Breaking Through in Cybersecurity Marketing

Cybersecurity Marketing Society | N2K Networks
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  • MARKETING
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Cybersecurity marketer, we’ve got your back! Created by the Cybersecurity Marketing Society, the Breaking Through in Cybersecurity Marketing podcast shares the stories, successes, and failures of marketers in this fast-paced and constantly changing industry. Listen to learn, laugh, and improve your cybersecurity marketing game! New episodes every Wednesday. 

  1. 5H AGO

    What It Takes to Sell Cybersecurity Services to SMBs with Ranbir Bhutani, CEO & Founder of CyberCulture

    Episode Summary: Most cybersecurity marketing advice doesn’t apply when you’re selling to small businesses, and Ranbir Bhutani, CEO and vCISO of Cyber Culture, learned that the hard way. After spending on ads that didn’t lead to results, he shifted his approach toward LinkedIn, referrals, and in-person relationships. Instead of leading with solutions, he focuses on helping buyers understand the problem first, especially when they don’t come from a security background. Ranbir also talks about common marketing approaches that don’t land the same with smaller organizations, how trust and word of mouth drive most of his deals, and what it looks like to build a cybersecurity business without a large budget. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction to Cyber Culture LLC 01:44 Ranbir's Journey into Cybersecurity 04:57 Transitioning from Technical to Sales and Marketing 07:33 Marketing Strategies for Small Businesses 10:04 Building Relationships and Networking 12:49 Quality Assurance in Customer Experience 15:31 The Importance of Community in Cybersecurity 18:23 Advice for Selling to SMBs 21:06 Future Aspirations and Personal Insights About Ranbir: Ranbir Bhutani is the CEO and Founder of CyberCulture, LLC, where he provides vCISO and cybersecurity advisory services to small and mid-sized organizations. His work focuses on helping non-technical leaders understand security risks and make practical decisions, particularly in government contracting, finance, and healthcare. Links & Resources: Ranbir Bhutani on LinkedInCyberCulture, LLC Subscribe & Review: 👉 Enjoyed this one? Drop us a quick ⭐ rating or review, it helps more cyber marketers find the show. 📩 Questions, feedback, or want to be a guest? Email: podcast@cybersecuritymarketingsociety.com  Follow the Host: Gianna Whitver on LinkedIn Thank you for tuning in to another episode of Breaking Through in Cybersecurity Marketing. You can join the Cybersecurity Marketing Society on our website, on our main LinkedIn page, our Instagram page, or our podcast LinkedIn page.  See you on the next episode!

    37 min

  2. APR 29

    What It Takes to Run Marketing Solo with Sara Ceballos, Director of Marketing at BreachRx

    Episode Summary: Running marketing as a team of one means you’re responsible for everything, from attribution to brand to pipeline. Sara Ceballos, Director of Marketing, joins the show to talk through her time at Inspectiv, where she was brought in to support two new product launches, rethink the company's positioning, and run marketing as a team of one. She shares how she moved MQL tracking out of spreadsheets into HubSpot and Salesforce, worked with sales to define what “qualified” actually meant, and how she determined when simplifying data made more sense than tracking everything. Gianna and Sara also dive into leading a rebrand with a small team, testing messaging with customers before launch, and building an event process that supports sales and ties back to the pipeline. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction and Guest Introduction 01:19 Sarah's Journey Back to Cybersecurity 03:09 Understanding Inspectiv and Its Market 04:12 Identifying Marketing Challenges 07:21 Collaboration with Sales Team 09:06 The HubSpot and Salesforce Integration Project 10:00 Rebranding and Its Impact on the Company 14:54 The Meaning Behind the Rebrand 16:05 Shifting the Cybersecurity Narrative 17:29 Operational Improvements in Event Management 20:41 Streamlining Sales Support 27:27 Future Vision for Inspectiv About Sara: Sara Ceballos is a Director of Marketing at BreachRx, where she leads marketing strategy and programs to drive pipeline and growth. She previously served as Director of Marketing at Inspectiv, where she ran marketing as a one-person team, leading efforts across attribution, rebranding, website development, and event strategy. Sara has a background in demand generation and B2B marketing, with experience building and scaling programs that align closely with sales and revenue teams. Links & Resources: Sara Ceballos on LinkedIn Inspectiv BreachRx Subscribe & Review: 👉 Enjoyed this one? Drop us a quick ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating or review, it helps more cyber marketers find the show. 📩 Questions, feedback, or want to be a guest? Email: podcast@cybersecuritymarketingsociety.com  Follow the Host: Gianna Whitver on LinkedIn Thank you for tuning in to another episode of Breaking Through in Cybersecurity Marketing. You can join the Cybersecurity Marketing Society on our website, on our main LinkedIn page, our Instagram page, or our podcast LinkedIn page.  See you on the next episode!

