The Defender’s Log Podcast

David Redekop
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Technology
  • Updated Weekly

The Defender’s Log Podcast: Stories from the Cybersecurity FrontlinesThe Defender’s Log is your front-row seat to the real-world battles shaping today’s cybersecurity landscape. Hosted by seasoned professionals, each episode brings you face-to-face with the sharpest minds in digital defense, MSP/MSSP founders, CISOs, threat researchers, and architects, who are redefining what it means to secure our connected world.From zero-trust frameworks to ransomware takedowns, from DNS hardening to incident response in regulated industries, this podcast pulls back the curtain on the strategies, frameworks, and mindsets powering modern cyber resilience. Whether you're a security leader, IT strategist, or tech-savvy executive, you’ll walk away with the tools and stories that move the needle.🔐 Why Listen to The Defender’s Log?Cyber threats are evolving and so must our defenses. This isn’t theory. These are the actual voices of those defending systems under pressure, making real-time decisions that pr...

  1. 2d ago

    When Privacy Creates Blind Spots: Security, Standards & the Defender’s Role

    Privacy and security don’t always have to be opposing forces. Andrew Campling, Director of 419 Consulting, brings more than three decades of experience across telecom, technology, public policy, and internet standards to a conversation about what happens when technical decisions have real-world consequences. David and Andrew explore fragmented online safety controls, encrypted metadata, the role of defenders in standards development, and why more diverse perspectives are needed when shaping the future of the internet. Andrew also shares how AI can help defenders navigate complex standards work and accelerate the learning curve. Key Discussion Points 00:02:35 – Andrew’s transition from telecom to internet policy 00:08:20 – Why parental controls have become so fragmented 00:15:50 – The tension between privacy and protection 00:22:35 – Why standards need more diverse perspectives 00:25:30 – Preparing for increasing encryption and reduced visibility 00:28:25 – What it takes to influence internet standards 00:31:15 – Using AI to accelerate the learning curve 00:37:25 – Andrew’s advice for current and future defenders 👍 Like the video if you found the conversation valuable 🔔 Subscribe for more real-world cybersecurity conversations 💬 Share your biggest takeaway in the comments 🔗 Share this episode with someone who should hear it #Cybersecurity #CyberDefense #InternetSecurity #Privacy #IETF #CISO #OnlineSafety #AIinCybersecurity #CybersecurityLeadership #TheDefendersLog

    When Privacy Creates Blind Spots: Security, Standards & the Defender’s Role

  2. Aug 3

    Why Your Logs Should Get Quieter With Every Layer

    Most organizations spend millions protecting what comes in—but what about what goes out? Cloud environments have transformed the way applications are built, yet outbound security is still one of the most overlooked areas of cybersecurity. In this conversation, David Redekop sits down with Dhruv Ahuja, Founder and Chief Engineer at Chaser Systems, to explore why traditional approaches are falling short, how allowlisting changes the conversation, and why AI is raising the bar for both attackers and defenders. From building infrastructure in the early days of the internet to developing cloud-native security solutions, Dhruv shares practical lessons on entrepreneurship, engineering, Zero Trust, defence-in-depth, and the future of protecting cloud workloads. Key Discussion Points 01:00 – Dhruv's path into technology 05:00 – Early lessons from infrastructure and networking 09:45 – From engineer to cybersecurity founder 15:05 – Why outbound security matters 16:00 – How allowlisting stops malware communication 19:00 – The challenge of adopting Zero Trust 23:00 – Designing products around customer problems 25:00 – AI, SNI spoofing, and modern attack techniques 31:00 – Building layered cloud security 39:00 – Wildcards, risk, and secure defaults 43:00 – What's next for cloud security 45:00 – Advice every defender should hear If you found this conversation valuable: 👍 Like this episode to support more conversations on practical cybersecurity. 🔔 Subscribe for more discussions with security leaders and builders. 💬 Share your biggest takeaway in the comments. 📤 Send this to someone responsible for securing cloud infrastructure. #CyberSecurity #ZeroTrust #CloudSecurity #InformationSecurity #NetworkSecurity #CyberDefense #CloudComputing #AI #CyberResilience #TheDefendersLog

