Tech Transforms
Tech Transforms, brought to you by Owl Cyber Defense, talks to some of the most prominent influencers shaping government technology.
Displaying 10 items of Tech Transforms with the tag "owl cyber defense".
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Episode 136: Atoms, Algorithms, and Appetite: How AI Is Rewriting the Nuclear Playbook
November 10th, 2026 | 1 hr 1 min
artificial intelligence, critical infrastructure, cybersecurity, data centers, nuclear energy, nuclear safety, owl cyber defense, small modular reactors, tech transforms
As AI drives demand for around-the-clock electricity, technology companies are turning to nuclear power and bringing new capital, expectations, and urgency. This episode explores what that shift means for energy infrastructure, cybersecurity, and public trust. From advanced reactors to human oversight, they discuss how to embrace innovation while preserving the safety culture that nuclear power demands.
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Episode 132: Human First, AI Second: Why Connection Decides Whether Transformation Works
August 28th, 2026 | 40 mins 20 secs
ai adoption, change management, owl cyber defense, piercing strategies
Organizations are investing heavily in AI, but many initiatives are stalling because employees feel anxious, exhausted, or disconnected from the reasons behind the transformation. Carolyn Ford speaks with Arika Pierce Williams, CEO of Piercing Strategies, about the leadership gaps that undermine AI adoption and the HUMAN-First capabilities—Hear, Understand, Motivate, Amplify, and Navigate—that help teams move through change. Together, they explore how trust, clarity, psychological safety, and human connection can turn AI from something employees feel is being done to them into a tool that works for them.
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Episode 130: Cyber Leadership Under Pressure: Securing Growth in a Defense-Driven Manufacturing Environment
August 4th, 2026 | 46 mins 18 secs
cybersecurity operational technology (ot) critical infrastructure defense industry, gme australia, owl cyber defense
What happens when cybersecurity can't simply block a threat because shutting down production isn't an option? Carolyn Ford sits down with GME CISO Brahman Theiaga Lingum to discuss securing operational technology, balancing availability with security, and why process and trust matter more than speed. From stopping enterprise patching to redefining resilience beyond compliance, this conversation offers valuable lessons for every security leader.
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Episode 125: Modernizing the Mission: Secure AI, Cyber Resilience, and the Future of Energy IT
May 28th, 2026 | 39 mins 57 secs
AI, doe, legacy it, owl cyber defense, tech transforms
In this episode of Tech Transforms, Dawn Zimmer shares how the United States Department of Energy is modernizing legacy systems, breaking down data silos, and securely adopting AI at scale. From DOE’s platforms Quanta and Joulix to building cybersecurity directly into innovation efforts, Zimmer explains how her team is moving at “the speed of need” without compromising mission security. The conversation offers a behind-the-scenes look at how one of government’s most complex technology environments is becoming a model for secure, mission-driven digital transformation.
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Episode 124: So What: Kingpin's in Charge Now
May 19th, 2026 | 34 mins 45 secs
artificial intelligence, govtech, owl cyber defense, tech transforms
In this episode of Tech Transforms: So What?, Carolyn Ford and Trac Bannon unpack the rapidly accelerating collision of AI, defense, cybersecurity, and government governance. From the Pentagon’s evolving AI strategy and the explosive growth of generative AI inside the DOD to Anthropic’s controversial Mythos cybersecurity model, the conversation explores what happens when innovation begins moving faster than oversight. The episode also tackles the human side of technology — including trust, workforce readiness, and why diverse perspectives remain essential to building resilient systems.
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Episode 119: 5 Steps to Zero Trust
March 17th, 2026 | 27 mins 29 secs
AI, legacy systems, micro segmentation, owl cyber defense, zero trust
In this follow-up episode of Tech Transforms, Carolyn Ford and Michael Blake of Owl Cyber Defense explore what it actually takes to begin implementing Zero Trust. From discovering shadow IT and legacy systems to microsegmentation and access control, the conversation focuses on the practical steps organizations must take to limit the blast radius of a breach. The episode also examines how leaders can prioritize critical assets and build the teams needed to sustain a Zero Trust strategy over time.
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Episode 117: 2026 Predictions. What's Now. What's Next. What's Urgent.
February 27th, 2026 | 57 mins 31 secs
AI, Predictions, cross-domain, owl cyber defense, tech transforms, zero trust
In this special 2026 Predictions episode of Tech Transforms, Carolyn Ford and the Owl Cyber Defense team unpack the signals already reshaping cybersecurity, AI, and defense. From the collapse of content trust to AI containment and hardware-enforced security, they explore why software alone won’t be enough in the year ahead. The message is clear: in 2026, leaders won’t lose because they lacked tools—they’ll lose because they trusted the wrong ones.
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Episode 111: One Woman’s Rebellion Against Reckless AI
November 25th, 2025 | 46 mins 24 secs
#responsibleai, aiethics, aigovernance, digital safety, owl cyber defense, techtransforms
AI risks aren’t sci-fi — they’re already woven into our schools, healthcare, and public systems.
In this week’s Tech Transforms, Carolyn talks with Janet Kang, Executive Director at Just Horizons Alliance, about ethical AI, real-time risk, and why we need “circuit breakers” for AI before harm scales. -
Episode 105: From Compliance to Capability: Securing the Federal Software Supply Chain in the Age of AI
September 9th, 2025 | 40 mins 57 secs
cybersecurity, owl cyber defense, sbom, supply chain, zerotrust
On this episode of Tech Transforms, host Carolyn Ford welcomes Antoine Harden, Regional VP of Federal at Sonatype, to unpack one of the most urgent challenges in federal cybersecurity.
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Episode 103: From GOTS to COTS: How Policy and Innovation Are Reshaping the Tactical Edge
August 12th, 2025 | 42 mins 33 secs
curtiss-wright defense solutions, defensetech, federal cots mandate, owl cyber defense
What does the federal government’s new COTS-first mandate really mean for defense tech? Carolyn Ford talks with Dom Perez, CTO at Curtiss-Wright Defense Solutions, about the pressure to justify GOTS in 60 days, how CSFC is reshaping secure comms, and why real innovation might just come in a Rubbermaid tote.