    32 min

  3. APR 22

    Alignment Episode: How Traci Byrne Works Across CISOs, Startups, and Partners

    Episode Summary: Traci Byrne has spent a lot of her time aligning CISOs, startups, and internal teams. In this episode, she breaks down how she does that, starting with listening, understanding what each side is trying to do, and using that to guide decisions without forcing them. That same approach shows up in disagreements. Instead of shutting ideas down, she asks questions that expose gaps and lets people work through them. It shows up most in security, where risk, new tech, and competing priorities all collide. If your role depends on influence and not control, this one will feel very familiar!  Chapters: [00:00] Introduction to Cybersecurity Marketing and Guest Introduction [03:49] Understanding Global Security Strategic Initiatives [06:28] A Week in the Life of Tracy Byrne [08:48] Navigating Startup and Enterprise Relationships [11:34] Operational Resilience and Cybersecurity [14:09] Influencing Without Authority in Cybersecurity [16:25] Building Trust and Understanding Stakeholder Needs [17:42] Healthy Conflict and Disagreement Management [20:17] Company Culture and Collaboration at WWT [22:30] Personal Aspirations and Future Goals About Traci: Traci Byrne was recently Head of Global Security Strategic Initiatives at World Wide Technology at the time of recording. She worked across enterprise teams and partners, supporting large strategic deals and helping organizations navigate complex security challenges. She also advises startups on go-to-market and engaging with large enterprises, and hosts the Meet the Chief podcast. Links & Resources: Traci Byrne on LinkedIn Subscribe & Review: 👉 Enjoyed this one? Drop us a quick ⭐ rating or review, it helps more cyber marketers find the show. 📩 Questions, feedback, or want to be a guest? Email: podcast@cybersecuritymarketingsociety.com  Follow the Host: Gianna Whitver on LinkedIn Thank you for tuning in to another episode of Breaking Through in Cybersecurity Marketing. You can join the Cybersecurity Marketing Society on our website, on our main LinkedIn page, our Instagram page, or our podcast LinkedIn page.  See you on the next episode!

    34 min

  4. APR 15

    What Founders Get Wrong About Early Marketing with Merav Ben Avi, VP of Marketing at YL Ventures

