The Vital Edge

In our latest podcast episode, Jes Litfin sits down with Shane Hoffman, Account Executive at ISC2, to unpack the real value behind cybersecurity certifications, the pathways available to professionals at every stage, and how organisations can strengthen their security posture through certified talent.

ISO 27001 Audits_A Chat with Mike Thompson

Welcome to the Vital Edge Podcast. This episode is a little difference to usual - instead we’ve recorded this four-part micro-learning series that challenges how we think about cybersecurity — and why, despite our best intentions, we often end up chasing the wrong problems.
This conversation began in October 2025, when Garry Barnes delivered a session at the ISACA Europe Conference in London titled “A Positive Cyber Approach: Avoiding the Myth and Misdirection.”
Since then, the ideas didn’t settle — they evolved. Through ongoing industry conversations, post-session debates, and even a few exploratory discussions with AI, one thing became clear: the problem wasn’t getting smaller — it was getting clearer.
As a result, this session was reimagined and renamed:“Security Theater, Shiny Objects, & the Cost of Misdirection: Why Cybersecurity Professionals Chase the Wrong Problems.”
Across four parts, we’ll explore how we got here, what we’ve misunderstood, and how security can — and should — become a deliberate enabler of the business, not a distraction from it.

Welcome to the Vital Edge Podcast. This episode is a little difference to usual - instead we’ve recorded this four-part micro-learning series that challenges how we think about cybersecurity — and why, despite our best intentions, we often end up chasing the wrong problems.
This conversation began in October 2025, when Garry Barnes delivered a session at the ISACA Europe Conference in London titled “A Positive Cyber Approach: Avoiding the Myth and Misdirection.”
Since then, the ideas didn’t settle — they evolved. Through ongoing industry conversations, post-session debates, and even a few exploratory discussions with AI, one thing became clear: the problem wasn’t getting smaller — it was getting clearer.
As a result, this session was reimagined and renamed:“Security Theater, Shiny Objects, & the Cost of Misdirection: Why Cybersecurity Professionals Chase the Wrong Problems.”
Across four parts, we’ll explore how we got here, what we’ve misunderstood, and how security can — and should — become a deliberate enabler of the business, not a distraction from it.

Welcome to the Vital Edge Podcast. This episode is a little difference to usual - instead we’ve recorded this four-part micro-learning series that challenges how we think about cybersecurity — and why, despite our best intentions, we often end up chasing the wrong problems.
This conversation began in October 2025, when Garry Barnes delivered a session at the ISACA Europe Conference in London titled “A Positive Cyber Approach: Avoiding the Myth and Misdirection.”
Since then, the ideas didn’t settle — they evolved. Through ongoing industry conversations, post-session debates, and even a few exploratory discussions with AI, one thing became clear: the problem wasn’t getting smaller — it was getting clearer.
As a result, this session was reimagined and renamed:“Security Theatre, Shiny Objects, & the Cost of Misdirection: Why Cybersecurity Professionals Chase the Wrong Problems.”
Across four parts, we’ll explore how we got here, what we’ve misunderstood, and how security can — and should — become a deliberate enabler of the business, not a distraction from it.

Welcome to the Vital Edge Podcast. This episode is a little difference to usual - instead we’ve recorded this four-part micro-learning series that challenges how we think about cybersecurity — and why, despite our best intentions, we often end up chasing the wrong problems.
This conversation began in October 2025, when Garry Barnes delivered a session at the ISACA Europe Conference in London titled “A Positive Cyber Approach: Avoiding the Myth and Misdirection.”
Since then, the ideas didn’t settle — they evolved. Through ongoing industry conversations, post-session debates, and even a few exploratory discussions with AI, one thing became clear: the problem wasn’t getting smaller — it was getting clearer.
As a result, this session was reimagined and renamed:“Security Theater, Shiny Objects, & the Cost of Misdirection: Why Cybersecurity Professionals Chase the Wrong Problems.”
Across four parts, we’ll explore how we got here, what we’ve misunderstood, and how security can — and should — become a deliberate enabler of the business, not a distraction from it.

From AI Awareness to AI Capability: Chat with AI Certs

Securing What Matters Most: ICS & OT Cybersecurity with Gurvinder Pal Singh

Project Management in a Changing World: A Conversation with Mahesh

Help Desk to Cyber Leader - Ed Farrell's Journey