Now What?  How to Pay Your Ransom with Marc Grens

Season 2 /
/ Episode 19

Now What?  How to Pay Your Ransom with Marc Grens

In this episode of the Safe House Initiative Podcast, host Jeff Edwards and Marc Grens, co-founder of Digital Mint, explore the intricate world of ransomware attacks and the critical steps organizations must take after a breach.

They discuss the evolution of ransomware payments, from unregulated practices to a more structured, compliance-driven process, including navigating OFAC sanctions and legal risks.

Marc emphasizes the importance of proactive cybersecurity measures, such as two-factor authentication and employee training, to prevent phishing attacks, which are a leading cause of ransomware incidents.

The conversation also highlights the psychological impact of ransomware and why many organizations only prioritize cybersecurity after an attack. Looking ahead, Marc underscores the need for ongoing vigilance as ransomware threats continue to evolve.

Don’t miss essential conversation like this! Follow the Safe House Initiative Podcast for more expert insights on cybersecurity, and tune in to stay informed and prepared in the face of ever-growing digital threats.

#Ransomware #Cybersecurity #Compliance #OFAC #DigitalMint #CyberHygiene #TwoFactorAuthentication #SafeHouseInitiative

——Edited and Produced by Trustbridge Communications.

What to Do If You Get Hacked: A Practical Survival Guide with Alan Gin

In this SafeHouse episode, Jeff Edwards and Alan Gin break down what actually happens when a cyber incident hits and what you should do next.

This conversation is based on a real-world, three-part series designed for everyday people who suddenly find themselves dealing with a hacked account, fraud, or a suspicious alert.

If you’ve ever wondered what you would actually do in that moment, this episode walks you through it step by step.

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Cyber Risk: Where Mitigation Meets Insurance With Michael Phillips

Cyber risk management is often framed as a choice between prevention and insurance. In reality, the most resilient organizations combine both.
In this episode of The SafeHouse, Jeff Edwards speaks with Michael Phillips, Global Head of Cyber at Coalition, about how insurers evaluate cyber risk and why mitigation and insurance must work together.

Building on a previous discussion about the elements of risk management, the conversation explores how underwriters think about cyber exposure, what signals insurers look for when assessing organizations, and why operational resilience is becoming central to modern cyber insurance.

The result is a practical discussion about how businesses should approach cyber risk today.

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Making Sense of Risk Management with Davis Hake

Cyber risk management is often discussed in technical language. But at its core, risk is financial.

In this episode of The SafeHouse Podcast, Jeff Edwards interviews Davis Hake of Venable to break down how cyber risk should be measured, communicated, and quantified inside organizations.

For CISOs, risk managers, brokers, underwriters, and resilience professionals, this episode provides a practical framework for thinking about cyber exposure beyond compliance checklists.

If you want to understand cyber risk in terms that boards and CFOs actually respond to, this conversation is essential listening.

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When Cybersecurity Became a State Responsibility with James Saunders

Federal cybersecurity responsibility has shifted to the states. What happens next?

In this episode of The SafeHouse Podcast, Jeff Edwards welcomes James Saunders, Chief Information Security Officer for the State of Maryland, for a deep conversation on state-level cybersecurity, resilience, and leadership.

James walks through his path from early technical support roles to federal cybersecurity leadership and now to protecting Maryland’s digital ecosystem. He explains Maryland’s IT Master Plan, the state’s five-pillar cybersecurity strategy, and how partnerships, talent, and resilience come together in practice.

This episode offers a behind-the-scenes look at how cybersecurity decisions are made at scale, how states collaborate with one another, and why taking care of people matters as much as taking care of systems.

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Why Cyber Warranties Are Not Insurance — and Why That Matters

Kirsten Bay, CEO and co-founder of Cysurance, explains why warranties are becoming a critical layer in cyber risk management. Bay 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.

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