Voices of the Vigilant podcast:

humanizing cybersecurity
with candid tales from cyberspace and beyond

About the Voices of the Vigilant podcast

Voices of the Vigilant builds and shares knowledge by engaging with diverse voices and perspectives from within the cybersecurity industry.

Episodes are released once a month. You can find the full episode catalog below and across all major podcast platforms.

Also be sure to check out the show in video format - with closed captioning - on YouTube.

Voices of the Vigilant episode catalog

Voices of the Vigilant S2 EP2 | Protecting What Matters: Disney, Diversity, and Doing the Work

Voices of the Vigilant S2 EP2 | Protecting What Matters: Disney, Diversity, and Doing the Work

This episode features Rob “Bowtie Security Guy” Whetstine, Director of Information Security at a Fortune 500 company.

What if the fastest way into cybersecurity isn’t another cert, but a soldering iron, a home lab, and the courage to say “I don’t know”? In this episode, we sit down with Rob “Bowtie Security Guy” Whetstine—prop builder, mentor, and former Disney security leader—who went from dumpster diving for tech to leading teams at the highest levels. Rob makes the case that tinkering beats test prep, calm beats chaos, and passion plus proof beats pedigree. From cracking high-pressure interviews to building teams that don’t burn out, this is a roadmap for anyone who wants to build a real, durable career in cyber.

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Voices of the Vigilant S2 EP1 | Running Toward the Fire: Cybersecurity, Motherhood, and Marathons

Voices of the Vigilant S2 EP1 | Running Toward the Fire: Cybersecurity, Motherhood, and Marathons

This episode features Saeger Fischer, Senior Account Manager at Omada Technologies

Reinvention isn’t a neat pivot. It’s a grind, a choice you make on hard mornings, and a mindset you carry when no one’s clapping. We sit down with Saeger Fischer of Omada Technologies—former educator, mom of three, and 17‑time marathoner—who rebuilt her career in cybersecurity by treating learning like training and partnerships like team sports. Together we trace the real skills that translate from the classroom to the SOC: structure, self‑teaching, differentiated learning, and the patience to process before speaking. If you’ve ever felt behind, this story shows how consistent effort compounds into momentum.

We also zoom out to the big picture leaders are wrestling with. Is the AI bubble nearing a correction as tools overpromise and underdeliver on simple workflows? Where do agentic SOC models fit, and how do we balance machine speed with human judgment? We break down why you can’t buy your way out of risk, how to separate signal from vendor noise, and why relationship‑driven selling outperforms quarter‑end pressure tactics. Then we dig into category shifts reshaping architecture: the rise of enterprise browsers like Island, collapsing brittle stacks, enabling zero trust without heavy VPNs or VDI, and speeding secure onboarding in minutes, not months.

Finally, we confront timelines most teams prefer to defer: post‑quantum cryptography. Ten‑year roadmaps are already stale, and “harvest now, decrypt later” is not a thought experiment. We outline pragmatic steps to inventory crypto dependencies, prioritize migrations, and budget in phases. We also talk about public‑sector headwinds and where practitioners can still find trusted signal—peer communities, credible advisories, and leaders who share what actually works. If you’re eyeing a move into cyber, or you’re in the trenches and need a reset, this conversation blends grit, guidance, and grounded predictions you can act on today.

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The human side of tech

As a gifted speaker and connector, Jess is super excited to share this project with you! Each episode features a candid conversation with folks in the infosec space on a specific topic and is designed to educate and inspire you to take action on your own terms.

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Apply to be a guest

If you are interested in being a guest on the Voices of the Vigilant podcast, please click here to complete the application form and Jess will be in touch if it’s a good fit!