In this episode of Security Gets Serious, guest host Robert Rodriquez sits down with our regular host, Halcyon Chief Security and Trust officer Ben Carr, and two special guests: Jeff Farnich, SVP Technology & CISO New American Funding, and Daniel Hooper, consultant and former CIO Finfare, to deep-dive on the roles and challenges of the modern CISO.

Guest Host, Robert Rodriguez, Chairman and Founder of SINET and a Venture Partner at SYN Ventures
SINET was founded in June 2007 by Robert, a former U.S. Secret Service Special Agent, as an organization dedicated to advancing innovation and fostering global collaboration between the public and private sectors to combat cybersecurity threats. SINET serves as a bridge connecting entrepreneurs, industry and government risk executives, chief information security officers, venture capitalists, and private equity firms. Through workshops, conferences, and public-private partnership dinners, SINET facilitates high-level engagements among cybersecurity professionals. In addition to his role at SINET, Mr. Rodriguez is a Venture Partner at SYN Ventures, focusing on investments in early-stage cybersecurity companies. He also serves on several cybersecurity advisory boards and has been called upon to advise both private industry and federal governments in developing public-private partnership models and engaging with the entrepreneurial and venture capital communities. Before establishing SINET, Mr. Rodriguez served for 22 years as a Special Agent with the United States Secret Service. During his tenure, he held various executive leadership positions, including roles within the Presidential Protection Detail, Protective Intelligence, Inspection, Criminal Investigation Division, and the Counter Assault Team. His executive protection experience spanned a decade at the White House, where he served Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, and Bill Clinton, as well as numerous heads of state.

Panelists:

Daniel Hooper, Consultant and former CIO at Finfare: With over 20 years in cybersecurity, Daniel has built a career at the intersection of technical expertise and executive leadership leading high-performing teams and tackled complex challenges at organizations like IBM, Deloitte, PIMCO, Varo Bank, and Robinhood. Highlights include redesigning a global insurance company’s IT Risk Management program across 14 international entities, building PIMCO’s global security program, meeting OCC regulatory requirements at Varo Bank, and serving as CISO for Robinhood’s Brokerage division. His work with regulators, board members, and executive teams has shaped a strategic approach that delivers impactful results while mentoring teams to excel. You can also catch Daniel on a webinar February 19th discussing Managing Access Control in 2025 & Beyond – register here.

Jeff Farnich, SVP Technology & CISO New American Funding: Jeff Farinich is a visionary technology executive with over 25 years’ experience driving enterprise capabilities leading IT and Security strategy, people, processes, and governance. Since 2019 Jeff has been the SVP Technology Services and Chief Information Security Officer at New American Funding, a privately owned national direct mortgage lender. Jeff serves as the Control officer for NMLS Mortgage licensing for all 50 states and is a member of executive committees. Previously Jeff worked in various leadership roles at SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union, Cisco Systems, NDS Group (subsidiary of News Corp), and other organizations. Jeff has a Master of Business Administration from the University of Southern California Marshall School of Business, a Bachelor of Business Administration from California State Polytechnic University and completed a CIO Executive Program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management. Jeff holds Project Management Professional, Certified Information Systems Security Professional, Certified Informa

In this engaging podcast conversation with Robert Rodriguez, we explore the evolution of SINET, its mission to bridge public and private sector collaboration, and its role in accelerating cybersecurity innovation. Robert shares insights into SINET’s unique model for connecting investors, buyers, and sellers, emphasizing how authentic relationships and strategic networking fuel growth in the cybersecurity ecosystem.

We dive into current trends in the investor space, where Robert highlights a heightened focus on technologies tackling ransomware, cloud security, and AI-driven threat detection. He discusses the challenges security companies face in connecting with busy CISOs, stressing the importance of delivering real value and peer-driven credibility.

Ransomware remains a hot topic, with Robert offering perspectives on its impact, CISO concerns, and the potential for regulatory measures to stem the tide. He contrasts SINET events with traditional conferences, explaining how their community-driven approach fosters meaningful connections in an overcrowded event landscape.

Robert also touches on the broader challenges of keeping CISOs up at night, the value of public-private partnerships in enhancing security, and how leaders can build a culture of trust within organizations. It’s a conversation packed with real-world insights for anyone navigating the cybersecurity landscape.

