marcinek/dp/1032281545)
Think Forward Solutions (https://thinkforwardsolutions.com/)
School Amplified AI (https://schoolamplified.ai/)
23 Jun 2026
Cybercrime at Machine Speed: Are Schools Ready? (Re-Air)
Welcome to Season 2 Episode 2 of the Zero Breach Zone podcast, where hosts Phil Hintz and Andy Lombardo break down emerging cybersecurity threats and what they mean for K-12 schools in 2026.
Drawing from recent industry predictions, they explore how cybercrime is becoming more industrialized—powered by AI, automation, and speed. Andy shares real-world examples of how quickly attackers identify and target new staff, sometimes within days, and how campaigns are expanding beyond employees to include parents and community members.
The conversation dives into modern attack techniques like token theft, AI-driven reconnaissance, and ransomware-as-a-service, highlighting how attackers are operating more like businesses than ever before. Phil and Andy also discuss the growing importance of identity as the new security perimeter, reinforcing the need for MFA, zero trust strategies, and strong onboarding and offboarding processes.
They wrap up with a look at EdTech trends, including shifting perspectives on student device usage, and this week's Parting Tool shared by Andy shows how to turn Google Slides into AI-narrated videos for quick and effective content delivery.
Key Takeaways:
Cybercrime is evolving into a fast, AI-driven industry
Attack timelines are shrinking dramatically
New staff and even community members are becoming targets
Token theft and automated attacks are on the rise
Identity and MFA are central to modern defense
Zero trust and lifecycle management are critical
Ransomware-as-a-service continues to grow
Parting Tool:
Use Google Slides’ “Convert to Video” feature to create AI-narrated presentations for training and classroom content.
Resources Mentioned:
Fortinet 2026 Cyber Threat Predictions (White Paper)
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction and 2026 Cyber Threat Predictions
03:15 The Acceleration of Cyber Attacks
06:40 Real-World Phishing Examples
10:05 Token Theft and AI Threats
14:20 Ransomware and Cybercrime Evolution
18:10 Identity and Zero Trust
22:30 EdTech Trends and Tool of the Day
Who has been a guest on Zero Breach Zone
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Jennifer Womble
Frankie Jackson
Adam Phyall
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
6,170
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
2 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
1 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 36 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
31
Social presence
0
YouTube
68
Engagement
32
Contact Zero Breach Zone
Guest appearances
Books guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
Questions about Zero Breach Zone
Who hosts Zero Breach Zone?
Andy Lombardo and Phil Hintz host the show. Published by Andy Lombardo & Phil Hintz.
How often do new episodes come out?
The show publishes bi-weekly, based on its RSS feed.
Does Zero Breach Zone take guests?
Yes. Guests have been identified in episode analyses.
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