Abbey explains how technologies designed for underwater environments must overcome challenges unlike anything encountered on land or in the air, and why advances in AI, software-defined systems, and sensing technologies will reshape the future of ocean exploration and defense. She also discusses her role connecting innovative startups with large defense organizations, offering valuable insight into what differentiates truly exceptional companies from the rest.

Beyond technology, the conversation explores leadership, mentorship, and professional growth. Abbey shares how humility, curiosity, and the confidence to ask questions have shaped her career, while highlighting the important work Women in Defense is doing to support professionals across engineering, finance, HR, marketing, and many other disciplines. The result is an engaging discussion about innovation, collaboration, and creating opportunities for the next generation of defense leaders.

Show Notes:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abigailkeith1/
Women in Defense Greater Boston Chapter: https://widgbc.org
National Defense Industrial Association: https://www.ndia.org
Home | Abbey Fabian: https://www.abbeyfabian.org/

The discussion examines why traditional methods of contacting elected officials often fall short, how AI can make complex legislation more understandable without replacing human judgment, and why transparency and accountability are essential to rebuilding trust in government. Ramon also demonstrates the Digital Democracy platform, showing how verified citizens can review legislation, access AI-assisted bill summaries, track how lawmakers vote, and compare those votes against the preferences of their constituents.

Rather than replacing representative democracy, the conversation explores how technology can augment it—creating better-informed citizens, more accountable leaders, and new opportunities for meaningful civic participation. Whether you're interested in AI, cybersecurity, public policy, or the future of democratic institutions, this episode offers a thought-provoking look at how technology can be used for the public good.

Show Notes:
Book: The Wisdom of Crowds by James Surowicki
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ramon-perez-97a87a41/
Links: https://digitaldemocracyproject.org/

When most people hear "AUKUS," they think of submarines. But according to Lee Davis, Senior Director at Honeywell Aerospace Australia, that's only part of the story.

In this episode of Tech Transforms, Carolyn Ford sits down with Lee Davis to explore how AUKUS is driving one of the most ambitious industrial transformations ever attempted across Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Beyond submarines, AUKUS is reshaping how allied nations share information, align security frameworks, coordinate manufacturing capacity, and collaborate across complex defense supply chains.

Davis explains why the biggest challenge isn't technology, workforce, or even production capacity, it's enabling secure, real-time collaboration between governments, primes, suppliers, and manufacturers across three different nations. The conversation examines export control reforms, digital engineering environments, industrial interoperability, and the role secure cloud infrastructure will play in accelerating defense innovation.

The discussion also explores how lessons learned through AUKUS are already benefiting other initiatives, including Australia's Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance (GWEO) program, and why AI may become a critical enabler for future industrial collaboration.

Show Notes:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lee-davis-82323633/

Honeywell Aerospace Website: https://www.honeywellaerospace.com

Australia GWEO Enterprise: https://www.defence.gov.au/about/who-we-are/organisation-structure/guided-weapons-explosive-ordnance-group

**

What if they're the everyday technologies we depend on without a second thought?
In this episode of Tech Transforms, Kurt Sanger, retired U.S. Marine Corps judge advocate, former Deputy General Counsel at U.S. Cyber Command, and cybersecurity attorney at Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney, explores what he calls the "undefended front line."

Kurt argues that modern cyber conflict is no longer confined to government networks or battlefield systems. The front line now includes airport parking systems, boarding passes, water utilities, small businesses, and countless interconnected technologies that shape daily life. Because cyber operations can be calibrated to disrupt rather than destroy, adversaries can influence behavior, create uncertainty, and impact society in ways that traditional warfare never could.
The conversation examines why operational coordination—not just information sharing—is becoming essential to national cyber defense, the growing role of public-private collaboration, and whether the United States needs a dedicated Cyber Force to meet evolving threats.
Carolyn and Kurt also tackle one of the most pressing challenges facing organizations today: artificial intelligence. As AI systems become increasingly autonomous, questions of accountability, governance, and responsibility become far more complex.

