Circle’s Dane VandenBerg on the future of security copilots and the evolution of threat intel
In this week’s episode of The Future of Security Operations podcast, Thomas is joined by Dane VandenBerg. Dane’s 16-year security career includes product-focused roles with vendors like Qintel and more recently, Microsoft, where he was Principal Technical Specialist supporting the development of their security copilot. He’s also spent a lot of time in fintech, serving as Vice President of Information Security at Prime Trust and, currently, Senior Director of Security Operations at Circle.
In this episode:
[02:05] How Dane went from researching women’s health and animal cloning to public relations to security
[06:25] Why security teams are still fighting the same battles they were 15 years ago
[09:24] How Dane’s vendor-side threat intel work shapes his thinking as a SecOps leader
[12:00] What’s working - and what’s not - about how companies approach threat intelligence today
[12:51] Why threat intel should be an in-house function, not just a reporting feed
[15:30] What motivated Dane to move into the finance and crypto industry
[19:30] How parenthood reshaped the way Dane thinks about risk
[22:50] Tips for encouraging employees to report their security concerns
[26:00] What a great security-vendor customer experience look like - and what too many vendors get wrong
[29:10] The security tools and solutions Dane is most excited about right now
[32:45] Balancing the hype and potential of security copilots
[38:30] What cyberattacks might look like five years from now
[41:30] Connect with Dane
Where to find Dane:
LinkedIn
Circle
Where to find Thomas Kinsella:
LinkedIn
Tines
Resources mentioned:
National Cyber Forensics and Training Alliance
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42:47
GitLab’s CISO Josh Lemos on the pros and cons of making security practices public
In this week’s episode of The Future of Security Operations podcast, Thomas is joined by Josh Lemos, CISO at GitLab.
Throughout his 15-year career in security, Josh has led teams at ServiceNow, Cylance, and Square. Known for his expertise in AI-driven security strategies, Josh is also a board member with HiddenLayer. He drives innovation at GitLab with a relentless focus on offensive security, identity management, and automation.
In this episode:
[02:05] His early career path from mechanic to electrical engineer to security leader
[03:35] Josh’s philosophy on hiring and mentoring, plus his tips for creating networking opportunities
[05:30] How he applies technical foundations from his practitioner days to his work as CISO
[07:40] Building product security at ServiceNow from the ground up
[10:40] “Down and in” versus “up and out” - adopting a new leadership style as CISO at Square
[12:17] Josh’s experience as an early AI and security researcher at Cylance
[16:15] What’s surprised Josh most about the evolution of AI
[18:50] Why Josh calls today’s models “AI version 1.0” - and what he thinks it will take to upgrade to version 2.0
[22:45] The LLM security threats Josh is most worried about, as a board member with Hidden Layer
[26:30] “Expressing exponential value” - what excited Josh most about becoming CISO at GitLab
[27:45] Why GitLab prioritizes “intentional transparency”
[32:45] How GitLab automates and orchestrates its Tier 1 and Tier 2 security processes
[34:10] How GitLab’s security team uses GitLab internally
[37:35] The secret to recruiting, hiring, and managing a remote, global team
[39:45] The importance of in-person collaboration for building trust and connection
[41:45] Downsizing, bootstrapping, and problem-solving: Josh’s predictions for the future of SecOps
[46:10] Connect with Josh
Where to find Josh:
LinkedIn
GitLab
Where to find Thomas Kinsella:
LinkedIn
Tines
Resources mentioned:
GitLab's Security Handbook
GitLab’s GUARD Framework
Netskope's security blog
Jobs at GitLab
Haroon Meer
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47:50
Brex's CISO Mark Hillick on avoiding tool bloat and learning from high-severity incidents
In this week’s episode of The Future of Security Operations podcast, Thomas is joined by Mark Hillick, CISO at Brex. Mark’s experience in the security industry spans more than two decades. He started out as a security engineer at Allied Irish Banks before advancing through companies like MongoDB to become Director and Head of Security at Riot Games. His book, The Security Path, features over 70 interviews with security professionals on their career journeys.
