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Future Secured - Shaping a Future-Proof Digital Society
Future Secured brings you in-depth conversations with Australian and global cyber security leaders, founders, CEOs, and co-founders.
Hosted by Jason Murell and Tom Finnigan, each episode delves into the personal journeys of these experts as they navigate the challenges of building and scaling successful cyber security businesses.
From critical industry issues to hard-learned lessons, the podcast explores the competitive global market and offers valuable insights on how to start, grow, and succeed in the cyber security space.
Join us as we uncover the stories behind the industry's brightest minds and build a knowledge base to help aspiring cyber security entrepreneurs thrive.
Future Secured - Shaping a Future-Proof Digital Society
From Marine to Cyber - Future Secured Episode 42
Guest: Will Baxter, Field CISO at Team Cymru
Hosts: Tom Finnigan & Jason Murrell
In this episode of Future Secured, we sit down with Will Baxter, a cyber veteran who began his career in the US Marine Corps and now serves as Field CISO for Team Cymru, a leading global threat intelligence firm.
From defending military networks to helping some of the world’s largest enterprises operationalise threat insights, Will brings hard-won wisdom from both the battlefield and the boardroom.
🔐 Topics covered in this episode:
- The transition from public to private sector cyber defence
- How threat actors are evolving, and why threat intelligence must too
- Why ransomware is still winning – and what most organisations are missing
- The psychology of insider threats and supply chain vulnerabilities
- The role of AI in both offence and defence
- How the basics of cyber hygiene still block the majority of threats
- Where market forces and regulation are heading – and what that means for cyber teams
💡 Key Takeaways
- Threat actors are innovating faster than many defenders.
- AI is now a tool used by both attackers and defenders.
- Despite hype, basic security practices still prevent most incidents.
- Insider threats can emerge from surprising places, including partners.
- We must stop outsourcing resilience: “Nobody’s coming to save us.”
🔊 Sound Bites
"The basics are still working, right?"
"Account takeover is a huge problem."
"Nobody's coming to save us."
⏱ Chapters
00:00 – Welcome and Introduction
01:56 – Will’s journey from Marine Corps to CISO
06:39 – Inside Team Cymru: What makes threat intel work
10:49 – Why ransomware is still a persistent threat
15:39 – Insider threats: People, partners, and problems
20:47 – Cyber hygiene: Still your best defence
24:44 – Cybersecurity and ROI: The value question
26:49 – Cryptocurrency and the evolution of scams
29:13 – Law enforcement and intelligence collaboration
31:45 – Why cyber education must evolve
32:37 – The future of threat intelligence sharing
38:29 – Market dynamics and regulation in cybersecurity