From cyber hygiene and critical infrastructure protection to AI ethics and national security strategy, this episode offers a thoughtful look at how cybersecurity has become everyone's responsibility.

Show Notes:
Email: kurt.sanger@bipc.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kurtsanger
Commission on U.S. Cyber Force Generation – CSIS
https://www.csis.org
Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney
https://www.bipc.com
US Cyber Command - https://www.cybercom.mil/
National Security Agency/Central Security Service - https://www.nsa.gov/about/cybersecurity-collaboration-center/

At the center of the conversation is Operation Stormbreaker, the Marine Corps’ only RAISE-certified software factory, designed to eliminate the inefficiencies that plague government technology deployment. Dave explains how agencies fall into a “maintenance trap,” where nearly 80% of IT budgets are consumed by legacy systems, leaving little room for modernization. The root issue, he argues, isn’t just technology, it’s architecture. By shifting from rebuilding infrastructure for every application to a shared platform-as-a-service model, Stormbreaker allows mission owners to inherit infrastructure, security, and authorization dramatically reducing both cost and complexity.

The impact is significant. What once took 12–18 months to deploy can now be achieved in minutes through automated pipelines, containerized workloads, and continuous authorization. Rey breaks down how this model transforms the notoriously slow Authority to Operate (ATO) process, enabling faster innovation without sacrificing security. The discussion also highlights how this approach lowers barriers for vendors, accelerates adoption of emerging technologies like AI, and creates a more agile, production-focused culture within government.

Beyond the technical architecture, the episode explores the cultural resistance to change across federal systems and the need to simplify complex cybersecurity processes for mission owners. Rey emphasizes that true modernization isn’t about new tools, it’s about rethinking how systems are built, secured, and delivered at scale.

Show Notes:
Dave Raley LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daveraley/
Marine Corps Community Service: https://www.usmc-mccs.org/
White Paper: Clarifying Cloud Foundations: Understanding PaaS vs. IaaS
Operation StormBreaker: https://operationstormbreaker.usmc-mccs.org/

Dharma breaks down the art and science of simplifying the abstract, showing how strong brand foundations, metaphors, and visual storytelling can transform highly technical concepts into ideas people immediately grasp. From replacing overused “binary code and padlock” imagery with meaningful visual systems, to building foundational brand ideas that elevate messaging beyond features, the discussion highlights how clarity, emotion, and differentiation are essential in crowded tech markets.

The episode also brings these principles down to a practical level, offering exercises and frameworks that anyone—not just designers—can use to improve communication, whether pitching a solution, securing budget, or aligning a team. Ultimately, the conversation reinforces a powerful idea: in cybersecurity and beyond, success isn’t just about what you build—it’s about how well you make others understand, remember, and care about it.

Show Notes:
Contrast & Co - https://www.contrastandco.com/
Dharma Pachner - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dpachner/
INKY: https://inky.com
DarkWebID: https://www.darkwebid.com
CyCognito: https://www.cycognito.com
OWL Cyber Defense: https://owlcyberdefense.com
Worksheet: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/36n0zjooq4pi7mlv6ugkt/OWL_podcast_worksheets.pdf?rlkey=ssdpyio5cqktsakz5s1vdogcu&dl=0

The discussion explores how elite performers build resilience through training, prioritization, and teamwork—from cockpit checklists to the “meatball, lineup, angle of attack” mindset used in high-stakes landings. Carey also highlights the importance of shared load, trust, and even small moments of celebration in sustaining high-performing teams.

Ultimately, this episode is a grounded, relatable guide for leaders and professionals alike—showing how to stay focused, effective, and human when everything feels like it’s moving at once.

