CSCP S02E02 – The Adventure of a Lost CISO with Thom Langford

 

 

In this episode, we will talk with Thom a great experienced Ciso and now leading the adventure of a Lost CISO or CISO in recovery more. We had a good laugh of the inconsistencies of Infosec, the CISSP (pronounce it the way you want it) and the recent debate (is it a master?).

The podcast is in collaboration with the cloud security alliance UK Chapter and NSC42 Ltd (for more episode visit www.nsc42.co.uk/cscp)

Material and BIO:

Bio: https://thomlangford.com/about-me/

Websites:

Thomlangford.com
Tl2security.com
Hostunknown.tv

Films:

The Lost CISO: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKVpJ0-oKS0hgdLKqBttgdg?view_as=subscriber
Host Unknown: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTwY3LNRujMskBDbQvKoiBw

 

Guest Bio:

Thom founded (TL)2 Security and works for himself, although he regularly complains about his boss and work culture. As Chief Information Security Officer of Publicis Groupe, Thom was responsible for all aspects of information security compliance, risk compliance and compliance-compliance, as well as managing the Groupe Information Security compliance Programme. Additionally, the role was responsible for business continuity compliance across the Groupe’s global operations, and as a result, Thom buys three of everything.

Having successfully built security and IT programmes from the ground up, before tearing them down, Thom brings an often opinionated and forward-thinking view of security risk compliance, both in assessments and management, but is able to do so with humour (debatable) and pragmatism (mostly). An international public speaker and award-winning security blogger, Thom contributes to whichever industry blogs and publications will feature him.

Thom is also the sole founder of Host Unknown, a loose collective of three infosec luminaries combined into an unremarkable trio to make security education and infotainment films. Thom can be found online at both thomlangford.com and @thomlangford on Twitter.

 

Host Bio – Francesco Cipollone

I’m Francesco, a Cybersecurity Executive/Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) who specializes in strategy and cloud security. Fueled with passion, curiosity and dissatisfaction for the status quo, I believe in protecting identities in cyberspace and creating a safer, more connected world for future generations.

I’m the director of the Cyber Security Consultancy NSC42 www.nsc42.co.uk

In my spare time, I’d love to give back to the cybersecurity community and I’m a keen contributor. I’m the co-author of several books on network and security and collaborate with a

As part of that, I’ve Director of Events for the Cloud security alliance UK and active member of ISC2. I’ve launched the #MentoringMonday community together with the support of Jane Frankland and Tanya Janca. The mentorship community is inclusive with a focus to empower women in cybersecurity as well as young minds. I am a mentor and coach in the community and I’ve launched the activity in order to help the future generation of cybersecurity expert. 

I’ve delivered effective cybersecurity transformation for my client in Financial services such as Nationwide, Charles Taylor, Capita Asset Management, Link Asset Management.

I’ve also delivered a cybersecurity improvement programme for different sectors, amongst my clients: United Nations (WFP and FAO), National Lottery (Camelot), Vodafone, BT, Telecom Italia.

Francesco is an internationally renowned public speaker, with multiple interviews in high-profile publications (eg. Forbes), and an author of numerous books and articles, who utilises his platform to evangelize the importance of Cloud security and cutting-edge technologies on a global scale.

