The Watchers

Former DIA Director of Artificial Intelligence Brian Drake joins Andy Sauer for a wide-ranging conversation about the future of AI, autonomous weapons, misinformation, robotics, and the collision between technological innovation and human values. Brian explains how intelligence agencies first approached AI strategy, why regulation is struggling to keep pace, and why the next ...

Former NSA engineer and White House cybersecurity leader Tim Van Name joins Andy Sauer to discuss the future of cyber conflict, AI-enabled warfare, and the growing tension between innovation and bureaucracy. Tim shares lessons from responding to cyber compromises inside the White House, explains why “time” is becoming the most contested domain in modern conflict, and argues t...

After 25 years at the NSA, Phyllis Lee now helps shape the CIS Critical Security Controls used by organizations around the world. In this episode of Sentinel Blue’s The Watchers, she explains why fear-based cybersecurity messaging fails, why compliance frameworks overwhelm defenders, and why software vendors must take more responsibility for security. The conversation also ex...

What happens when cyber risk becomes a question of national power, infrastructure, and resilience? Laura Galante joins Andy Sauer to explore how cyber intelligence evolved, why critical infrastructure is becoming strategic terrain, how AI is reshaping both defense and offense, and what leaders should do when uncertainty becomes permanent. From boardrooms to geopolitics, this ...

Andy Sauer sits down with Vicky Pillitteri from National Institute of Standards and Technology to discuss the intent behind NIST cybersecurity standards, the evolution of CMMC, continuous monitoring, and why compliance alone does not equal security. They also explore how NIST is approaching AI security, machine-readable cybersecurity documentation, and the growing challenge o...