    Episode Summary: Merav Ben Avi, VP of Marketing at YL Ventures, makes a strong case for something most security founders get wrong: marketing should not come later. It should be there from the start. She explains why hiring too late creates messy positioning, weak launches, and marketers stuck fixing confusion instead of shaping the story. The first marketing hire is not there to run campaigns. They are there to define why the company exists while everything is still taking shape. Merav also gets into why product marketing is not always the first hire, what founders miss when evaluating marketers, and why “AI solves everything” messaging is already wearing thin with CISOs. If you're building or joining an early-stage security startup, this will challenge how you think about your first marketing hire! Chapters: 00:00 Introduction to YL Ventures and Merav's Role 03:14 The Importance of Early Marketing in Cybersecurity Startups 06:05 Hiring Marketing Talent: Philosophy and Strategy 08:41 Navigating the AI Security Landscape 11:19 Building Trust Between Founders and Marketers 13:36 The Role of Marketing in Early Stage Startups 16:08 Finding the Right Marketing Candidates 18:55 Stealth Mode vs. Building in Public 21:37 Common Mistakes in Hiring Marketing 23:21 Conclusion and Contact Information About Merav: Merav Ben Avi is VP of Marketing at YL Ventures, where she works hands-on with early-stage cybersecurity startups on positioning, messaging, and go-to-market. She partners closely with founders to shape how their companies show up from day one, while also leading marketing for YL Ventures. Links & Resources: Merav Ben Avi on LinkedIn YL Ventures website Building Island’s Brand with Ari Yablok (referenced in this episode) You Don’t Need a Budget—You Need a Hat: Orly Bar-Lev on Lasso’s GTM (referenced in this episode) Subscribe & Review: 👉 Enjoyed this one? Drop us a quick ⭐ rating or review, it helps more cyber marketers find the show. 📩 Questions, feedback, or want to be a guest? Email: podcast@cybersecuritymarketingsociety.com  Follow the Host: Gianna Whitver on LinkedIn Thank you for tuning in to another episode of Breaking Through in Cybersecurity Marketing. You can join the Cybersecurity Marketing Society on our website, on our main LinkedIn page, our Instagram page, or our podcast LinkedIn page.  See you on the next episode!

    34 min

  5. APR 8

    Keeping Product-Market Fit After an Acquisition with Kevin Bobowski

    Episode Summary: What changes when you go from a startup to a much bigger company after an acquisition? On today’s episode, Kevin Bobowski, now CMO of Archer, breaks down what that shift looks like based on his experience moving from Aware into Mimecast. At Aware, staying close to the customer was built into the day-to-day. Conversations were constant, and product-market fit came from paying attention to what was working and cutting what wasn’t, even if it looked good on paper. At Mimecast, that same instinct still mattered, but it became harder to maintain. There’s more data, more structure, and more distance from the customer if you’re not careful. Kevin shares how that shift changed the way he thinks about product-market fit across segments, products, and teams, and why it’s something you have to keep reworking as markets evolve. If you’re trying to stay grounded in what your buyers are really saying while everything around you scales, this one will resonate. About Kevin: Kevin Bobowski is Chief Marketing Officer at Archer. He previously led marketing at Aware, where he helped build the go-to-market motion that led to the company’s acquisition by Mimecast. His experience spans startups and larger organizations, with a focus on product-market fit, segmentation, and scaling marketing teams. Links & Resources: Kevin Bobowski on LinkedIn Mimecast Subscribe & Review: 👉 Enjoyed this one? Drop us a quick ⭐ rating or review, it helps more cyber marketers find the show. 📩 Questions, feedback, or want to be a guest? Email: podcast@cybersecuritymarketingsociety.com  Follow the Host: Gianna Whitver on LinkedIn Thank you for tuning in to another episode of Breaking Through in Cybersecurity Marketing. You can join the Cybersecurity Marketing Society on our website, on our main LinkedIn page, our Instagram page, or our podcast LinkedIn page.  See you on the next episode!

    37 min

  6. APR 1

    What a New Marketing Leader Fixes First with Christine Bartlett, CMO of Hack The Box.

    Episode Summary: Christine Bartlett, SVP of Marketing at Hack The Box, tackles one of the trickiest challenges in marketing leadership: how to come in, make meaningful changes, and still preserve the magic that was there before you arrived. She gets into building a field marketing team, moving past last-touch attribution to create alignment amongst the business, and what it takes to get execs and the board on board. There’s also a good conversation around how Hack The Box balances a community model with enterprise, and why investing in early-career talent still pays off! About Christine: Christine Bartlett is the SVP of Marketing at Hack The Box, where she leads global marketing across both community and enterprise. She’s spent over a decade in cybersecurity marketing, with leadership roles at Cisco and SonicWall, focused on building teams and driving growth. Links & Resources: Hack the Box  Let's Defend CyberMarketingCon 2026  HubSpot  LinkedIn  Subscribe & Review: 👉 Enjoyed this one? Drop us a quick ⭐ rating or review, it helps more cyber marketers find the show. 📩 Questions, feedback, or want to be a guest? Email: podcast@cybersecuritymarketingsociety.com  Follow the Host: Gianna Whitver on LinkedIn Thank you for tuning in to another episode of Breaking Through in Cybersecurity Marketing. You can join the Cybersecurity Marketing Society on our website, on our main LinkedIn page, our Instagram page, or our podcast LinkedIn page.  See you on the next episode!

