The Defender’s Log Podcast

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

The Defender’s Log Podcast is a technology podcast hosted by David Redekop, with 30 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

David Redekop hosts The Defender’s Log Podcast, a technology show with 30 episodes published.

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  Episode #31

  DNS Isn’t Infrastructure — It's Security

  Sep 28, 202627 min

  DNS is often treated as infrastructure. But as Yaëlle Harel explains, it can also be an important security control and a valuable source of visibility for defenders. Yaëlle shares lessons from more than 15 years in cybersecurity, including how DNS can provide visibility that other security layers miss, the challenges of DNS encryption, and why cybersecurity teams need to keep adapting as technology changes. Key Discussion Points 00:02:30—Yaëlle’s journey into cybersecurity and what drew her to the industry 00:04:00—Why DNS is still misunderstood as a security tool 00:06:30—How DNS complements endpoint security 00:08:30—What DNS traffic can reveal before an attack takes hold 00:10:30—Where AI is changing the security landscape 00:12:30—Alert fatigue and the need for better security integration 00:15:00—Why cybersecurity may never reach a steady state 00:15:45—DNS encryption, privacy, and enterprise visibility 00:18:30—What makes cybersecurity an exciting field 00:20:30—Yaëlle’s “aha” moment with DNS security 00:25:30—Encouraging more women to pursue careers in cybersecurity Listen to the full conversation for practical perspectives on DNS security, AI, visibility, and the evolving role of defenders. #Cybersecurity #DNS #DNSecurity #ThreatIntelligence #AI #InfoSec #CyberDefense #TheDefendersLog

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  Episode #30

  Inside the Fight to Disrupt Cybercrime at Scale

  Sep 14, 202638 min

  Cybercriminals operate at the speed of the internet. Can defenders keep up? David Redekop sits down with Michael Roberts, veteran private cybercrime investigator, victims' advocate, and founder of Rexxfield, to discuss organized cybercrime, threat intelligence, fraud investigations, and the need for “justice at scale.” Michael shares firsthand investigative experiences and explains how better collaboration, intelligence sharing, and AI could help defenders disrupt cybercrime faster. Key Discussion Points 01:30—How cybercrime has evolved 05:45—Finding organized crime infrastructure 10:30—The intelligence hidden in WhatsApp 14:00—Investigating online predators 22:00—Mapping scam infrastructure 24:30—How sophisticated crypto scams work 27:00—Disrupting criminal infrastructure 29:00—Scaling threat hunting with AI 30:00—Holding platforms accountable 33:00—Protecting families from online scams Don’t forget to: Like this episode if you found Michael’s insights valuable Subscribe for more real-world cybersecurity conversations Comment with the biggest security lesson you took away Share this episode with someone who needs to rethink their digital security #Cybersecurity #Cybercrime #ThreatIntelligence #DigitalInvestigation #FraudPrevention #AI #LawEnforcement #TheDefendersLog

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  Episode #29

  Decoupling Digital Identity: Beyond Carrier-Level Defense

  Aug 31, 202647 min

  David Redekop sits down with Mark Kreitzman, a cybersecurity entrepreneur with more than 20 years of experience building and leading security companies. Mark shares his personal experience that changed the direction of his career: becoming the victim of a sophisticated SIM swap despite having an extremely strong security posture. That experience led him to focus on mobile security and ultimately help build Efani, a secure mobile service designed to protect against carrier-level social engineering, unauthorized port-outs, and mobile identity theft. The conversation goes far beyond SIM swapping. Mark explains why SS7 vulnerabilities still matter, how attackers can use AI to automate reconnaissance, why abandoned phone numbers can remain a security risk for years, and what individuals and organizations can do to reduce their digital attack surface. Key Discussion Points 00:05—Why SS7 Still Won’t Disappear 00:08—The Security Risks That Remain in Mobile Networks 00:10—Mark’s Experience Being SIM Swapped 00:13—Turning a Personal Attack Into a Cybersecurity Mission 00:16—How Carrier Economics Create Security Vulnerabilities 00:22—How Attackers Use AI for Reconnaissance 00:24—Why Your Email Addresses Can Become an Attack Surface 00:27—The Enterprise Risks of BYOD and Mobile Devices 00:28—How a SIM Swap Can Become a $350 Million Business Problem 00:31—How Efani Rebuilt Mobile Security Around Human Verification 00:35—Decoupling Digital Identity From Cellular Networks 00:39—Why Attackers Can Wait Years to Reclaim Old Phone Numbers 00:43—Mark’s Advice on Information Sharing and Reducing Your Attack Surface 00:45—The Growing Challenge of AI-Generated Identity If you work in cybersecurity, enterprise security, or simply want to better understand the risks surrounding your mobile identity, this conversation offers practical lessons from someone who experienced the threat firsthand. Don’t forget to: Like this episode if you found Mark’s insights valuable Subscribe for more real-world cybersecurity conversations Comment with the biggest security lesson you took away Share this episode with someone who needs to rethink their mobile security #Cybersecurity #SIMSwap #MobileSecurity #InformationSecurity #CyberDefense #AI #CyberThreats #DataPrivacy #CISO #TheDefendersLog #Podcast #Security

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  Episode #28

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

  Aug 17, 202640 min

  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

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  Episode #27

  Why Your Logs Should Get Quieter With Every Layer

  Aug 3, 202650 min

  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

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