CyberBytes: The Podcast

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Welcome to CyberBytes: The Podcast by the Aspiron Group. CyberBytes is our content and community channel that brings together conversations with founders, VCs, and other industry influencers from across the cybersecurity ecosystem. We explore their career journeys, industry insights, and the evolving world of cyber tech. Subscribe now and stay ahead in the world of cybersecurity! The Aspiron Group fuels early-stage cyber growth. We support founders across every milestone where decisions matter: talent (Aspiron Search), PR (Aspiron Influence), and capital (Aspiron Ventures).

  1. 1 day ago

    The Community Advantage in Cybersecurity - Mariana Padilla

    Cybersecurity may be built on technology, but it’s powered by people.In this episode of CyberBytes: The Podcast, we’re joined by Mariana Padilla, Community Evangelist at Harmonic Security and former founder of Hackerverse, to explore why relationships, storytelling, and authentic community-building are becoming the biggest differentiators in cybersecurity.Mariana shares her unconventional journey into cyber, from running a marketing agency during COVID to leading a cybersecurity startup before finding her perfect fit at Harmonic. Along the way, she explains why networking should never start when you need something, how building a personal brand creates opportunities, and why companies investing in community will outperform those focused solely on product marketing.We also dive into:* Why cybersecurity is still fundamentally a relationship-driven industry.* The role of storytelling in marketing, sales, and leadership.* Building a personal brand that actually stands out.* How Harmonic is creating an AI security community built on trust.* The future of cybersecurity marketing, demand generation, and experiential events.* Mariana’s thoughts on founder life, VC culture, and the importance of playing the long game.If you’re a founder, marketer, cybersecurity professional, or anyone looking to build meaningful relationships that drive business, this episode is packed with practical insights.Mariana's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/heretoshakeshitup/Harmonic - https://www.linkedin.com/company/harmonic-security/Charlotte's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlotte-harris-8a2778225/Aspiron Group - https://www.linkedin.com/company/aspiron-group/

    33 min
  2. 27 May

    From Zero-Days to Series A: Building The Binary Security Layer - RevEng.AI

    In this episode of CyberBytes: The Podcast, we’re joined by James Patrick-Evans, Founder & CEO of RevEng.AI, to explore how AI is reshaping the future of software supply chain security. Fresh off the announcement of RevEng AI’s Series A, James breaks down how the company is building foundational AI models capable of analyzing binary code to detect security vulnerabilities, malware, and malicious intent hidden deep inside software. We dive into: * Why traditional software supply chain security isn’t enough anymore * The growing threat of attacks through third-party dependencies * How RevEng AI is applying frontier AI techniques to reverse engineering * The journey from PhD research and malware analysis to founding a deep tech cybersecurity startup * Building a world-class technical team and scaling as a first-time founder * The future of AI-generated software and why binary-level security verification will become criticalJames also shares his thoughts on the rapid evolution of AI in cybersecurity, the challenges defenders face in a world where humans no longer fully understand the code being created, and why he believes AI will ultimately become a net positive for security. A fascinating conversation on deep tech, AI, cyber defense, and building one of the UK’s most exciting cybersecurity startups. James's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-patrick-evans-204310236/ RevEng.AI - https://reveng.ai/ Oliver's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/oliverlegg/ Aspiron Search - https://aspironsearch.com/

    25 min
  3. 20 May

    The Future of Security Operations Is Agentic - Leen

    In this episode, we sit down with Kabir Mathur, CEO and Founder of Leen, to explore how AI is fundamentally reshaping the future of cybersecurity operations. Since his last appearance on the show, Leen has evolved from building a security data fabric into creating an agentic AI platform designed to help security teams actually solve problems, not just generate more alerts. Kabir breaks down why security teams are drowning in fragmented tooling, how Leen’s context layer connects data across the entire security stack, and why trust and deterministic guardrails are critical for enterprise AI adoption. We dive into: * Why AI in cybersecurity feels “real” for CISOs in 2026 * The challenge of fragmented security data and operational overload * How Leen is using agentic workflows to automate remediation and security operations * The rise of AI-powered security programs beyond the SOC * Why context is the missing layer in enterprise security AI * Human-in-the-loop security automation and auditable AI decision-making * The future of non-human identities, AI governance, and security operations Kabir also shares insights from RSA, Leen’s rapid early customer traction, and his vision for how AI agents will augment cybersecurity teams over the next 12 months. A must-listen for security leaders, founders, practitioners, and anyone interested in the next wave of AI-native cybersecurity infrastructure. Kabir's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mathurkabir/ Leen - https://www.linkedin.com/company/leen-inc/ Steffen's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/steffenfoley/ Aspiron Search - https://www.linkedin.com/company/aspiron-search/

    13 min
  4. 1 May

    The 14 Year-Old Dream That Led To An $18M Series A - Escape

    In this episode, we sit down with Tristan, CEO and Co-founder of Escape, to explore the journey from a 14-year-old in France inspired by Steve Jobs, to building a fast-growing AI-driven cybersecurity company in the Bay Area. Tristan shares how his early background in machine learning and engineering led him into cybersecurity after witnessing a real-world breach firsthand, and how that moment sparked the idea behind Escape. We dive into the founding story, and the key lesson every technical founder needs to hear: building something impressive is not enough, you have to build something people actually want. We also unpack one of the most pressing shifts in cybersecurity today, the explosion of AI-generated code and the growing gap between developers, attackers, and security teams. Tristan explains how Escape is tackling this problem by embedding automated security directly into the engineering workflow, and why trust, speed, and signal over noise are critical for adoption. From “vibe coding” risks and real-world data leaks, to the future of AI in both building and attacking software, this is a conversation about the arms race shaping modern cybersecurity. If you are building, investing, or hiring in cybersecurity, this episode gives a clear view of where the market is heading next. Tristan’s LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tkalos/ Escape - https://www.linkedin.com/company/escapetech/ Steffen’s LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/steffenfoley/ Aspiron Search - https://www.linkedin.com/company/aspiron-search/

    23 min

About

Welcome to CyberBytes: The Podcast by the Aspiron Group. CyberBytes is our content and community channel that brings together conversations with founders, VCs, and other industry influencers from across the cybersecurity ecosystem. We explore their career journeys, industry insights, and the evolving world of cyber tech. Subscribe now and stay ahead in the world of cybersecurity! The Aspiron Group fuels early-stage cyber growth. We support founders across every milestone where decisions matter: talent (Aspiron Search), PR (Aspiron Influence), and capital (Aspiron Ventures).