SANS Institute Expands Cyber Leaders Podcast with New Episodes Tackling AI Risk, Geopolitical Conflict, and Frontline Defense

Hosted by James Lyne and Professor Ciaran Martin, the podcast delivers candid, practitioner-led conversations to help cyber leaders navigate AI disruption, geopolitical risk, and high-stakes security decisions with greater confidence.

Bethesda, MD, May 20, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As AI reshapes enterprise risk, geopolitical tensions put critical infrastructure in the crosshairs, and boards demand clearer answers on cyber accountability, the pressure on security leaders has never been greater. SANS Institute is expanding its Cyber Leaders Podcast with new episodes that go beyond the headlines to explore how experienced security leaders are navigating these pressures, in real time. Hosted by SANS CEO James Lyne and Professor Ciaran Martin, Director of the SANS Cyber Leaders Network, the podcast brings together some of the most trusted practitioners in global cybersecurity for frank, experience-driven conversations.

Guests include security leaders from organizations such as Bayer, Deloitte and Zalando, alongside specialists in industrial control systems, threat hunting, and AI-driven vulnerability research. They offer perspectives that span technical depth, policy insight, and operational leadership. Each episode goes beyond talking points to explore how real leaders make tough calls under pressure.

“Cybersecurity leaders are navigating genuinely hard problems every day - geo-political conflicts, AI deployments, major incidents - and we have the privilege to talk to some of those people who are on the frontlines,” said James Lyne, CEO of SANS Institute. “This podcast exists to make those conversations available to every security leader at every type of organization.”

Every episode is built around one principle: say what is true, not what sounds good. Guests speak from direct experience, active deployments, live incidents, and real decisions made under pressure. Listeners can hear from practitioners tackling the questions that define the modern CISO role, including:

- The cyber dimensions of the Iran conflict and what defenders of critical infrastructure need to know now, with SANS ICS Technical Director Tim Conway

- How AI-driven vulnerability discovery is changing the attacker–defender equation, and what the security community’s response should look like, with Gadi Evron, Rob T. Lee, and Ed Skoudis

- Bringing generative AI securely into enterprise environments without handing attackers an open door, with Florence Mottay, CISO of Zalando

- The realities of threat hunting and incident response, and the industry myths that still get organizations into trouble, with digital forensics expert Taz Wake

“The best thing a security leader can do is understand how other experienced leaders think. Not the polished version they give at conferences, but the real reasoning behind difficult decisions,” added Professor Ciaran Martin, Director of the SANS Cyber Leaders Network. “That is what we try to surface in every episode.”

The Cyber Leaders Podcast releases new episodes every Friday, available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and directly via the SANS website. Subscribe now to stay informed on emerging cyber risks and leadership decisions. Share episodes with peers and teams to support better decision-making across the organization.

Jenn Elston
SANS Institute
301-654-7267
jelston@sans.org

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