About Our Guest:

Robert Rodriguez is the Chairman and Founder of the Security Innovation Network (SINET), an organization dedicated to advancing innovation and fostering global collaboration between the public and private sectors to combat cybersecurity threats. SINET serves as a bridge connecting entrepreneurs, industry and government risk executives, chief information security officers, venture capitalists, and private equity firms. Through workshops, conferences, and public-private partnership dinners, SINET facilitates high-level engagements among cybersecurity professionals. In addition to his role at SINET, Mr. Rodriguez is a Venture Partner at SYN Ventures, focusing on investments in early-stage cybersecurity companies. He also serves on several cybersecurity advisory boards and has been called upon to advise both private industry and federal governments in developing public-private partnership models and engaging with the entrepreneurial and venture capital communities. Before establishing SINET, Mr. Rodriguez served for 22 years as a Special Agent with the United States Secret Service. During his tenure, he held various executive leadership positions, including roles within the Presidential Protection Detail, Protective Intelligence, Inspection, Criminal Investigation Division, and the Counter Assault Team. His executive protection experience spanned a decade at the White House, where he served Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, and Bill Clinton, as well as numerous heads of state.

Your Hosts:

Anthony M. Freed, Halcyon Director of Research and Communications: Freed is a strategic communications leader, award-winning writer, publisher and podcast producer who was previously a freelance security journalist leading headline-making investigations that included the Symantec NAV source code leak, the mass compromise of US government agency account credentials, the denial-of-service attack that took down WikiLeaks, and more. Freed is also the principal researcher who produces the quarterly Halcyon report Power Rankings: Ransomware Malicious Quartile - Inside Data Extortion Attacks.

Ben Carr, Halcyon Advisory CISO: Carr is a Security & Risk Executive and recognized thought leader with more than 25 years of results driven experience in developing and executing security strategies. Carr has served in global leadership roles at advanced technology, high risk, and rapid growth companies such as Ericsson (Cradlepoint), Qualys, Aristocrat, Tenable, Visa and Nokia. Ben has served a

In this episode of Security Gets Serious, host Ben Carr sits down with Mark Weatherford, former Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) for both California and Colorado, as well as Deputy Undersecretary for Cybersecurity at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Mark and Ben dive into the complex roles and responsibilities of the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), drawing on Mark's extensive experience in leading security teams at the highest levels of both state and federal government.

Mark currently serves as the Vice President of Policy and Standards at Gretel, is the Founding Partner of Aspen Chartered Consulting, and holds positions on the Board of Directors and Advisory Boards of numerous leading and emerging cybersecurity and technology companies.

With a career spanning both public and private sectors, Mark has held several high-profile executive roles in cybersecurity. His previous positions include Global Information Security Strategist at Booking Holdings, Chief Cybersecurity Strategist at vArmour, Principal at The Chertoff Group, Chief Security Officer at the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), and Chief Information Security Officer for the state of Colorado.

In 2008, Mark was appointed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger as California's first Chief Information Security Officer. Three years later, the Obama Administration selected him to serve as Deputy Undersecretary for Cybersecurity at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

A former naval officer with a deep background in cryptology, Mark was instrumental in advancing the U.S. Navy's cybersecurity capabilities. He served as the Director of Navy Computer Network Defense Operations, Director of the Navy Computer Incident Response Team (NAVCIRT), and was responsible for establishing the Navy's first operational red team, underscoring his commitment to strengthening cyber defense strategies.

Your Host, Ben Carr, Halcyon Chief Security and Trust Officer: Carr is a Security & Risk Executive and recognized thought leader with more than 25 years of results driven experience in developing and executing security strategies. Carr has served in global leadership roles at advanced technology, high risk, and rapid growth companies such as Ericsson (Cradlepoint), Qualys, Aristocrat, Tenable, Visa and Nokia. Ben has served as a member of the Board of Directors for organizations such as IT-ISAC and NTXPKUA. He is an advisor for Noname Security and Syn Ventures and has previously served on Advisory boards for Living Security, TruStar, Mimecast, Qualys, and Accuvant.