Ward Balcerzak
Appears in 36 Episodes
Re-Air: Implementing Robust Data Protection Measures - Hans Vargas - Guardians of the Data - Ep #35
What is the first step in building an effective data security and data governance strategy?In this re-aired episode, we revisit a powerful conversation with Hans Varga...
Data Security Starts With People - Anand Pallapalayam - Guardians of the Data - Episode #34
Are organizations focusing on the wrong things when it comes to data security?In this episode of Guardians of the Data, Anand Pallapalayam, an enterprise data protecti...
Data Protection for AI: 3-Pillar Framework for CISOs - Areejit Banerjee - Guardians of the Data - Episode #33
Are your AI models amplifying bias and exposing your organization to data scraping risks without you realizing it?Today, Ward sits down with Areejit Banerjee, Senior M...
Why EQ Matters More Than Tech - Mark Alvarado - Guardians of the Data - Episode #32
Why do so many security leaders struggle to build lasting, effective programs, even as technology keeps getting better?In this episode, Ward sits down with retail CISO...
Hope Is Not a Strategy: Secure AI the Right Way - Jason Elrod - Guardians of the Data - Episode #31
How do you secure AI when you don’t have data inventory, classification, identity controls, and governance frameworks? You can’t.In this episode of Guardians of the Da...
Why Least Privilege Fails (And How to Fix It) - Sanjeev Kumar - Guardians of the Data - Episode #30
What happens when your AI system has more access to your data than your employees (and you don’t even know it)?Sanjeev Kumar, Senior Global AI & Data Protection Lead a...
Stop Talking Tech and Start Talking Business - Joshua Copeland - Guardians of the Data - Episode #29
Is leadership the real reason data security keeps breaking down?In this episode of Guardians of the Data, host Ward Balcerzak sits down with Joshua Copeland, Director ...
Future-Proofing Cybersecurity Talent - Marlene Dehart - Guardians of the Data - Episode #28
Are we solving the cybersecurity talent problem the wrong way?The cybersecurity industry has no shortage of open roles, yet thousands of capable candidates still can’t...
Data Security in Critical Infrastructure - Arturo Santos - Guardians of the Data - Episode #27
What happens when the systems that move people and power our world aren’t secure?In this episode of Guardians of the Data, host Ward Balcerzak sits down with Arturo Sa...
Securing Data in the Age of AI - Frank Depaola - Guardians of the Data - Episode #26
Is your data security strategy still focused on where your data lives, or have you evolved to protect it where it flows?Ward sits down with Frank DePaola, Vice Preside...
Addressing the Data Everywhere and No Map Issue - Antonio Taylor - Guardians of the Data - Ep #25
What happens when security leaders stop talking tech and start speaking the language of the business?In this episode, author and VP of IT for Mission Healthcare, Anton...
When Data Security Isn’t Yes or No - Jennifer Fite - Guardians of the Data - Episode #24
How do you secure data when access isn’t binary?In this episode, host Ward Balcerzak sits down with Jennifer Fite, Principal Consultant on the Data Risk Management tea...
Re-Air: Data Governance & Stewardship Balance - Lance Fischer - Guardians of the Data - Episode #23
Why is visibility the first step in any effective data security strategy?In this re-air episode, we’re revisiting Ward’s conversation with Lance Fischer, Principal Sec...
The Biggest Data Security Challenges of 2025 - Guardians of the Data - Episode #22
What are the biggest challenges data leaders are facing?Today, we run back some of the best conversations of the year. Ward brings together insights from data security...
The Real Business Impact of Poor Data Governance - Rick Doten - Guardians of the Data - Episode #21
What’s the real business impact of bad data governance in modern security programs?Rick Doten, former Healthplan CISO at Centene Corporation and AI researcher with ove...
Leadership Buy-In: The #1 Success Factor in Security - Kenny Vu - Guardians of the Data - Episode #20
How do you get true leadership buy-in for your data security program and turn risk assessments into real action?In this episode, AVP of InfoSec and data security leade...
AI Won’t Save You: Human Judgment Still Matters - Ian Kicmol - Guardians of the Data - Episode #19
Is AI really the solution to your data security challenges, or is the real problem hiding in your people and processes?Ian Kicmol, leader of a major data protection or...
AI: The New Era of Cyber Threats - Dr. Sergio Sanchez - Guardians of the Data - Episode #18
Are your cybersecurity practices ready for the new era of AI-generated phishing, social engineering, and real-time deepfake attacks?In this episode of Guardians of the...
Know Your Crown Jewels: Discovery at the Heart - Bryan DeLuca - Guardians of the Data - Episode #17
Do you really know what your organization’s “crown jewels” are? Or how to protect them?Bryan DeLuca, Principal Cybersecurity Engineer and self-proclaimed “Swiss Army k...
Building an Effective Data Security Program - Matthew Gonzales - Guardians of the Data - Episode #16
Are you building a data security program that truly works or just checking the boxes for compliance? In this episode of Guardians of the Data, Matthew Gonzales, Direct...
