Another week, another acquisition? This time, Sophos is front-and-centre with the announcement that it intends to purchase UK-based Arco Cyber in a move that the company says will help customers by combining agentic AI, integrated platforms, and trusted human expertise delivered in partnership with managed service providers (MSPs) and managed security service providers (MSSPs).

We also have a great chat with cybersecurity community activist, semi-retired industry analyst, consultant, and board member Jon Oltsik about SOAPA - stay tuned for more content around this architecture/framework!

NEWS

Sophos to acquire Arco Cyber “to Bring CISO-Level, Agentic AI-Powered Expertise to Every Organization”

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SpeakPipe link - https://www.speakpipe.com/Cyber_Sidekicks

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• Christina Richmond – christina@richmondadvisorygroup.com
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• Cyber Sidekicks Show Host – Podbean.com
• Edited & mastered in GarageBand

This week, Christina & Rory discuss Moltbook: the social network built for AI agents - but what are the security implications, and how could attackers take advantage of potential vulnerabilities? Also, more AI-fuelled attacks on AWS' S3 public buckets make credential finding much quicker, and an update on how Poland's cybersecurity police are cracking down on the increase in domestic hacking and DDoS / botnet crime!

NEWS

Security Analysis of Moltbook Agent Network: Bot-to-Bot Prompt Injection and Data Leaks

8-Minute Access: AI Accelerates Breach of AWS Environment

Polish cops bail 20-year-old bedroom botnet operator

RSAC 2026

The preparations have started! Let us know what you would like to see covered on our special Show Episode at the end of March.

We recorded a fun episode with IBM in 2025 - take a look at the video on our YouTube channel.

Leave us a message!

Want to leave some feedback and suggestions but would prefer not to write an email? You can leave us a voicemail (90 seconds max). We will share any that are not too spicy in the following episode.

SpeakPipe link - https://www.speakpipe.com/Cyber_Sidekicks

Or, send us an email:

• Christina Richmond – christina@richmondadvisorygroup.com
• Rory Duncan – rory@richmondadvisorygroup.com

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Technology we use

• Podcast Recording Platform – Cleanfeed.com
• Cyber Sidekicks Show Host – Podbean.com
• Edited & mastered in GarageBand

Another big announcement this week as LevelBlue signs a strategic alliance with Fortra, marking a partnership that will benefit from a combined product + services play. As part of the deal, LevelBlue will acquire Fortra's managed services - including those of the former Alert Logic acquisition - covering MDR, XDR & WAF.

NEWS

LevelBlue and Fortra Launch Strategic Managed Services Partnership to Accelerate Cybersecurity Innovation

PwC and Google Cloud Ink $400 Million Deal to Scale AI-Powered Defense

Sandworm Blamed for Wiper Attack on Poland Power Grid

Ed Martin of Sophos was due to join is this week but couldn't make it. However, we hope to have him on next week!

Leave us a message!

Want to leave some feedback and suggestions but would prefer not to write an email? You can leave us a voicemail (90 seconds max). We will share any that are not too spicy in the following episode.

SpeakPipe link - https://www.speakpipe.com/Cyber_Sidekicks

Or, send us an email:

• Christina Richmond – christina@richmondadvisorygroup.com
• Rory Duncan – rory@richmondadvisorygroup.com

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Technology we use

• Podcast Recording Platform – Cleanfeed.com
• Cyber Sidekicks Show Host – Podbean.com
• Edited & mastered in GarageBand

This week we have an extended discussion with Ryan LaSalle, CEO of Nisos on the topic of digital executive protection and "exhaust" management. Ryan also joins our chat about the announcement of ChatGPT Health and what the security implications of sharing personal, medical information might be....

NEWS

Analysis of 6 Billion Passwords Shows Stagnant User Behavior

ChatGPT Health Raises Big Security, Safety Concerns

Goldman's profit beats on record stock trading, sees robust M&A activity in 2026

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Want to leave some feedback and suggestions but would prefer not to write an email? You can leave us a voicemail (90 seconds max). We will share any that are not too spicy in the following episode.

SpeakPipe link - https://www.speakpipe.com/Cyber_Sidekicks

Or, send us an email:

• Christina Richmond – christina@richmondadvisorygroup.com
• Rory Duncan – rory@richmondadvisorygroup.com

Subscribe to our Newsletter - "Signal, not noise" Our monthly newsletter is free to subscribers! Sign-up now at Richmond Advisory Group.

Technology we use

• Podcast Recording Platform – Cleanfeed.com
• Cyber Sidekicks Show Host – Podbean.com
• Edited & mastered in GarageBand

An M&A focused episode this week as CrowdStrike announces it intends to purchase identity security vendor SGNL, as well as browser runtime security vendor Seraphic Security - moves designed to beef-up it's Falcon platform, enhancing its capabilities for continuous authorization, and protecting in-session browser activity for both human and autonomous identities. Christina & Rory discuss the implications for CrowdStrike and what it means for the wider industry.

NEWS

CrowdStrike to Acquire SGNL to Secure Every Identity in the AI Era

CrowdStrike to Acquire Seraphic, Turning Any Browser into a Secure Enterprise Browser

WitnessAI Raises $58 Million for AI Security Platform

'Most Severe AI Vulnerability to Date' Hits ServiceNow

Leave us a message!