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From our Blog

As cyber threats become increasingly sophisticated, the need for a more proactive and comprehensive approach to vulnerability management is undeniable. A threat-centric methodology, when combined with advanced tools like Agentic AI and Application Security Posture Management (ASPM), offers organizations the ability to predict and mitigate vulnerabilities before they are exploited by threat actors. This article delves into how leveraging threat intelligence, exposure and reachability analysis, and contextual risk assessments can help organizations stay ahead of cyber threats, specifically focusing on high-risk vulnerabilities like remote code execution (RCE) and memory corruption. Through case studies like Citrix ADC and MOVEit Transfer, the article highlights the growing trend of zero-day exploits and emphasizes the importance of a proactive, data-driven security strategy. In a world where vulnerabilities are constantly targeted, adopting a threat-centric approach is not just a best practice—it’s essential to ensuring long-term security. For startups, the focus is clear—establish visibility and ensure core security practices are in place. Application Security Posture Management (ASPM) tools provide a straightforward, automated approach to detecting vulnerabilities and enforcing policies. These solutions help reduce risk quickly without overburdening small security teams. Mature organizations, on the other hand, are tackling a different set of problems. With the sheer number of vulnerabilities and an increasingly complicated threat landscape, enterprises need to fine-tune their approach. The goal shifts toward intelligent remediation, leveraging real-time threat intelligence and advanced risk prioritization. ASPM tools at this stage do more than just detect vulnerabilities—they provide context, enable proactive decision-making, and streamline the entire remediation process. The emergence of AI-assisted code generation has further complicated security in both environments. These tools, while speeding up development, are often responsible for introducing new vulnerabilities into applications at a faster pace than traditional methods. The challenge is clear: AI-generated code can hide flaws that are difficult to catch in the rush of innovation. Both startups and enterprises need to adjust their security posture to account for these new risks. ASPM platforms, like Phoenix Security, provide automated scanning of code before it hits production, ensuring that flaws don’t make it past the first line of defense. Meanwhile, organizations are also grappling with the backlog crisis in the National Vulnerability Database (NVD). A staggering number of CVEs remain unprocessed, leaving many businesses with limited data on which to base their patching decisions. While these delays leave companies vulnerable, Phoenix Security steps in by cross-referencing CVE data with known exploits and live threat intelligence, helping organizations stay ahead despite the lag in official vulnerability reporting. Whether just starting their security program or managing a complex infrastructure, organizations need a toolset that adapts with them. Phoenix Security enables businesses of any size to prioritize vulnerabilities based on actual risk, not just theoretical impact, helping security teams navigate the evolving threat landscape with speed and accuracy.
Francesco Cipollone
The journey of securing an organization’s application landscape varies dramatically, depending on where a company stands in its maturity. Early-stage startups with small security teams face challenges not only with vulnerabilities but also with scaling their security processes in line with their growth. On the flip side, established enterprises struggle with managing complex environments, prioritizing remediation, and dealing with vast amounts of vulnerabilities while staying ahead of sophisticated threats. For startups, the focus is clear—establish visibility and ensure core security practices are in place. Application Security Posture Management (ASPM) tools provide a straightforward, automated approach to detecting vulnerabilities and enforcing policies. These solutions help reduce risk quickly without overburdening small security teams. Mature organizations, on the other hand, are tackling a different set of problems. With the sheer number of vulnerabilities and an increasingly complicated threat landscape, enterprises need to fine-tune their approach. The goal shifts toward intelligent remediation, leveraging real-time threat intelligence and advanced risk prioritization. ASPM tools at this stage do more than just detect vulnerabilities—they provide context, enable proactive decision-making, and streamline the entire remediation process. The emergence of AI-assisted code generation has further complicated security in both environments. These tools, while speeding up development, are often responsible for introducing new vulnerabilities into applications at a faster pace than traditional methods. The challenge is clear: AI-generated code can hide flaws that are difficult to catch in the rush of innovation. Both startups and enterprises need to adjust their security posture to account for these new risks. ASPM platforms, like Phoenix Security, provide automated scanning of code before it hits production, ensuring that flaws don’t make it past the first line of defense. Meanwhile, organizations are also grappling with the backlog crisis in the National Vulnerability Database (NVD). A staggering number of CVEs remain unprocessed, leaving many businesses with limited data on which to base their patching decisions. While these delays leave companies vulnerable, Phoenix Security steps in by cross-referencing CVE data with known exploits and live threat intelligence, helping organizations stay ahead despite the lag in official vulnerability reporting. Whether just starting their security program or managing a complex infrastructure, organizations need a toolset that adapts with them. Phoenix Security enables businesses of any size to prioritize vulnerabilities based on actual risk, not just theoretical impact, helping security teams navigate the evolving threat landscape with speed and accuracy.
Francesco Cipollone
The cybersecurity world is reeling as MITRE’s funding for the CVE and NVD systems expires, disrupting the backbone of global vulnerability management. As traditional sources like the National Vulnerability Database collapse under funding cuts and submission backlogs, security teams face delays, incomplete data, and loss of automation in remediation pipelines. This isn’t just a data problem—it’s a structural crisis for application security and vulnerability correlation. In this landscape of uncertainty, Phoenix Security’s ASPM platform steps up with a code-to-cloud correlation engine that doesn’t depend on outdated data workflows. By connecting code-level insights (including tools like Semgrep) to runtime and cloud environments, Phoenix enables faster, context-aware vulnerability remediation—even as NVD and CVE pipelines deteriorate. This article dives into the implications of the CVE shutdown and how Phoenix Security is helping security and development teams transition to a resilient, correlation-first approach to cybersecurity.
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Learn how to predict ransomware risks and vulnerability exploitation using a threat-centric approach. Explore data-driven insights, verified exploit trends, and methods for assessing the likelihood of attacks with key references to CISA KEV, EPSS, and Phoenix Security’s 4D Risk Formula.
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Remote Code Execution flaws continue to undermine Kubernetes ingress integrity. IngressNightmare (CVE-2025-1097, CVE-2025-1098, CVE-2025-24514, CVE-2025-1974) showcases severe threat vectors in NGINX-based proxies, leading to cluster-wide exposure. ASPM, robust remediation tactics, and strong application security solutions—like Phoenix Security—mitigate these vulnerabilities before ransomware groups exploit them.
Francesco Cipollone
Remote Code Execution flaws continue to undermine Kubernetes ingress integrity. IngressNightmare (CVE-2025-1097, CVE-2025-1098, CVE-2025-24514, CVE-2025-1974) showcases severe threat vectors in NGINX-based proxies, leading to cluster-wide exposure. ASPM, robust remediation tactics, and strong application security solutions—like Phoenix Security—mitigate these vulnerabilities before ransomware groups exploit them.
Francesco Cipollone
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Derek