    Why Your Logs Should Get Quieter With Every Layer

  3. Jul 21

    The First Line of Defense Is Being Informed

    How do you use AI to uncover facts instead of amplifying opinions? David Redekop sits down with Matthew Dufresne to discuss the evolution of the internet, the growing challenge of misinformation, and why trustworthy AI must be grounded in verifiable data. They also explore CanadaGPT, an AI platform designed to help Canadians access public information with transparency and source-backed answers.   Key Discussion Points 00:40—Meet Matthew Dufresne & The Early Internet 05:20—From ISPs to the AI Era 09:00—Matthew's Journey into Technology 13:40—What is CanadaGPT? 19:30—Fighting Misinformation with Source-Based AI 24:00—Social Media, Marketing & Critical Thinking 29:00—Why Nuance Matters in Politics 34:00—Educating the Next Generation 39:00—Canada's Future, Innovation & Brain Drain 43:30—AI, Healthcare & Opportunities for Canada 47:10—Final Advice: Talk to People, Not Just AI If this conversation challenged the way you think about AI and information: 👍 Like this video if you value fact-based conversations 🔔 Subscribe for more discussions on cybersecurity, AI, and digital trust 💬 What role should AI play in helping people make informed decisions? Share your thoughts below. 📤 Share this episode with someone passionate about cybersecurity, AI, or the future of trustworthy information. #CyberSecurity #ArtificialIntelligence #CanadaGPT #DigitalTrust #CyberDefense #AI #Technology #TheDefendersLog

    The First Line of Defense Is Being Informed

  4. Jun 30

    Attackers Move at AI Speed. Can Policy Keep Up?

    Cybersecurity is no longer just a technology challenge. It's a policy challenge. In this episode of The Defender's Log, David Redekop sits down with Dr. Amit Elazari, Co-Founder and CEO of OpenPolicy, former Head of Global Cybersecurity Policy at Intel, and Co-Founder of Disclose.io. They explore why policy is becoming one of the most important signals for cybersecurity leaders, how AI is changing both attack and defense strategies, and why organizations that ignore policy risk may find themselves falling behind. From cyber incident reporting and public-private collaboration to AI regulation and policy-as-code, this conversation offers a unique look at the forces shaping the future of cybersecurity. Key Discussion Points 01:02 Meet Dr. Amit Elazari 03:07 Building coalitions that shape cybersecurity policy 06:08 Is policy really lagging behind technology? 08:17 Policy as intelligence for future market requirements 09:00 Public-private collaboration in cybersecurity 12:02 The consequences of moving too slowly in the AI era 13:03 Why cyber incident reporting is becoming critical 15:02 How policy is actually crafted today 18:14 Why every defender should pay attention to policy 19:01 Policy as a strategic planning advantage 21:11 The rise of policy exposure management 23:35 Preemptive security and the future of regulation 27:01 Building OpenPolicy and democratizing policy intelligence 29:05 Why AI adoption can no longer wait 31:08 Amit's advice for founders, students, and defenders 34:00 Policy as your power move   If this conversation gave you a new perspective: 👍 Like this video 🔔 Subscribe for more cybersecurity leadership conversations 💬 Share your biggest takeaway in the comments 📤 Send this episode to someone navigating cybersecurity, compliance, or AI risk   #CyberSecurity #AI #CyberPolicy #CyberDefense #OpenPolicy #CISO #RiskManagement #Compliance #ArtificialIntelligence #TheDefendersLog

    Attackers Move at AI Speed. Can Policy Keep Up?

  5. Jun 12

    From Crisis to Prevention: Rethinking Cybersecurity Leadership

    Cybersecurity leaders have spent years building stronger detection and response capabilities. But is that enough? In this episode of The Defender's Log, David Redekop sits down with former CIO, CTO, and cybersecurity executive Phil Johnston to discuss what changes when you've personally led an organization through a major cyber incident. Drawing on decades of experience spanning military communications, government cybersecurity, and executive leadership, Phil shares why cybersecurity should never be viewed as just an IT problem, how organizations can improve resilience, and why prevention, containment, and operational simplicity may be the future of cyber defense. They also explore AI, business risk, executive accountability, incident recovery, intellectual property protection, and what cybersecurity leaders should prioritize over the next five years.   Key Discussion Points 00:00 — Introduction 00:55 — Phil's journey from military communications to cybersecurity leadership 02:26 — Living through a major cyber incident 06:15 — Why cybersecurity is a business problem, not an IT problem 08:12 — What separates successful recoveries from failed recoveries 11:08 — Detection vs prevention: where organizations should focus 16:52 — Why Phil joined ADAM Networks 23:12 — The future of cybersecurity and AI-driven attacks 27:24 — Advice for today's CIOs and security leaders 30:20 — AI, innovation, and empowering employees securely 34:40 — The business impact of intellectual property theft 36:07 — Joining ADAM Networks as Field CIO 38:12 — Leadership, experience, and protecting people   If this conversation challenged your thinking: 👍 Like this episode 🔔 Follow for more conversations with cybersecurity leaders, CISOs, and technology executives 💬 Share your biggest takeaway in the comments 🔗 Send this episode to a leader responsible for security, risk, or technology strategy   #CyberSecurity #CyberLeadership #CISO #CyberRisk #ZeroTrust #CyberDefense #AI #BusinessLeadership #DigitalTransformation #TheDefendersLog #ADAMNetworks