Show Notes:
Carey Lohrenz Website:
➤ https://careylohrenz.com/
Carey on LinkedIn:
➤ https://www.linkedin.com/in/careylohrenz/
Carey’s Podcast:
➤ Welcome to My Office: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trailer-welcome-to-my-office/id1564095883?i=1000520362663
Carey’s Book:
➤Span of Control - https://a.co/d/04zCzjdf

The conversation breaks down the core principle behind Zero Trust: minimizing the “blast radius” of a breach. Instead of assuming everything inside a network is safe, Zero Trust requires constant authentication, strict access controls, and segmentation so that even if an attacker gains entry, they cannot move freely across systems.

We explore common misconceptions, especially the idea that Zero Trust is a product that can simply be purchased and installed. In reality, it’s a whole-of-organization approach involving people, processes, infrastructure modernization, and ongoing monitoring. Legacy systems, skill shortages, and the sheer complexity of modern networks make implementation a long-term journey rather than a quick fix.

The discussion highlights why segmentation, boundary management, and cross-domain inspection remain critical even in a Zero Trust architecture—particularly in environments with legacy infrastructure, international partnerships, and tactical edge deployments. As AI systems and autonomous technologies increasingly interact with sensitive networks, the need to treat AI as another “actor” with controlled privileges becomes essential.

The episode concludes with practical guidance for leaders beginning their Zero Trust journey—from inventorying everything on their network and planning segmentation, to implementing role-based access controls, budgeting for modernization, and ensuring organizations have the skilled personnel required to sustain the architecture.
Ultimately, the takeaway is clear: Zero Trust isn’t a tool—it’s a strategy for operating in a world where persistent threats are the norm.

Show notes:
GME - www.gme.net.au
Owl Cyber Defense - www.owlcyberdefense.com
Modern Defense Architecture (Australia) - https://www.cyber.gov.au/business-government/secure-design/secure-by-design/modern-defensible-architecture
Chris Rule - https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-rule-fieaust-cpeng-gaicd-05600b30/
Michael Blake - https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-blake-734b0a21/

They explore how artificial intelligence is supercharging phishing and social-engineering campaigns, making malicious messages nearly indistinguishable from legitimate ones. Morley explains the evolution of steganography—the art of concealing code inside digital images and why emerging threats like QR-code hijacking (“quishing”) have become one of the easiest ways to breach both corporate and personal devices.

But this isn’t a doom-and-gloom story. Morley shows how zero-trust file filtering and Content Disarm & Reconstruction (CDR) can neutralize hidden payloads without disrupting everyday workflows. He also reveals how these proactive defenses reduce “SOC noise,” giving security teams back valuable focus time and keeping threats from ever reaching end users.

From AI-powered deception to invisible payloads hidden in plain sight, this conversation uncovers the unseen layer of cyber defense and reminds leaders that innovation, not fear, is the best shield against tomorrow’s threats.

Show Notes:
• Whitepapers:
Polyglot Files: Unmasking Images & PDFs
Steganography: Smudging the Invisible Ink
QR Codes: Neutralizing Threats with CDR
• Webinar: File Analysis & CDR: Forging A Formidable Defense
• Website: https://www.glasswall.com/
• Connor Morley - https://www.linkedin.com/in/connormorley/

Show Notes:
NIST AI resources: https://www.nist.gov/artificial-intelligence/ai-resources
AI Risk Management Framework https://www.nist.gov/itl/ai-risk-management-framework
NIST-AI-600-1: AI RMF Generative AI Profile https://airc.nist.gov/docs/NIST.AI.600-1.GenAI-Profile.ipd.pdf
Secure Software Development Practices for Generative AI and Dual-Use Foundation Models: An SSDF Community Profile https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.800-218A

Email: martin.stanley@nist.gov
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mcs729/

From simplifying tech transfer to accelerating mission-critical training, this conversation offers a powerful look at how smart policy and strategic partnerships are setting a new benchmark for global security innovation.

If you’re in defense, cybersecurity, international trade, or just love a good story about making the impossible possible, this one’s for you.

Contact Mat https://www.linkedin.com/in/mat-c-a377937/