Derek Fisher

Head of product security at a global fintech

Derek Fisher – Head of product security at a global fintech. Speaker, instructor, and author in application security.

Derek is an award winning author of a children’s book series in cybersecurity as well as the author of “The Application Security Handbook.” He is a university instructor at Temple University where he teaches software development security to undergraduate and graduate students. He is a speaker on topics in the cybersecurity space and has led teams, large and small, at organizations in the healthcare and financial industries. He has built and matured information security teams as well as implemented organizational information security strategies to reduce the organizations risk.

Derek got his start in the hardware engineering space where he learned about designing circuits and building assemblies for commercial and military applications. He later pursued a computer science degree in order to advance a career in software development. This is where Derek was introduced to cybersecurity and soon caught the bug. He found a mentor to help him grow in cybersecurity and then pursued a graduate degree in the subject.

Since then Derek has worked in the product security space as an architect and leader. He has led teams to deliver more secure software in organizations from multiple industries. His focus has been to raise the security awareness of the engineering organization while maintaining a practice of secure code development, delivery, and operations.

In his role, Jeevan handles a range of tasks, from architecting security solutions to collaborating with Engineering Leadership to address security vulnerabilities at scale and embed security into the fabric of the organization.

Jeevan Singh

Jeevan Singh

Founder of Manicode Security

Jeevan Singh is the Director of Security Engineering at Rippling, with a background spanning various Engineering and Security leadership roles over the course of his career. He’s dedicated to the integration of security practices into software development, working to create a security-aware culture within organizations and imparting security best practices to the team.
In his role, Jeevan handles a range of tasks, from architecting security solutions to collaborating with Engineering Leadership to address security vulnerabilities at scale and embed security into the fabric of the organization.

James

James Berthoty

Founder of Latio Tech

James Berthoty has over ten years of experience across product and security domains. He founded Latio Tech to help companies find the right security tools for their needs without vendor bias.

christophe

Christophe Parisel

Senior Cloud Security Architect

Senior Cloud Security Architect

Chris

Chris Romeo

Co-Founder
Security Journey

Chris Romeo is a leading voice and thinker in application security, threat modeling, and security champions and the CEO of Devici and General Partner at Kerr Ventures. Chris hosts the award-winning “Application Security Podcast,” “The Security Table,” and “The Threat Modeling Podcast” and is a highly rated industry speaker and trainer, featured at the RSA Conference, the AppSec Village @ DefCon, OWASP Global AppSec, ISC2 Security Congress, InfoSec World and All Day DevOps. Chris founded Security Journey, a security education company, leading to an exit in 2022. Chris was the Chief Security Advocate at Cisco, spreading security knowledge through education and champion programs. Chris has twenty-six years of security experience, holding positions across the gamut, including application security, security engineering, incident response, and various Executive roles. Chris holds the CISSP and CSSLP certifications.

jim

Jim Manico

Founder of Manicode Security

Jim Manico is the founder of Manicode Security, where he trains software developers on secure coding and security engineering. Jim is also the founder of Brakeman Security, Inc. and an investor/advisor for Signal Sciences. He is the author of Iron-Clad Java: Building Secure Web Applications (McGraw-Hill), a frequent speaker on secure software practices, and a member of the JavaOne Rockstar speaker community. Jim is also a volunteer for and former board member of the OWASP foundation.

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