    From Crisis to Prevention: Rethinking Cybersecurity Leadership

  6. May 29

    Deep in the Dark Matter: What Security Chiefs See That Others Don’t

    What if the biggest threats on the internet are the ones nobody can fully measure? In this special episode of The Defender’s Log, host David Redekop sits down with John Todd, Andreas Taudte, and Andrew Campling for a deep conversation about the hidden realities shaping cybersecurity today. From Zero Trust DNS and encrypted traffic to malicious domain “dark matter” and the growing complexity of enterprise security, this discussion pulls back the curtain on what security leaders are actually seeing behind the scenes. The panel explores how attackers quietly evolve their tactics, why modern privacy technologies sometimes create entirely new security problems, and how organizations struggle to balance visibility, compliance, protection, and personal privacy in an increasingly connected world. The conversation also dives into DNS as the internet’s control plane, the risks hiding inside IoT and OT environments, the challenge of securing legacy infrastructure, and why the future of cybersecurity may depend less on perimeter defense and more on understanding behavior patterns at scale. This is the kind of conversation that changes how you look at the internet after the episode ends. Key Discussion Points 02:58 — Why malicious domains keep growing instead of shrinking 04:35 — The case for Zero Trust DNS in enterprises and homes 05:30 — The scale of harmful content online and why it keeps increasing 07:40 — Why protective DNS should be the default 10:00 — Enterprise visibility, DNS logging, and encrypted DNS challenges 12:00 — Privacy vs security: where the debate gets messy 16:00 — How encryption can unintentionally protect bad actors 20:00 — Why modern privacy tools can force companies to inspect everything 23:30 — Moving security controls closer to the endpoint 25:00 — DNS challenges in schools, factories, OT, and IoT environments 29:15 — “We’re solving one problem by creating another” 31:00 — Why DNS is becoming the internet’s true control plane 33:00 — The reality of securing legacy infrastructure 35:00 — Making Zero Trust DNS practical for real-world users 36:00 — Extended DNS Errors (EDE) and making security visible 40:00 — How attackers hide malicious domains in plain sight 42:00 — The rise of “aged” domains and stealthy phishing operations 43:20 — Detecting attacks through DNS behavior patterns Don’t forget to: • Subscribe for more conversations with cybersecurity leaders and innovators • Share this episode with someone working in IT, security, or network infrastructure • Leave a review to help more people discover The Defender’s Log • Follow along for future episodes exploring the technologies shaping the modern internet #CyberSecurity #DNS #ZeroTrust #ThreatIntelligence #CISO #InfoSec #CyberDefense #NetworkSecurity #Privacy #EnterpriseSecurity #ThreatDetection #DNSSecurity #CyberThreats #DigitalInfrastructure #TechPodcast