    29 min

  7. MAR 25

    What It Takes to Rebrand a Cybersecurity Company

    Episode Summary: In this Cyber CMO Confidential episode, Netwrix CMO John Knightly joins Gianna and Charles to talk through the company’s recent rebrand and the thinking behind it. After years of growth through acquisitions, Netwrix needed a clearer story. John shares how the team repositioned the company around data security that starts with identity, simplified its messaging, and rolled the new brand out across a global organization. If you’re navigating brand evolution, product complexity, or internal buy-in, this episode offers a look at what it actually takes to pull off a cybersecurity rebrand. About John: John Knightly is the Chief Marketing Officer at Netwrix, where he leads the company’s global marketing organization. Before joining Netwrix, he held senior marketing leadership roles at Zscaler, BlueJeans by Verizon, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, and HP, bringing more than 20 years of experience in enterprise technology and cybersecurity marketing. Links & Resources: John Knightly on LinkedIn Netwrix Subscribe & Review:  👉 Enjoyed this one? Drop us a quick ⭐ rating or review, it helps more cyber marketers find the show. 📩 Questions, feedback, or want to be a guest? Email: podcast@cybersecuritymarketingsociety.com  Follow the Host: Gianna Whitver on LinkedIn Charles Gold on LinkedIn Thank you for tuning in to another episode of Breaking Through in Cybersecurity Marketing. You can join the Cybersecurity Marketing Society on our website, on our main LinkedIn page, our Instagram page, or our podcast LinkedIn page.  See you in the next episode!

    29 min

  8. MAR 18

    The Marketing Strategy Behind Vanta’s “Calm-pliance” Campaign

    Episode Summary: Vanta CMO Scott Holden joins Gianna to talk about how the company is expanding beyond automated SOC 2 compliance and positioning Vanta as an Agentic Trust Platform. Scott shares his path from Salesforce to ThoughtSpot and Brex, why Vanta’s preventive security approach stood out, and how the team is evolving its messaging as it moves further into the enterprise. Tune in to hear how Vanta is thinking about category positioning, CISOs, and the strategy behind its new “Calm-pliance” campaign. About Scott: Scott Holden is the Chief Marketing Officer at Vanta, where he leads marketing as the company expands beyond automated compliance into a broader trust platform.  Before joining Vanta, he was CMO at Brex and spent more than eight years at ThoughtSpot in marketing leadership roles. Earlier in his career, Scott held several marketing roles at Salesforce. Links & Resources: Follow Scott Holden on LinkedIn Vanta Subscribe & Review:  👉 Enjoyed this one? Drop us a quick ⭐ rating or review, it helps more cyber marketers find the show. 📩 Questions, feedback, or want to be a guest? Email: podcast@cybersecuritymarketingsociety.com  Follow the Host: Gianna Whitver on LinkedIn Thank you for tuning in to another episode of Breaking Through in Cybersecurity Marketing. You can join the Cybersecurity Marketing Society on our website, on our main LinkedIn page, our Instagram page, or our podcast LinkedIn page.  See you in the next episode!

    36 min
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Cybersecurity marketer, we’ve got your back! Created by the Cybersecurity Marketing Society, the Breaking Through in Cybersecurity Marketing podcast shares the stories, successes, and failures of marketers in this fast-paced and constantly changing industry. Listen to learn, laugh, and improve your cybersecurity marketing game! New episodes every Wednesday. 

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