Want to leave some feedback and suggestions but would prefer not to write an email? You can leave us a voicemail (90 seconds max). We will share any that are not too spicy in the following episode.

SpeakPipe link - https://www.speakpipe.com/Cyber_Sidekicks

Or, send us an email:

• Christina Richmond – christina@richmondadvisorygroup.com
• Rory Duncan – rory@richmondadvisorygroup.com

Subscribe to our Newsletter - "Signal, not noise" Our monthly newsletter is free to subscribers! Sign-up now at Richmond Advisory Group.

Technology we use

• Podcast Recording Platform – Cleanfeed.com
• Cyber Sidekicks Show Host – Podbean.com
• Edited & mastered in GarageBand

In this episode, Christina and Rory highlight alarming news regarding cybersecurity professionals who pleaded guilty to participating in ransomware-as-a-service schemes. They also examine shifts in cyber insurance, noting a rise in phishing-related claims even as third-party outage risks appear to decline. AI security remains a primary focus, and a discussion around analyzing the potential for autonomous agents to act as a new form of insider threat rounds out the news section.

Guest James Rice, VP of Product Marketing & Strategy at Protegrity joins the conversation to advocate for a "whitelist" approach to data protection that enables business growth rather than obstructing it. Ultimately, he emphasizes the necessity of merging data observability with security to protect organizations in an increasingly automated landscape.

NEWS

Two US Cybersecurity Pros Plead Guilty Over Ransomware Attacks

New Tech Deployments That Cyber Insurers Recommend for 2026

Palo Alto Networks security-intel boss calls AI agents 2026's biggest insider threat

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella becomes AI influencer, asks us all to move beyond slop

LINKS

2025 Cybersecurity Market Recap Part #1: More M&A as Deal Sizes Increase!

2025 Cybersecurity Market Re-cap Part #2: Cyber Offense, Platform Wars, and the "boring bits"

Stealth AI, Defensive Agents & Quantum Resilience: The 2026 Cybersecurity Battle Lines are Drawn

Leave us a message!

Want to leave some feedback and suggestions but would prefer not to write an email? You can leave us a voicemail (90 seconds max). We will share any that are not too spicy in the following episode.

SpeakPipe link - https://www.speakpipe.com/Cyber_Sidekicks

Or, send us an email:

• Christina Richmond – christina@richmondadvisorygroup.com
• Rory Duncan – rory@richmondadvisorygroup.com

Subscribe to our Newsletter - "Signal, not noise" Our monthly newsletter is free to subscribers! Sign-up now at Richmond Advisory Group.

Technology we use

• Podcast Recording Platform – Cleanfeed.com
• Cyber Sidekicks Show Host – Podbean.com
• Edited & mastered in GarageBand

We conclude our 2025 Cybersecurity Market re-cap with a look at the defensive and offensive moves brought in by AI tools - in particular through the use of autonomous AI agents. We also cover the implications of the ongoing "platform wars" between major vendors and service providers. Oh, and some of the boring bits...

We also nominate our Heroes of the Year, as well as the Zeros and some of the things we thought were a bit "ho hum" in 2025....

Leave us a message!

Want to leave some feedback and suggestions but would prefer not to write an email? You can leave us a voicemail (90 seconds max). We will share any that are not too spicy in the following episode.

SpeakPipe link - https://www.speakpipe.com/Cyber_Sidekicks

Or, send us an email:

• Christina Richmond – christina@richmondadvisorygroup.com
• Rory Duncan – rory@richmondadvisorygroup.com

Subscribe to our Newsletter - "Signal, not noise" Our monthly newsletter is free to subscribers! Sign-up now at Richmond Advisory Group.

Technology we use

• Podcast Recording Platform – Cleanfeed.com
• Cyber Sidekicks Show Host – Podbean.com
• Edited & mastered in GarageBand

In the first of our recap of the 2025 cybersecurity market, Christina & I delve into the continuing boom in M&A that has fuelled consolidation since the low-point of 2023, with Alphabet/Google, Palo Alto Networks and others playing a significant role.

We also chat with Alex Holland, Principal Threat Researcher at the HP Security Lab who explains how the quality of social engineering has dramatically improved - with some chilling examples. We also hijack his zoo analogy and end-up discussing pine martins (sorry Alex, that was my fault)....

In next week's episode - number #49 - we conclude our 2025 recap with a roundup of the other major events and trends we saw, and share our "Heroes of the Year" and our "Zeros of the Year"

Leave us a message!

Want to leave some feedback and suggestions but would prefer not to write an email? You can leave us a voicemail (90 seconds max). We will share any that are not too spicy in the following episode.

SpeakPipe link - https://www.speakpipe.com/Cyber_Sidekicks

Or, send us an email:

• Christina Richmond – christina@richmondadvisorygroup.com
• Rory Duncan – rory@richmondadvisorygroup.com

Subscribe to our Newsletter - "Signal, not noise" Our monthly newsletter is free to subscribers! Sign-up now at Richmond Advisory Group.

Technology we use

• Podcast Recording Platform – Cleanfeed.com
• Cyber Sidekicks Show Host – Podbean.com
• Edited & mastered in GarageBand