    Deep in the Dark Matter: What Security Chiefs See That Others Don’t

  7. May 22

    Defending the Kids: DNS, Filters, and the Fight for Safer Schools

    What happens when a childhood curiosity for computers turns into a mission to protect the next generation online? Tom Newton shares the path from experimenting with modems and BBS systems in the early days of computing to defending schools and students against modern cyber threats. The discussion goes deep into digital safety, BYOD risks, VPN abuse, AI-generated evasion techniques, and why protecting young people online requires more than just technology. The conversation also explores the human side of cybersecurity— curiosity, mentorship, freedom, responsibility, and the challenge of balancing privacy with protection in a permanently recorded world. Whether you're in cybersecurity, education, parenting, or technology leadership, this discussion highlights why digital defense today is ultimately about people.   Key Discussion Points 02:06 – How Tom got into technology 04:26 – Early hacking culture, modems & BBS systems 06:40 – Switching from chemistry to computer science 10:45 – Discovering cybersecurity through a worm outbreak 13:26 – Finding Smoothwall & becoming a defender 16:41 – The importance of mentors and “Johnnys” in life 19:22 – Growing up before everything was permanently recorded 23:21 – The challenge of protecting kids online 24:45 – Peer-to-peer abuse inside productivity tools 26:00 – How students bypass filters and hide games 28:00 – Why content filtering matters more than URL filtering 29:27 – Why keeping kids safe takes a community 32:00 – Balancing exploration, freedom, and protection 33:24 – Privacy vs child safety online 37:33 – UNDERMINR and the discovery process 39:00 – Free VPNs, malware, and harmful advertising 42:00 – Sexualized ads and harmful online ecosystems 44:24 – Why UNDERMINR changes defensive assumptions 48:35 – How Smoothwall and Linewize defend against it 49:37 – The future of privacy, trust, and visibility online Don’t forget to: 👍 Like this video 🔔 Subscribe for more conversations on cybersecurity, technology, and digital defense 💬 Comment with your biggest takeaway from the discussion 🔗 Share this with someone working in tech, education, or online safety #CyberSecurity #OnlineSafety #DigitalDefense #CyberDefense #Privacy #EducationTechnology #InfoSec #AI #Networking #TechnologyLeadership #Podcast #CyberAwareness

    Defending the Kids: DNS, Filters, and the Fight for Safer Schools

  8. May 8

    Protective DNS and the Future of Cyber Defense Architecture

    What started as the “phonebook of the internet” is now one of the most critical layers in cybersecurity. In this episode of The Defender’s Log, David Redekop sits down with Cricket Liu—often called the godfather of DNS—to unpack how DNS evolved from a trusted utility into a frontline security control. From the early days of DNS and BIND to the rise of protective DNS, threat intelligence, and zero trust architectures, this conversation traces the real story behind modern network defense.   Key Discussion Points 00:00 From “phonebook” to frontline defense: why DNS became critical to security 02:20 The origins of protective DNS and response policy zones (RPZ) 05:00 Why many organizations still run DNS “wide open” 06:30 The evolution of threat intelligence: from feeds to analytics-driven detection 09:00 How passive DNS data powers modern security insights 12:30 AI’s impact on attackers: customized malware and evasion tactics 13:30 DNS encryption (DoT, DoH, DoQ): privacy vs. visibility tradeoffs 16:00 Where encryption matters most (and where it may not) 20:40 Why protective DNS is still the most overlooked security layer 23:30 The risks of “log-only” mode and missed prevention opportunities 25:20 Zero Trust DNS and controlling where devices can connect 29:50 DNSSEC adoption: why it’s uneven and what it really protects 34:00 What we’d change about DNS if we could redesign it today 37:00 Why DNS still works 40+ years later 40:10 Advice for the next generation: no gatekeepers, no excuses 42:20 AI vs. human curiosity: what actually creates breakthroughs   At its core, this episode is about one idea: there’s no secret sauce. The tools, the knowledge, and the mechanisms are already available. The difference comes down to how we use them. If you work in security, networking, or IT leadership, this is a grounded, practical look at where DNS fits in the fight—and why it matters more than ever. Don’t forget to: 👍 Like this video if it changed how you think about DNS security 🔔 Subscribe for more real conversations with leaders shaping cybersecurity 💬 Comment: What’s your biggest takeaway—or where is your DNS strategy falling short? 🔗 Share this with someone responsible for network or security architecture #CyberSecurity #DNS #NetworkSecurity #ZeroTrust #ThreatIntelligence #InfoSec #AI #CyberDefense #DataSecurity #SecurityArchitecture #TheDefendersLog

    Protective DNS and the Future of Cyber Defense Architecture
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About

The Defender’s Log Podcast: Stories from the Cybersecurity FrontlinesThe Defender’s Log is your front-row seat to the real-world battles shaping today’s cybersecurity landscape. Hosted by seasoned professionals, each episode brings you face-to-face with the sharpest minds in digital defense, MSP/MSSP founders, CISOs, threat researchers, and architects, who are redefining what it means to secure our connected world.From zero-trust frameworks to ransomware takedowns, from DNS hardening to incident response in regulated industries, this podcast pulls back the curtain on the strategies, frameworks, and mindsets powering modern cyber resilience. Whether you're a security leader, IT strategist, or tech-savvy executive, you’ll walk away with the tools and stories that move the needle.🔐 Why Listen to The Defender’s Log?Cyber threats are evolving and so must our defenses. This isn’t theory. These are the actual voices of those defending systems under pressure, making real-time decisions that pr...

Information

  • Creator
    David Redekop
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    28
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2025 | All Rights Reserved | David Redekop
  • Show Website
    The Defender’s Log Podcast

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