Cyber at the Top: Choosing the Right Cybersecurity Partners: A CISO’s Playbook

From busy showroom floors to hyped up vendor marketing claims, security leaders are constantly asked to choose the “right” cybersecurity partner. In this episode, Dr. Hugh Thompson sits down with Tal Arad, former CTO and Group CISO at Carlsberg Group, to unpack how security leaders can cut through the noise and build partnerships that strengthen their organizations. Drawing on his experience, Tal explores how to determine whether a solution truly addresses a real problem, why early technical discussions and proofs of concept matter, and what signals indicate a vendor can be a trusted partner. Ultimately, this episode offers a practical, experience-driven playbook for CISOs looking to choose partners they’ll still trust and want to work with years down the road.