Podcast artwork thumbnail for Guardians of the Data

Guardians of the Data

Ward Balcerzak

Booking Overview

This is a weekly interview show focused on enterprise data security, cybersecurity leadership, and data protection, featuring external CISOs, Chief Data Officers, and experienced security professionals. Agencies could credibly pitch senior cybersecurity and data-security executives, governance leaders, and experts with practical experience in regulated industries, enterprise risk, or AI security; booking difficulty is medium because guests are established industry leaders but generally accessible professionals rather than major public figures.

Metrics

Episodes: 64

Frequency: Weekly

Rating: 5.0/5.0

Estimated listeners: < 100

Gender skew: Male

Listener location: USA

YouTube: 41 subscribers

Contact Information

Publicly listed emails

guardians@ringmaster.com

Looking for the right person? Join Podseeker to find direct host and producer contacts and manage your podcast outreach.

Host

Ward Balcerzak - Data security professional with 20 years of experience building data security programs at organizations including Allstate and Fidelity National Financial.

Booking Intelligence

Booking Requirements

medium
Typical Credentials:  
Senior cybersecurity, data security, information protection, or CISO-level professionals with hands-on experience leading enterprise security programs, particularly in regulated industries or environments involving AI, data governance, and risk management.
Required Achievements:  
Leadership of enterprise cybersecurity or data protection programs, Experience in regulated industries such as healthcare or financial services, Practical expertise in information protection, risk management, or AI security, Military, government, or Fortune 500 leadership experience

Recent Guest Discussions

Omar Sangurima - Data Inventory, Healthcare Cybersecurity, Data Protection, Legacy Environments, Cloud Migration, And Executive Communication.

Dameon Sherman - Data Inventory, Data Retention, CMDB Design, Data Quality, Information Protection, And Quantum-related Security Risks.

Veena Nagarajan - Third-party Risk Assessment, Healthcare Regulations, Vendor Security, Defense In Depth, And Consistent Security Processes.

Robert Whetstine - AI Security, Exposure Management, AI Agent Controls, Denial-of-wallet Attacks, Token Costs, And Cybersecurity Leadership.

Recent Topics

Data Security, Cybersecurity, Data Governance, Artificial Intelligence, Risk Management

Episodes

Here's the recent few episodes on
Guardians of the Data
:

The Host Gets Hosted ( Reair ) - Ward Balcerzak - Guardians of the Data - Episode # 63

October 08, 2026

What happens when the person who spent a year asking the tough questions finally has to answer them himself?In this anniversary episode of Guardians of the Data, Kraig Faulkner of InfoLock flips the script and puts Ward Balcerzak in the guest seat. Ward takes on his own signature question: What is the biggest challenge organizations are facing when it comes to data security?From there, Ward and Kraig dig into why data security continues to be overlooked, how organizations can think differentl...

The AI Data Trap - Guardians of the Data - Episode # 62

October 01, 2026

Ask five security leaders for the biggest data security challenge and "AI" is the easy answer. In this compilation episode, Ward Balcerzak talks with Dana Kilcrease, Brent Bigelow, Jason Torres, Anand Pallapalayam, and Dameon Sherman, and they go a layer deeper. The real problem is velocity. The old gaps, from unstructured data nobody can measure to assets nobody can name, are now growing at a pace that resources can't match. The group covers why fundamentals still win, how governance turns I...

Data Security Is a People Problem - Shanief Webb - Guardians of the Data - Episode # 61

September 24, 2026

What happens to your data security program the day your most experienced person walks out the door? For most organizations, the honest answer is chaos. In this episode, Shanief Webb, interim CISO and security engineering leader at a digital healthcare organization, breaks down why data security is a people problem before it's ever a technology problem. Shanief walks through how tribal knowledge, uncontrolled data volume, and stale documentation combine into a perfect storm when something goes...

Similar Podcasts

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Guardians of the Data
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What the Tech · Medium booking difficulty · 100 - 1,000 listeners

Frequently asked questions

Here's some frequently asked questions for
Guardians of the Data
:

How do I get in touch with Guardians of the Data?

Guardians of the Data is hosted by Ward Balcerzak. Its publicly listed email is guardians@ringmaster.com. For guest bookings, the host or producer is usually the best person to reach. Podseeker helps you find direct host and producer contacts and pitch from your own inbox.

What is the email for Guardians of the Data?

The publicly listed email for Guardians of the Data: guardians@ringmaster.com.

How many listeners does Guardians of the Data have?

Podseeker estimates Guardians of the Data reaches fewer than 100 listeners per episode. Only the publisher has exact numbers.

Who is an ideal guest for Guardians of the Data?

Guardians of the Data typically books industry leaders. Typical guest background: Senior cybersecurity, data security, information protection, or CISO-level professionals with hands-on experience leading enterprise security programs, particularly in regulated industries or environments involving AI, data governance, and risk management. Common among recent guests: Leadership of enterprise cybersecurity or data protection programs; Experience in regulated industries such as healthcare or financial services; Practical expertise in information protection, risk management, or AI security. Recent guests include Omar Sangurima, Dameon Sherman, and Veena Nagarajan.

How hard is it to get booked on Guardians of the Data?

Medium. Guests usually need solid credentials in the topic and an idea that fits the show.

What topics does Guardians of the Data cover?

Recent episodes cover Data Security, Cybersecurity, Data Governance, Artificial Intelligence, and Risk Management. Pitch an idea tied to one of these topics and mention a recent episode.

Publicly listed emails

guardians@ringmaster.com

Looking for the right person? Join Podseeker to find direct host and producer contacts and manage your podcast outreach.

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