In this episode:
[02:06] His early career journey - from a mathematics background to building early online banking systems
[03:32] What’s kept Mark excited about security for over two decades
[04:40] The compound benefits of growing within a company over time
[07:20] Mark’s leadership style - defined by transparency, directness, and genuine care for his teammates
[12:45] Communicating the business trade-off between risk and return
[16:45] Reflecting on the team’s response to major incidents at Riot Games
[21:00] The unique challenges of securing gaming platforms
[26:30] How Mark approaches strategy and planning in the fintech space
[28:08] The case for building strong, partnership-driven vendor relationships
[31:13] Creating space for creativity - without spreading the team too thin
[34:35] Empowering his team to speak openly - even if it means calling him out
[36:35] The inspiration behind Mark’s books Digital Safety for Parents and The Security Path
[40:20] Connect with Mark
Where to find Mark:
LinkedIn
Brex
Where to find Thomas Kinsella:
LinkedIn
Tines
Resources mentioned:
The Security Path - click here to redeem a free copy for podcast listeners (first come, first serve)
Digital Safety for Parents - click here to redeem a free copy for podcast listeners (first come, first serve)
Mark's talk during his time at Riot Games in 2016
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42:05
Ofgem’s Mollie Chard on driving resilience through diverse hiring practices
In this week’s episode of The Future of Security Operations podcast, Thomas is joined by Mollie Chard. Mollie’s career spans 10+ years in technical SOC and leadership roles at organizations like the UK’s Met Office, Capgemini, and OVO. She’s recently accepted a new role as Head of Cyber Guidance & Monitoring at Ofgem, the UK’s Office of Gas and Electricity Markets. A passionate advocate for diversity, she’s also the Chief Advisor for Women in Cybersecurity UK and Ireland.
In this episode:
[02:00] Mollie’s journey from arts graduate to security leader
[04:00] Her previous role developing emerging security talent for CIS UK
[05:00] Tips and techniques for hiring diverse talent
[11:20] The problem with management being the default career path
[15:25] The biggest tech mistake that budget-strapped companies make
[19:23] Solving unique systems and operational technology challenges in the energy sector
[21:30] The ethical considerations and impact of AI for security and other industries
[27:30] Making space in boardroom discussions for diversity and how it can enhance resilience
[32:00] How to stay aligned when working with remote or dispersed team
[35:00] What Mollie thinks cybersecurity will look like in five years
[37:00] AI as a threat to human cognitive abilities within and beyond security
[42:40] Connect with Mollie
The Future of Security Operations is brought to you by Tines, the orchestration, automation, and AI platform that powers some of the world’s most important workflows.
Where to find Mollie:
LinkedIn
Medium
Substack
Where to find Thomas Kinsella:
LinkedIn
Tines
Resources mentioned:
Capslock Bootcamp
UK Department for Work and Pensions's Disability Confident employer scheme
More career growth tips from Mollie on the Trident Talks podcast
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43:58
The Trade Desk's Joe McCallister on salary negotiation and leading without micromanaging
In this week’s episode of The Future of Security Operations podcast, Thomas is joined by Joe McCallister. Joe’s journey in security is truly unique - in less than a decade, he pivoted from selling BMWs to his current role as Senior Manager of Cybersecurity Operations at The Trade Desk. He’s also led impactful initiatives in risk management, threat hunting, and incident response at Synoptek.
In this episode:
[02:18] Transitioning from selling BMWs to leading a security team
[06:14] Moving from practitioner to manager and leaning into the role of the "communications guy"
[09:52] Balancing security team priorities with company goals
[11:40] The threats that keep Joe up at night
[14:06] How The Trade Desk's rapid growth has affected day-to-day operations
[16:10] Ensuring security stays top of mind for other business units
[19:32] Practical tips for strengthening collaboration with IT and other teams
[22:13] Joe’s approach to hiring and building a resilient team
[26:30] Enabling his incident response team to thrive, even when he's not there
[30:58] Joe’s top three leadership principles
[33:22] Tips for salary negotiation, both as a practitioner and a manager
[39:58] Navigating imposter syndrome and anxiety
[42:37] How AI is fueling Joe’s optimism for the future of SecOps
[44:29] Connect with Joe
The Future of Security Operations is brought to you by Tines, the orchestration, automation, and AI platform that powers some of the world’s most important workflows.
Where to find Joe:
LinkedIn
Rocky Mountain Information Security Conference (May 28 - 30, 2025)
Where to find Thomas Kinsella:
LinkedIn
Tines
Resources mentioned:
Colorado=Security Annual Salary Surveys & Resources
The Future of Security Operations Podcast is dedicated to empowering SecOps leaders to reimagine how their teams work so they can scale their security efforts and build a team that achieves more with less.
Ireland