Lost in Translation: Bridging the Cyber Policy Communication Gap with Brandy Vargas

Season 2 /
/Episode 34

Lost in Translation: Bridging the Cyber Policy Communication Gap with Brandy Vargas

Brandy Vargas, Senior Manager of Cyber Solutions at Crum & Forster, offers crucial insights for small to midsize businesses (SMBs) on cyber insurance. She emphasizes that these policies are not like traditional insurance and require proactive engagement. Brandy stresses the importance of thoroughly understanding your policy’s nuances, like sublimits and exclusions, to avoid being caught off guard. She also highlights the immense value of the free resources often included with policies, such as phishing simulations and incident response templates, which can dramatically improve an SMB’s cyber defenses at little to no cost.
 
The episode also focuses on proper incident response. Brandy warns against the common mistake of reacting to a cyber event by acting alone, as it can jeopardize legal protections and insurance coverage. She strongly advises that SMBs immediately engage their insurer’s emergency response teams to ensure the incident is managed correctly and privileged communications are preserved. Her core message is that SMBs must build strong relationships with their brokers and carriers to access expert support, prevent recurring attacks, and ultimately strengthen their cyber resilience.
 

Cybersecurity Frameworks Made Practical: From Confusion to Clarity

Ryan Ettridge, CEO of CyberCert, tackles a problem many organizations struggle with – cybersecurity frameworks that look good on paper but feel overwhelming or unusable in practice.
Ryan explains how AI-driven cyber certification can help organizations predict where risk is most likely to surface, prevent disruption before it becomes a claim, and protect both insureds and carriers by creating clear, defensible signals of cyber maturity.
Chart a clear path from path from compliance to real-world readiness with fundamentals covered in this episode.

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From Bootcamps to Battlefields: Keith Gologorsky on Modern Cyber Training

Keith Gologorsky, Head of Public Sector at Hack the Box, shares his personal journey from computer science graduate to government analyst, recounting pivotal moments in military operations, threat analysis, and international collaboration. The discussion explores the limitations of traditional certifications, the importance of hands-on training, and the need for regularly updated, gamified learning experiences. Keith also addresses the cybersecurity skills gap, the evolving role of AI, and offers actionable advice for organizations of all sizes: prioritize cross-training and real-world practice to build resilient teams.

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Cybersecurity and AI for Small Businesses: Expert Insights with Chuck Brooks

Cyber & AI authority Chuck Brooks joins Jeff Edwards to give SMBs a no-nonsense playbook. Learn how agentic AI turbocharges phishing, why unmanaged IoT/OT opens doors, and the exact first steps—MFA, segmentation, backups, IR plan—that raise your resilience fast. We also cover using NIST and CMMC as practical roadmaps and when to rely on an MSP.

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